MCFC Press Release Blog

Chuck Bancroft

California State Parks Ranger Chuck Bancroft, who is based at Point Lobos State Reserve, was honored as a top finalist in the state public employee category at Sunday’s 14^th annual California On Location Awards. The awards are presented to public employees who go out of their way to make filming run smoothly on-location.  The winner was Al Adams, with the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

The COLAs presentation was organized by the 55 film commissions in the state, who participate as Film Liaisons in California, Statewide.  The event was held at the Ritz Carlton Marina del Rey on Oct. 19.  Three-time Emmy-nominated actor Fred Willard presided as master of ceremonies for the event, which recognizes the hard work, drive and dedication of the night’s honored film production companies, location professionals, and public officials.

Karen Nordstrand, director of marketing and film production at the Monterey County Film Commission, served on the event’s marketing committee and represented the county at the event.  She nominated local Ranger Bancroft for his award in recognition of  his more than 27 years of service working with film productions at Pt. Lobos State Reserve and Carmel River State Beach.

There was a tie for the category top feature film location professionals between Gregory Alpert for the film “Frost/Nixon” and Doug Dresser for “Fired Up.”

Photo: State Parks Ranger Chuck Bancroft (left) with actor Fred Willard holding the COLA award for Bancroft, who was a top finalist in the state public employee category.

The Monterey County Film Commission is a nonprofit organization proactively marketingMonterey County as a destination for the motion picture, television and related industries,for the purpose of stimulating economic development, creating jobs, providing and supporting educational opportunities in those areas.
It was established in 1987 by the Monterey County Board of Supervisors.

NEWS / MONTEREY COUNTY FILM COMMISSION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 26, 2008
Contact:  Karen Nordstrand / 831-646-0910 / cell 831-594-9410
Karen@filmmonterey.org www.FilmMonterey.org

STATE PARKS RANGER CHUCK BANCROFT
NAMED “CALIFORNIA ON LOCATION AWARD” FINALIST

California State Parks Ranger Chuck Bancroft, who is based at Point Lobos State Reserve, has been named one of three finalists in the State Public Employee category of the California On Location Awards (COLAS).  The COLAS are sponsored by the Film Liaisons in California Statewide, a group representing more than 50 California film commissions, including the Monterey County Film Commission, that work cooperatively to attract, retain and facilitate film production throughout the state.

The COLAS awards ceremony salutes the professional excellence of location scouts, production companies, and public employees who are involved with statewide on-location filming.  The event honors those who work well with film commissioners and local communities to keep the positive economic impact of film production coming throughout California.  A panel of entertainment industry professionals select the winners, who will be announced at the 14^th annual COLAS event on Oct. 19 in Marina Del Rey.

“I know that filming helps support workers and businesses in California, keeping the economy strong,” Bancroft said. “I try to find a good fit with filming in state parks properties here, and at the same time work to protect the resources acting as a steward for the people of California.”

Among the numerous productions he has assisted over his 27-year career with State Parks are the recent Dr. Wayne Dyer feature film, an independent feature “McTaggart’s Fortune,” L.L. Bean catalog shoots, international videos for Japanese TV and the BBC, and a project featuring TV wildlife expert Jeff Corwin.

Karen Nordstrand, the Monterey County Film Commission’s director of marketing and film production, nominated Bancroft in recognition of his years of assistance to the local film commission as well as film productions filming at Point Lobos State Reserve and nearby Carmel River State Beach.

“To be selected as a statewide finalist shows that Ranger Chuck Bancroft has made a difference in keeping more film business in Monterey County and in the state,” Nordstrand said.  “He combines enthusiasm with professionalism when film companies look at our county’s state parks for their productions, and he is a valuable resource in a sensitive state parks region,” said Nordstrand.

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The Monterey County Film Commission is a nonprofit organization proactively marketing Monterey County as a destination for the motion picture, television and related industries, for the purpose of stimulating economic development, creating jobs, providing and supporting educational opportunities in those areas.  It was established by the Monterey County Board of Supervisors in 1987.

NEWS / Monterey County Film Commission
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 11, 2008
Contact:  Karen Nordstrand, 831-646-0910
Karen@filmmonterey.org

Film student scholarship winner’s film
to be screened at the Mill Valley Film Festival

The Monterey County Film Commission’s first film student scholarship recipient, Estee Blancher, will have her short film, “In My Heart: A Child’s Hurricane Katrina Story,” screened at the Mill Valley Film Festival, which runs Oct. 2-12 in Mill Valley, Calif.

Blancher’s film was selected to be screened within a “The Home in My Heart” program which features four up-and-coming Bay Area filmmakers’ short films.  The Mill Valley Film Festival showcases international feature films, documentaries, shorts and children’s films.  This year over 1,500 entries were submitted, and only the top five to 10 percent are selected for screening.

Blancher previously won a $500 prize in the 2008 Monterey County Film Commission Scholarship and Awards Program, which was established to provide financial help and encouragement to the next generation of filmmakers who reside in Monterey County, or are enrolled in a college or university in the county. The scholarship fund is a permanent endowment with the Community Foundation for Monterey County.  Blancher received her award at the May 4 Monterey County Film Commission’s “An Evening with Alison Eastwood” event in Pacific Grove, at which Clint Eastwood introduced his daughter Alison prior to the screening of her directorial debut film, “Rails & Ties.”

Blancher is a recent graduate of the California State University, Monterey Bay Teledramatic Arts and Technology Department (TAT).  She collaborated on her film production with fellow TAT student Clinton Kuska.

To view the Mill Valley Film Festival program and get ticket information, see www.mvff.com.  “The Home in My Heart” program of film shorts is sponsored by California Film Institute.  The program is scheduled to be shown Friday, Oct. 3, at the Smith Rafael Film Center in San Rafael at 9 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 11, at the Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley at 4:15 p.m.

For more information on the Monterey County Film Commission Scholarship Awards program, go to www.FilmMonterey.org.  Applications for the 2009 scholarship and awards program will be available online in November.

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The Monterey County Film Commission is a nonprofit organization proactively marketing Monterey County as a destination for the motion picture, television and related industries, for the purpose of stimulating economic development, creating jobs, providing and supporting educational opportunities in those areas.

NEWS / MONTEREY COUNTY FILM COMMISSION
P.O. Box 111, Monterey, CA 93942
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 9, 2008
Contact:  Karen Nordstrand
831-646-0910 / Karen@filmmonterey.org

HOLLYWOOD FILM PROFESSIONAL PHIL NEMY
TO SPEAK AT CSUMB ON SATURDAY, OCT. 11

“Get a Reel Job” lecturer shares insights
on getting a start in the film business

The Monterey County Film Commission and the Teledramatic Arts and Technology (TAT) Department at California State University, Monterey Bay bring Phil Nemy, a 20-year veteran of the motion picture, television and theatrical industries, to the Monterey Peninsula on Saturday, Oct. 11.

The event is a part of the film commission’s “Focus on Film” lecture series, an educational outreach offering opportunities to gain insights on film industry jobs. His presentation, “Get a Reel Job: Finding Your First Job in the Film Industry,” will be from 10 a.m. to noon in the CSUMB University Center on Sixth Avenue and will include a question-and-answer session.

Nemy will discuss the keys to successful networking, project pitching, finding the right career path, resumes, the power of mentors and more.

Tickets are $10, and may be reserved by calling the film commission at 831-646-0910. For more details, see www.FilmMonterey.org.

Nemy’s film industry positions have included vice president of production and executive production manager. Apart from his career as a film producer, Nemy is a lecturer and author of the book, “Get a Reel Job,” a resource guide for those wanting to find a way to get a start and a career in the motion picture and television industry.

Nemy worked for such film companies as Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures, Columbia Pictures Television, Walt Disney Television, and for Robert Greenwald Productions including the telefilms Shattered Spirits, On Fire, a Fight for Jennie, Can You Feel Me Dancing, and the four-hour miniseries Liberty.

With Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group, Nemy served as production executive on such movies as Remember the Titans, The Princess Diaries, and The Crew.  He also supervised six of  producer Jerry Bruckheimer’s biggest hit films-Coyote Ugly, Enemy of the State, Armageddon, Con Air, The Rock, and Pearl Harbor, on which he spent five months with the Baja Mexico production unit at Fox Baja Studios in Rosarito Beach, Mexico.

Nemy, a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama, is now an independent film and television producer with his Angel’s Touch Productions company.  He is currently developing the television thriller, Delivery from Moscow. He helped create the University of Texas in Los Angeles Center, home of the Semester in Los Angeles Program for students interested in careers in the entertainment industry.

“Get a Reel Job” is co-sponsored by the Monterey County Film Commission and the TAT Department at CSUMB. The lecture is funded in part by a grant from the Cultural Council for Monterey County, and the Monterey County Board of Supervisors.

Driving directions to the University Center and a campus map may be downloaded at www.csumb.edu/map.

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The Monterey County Film Commission is a nonprofit organization which works to bring economic development through film production in Monterey County, and to provide locals with educational and employment opportunities related to the film industry. It is funded in part by the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, which began the film commission in 1987.

NEWS / MONTEREY COUNTY FILM COMMISSION
For immediate release: Aug. 6, 2008
Contact:  Karen Nordstrand
831-646-0910 * info@filmmonterey.org

Feature film with author Dr. Wayne Dyer seeks extras for Monterey Peninsula scenes

Extras, Extras!  Monterey County Film Commission has been assisting a production company with advance locations, crew and business referrals, and now the production is filming in Monterey County for the next couple of weeks.  It’s a feature film about Dr. Wayne Dyer, author and speaker in the field of self-development.

The production is now needs for a large number of background extras for several dates, especially Thursday, Aug. 7 beginning at 6 p.m.

They are looking for a wide variety of looks, ages and ethnicities including kids, teens, adults and seniors, men and women.  “Types” may include business persons, families, and both conventional and alternative looks.

If interested, submit a headshot or snapshot with contact information to waynedyerproject@yahoo.com. Include detailed information regarding availability during the day, evening and nights during shoot days. More specific details will come from the production company.

This is a non-union production.  There is no pay, but meals are provided if the shoot runs across meal times.

Additional contact is the Monterey County Film Commission at 831-646-0910 or info@filmmonterey.org.

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Film Synopsis: In this film, Dr. Wayne Dyer explores the spiritual journey from ambition to meaning. The powerful shift from the ego constructs many are taught early in life by parents and society, that promote an emphasis on achievement and accumulation, are shown in contrast to a life of meaning, focused on serving and giving back.

Through the intertwined stories of an overachieving businessman, to a mother of two seeking her own expression in the world, to a director trying to make a name for himself, this entertaining film expects to inspire and teach how to create a life of meaning and purpose.

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N E W S / Monterey County Film Commission

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 5, 2008
Contact:  Karen Nordstrand, 831-646-0910
info@filmmonterey.org

MONTEREY COUNTY FILM COMMISSION AWARDS
FIRST FILM STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS
Two CSUMB Students Win $500 Prizes

Estée Blancher and Anna Veronica Calvillo were named the first recipients of $500 scholarships in the new Monterey County Film Commission Film Student Scholarship and Awards Program.  The two are students in the Teledramatic Arts and Technology Department at California State University, Monterey Bay.  Blancher’s film was created in collaboration with fellow CSUMB student Clinton Kuska.

The recipients were honored at a special screening of Alison Eastwood’s directorial debut film, “Rails & Ties,” on May 4 at the Lighthouse Cinemas in Pacific Grove.  Film commission board president Anne Sanchez presented the students their prizes.  She thanked the donors in the community who helped make the scholarship program a reality, and expressed the commission’s plans to continue the awards program and assist more film students in the future.

Among the guests were Clint Eastwood, Alison Eastwood, Pacific Grove Mayor Daniel Cort, members of the Monterey County Film Commission’s board of directors, and “Reel Friends of the Film Commission” members.

The winners plan to use the money to help distribute their films.  Blancher and Kuska’s production is “In My Heart: A Child’s Hurricane Katrina Story,” and Calvillo’s film is “Awakening: The Poetess.”

The Monterey County Film Commission scholarship program was created to provide financial aid and incentive to students of film and beginning filmmakers who reside in Monterey County or are enrolled in a college or university in the county.  The fund was established as a permanent endowment with the Community Foundation for Monterey County. The scholarship program chairperson is board member Phyllis Decker.

The two films will be shown at the Teledramatic Arts and Technology capstone festival at the World Theater May 16 from 6 to 10 p.m.  The festival will showcase projects by the program’s graduating seniors.  It’s free and the public is invited.

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N E W S / Monterey County Film Commission
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 7, 2008
Contact:  Karen Nordstrand
karen@filmmonterey.org 831-646-0910

Film Commission Presents

“An Evening with Alison Eastwood” on May 4, 2008
Hollywood comes to Pacific Grove
with screening of “Rails & Ties” and After-Party
with film director Alison Eastwood

The Monterey County Film Commission plans “An Evening with Alison Eastwood” bringing the new Hollywood director to Pacific Grove for a screening of her film, Rails & Ties, on Sunday, May 4.  This will be the first event at the town’s newly renovated Lighthouse Cinemas at 525 Lighthouse Ave.

Eastwood made her feature directorial debut with Rails & Ties, a drama that stars Kevin Bacon and Marcia Gay Harden. A screening of the film will begin at 6 p.m., with doors opening at 5:30 p.m.   An after-party with Eastwood will be held at 8 p.m. at the nearby Melange Restaurant, 542 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove.

The daughter of Clint Eastwood and Maggie Eastwood, Alison grew up in Carmel and attended Santa Catalina school in Monterey, and Robert Louis Stevenson school in Pebble Beach.

Her acting credits include appearances in Absolute Power, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Poolhall Junkies and I’ll be Seeing You.  Eastwood moved into working behind the camera as an associate producer for Don’t Tell in 2005, prior to directing Rails & Ties in 2007.

Tickets for the Rails & Ties screening are $10 (free for members of Reel Friends of the Film Commission).  The after-party at Melange is $50 per person ($45 for Reel Friends). The night of the event, if there are movie tickets available they will be sold at the door. Seating is limited. To reserve, contact the Monterey County Film Commission at 831-646-0910, or email info@filmmonterey.org.  For further information see www.FilmMonterey.org.

Rails & Ties has been shown at the Telluride Film Festival, New York Film Festival, Hamptons Film Festival, and Mill Valley Film Festival.

The Monterey County Film Commission, a nonprofit organization, is funded by the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, City of Monterey, and City of Sand City. This event is supported in part by a grant from the Arts Council for Monterey County.

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NEWS / Monterey County Film Commission
P.O. Box 111, Monterey, CA 93942
March 27, 2008 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:  Karen Nordstrand, 831-646-0910
Karen@filmmonterey.org

SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION DEADLINE EXTENDED
College Film Students in Monterey County
may apply for $1,000 in Awards

The deadline for film students to apply for the new Film Student Scholarship & Awards Program has been extended from March 31 to April 30, 2008.  The $1,000 award is offered by the nonprofit Monterey County Film Commission.

Eligibility information and application forms may be downloaded at www.FilmMonterey.org, or contact the film commission office at 831-646-0910 or info@filmmonterey.org.

The recipients of the $1,000 scholarship (or two $500 awards) will be announced in May 2008.

The scholarship program was created to provide financial aid and incentive to students of film and beginning filmmakers who reside in Monterey County, or who are currently enrolled in a community college or university in the county.  The fund was established as a permanent endowment with the Community Foundation for Monterey County.

“This program helps a film student work towards a career goal, and the funds can go directly to them to be used for Capstone or other film projects,” said Phyllis Decker, chairperson of the film commission’s scholarship committee.  “Establishing a film student scholarship program has been a long-time dream of all of us on the board of directors of the Monterey County Film Commission.  With generous donations from the community, hard work from board members and guidance from the Community Foundation for Monterey County, this dream has become a reality.”

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The Monterey County Film Commission was created by and is funded in part by the Monterey County Board of Supervisors.  It works to market Monterey County as a destination for the motion picture, television and related industries, for the purpose of stimulating economic development, creating jobs, providing and supporting educational opportunities in those areas.

NEWS / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monterey County Film Commission
P.O. Box 111, Monterey, CA 93942
Contact:  Karen Nordstrand
831-646-0910 / info@filmmonterey.org
Feb. 21, 2008

FILM COMMISSION’S “THE BIG NIGHT GALA”
TO CELEBRATE ACADEMY AWARDS® SUNDAY, FEB. 24, 2008
A Benefit for the non-profit Monterey County Film Commission

The Monterey County Film Commission will hold its 18^th annual “The Big Night Gala”–a celebration of Hollywood’s 80^th Academy Awards® presentation–on Sunday, Feb. 24, 2008 at the Inn at Spanish Bay in Pebble Beach.  The event is a benefit for the non-profit film commission, and honors outstanding film achievements in an elegant setting.

The film commission’s local gala will feature a big-screen telecast of the Academy Awards® presentation, a four-course dinner and wine, plus a silent auction benefiting the nonprofit organization.  Guests will be given special ballots and will try to win prizes by guessing which films and actors will win Oscars®.  The black-tie optional event begins at 5 p.m. with a red carpet arrival just as the Hollywood version is seen on the broadcast.

The evening’s master of ceremonies will be KSBW-TV news anchor Dan Green.

For more information see www.FilmMonterey.org.

This year’s event sponsors include Jeff A. Fortin with NESTech Management Group, Inc., (Super Star level and Walk of Fame donor).  Additional Walk of Fame contributors are Joanne Gimbel, Nader Agha with Holman Antique Plaza, and Eric and Teresa Del Piero.

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Dec. 14, 2007
Contact:  Cari-Esta Albert
310-488-5080 / cea@noonattack.com

New Writer’s Workshop Sessions
Offered by Film Producer Cari-Esta Albert

Veteran movie producer and studio executive Cari-Esta Albert is presenting a Writer’s Workshop in Carmel beginning Jan. 8.  The eight evening sessions will be held Tuesdays through Feb. 26 at Il Fornaio’s Ocean Avenue Room from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.  The fee is $300 with reservations taken at 310-488-5080 or by email at cea@noonattack.com.  Albert is offering a discounted rate of $275 to Reel Friends of the Film Commission members.

Albert was the producer of films including “The Truth About Cats and Dogs,” executive producer of “Heart and Souls,” and “Love Is Strange.”  As an executive at Geffen Pictures, Universal Pictures, Alphaville, and USA Network, she worked on the development and production of pictures including “Defending Your Life,” “Interview With The Vampire,” “Gorillas In The Mist,” “The Last Boy Scout,” “Executive Decision,” “The Mummy,” “Parenthood” and “Men Don’t Leave”.

Her workshops will include information on completing treatments, screenplays, re-writes, TV pilots, and novels.  Pages are submitted and read prior to class for in-class discussion with an emphasis on suggestions for the next step in the writing process.  Sessions will include analysis of elements including characters, dialogue, plot, tone, genre, cinematic elements (with an emphasis on issues specific to each writer’s project).

“Writers will leave each meeting with concrete ideas to take them to the next step,” Albert said.  “Weekly writing assignments will set goals to keep them on track by road-mapping the steps to complete the work by the end of the workshop.”

Weekly discussions and exercises cover topics such as:

• Internal/external conflict (how to create more conflict in each act)
• Tracking and revising character and plot conflict
• How to rethink dialogue to reveal character arc;  create roles actors want to play
• A picture’s worth a thousand words–the visual exploration of character and plot.
• Overcoming writer’s block and finding continued inspiration by “thinking out of the box”
• Verbal pitches of logline and theme
• Streamlining dialogue
• Brainstorm character development to create roles that actors want to play;
• Re-writing and improving the inciting incident, Act 1 break, Mid-point scene, 2nd act break and 3rd act climax.
• Genre issues and salability via analysis of the current marketplace.  How to focus story to attract financing.

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