I was able to catch up with the Coastal Georgia Film Alliance Co-Chair Barbara Ryan for an interview about the organization and it’s upcoming Gala event. Watch the video and I have include the event press release below as well.

Read about the movie production Eye of the Hurricane – Upcoming movie production in St Marys

Read about the TV pilot – TV series filming in St Marys and Fernandina

The Coastal Georgia Film Alliance invites Coastal Georgia and Northeast Florida residents to polish up their bling and dust off their tuxedoes to attend the November 13 “Hollywood Nights” Gala to be held in downtown St. Marys. Attendees will be met on the red carpet by Joan Rivers (character), snapped by the paparazzi, and whisked inside for a night of high glamour. According to Coastal Georgia Film Alliance Chair Doug Vaught, the evening promises to be one of St. Marys’ most exciting. “From the moment the valet parker takes your car and you step onto the red carpet, you will find yourself immersed in a world of celebrity,” Vaught said. “Everybody likes to be treated like a star, and at Hollywood Nights, everybody will be a star.”

The Coastal Georgia Film Alliance designed “Hollywood Nights” as a fundraiser to help support the purchase of museum-quality items for the St. Marys Film Museum. In addition to a star-quality dinner, attendees will have the opportunity to bid on unique auction items including walk-on roles in movie and television projects.

Donna Boyett, Chair of the Gala, said her committee is assembling a lineup of auction packages that even stars would like to bid on. “Chic getaways, sports packages, and arts and romance packages have already been assembled,” Boyett said. “One item that we think will bring a top price is dinner for eight at the Historic Clark House with a local dignitary serving as butler.” Boyett went on to say that though the event is months away, the Film Alliance has already sold 50% of the available 200 tickets. “They make a great early Christmas present,” Boyett said. “But mostly people are making reservations in anticipation of something quite out of the ordinary for our area. They won’t be disappointed.”

The event is by invitation only with tickets priced at $45 each. To receive an invitation, email barbara@coastalgeorgiafilm.org.

For more information, call 912-729-1103.

St. Marys resident Tom Hayden, motion picture producer, Coast Guard Auxiliary member, and experienced actor, has been on location in
St Marys, GA, and Fernandina Beach, FL, for the last four weeks filming a television pilot tentatively titled Semper Paratus (Always Ready).

Along with co-writer and director of the pilot, Mark Hildebrand, who is known for his work with Farragut Films, Hayden developed a script focusing on the local U.S. Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary (CGAUX) and their many experiences on the local waterways. Hayden and crew began shooting the TV pilot in June at the Riverview Hotel and Seagle’s Restaurant in St. Marys. They then moved to on-the-water scenes with CGAUX members and their boats, and private actors and their boats.

According to Hayden, the U.S. Coast Guard is very interested in the project and is providing technical support and will review the final script and production schedule before final approval.

As the result of an open casting call facilitated by the Coastal Georgia Film Alliance, Hayden was able to secure all the talent he needed to make the pilot. Main character roles are being played by seven local actors, and extras are from the southeast Georgia/northeast Florida area as well.

According to Hayden, “We could not have completed the project without the help of the Coastal Georgia Film Alliance.” Hayden said that he appreciated the Film Alliance’s continued support in providing talent, prop assistance, and logistics in making the TV pilot a success.

Most of the action in Semper Paratus is centered on the local CGAUX members and their boats (called Operational Facilities) with many scenes in St. Marys, GA and Nassau County, FL.

The story begins with a safety patrol on the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) where they advise a novice boater on safety regulations. Later, during another patrol, they help rescue bikini-clad ladies aboard a boat with engine trouble.

During night training, two of the CGAUX facilities approach suspected drug runners who make a run for it.

Future series story lines will have oil spill disaster activity; mass casualty accident (commercial airplane in the water); stolen vessels; safety cordon for space shuttle launch; CGAUX in Katrina & Haiti; Kings Bay Submarine Base training with Coast Guard units; USCGCIS (NCIS for the USCG), and much more.

The production of a pilot for a full television series is the first step in selling a TV series.

Click here to go to the interview with Barbara Ryan from the Coastal Georgia Film Alliance

After weeks of research and discovery of potential film locations for Braveart’s filming of “Eye of the Hurricane,” Hollywood Producer Susan Johnson has announced the project will be filmed in St. Marys, Georgia.

“Eye of the Hurricane” writer and director Jesse Wolfe said it was more than the beauty of the area that helped make his and Johnson’s decision.

Actor Campbell Scott will play the leading role in “Eye of the Hurricane.” Son of Hollywood icon George C. Scott, more than 20 movies comprise his film dossier including the poignant “Dying Young” that co-starred Julia Roberts. Jose Zuniga also plays a leading role in “Eye of the Hurricane.” His credits include the film “Twilight” and others, as well as starring roles in television series “Law and Order,” “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” and “Ghost Whisperer.”

A plot synopsis of “Eye of the Hurricane” describes it as: “A compelling family drama about a small Florida community struggling to put their lives back together in the wake of a devastating hurricane. In the spirit of ‘Stand by Me’ and ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, ‘Eye of the Hurricane’ is told through the eyes of a determined child, a troubled adolescent, a wounded parent, and a loyal friend.”

With filming set to begin in August, Writer/Director Wolfe sees “Eye of the Hurricane” as a prequel to much more filming in the Southeast.

“I originally wanted to shoot the film in Florida, as it is a story based in Florida,” Wolfe said. “But from the moment we drove into St. Marys, I knew I would change my mind. Potential locations leapt out at me each time we turned a corner, and the hospitality, enthusiasm and charm of the townsfolk, sealed the deal. I will be making my ‘Florida film’ in St. Marys, Georgia.”

“We are thrilled to be shooting ‘Eye of the Hurricane’ in St. Marys, due in no small part of the folks at the Coastal Georgia Film Alliance. Initially we were looking for a location that could match the Florida Everglades, but once we saw St. Marys, the possibilities were endless,” Johnson stated. “We saw every location we needed in the span of four hours and became so enamored of the look of St. Marys that the script has been rewritten to utilize the entire town. And we could not have received a warmer welcome. By the time we finish production, I’m sure one of us will have moved in permanently!”

Janet Brinko, Director of the St. Marys Convention & Visitors Bureau, sees the economic effect impacting long after the production is finished.

“People love to visit places where movies were filmed,” Brinko said. “After the filming of ‘Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil’ in Savannah, their area tourism soared. Having ‘Eye of the Hurricane’ filmed here will be like having a two-hour picture postcard for St. Marys distributed all over the world.”
To see the kind of picture postcard Brinko envisioned, one can visit www.havensfoot.com and view the location visuals posted by the production company showing the beauty of St. Marys and the surrounding area.

For more information about “Eye of the Hurricane,” visit www.havensfoot.com.

For more information about the Coastal Georgia Film Alliance, visit www.coastalgeorgiafilm.org.

Including early St. Marys, GA departure for Sail with the Filmmakers 2010

Cumberland Sound Ferry Announces Revised Schedules for Sail With the Filmmakers to Accommodate Screenings as part of Amelia Island Film Festival 2010!
February 25 – March 1, 2010 – The Cumberland Sound Ferry has revised its official schedule (including an early 9 a.m. St. Marys, Ga departure) for Friday, February 26th and Saturday, February 27th, 2010 to accommodate longer screenings in this year’s Amelia Island Film Festival. Schedule changes will allow passengers to view longer screenings without missing the full day of Sailing With The Filmmakers.

Friday, February 26, 2010

Choose from the following Fernandina Beach departures:
10 a.m.; 2 p.m.; 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Choose from the following St. Marys, GA departures:
9 a.m.; 11 a.m.; 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Choose from the following Fernandina Beach departures:
10 a.m. ; 1:30 p.m.; 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Choose from the followinig St. Marys, GA departures:
9:00 a.m.; 11 a.m.; 2:30 p.m.; and 5:30 p.m.

Upon arrival in St. Marys, GA, passengers will be greeted with a reception sponsored by the St. Marys Film Society.

In partnership with the Cumberland Sound Ferry, Amelia Island Film Festival is focused on exposing filmmakers to the rich history, unique landscapes and memorable experiences that make northeast Florida and southeast Georgia such an enchanting place to visit and make films in the future.
To purchase tickets for this screening, a festival pass, or for ferry tickets for Sail With The Filmmakers aboard the Cumberland Sound Ferry contact Lori Hoerl, Director of Marketing and Operations, Amelia River Cruises, at 904-491-7617 or via email at lorbell1@aol.com. Tickets for the filmmakers sail are $22 roundtrip (20% of proceeds to be returned to Amelia Island Film Festival for future events). Tickets for screenings and the festival are structured according to the type of pass purchased. Call or email for prices.

www.ameliarivercruises.com
www.ameliaislandfilmfestival.org

Organizers of the St. Marys Film Society are working on developing a mini Film Museum in Downtown St. Marys and are reaching out to residents for ideas and contents for display.

To be housed at 300 Osborne Street in the Film Society office space provided by Joseph and Terra Lucent, the Film Museum will be an added attraction to St. Marys’ already impressive list of museums including the Cumberland Island National Seashore Museum, Orange Hall House Museum, the St. Marys Submarine Museum, and the display galleries at the Cumberland Island Visitors Center.

Vintage Hollywood items are already starting to line the walls of the Film Society office, but Donna Boyett, Film Society board member and benefactor of several displays, said there is much left to be done.

“We’re looking for anything of interest connected to the film industry, and that includes Hollywood, of course, but also items relating to television and video production,” Boyett said. “When the museum is complete, we’re confident it will not only be an asset for our city, but will also be an engaging experience that will help boost our share of tourism.”

Boyett said the donated and loaned props, old film reels, film tools (like old projectors), posters, scripts, and other types of memorabilia will comprise the museum’s exhibits. Film Society board members are working along with Express Scripts to build display areas as well.

Anyone who has an item they would like to donate or lend to the St. Marys Film Museum should call 912-729-1103.

FILM SOCIETY TO HOST FILM SCREENING
FEBRUARY 19 IN ST. MARYS

“MAN FROM PLAINS”
FREE TO PUBLIC

“An extraordinary film about an extraordinary man…” That’s what Larry King said about Man From Plains, the film that Coastal Georgia Film Society will be screening as an event appetizer for the Amelia Island Film Festival which takes place the week after the St. Marys screening.

Biografilm winner of the Venice Film Festival and an official selection of the Toronto Film Festival, Man from Plains has been hailed as an “illuminating, candid, and intimate portrait” of our nation’s 39th president who hails from Plains, Georgia.

Event organizer Barbara Ryan said it is fitting that the first event of the newly named Coastal Georgia Film Society honors someone who has made us all proud to call Georgia home.

“Man from Plains was given the highest rating—four stars—that is awarded by such esteemed newspapers as the San Francisco Chronicle,” Ryan said. “Through the generosity of our big brother organization, the Amelia Island Film Festival, we are able to make this showing free to the public.” The film will be shown again the following week during the Amelia Island Film Festival.

Tony McAdoo, president of Amelia Island Film Festival hopes to create enough interest that Camden County residents will come by car or take the Cumberland Sound Ferry to enjoy the many films that the Festival on the south side of the river will be offering February 26-28.

“Amelia Island and Coastal Georgia are bridged by a common love of movies and we feel that co-promoting our events is a win-win scenario for everyone,” McAdoo said.

The 7:00 p.m. February 19th screening in St. Marys at the Ward L. Hernandez Economic Building, 400 Osborne Street, is free to the public and will be preceded by an open reception at the St. Marys Visitors Center, 406 Osborne Street. As there are a limited number of seats available for the screening, the Coastal Georgia Film Society is asking those who wish to attend the screening and the reception to call 912-882-4000 for reservations.

ST. MARYS AD HOC GROUP TEAMS UP WITH AMELIA ISLAND FILM FESTIVAL TO LAUNCH ST. MARYS FILM SOCIETY

ST. MARYS, GA—In the wake of Amelia Island’s recent success as a film magnet, executives from the Amelia Island Film Festival met with St. Marys residents recently to discuss a “sistership” in the advancement of film production and promotion for both areas. According to Tony McAdoo, president of the Amelia Island Film Festival, the collaboration is a natural.

“With the Cumberland Sound Ferry bridging the two towns, it makes a lot of sense to piggyback on each other’s resources,” McAdoo said. “Here we have two states separated by a mere river and each having its unique characteristics. We’re proud to offer our visitors and residents another dimension of entertainment and historic exploration by supporting the development of a St. Marys film organization.”

St. Marys Film Society organizers’ ultimate mission is to position St. Marys as a valuable location option for filmmakers. Toward that goal, they plan to begin by getting acquainted with film industry movers and shakers—producers, directors, writers, and actors, and building a portfolio of resources for the industry. One of the St. Marys Film Society organizers, Doug Vaught, said that Savannah has nothing on St. Marys when it comes to being an attractive location to make a movie.

“We trump them on cemeteries. Our diversity of geography and our water realm including Cumberland Island presents filmmakers with an excellent backdrop for drama, comedy, and adventure films.” Vaught went on to cite the recent filming of Resurrection Fern in St. Marys and on Cumberland Island as a good beginning toward getting the word out. He also went on to say that our proximity to the Jacksonville International Airport and technical talents available in neighboring Jacksonville will add to St. Marys’ appeal as a film location. Donna Boyett, proprietor of The French Quarter in Downtown St. Marys agreed.

“St. Marys and our surrounding area has much to offer, and as a business owner I’m eager to reach out to the film community and show them how easy we are to work with,” said Boyett, another Film Society organizer. “The economic advantages of having film crews in our town spending money are evident, but the residual benefit of boosted tourism like Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil brought to Savannah has even greater positive ramifications.”

Thus far, two events are in the planning stages as part of the St. Marys Film Society launch. On February 18, one week before the 2010 Amelia Island Film Festival begins, the Film Society plans to host a screening of one of Amelia Island’s entries at a downtown St. Marys location. Then during the actual Amelia Island Film Festival (February 25-March 1, 2010), the St. Marys Film Society will host a “meet and greet” in St. Marys. Guests of the “meet and greet”—film execs and artists—will come from Amelia Island by ferry and visit with several businesses in order to familiarize themselves with what St. Marys has to offer.

“We have to walk before we run,” said Vaught. “This year we see ourselves as an ‘appetizer’ for the Amelia Island Film Festival. Future years will hold bigger things and bigger returns for our city.”

Looking to the future, Vaught and other Film Society organizers endeavor to form a film commission and take advantage of an official affiliation with Georgia Economic Development and all that they offer local organizations.

“More than 600 films and television projects have been shot in Georgia,” said Janet Brinko, Director of the St. Marys Convention & Visitors Bureau. “It’s good for tourism, and that means it’s good for our economy. There’s no reason why St. Marys can’t capitalize on our natural beauty and our business-friendly environment.”

According to industry statistics, for every $1 spent in the promotion of filmmaking on a local basis, $7 is returned to the local economy. Georgia Senator Jeff Chapman said that “In a time when cities around the nation are searching for ways to rejuvenate their economy, community leaders who are thinking outside of the box can add great value to a city’s long term plans. The organizers of the St. Marys Film Society are to be commended for their vision and their willingness to do the heavy lifting to make things happen.”

Anyone in the community who would like to get involved in the St. Marys Film Society is urged to call 912-882-4000.

In anticipation of filming in early 2010, construction at the St. Marys film studio in Historic Downtown will resume on Saturday, July 25th at 8:30 AM and Sunday, July 26th until noon.

The crew is in need of helpers on those days and volunteers do not have to commit to the whole weekend or even a whole day. If you are unable to provide help with the activities and labor, but would like to donate food, cold beverages, or even construction materials, gift cards to Lowe’s, or use of tools; that would be helpful as well. For info contact hbednar@starshipfarragut.com or visit www.starshipfarragut.com.