<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><HTML><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2"><B>IMMEDIATE RELEASE<BR>
Schenectady, NY <BR>
CONTACT: Don Rittner, Film Commissioner 518 378 9256<BR>
drittner@aol.com<BR>
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Mayor Stratton Announces the Creation of the Schenectady Film Commission<BR>
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</B></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2">Mayor Stratton today announced the formation of the Schenectady Film Commission.<BR>
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The seven-member panel is made up of local Schenectady professionals who have been successful in various ways in the entertainment industry and its mission is to draw Hollywood and independent filmmakers to the city and county for their productions.<BR>
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“Schenectady is an ideal place to shoot movies and commercials. We have a 400-year-old city that can provide any backdrop a moviemaker could want, “said Mayor Stratton. “We proved that you can shoot an entire movie in Schenectady and save money at the same time,” he said, referring to </FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2"><I>Winter of Frozen Dreams</I></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2">, a movie starring Thora Birch and Oscar winner Keith Carradine that was filmed here in 2008. Members of the Schenectady Film Alliance helped the producers with locations and many other aspects of producing the movie and saved the company about $100,000 in production costs.<BR>
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The commission is made up of Don Rittner, city historian and founder of the Schenectady Film Alliance, who will head the new commission; David Bourgeois, CEO of White Lake Music, a sound production company located in the city; Mike Feurstein, a local award winning independent film maker, Voted Area's Best Filmmaker by Readers' Polls: Times Union 2008, Metroland 2009; Nick Barber, a long time public servant and Schenectady County Real Property Tax Director; Joe Tardi, CEO of Tardi Associates, a local marketing firm; Philip Morris CEO of Proctors; and Barbara Blanchard, city councilwoman.<BR>
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“Why Schenectady,” says Rittner. “It is here that sound on film was first invented by GE's Charles Hoxie in 1921. It is here that the first play ever televised took place on WGY/WRGB in 1928 and here that the world's first television station WRGB began in 1939, he said. “Schenectady has always been a leader in the media and entertainment industry and it makes perfect sense for movie making to take place here today,” he added. Rittner has already been scouting and supplying images for two possible future productions here.<BR>
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“We also have a huge pool of talent to draw from,” says Mayor Stratton. “Schenectady has actors, producers, writers, lighting experts, and all the talent you need to produce high quality movies and commercials in the city,” he said.<BR>
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The commission has also created an advisory board that includes Hollywood actress Thora Birch, Schenectady born director and producer Antonio Ferrera, movie producers Milka & Millie Stanisic and TV producer Mike de Seve from NYC. Also invited to be on the advisory committee are legendary filmmakers such as John Sayles, and other local film producers to help in their mission. A Web site will be built to lure potential moviemakers to the region as well.<BR>
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“New York State has a 30% tax credit for movies shot anywhere in our state. Shooting movies and commercials in Schenectady is good for our local economy but also great for the filmmaker who can take advantage of these tax credits. It's a win-win for all of us,“ said Rittner.<BR>
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</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2"><B>Commission Members<BR>
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Philip Morris<BR>
</B></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2">Philip Morris is CEO of Proctors. He has been active in many of downtown's development projects.<BR>
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</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2"><B>Joseph Tardi</B></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2"> <BR>
Joseph Tardi is President of Joseph Tardi Associates, Public Relations, Marketing and Advertising firm located in the Capital Region.<BR>
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His accounts include Fortune 500 companies, and has been a consultant to CBS Records, ABC Television and a member of General Motor's Pontiac division's National Advertising Advisory Board.<BR>
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</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2"><B>David Bourgeois<BR>
</B></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2">Composer & Producer David Bourgeois is extensively involved in audio and visual production, audio postproduction, and music composition, for television, film, advertising, and mixed media. David is the President and Creative Director of Voice Coaches & White Lake Music & Post, and recently formed Bourgeois Farmer Productions with television host Evan Farmer. The company's collaborative production facilities and 20 employees are based in Schenectady.<BR>
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</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2"><B>Michael Feurstein <BR>
</B></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2">Michael Feurstein is owner and operator of a local movie lighting rental business and production company, respectively Cucumber Alley Lighting and MovieQuest. Michael's work earned him Best Local Filmmaker credit in reader polls from Albany's Times Union and the Metroland. Together with his students he won gold medals from state competitions, and Best Video of 2008 in the Times Union's contest, and has been featured on many web media hubs. His current crew consists largely of apprentices from the high school, and now includes students from schools statewide.<BR>
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He's been commissioned to produce a DVD series on instructing autism, direct several regional commercials airing now, direct cinematics for the blockbuster, award-winning </FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2"><I>Guitar Hero</I></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2"> game series, and recently served as gaffer for a documentary aimed at PBS. Some of his students joined him on these sets, and they so impressed the clients that the students have been asked to return for future projects. Michael will soon be working on a historical web series based in the capital region, and on upcoming projects conceived by his student apprentices. His colleagues and contacts are based on both coasts, a few of them international, and he seeks to use that base to help the prosperity of the Film Commission.<BR>
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Michael is writer, director and creator of the award-winning kids' sci-fi series </FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2"><I>eScape</I></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2"> now in its third year.<BR>
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</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2"><B>Don Rittner<BR>
</B></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2">Don Rittner is the Schenectady County and City Historian and an award-winning author of 30 books. He has been a producer of TV and radio shows over a 30-year period and has appeared in five films. He is the founder of the Schenectady Film Alliance. <BR>
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</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2"><B>Nick Barber<BR>
</B></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2">Nick Barber is a life long Schenectadian that has served in many volunteer and public positions. Nick served on the County Legislature for 11 years, president of the board of Schenectady County Community College, president of the Goose Hill Neighborhood Association, Electric City Arts & Entertainment District and President of SACC TV-16, public access television.<BR>
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Nick has been an actor in major and local productions from NYC to the Capital region. He also is the host of "Weekend Access" a community oriented TV show on MY TV-4, Albany, NY. He has appeared in "Tony & Tina's Wedding" at Proctor's Theater twice, playing the part of Anthony Nunzio, Sr., father of the groom.<BR>
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Mr. Barber is the Schenectady County Real Property Tax Director and lives in Schenectady, with his daughter, Robyn.<BR>
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</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2"><B>Commission Advisory Board Includes:<BR>
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Thora Birch</B></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2">. She was a leading child actor in the 1990s. In the late 1990s she moved on to more mature roles, in films such as </FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2"><I>American Beauty</I></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2"> (1999), </FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2"><I>Dungeons & Dragons</I></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2"> (2000), and </FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2"><I>Ghost World</I></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2"> (2001). She starred in</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2"><I> Winter of Frozen Dreams</I></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2">, a movie that was shot entirely in Schenectady and released in 2009. <BR>
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</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2"><B>Millie & Milka Stanisic.</B></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2"> The Stanisic sisters are producers and owners of Em & Me Productions & Entertainment, a NYC Based film company. They produced </FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2"><I>Winter of Frozen Dreams</I></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2"> among other movies.<BR>
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</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2"><B>Antonio Ferrera</B></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2">. Schenectady born producer, director, and cinematographer, Antonio is the Peabody Award winning producer of The Gates, the 2005 documentary of the art project of Christo and Jeanne-Claude that took place in Central Park.<BR>
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</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2"><B>Mike de Seve</B></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Cambria" LANG="0" SIZE="2">. Television director, writer, producer and Troy native. Credits include Saturday Night Live, MTV, Sesame Street and Bevis and Butthead.<BR>
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