MARK AUERBACH
HOLYOKE- For almost fifty years, western Massachusetts has attracted major motion pictures and the professionals who go with them to film, edit, scout locations, act, direct, and more. Portions of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were filmed in Northampton. A 1975 thriller, “The Reincarnation of Peter Proud,” was filmed with Michael Sarrazin and Margot Kidder in Springfield and Longmeadow. Alec Baldwin and Nicole Kidman filmed “Malice” in Northampton and Springfield; “The Judge” was made in Shelburne Falls, and the list goes on.
As WMass becomes a desired location, many film professionals have chosen the region as their home and workplace. Massachusetts likes the creative industries in its towns and country, and they’ve got some great tax credits for film companies who shoot feature movies, documentaries, and commercials in the Bay State.
The Berkshire Film and Media Collaborative (BFMC) will present the 2nd Annual Western Massachusetts Film and Media Exchange on Friday, October 23, from 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. at the Baystate Health’s Whitney Avenue Conference Center in Holyoke. This daylong conference includes workshops, seminars, demonstrations and networking opportunities for film and video professionals as well as businesses who are looking to use film and video in their marketing, branding and social media efforts.
As the only business-to-business film and media event of its kind in the region, the exchange expects to draw attendees – including filmmakers, actors, production and post-production professionals, marketing and PR executives and local business owners – from western Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire, Connecticut, as well as the Albany and Boston areas.
BFMC Executive Director Diane Pearlman is particularly excited about producing the exchange again.
“The exchange is an incredible opportunity for filmmakers to learn how to run their businesses and projects more effectively,” she said. “One panel will look at all of the legal aspects involved in a getting a film done. For businesses, workshops will demystify the basics of making a video including production costs and how to use video effectively in branding and marketing.”
“In today’s marketplace, it is important to tell your story visually – whether in a commercial, an in-house presentation, a promotional video or on the web,” she said.
Cynthia Wade, the Academy Award-winning Berkshires-based filmmaker will be keynote speaker. Wade won the Oscar for her short documentary “Freeheld,” the story of a New Jersey police officer who was diagnosed with cancer and wanted to give her benefits to her same-sex partner. The documentary has been turned into a motion picture of the same name, starring Julianne Moore and Ellen Page, which opens nationally on October 16. Wade is producer of that venture. She also won an Oscar nomination for her documentary “Mondays at Racine,” the stories of women undergoing chemotherapy. For information on Cynthia Wade: http://www.cynthiawade.com/
The exchange will feature a full exhibit hall with many of the latest technologies (cameras, lights, and drones!), as well as local production and media companies.
“This is going to be an exciting and informative event for an industry that is growing in our region,” said Pearlman. “The exchange is a place where filmmakers and businesses can meet and make connections. We have incredible talent in our region and we are able to produce high-level content for much less than if you went to New York or Los Angeles. We are all about keeping production dollars staying here in our state. For those in the business and those who want to know more about it – you can’t afford to miss the exchange.”
Tickets for the exchange are $55 in advance and $65 at the door. Admission includes full access to all exhibits, workshops/panels and demos, along with breakfast, lunch and a networking cocktail party to conclude the conference. For tickets, sponsorship opportunities and more information, go to BFMC’s website: www.berkshirefilm.com or call their office 413.528.4223.
