News and Events
Hollywood East goes to MIT
Boston Herald, November 19, 2008
The school’s Media Laboratory has launched the Center for Future Storytelling with a 7-year, $25-million commitment from Plymouth Rock Studios, better known as “Hollywood East” in Plymouth.[...]
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Saving the Story (the Film Version)
New York Times, November 18, 2008
In league with a handful of former Hollywood executives, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Laboratory plans to do something about that on Tuesday, with the creation of a new Center for Future Storytelling.[...]
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Southie gets a stand-in
Boston Globe, November 15, 2008
For the latest mob drama set in South Boston, billed as an "Irish Sopranos," producers of a SpikeTV pilot program knew exactly the look they wanted. Dark and dingy. Hopeless streets. Think "Mystic River" or "Gone Baby Gone."[...]
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Good vibes of ‘Woodstock’
Berkshire Eagle, November 11, 2008
Government incentives to bring film companies
to the state is money well spent.[...]
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Buzz from Hollywood
Boston Globe, November 10, 2008
Two made-in-Massachusetts films attracted a lot of attention, namely the South Boston-based "What Doesn't Kill You" and "The Maiden Heist," starring Christopher Walken, Morgan Freeman, and William H. Macy. And the benefits of filming in Boston were touted at a sold-out seminar dealing with tax credits.[...]
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Projected Benefits
Harvard Crimson, November 6, 2008
With a national economic recession well underway and a Bostonian tradition of documentaries and independent films rather than blockbuster thrillers and romantic comedies, the question remains: does Massachusetts have what it takes to become a big star in the film industry? [...]
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Location, Location, Location
Backstage.com, November 3, 2008
Actor Roy Souza, a Boston native and a SAG member since 1995, is jubilant about the recent boom. He notes that it is not just high-profile projects that have flocked to Massachusetts but also small-scale indies. He recently completed significant roles in the low-budget We Got the Beat, shot in Worcester, and Lasse Hallström's Hachiko: A Dog's Story, starring Richard Gere. [...]
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Plymouth town meeting approves $400 million studio project
The Patriot Ledger, October 28, 2008
Town meeting members listen attentively during the special town meeting at Memorial Hall on Monday night. They approved the tax break and zoning changes that will allow the $400 million Plymouth Rock Studios project to go forward.
[...]
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Welcome to Hollywood East!
Brockton Enterprise, October 28, 2008
It took a couple of years to get the question to Town Meeting but only a few minutes for Town Meeting to answer.[...]
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Hundreds cheer yes votes for Plymouth film studio
Boston Globe, October 28, 2008
Town Meeting easily passed two articles last night that will allow Plymouth Rock Studios to move forward with the construction of a $400 million film studio on a 240-acre golf course, after months of negotiation between local officials and studio executives.[...]
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MASS. MARKET: Film industry infrastructure is key to attracting TV productions to the state.
Quincy Patriot Ledger, October 26, 2008
Massachusetts has enjoyed a renaissance in movie production in the last two years because of aggressive tax incentives that the Legislature created. [...]
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As Massachusetts Development Begins to Fold, Hollywood and Casinos are Next Safe Bet
Banker & Tradesman, October 13, 2008
As the office tower builders pack it in, another crop of developers is waiting in the wings. One group wants to make Massachusetts Hollywood East.[...]
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Plymouth studio consultants predict millions in taxes, wages and fees
Quincy Patriot Ledger, October 8, 2008
Thousands of jobs, millions in tax revenue and few demands on town services. That’s what Plymouth’s financial consultants say the town can expect from the proposed Plymouth Rock Studios project.[...]
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Mass. movie studio could generate millions
Associated Press, October 8, 2008
The project includes 14 sound stages, a back lot, a hotel and an education center.
Consultants say the project would likely generate more than 3,000 jobs and $168 million in wages.[...]
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No vacancy: Plymouth Rock Studio’s Oct. 15 jobs forum is filled
Quincy Patriot Ledger, October 8, 2008
Plymouth Rock Studios says an Oct. 15 jobs forum for people interested in working at the proposed film studio is booked to capacity.[...]
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Plymouth Rock Studios spotlights jobs
Cape Cod Times, September 26, 2008
Hollywood hasn't come to town quite yet, but the hundreds of people who flocked to Plymouth South High School last night are ready and waiting for its arrival.[...]
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Mass Film Office bringing the stars to the area
Newburyport Daily News, September 22, 2008
It's not every day that a major Hollywood production is filmed on the North Shore. But with Matthew McConaughey, Michael Douglas and Mel Gibson in our midst this summer, it becomes clear those days are becoming more common.[...]
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Planning board unanimously recommends movie studio bylaw
Quincy Patriot Ledger, September 16, 2008
Unanimous planning board support for a movie and television production zone on the Waverly Oaks golf course property surprised many of the more than 100 residents who have followed the process for months.[...]
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Metal band films video at Orpheum
New Bedford Standard-Times, September 15, 2008
The Orpheum Theater stage saw a lot of acts during its heyday from 1912 to 1958, when it closed its doors, but none like the band that took the stage on Sunday.[...]
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MASS VOTERS SUPPORT FILM CREDITS
Boston Globe, September 14, 2008
Almost two thirds of state voters polled last month say the tax credits for production companies are a good thing.[...]
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Plymouth Rock Studios scores hit with townspeople
Brockton Enterprise, August 26, 2008
Plymouth Rock Studios officials wowed planners and residents and did it without special effects, stunts, song or dance.[...]
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Hub of the film industry: ‘Big Screen Boston’ chronicles city’s starring roles
Waltham Daily News Tribune, August 18, 2008
The folks in the movie business aren’t kidding when they refer to Boston and its environs as Hollywood East. But this is hardly a new phenomenon. As pointed out in Paul Sherman’s new book “Big Screen Boston”.[...]
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Plymouth Rock Studios’ future hinges on zoning change
Patriot Ledger, August 16, 2008
Plymouth Rock Studios intends to build a major movie and television production studio at the site of the Waverly Oaks Golf Club, but the plan hinges on town meeting’s approval of a zoning change in October. Studio founder David Kirkpatrick said. “We’d like to start construction next spring and be open for business in September of 2010.”[...]
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Trio Join Gibson and De Niro in DARKNESS
Hollywood Reporter, August 15, 2008
Leading stars Mel Gibson and Robert De Niro have some new cast members to welcome on board in their upcoming thriller Edge of Darkness.[...]
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Newburyport’s River Merrimac Bar and Grille goes Hollywood
WickedLocal.com, August 15, 2008
Tuesday night the restaurant, which opened this past April, played host to the cast and crew of Bjort Productions’ new feature film “The Joneses,” which wrapped shooting with one of the movie’s most climactic scenes set in The River Merrimac’s second-floor dining room.[...]
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Get in on the action
Boston Globe, August 11, 2008
Eight movies already have been at least partly filmed here in 2008. So maybe now, instead of simply charting celebs' every move in the entertainment news, you want a firsthand peek at them.[...]
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The next act: a film studio for Stoneham?
Boston Globe, August 10, 2008
A Hollywood-type movie studio in Stoneham? It's possible, says Gary DeCicco, a Nahant-based developer who says he wants to buy the dormant Boston Regional Medical Center in Stoneham and convert the 40-plus-acre property into a studio and soundstage for movie productions.[...]
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Developer wants to build South Boston soundstage
Boston Herald, August 7, 2008
Welcome to Southie-wood. Developer Tim Pappas is floating plans to build an L.A.-style movie production complex on a vacant lot he owns at the corner of West First and E streets.[...]
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Boston’s Tinseltown Walk
Hartford Courant, July 24, 2008
Boston has been home to more than 400 movies and television shows. Add to that the seven major movies that have been shot in Massachusetts just this year alone — and suddenly it doesn't seem so crazy that Boston fancies itself Hollywood East.
[...]
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Lights, camera, shop! Boston boutiques wrapped up in movie boom
Boston Herald, July 23, 2008
“It’s been wonderful for the city and it’s great for us,” said Lisse Grullemans, who, as assistant to the vice president at Barneys, has coordinated pulls for about eight costume designers for everything from Ricky Gervais’ “This Side of the Truth” to the Kate Hudson/Anne Hathaway comedy “Bride Wars.”[...]
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Roll film in Berkshires
The Berkshire Eagle, July 9, 2008
With the region's talent, low costs and natural beauty, the Berkshires should be attractive to directors, producers and studios, and it is encouraging that a concerted effort is in place to make them welcome here.[...]
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Patrick: Let cameras roll for Hollywood East
The Patriot Ledger, July 8, 2008
Gov. Deval Patrick said he believes Hollywood East will help boost Massachusetts’ place in the national spotlight.[...]
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Lights, camera, Berkshires …
The Berkshire Eagle, July 8, 2008
The Berkshire Film and Media Arts Commission, a nonprofit coalition seeking to connect the Berkshires to the Hollywood film community, is looking to market the Berkshires--in part by creating a Berkshire Production Guide.[...]
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Plymouth golf course eyed for $300M studio project
Boston Globe, July 3, 2008
Plymouth Rock Studios has picked a golf course in Plymouth as the site of its $300 million "Hollywood East" project.[...]
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Film boom’s special effect: Production crews and related firms see more work
Boston Globe, June 29, 2008
At the halfway mark in 2008, business for the Massachusetts film industry is, in a word, booming.[...]
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The final cut: DiCaprio decamps after filming wraps
The Hull Times, June 26, 2008
Scorsese and the film’s star, Leonardo DiCaprio, arrived at Pemberton Point early Monday morning to prepare for filming on Peddocks Island, which has been transformed into the set of “Ashecliffe,” a movie based on Lehane’s 2003 novel “Shutter Island.” [...]
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Boston called ‘the new Toronto of the film industry’
Lynn Daily Item, June 21, 2008
Massachusetts is fast assuming a new image as a place where Hollywood-style motion pictures are made.[...]
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Scorsese shooting film in area
Walpole Times and Daily News Transcript, June 20, 2008
Hollywood has invaded Walpole’s neighbors over the last few months as Academy Award winning director Martin Scorsese begins to wrap up shooting for his new movie “Ashecliffe.”[...]
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Actors’ strike could hurt Mass. movie biz
Boston Herald, June 20, 2008
After escaping fallout from the three-month writers’ strike that ended in February, Massachusetts’ growing motion picture economy faces another potential setback in a looming strike by the Screen Actors Guild.[...]
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Lynn’s true grit used as backdrop to reel violence
Boston Globe, June 19, 2008
Bruce Willis was on hand for filming in Lynn on May 30th, but stunt doubles took over yesterday for car and helicopter chases. "The Surrogates," a sci-fi thriller starring Willis and Ving Rhames, is also being filmed in Worcester, Lawrence, Wayland, Taunton, Hopedale, and Boston. [...]
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Next on Mass. filmmaking checklist: Soundstage
Associated Press, June 18, 2008
With Massachusetts experiencing a mini-boom in filmmaking, the push is on to build a full-scale studio.
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Boston Movie Mania Boosts Retail
Women's Wear Daily, June 18, 2008
Actress Jayma Mays spent March through May shooting the comedy "Paul Blart: Mall Cop," in Burlington Mass. Mays' co-workers splurged at Marc Jacobs, Envi, Calypso and Gretta Luxe, and the movie's costume designer, Ellen Lutter, spent more than $100,000 locally.
[...]
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Film tax break helps Massachusetts go Hollywood
Springfield Republican, June 13, 2008
Seven films have wrapped up production so far this year - and while Boston has most often been the location for filming, this year moviemakers have moved outside the city to Beverly, Gloucester, Rockport, Woburn, Lowell, Worcester and other communities.
[...]
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Lights, Camera, Tax Credit: Massachusetts Lures Filmmakers With Generous Rebate
New York Times, June 5, 2008
Since last July, when Gov. Deval L. Patrick signed into law a 25 percent film tax credit, a wave of major film projects has landed in Massachusetts.[...]
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Great race heats up for Mass. movie Hub
Boston Herald, June 4, 2008
A local developer who owns land on South Boston’s waterfront is drawing up plans for a movie production complex, state Rep. Brian Wallace (D-South Boston) said yesterday.
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Bruce Willis to film action scene in Hopedale
Milford Daily News, June 4, 2008
Scenes for Willis' new movie, "The Surrogates," a sci-fi thriller, will be filmed at the Draper mill complex later this month.[...]
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Lights, camera, economic action
Boston Herald Editorial, June 2, 2008
The film tax credit has proven its worth.[...]
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Keeping the cameras rolling in Mass.
MetroWest, June 2, 2008
"Making movies is a recession-proof, clean growth industry. The benefits of bringing more movie business to Massachusetts could touch virtually everyone." ---Joe Maiella, President - Massachusetts Production Coalition[...]
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Patte Papa, Boston’s Movie Permit Czar
Boston Globe, June 1, 2008
For years, while Boston had no formal film liaison, Patte Papa stockpiled knowledge as she oversaw events from the Boston Marathon to the gay pride parade. Now her experience is enabling the city to juggle multiple films at once.[...]
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Lucent building brings starpower to North Andover
Lawrence Eagle Tribune, June 1, 2008
The former Lucent plant on Route 125 has landed on a short list of prime filming spots across the state.[...]
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Lynn stands in for Hollywood
Boston Globe, May 31, 2008
Lynn became the area's latest Hollywood backlot yesterday as the cast and crew of "The Surrogates" shot scenes inside the former Security National Bank.[...]
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STATE REPORT: FILM TAX CREDITS COULD BRING IN $700 MILLION, 5,000 NEW JOBS
MFO News, May 31, 2008
In a report issued earlier this week, the Massachusetts Department of Revenue (DOR) predicted that the newly enacted film tax credits could bring in over $700 million of new investment and more than 5,000 new jobs.[...]
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Local film rivals team up
Boston Herald, May 29, 2008
A pair of longtime Boston-area video and film equipment companies are teaming up to cash in on the surge of Hollywood movies filming in the Bay State.[...]
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Voters OK movie studio
Cape Cod Times, May 11, 2008
Voters yesterday gave an enthusiastic green light to a proposal to build a movie studio on 300 acres of town-owned land a few miles from the Bourne Bridge.[...]
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Extra! Extra!
Boston Globe, May 11, 2008
The recent boom in feature films being made around Boston has led to all kinds of action for people who want to act out their dreams.[...]
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Plymouth sets the stage for movie studio vote
Cape Cod Times, May 8, 2008
Voters here have seen the message on 1,500 lawn signs, seen it on TV ads, read it in e-mails and pamphlets, and heard it in phone and personal pleas: Say "Yes to the ROCK." That's the rallying cry for a citizens' committee that has blitzed the town with their message about Question 3, a nonbinding referendum on Saturday's ballot in Plymouth. [...]
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Hollywood heads to Worcester
Worcester Telegram and Gazette, April 25, 2008
The city has reeled in a big one — and there may be a few more on the line. Production crews for a new Bruce Willis movie, “The Surrogates,” are set to start work in Worcester Monday and will stay through August.[...]
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Hollywood East
Boston Globe, April 24, 2008
To those who wonder whether there's room in Massachusetts for two major movie studios, the answer from the studios is an emphatic yes. [...]
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Too soon for new film break
Boston Globe, April 21, 2008
It's too soon to know whether private investors will build production and post-production facilities without a costly new tax incentive.[...]
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21 is the number on movie in America!
Weekly Variety, April 7-13, 2008
MFO Variety ad congratulating 21 on being the number one movie in America.[...]
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Stars, dollar signs shine in Lowell
Lowell Sun, April 12, 2008
Crews from This Side of the Truth, the romantic comedy that begins filming in Lowell tomorrow, have made their mark on the local economy.[...]
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New dollars: $544 million attributed to film productions
Associated Press, March 27, 2008
88 film productions with end dates between 2006 and 2008 spent a total of $544 million in the state.[...]
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Massachusetts incentives boost shoots
Variety, March 14, 2008
Thanks to the state's newly renovated film incentives, film production in Massachusetts, which struggled along at one or two pics per year, has ballooned to an anticipated six or seven features shooting simultaneously this spring.[...]
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Lights! Camera! Massachusetts!
Brockton Enterprise, March 11, 2008
The Bay State is fast becoming a favorite location for Hollywood filmmakers, with Taunton’s Whittenton Mills undergoing the latest cinematic transformation into a World War II concentration camp for the upcoming film “Ashecliffe,” directed by Martin Scorsese.
[...]
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Scorsese found secluded Taunton mill a perfect fit for his film
Brockton Enterprise, March 11, 2008
Hollywood’s path to the Whittenton Mills complex began when filmmakers were scouting Massachusetts for a state hospital.[...]
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Hub’s Hollywood feast
Boston Herald, March 3, 2008
The boom in movies being filmed in the Hub has meant millions of dollars in new business for city hotels.[...]
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Burlington Mall is center stage in new movie ‘Mall Cop’
Daily Times and Chronicle, February 27, 2008
If patrons of the Burlington Mall notice holiday decorations about five weeks from now, don't think it's a rush to create a nine-month shopping season. The decorations will be part of the backdrop as scenes from the film "Mall Cop" will be shot at the mall beginning March 24, the day after Easter.[...]
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GONE BABY GONE EARNS ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATION
Weekly Variety, February 4-10, 2008
MFO Variety ad congratulating Amy Ryan on her Academy Award nomination for GONE BABY GONE.[...]
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Hollywood has growing interest in Bay State
Brockton Enterprise, January 28, 2008
A major movie studio in Plymouth could generate as many as 2,000 well-paying jobs and stimulate the tourism and service industries in the region, potentially becoming the largest private employer in the Plymouth area.[...]
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MFO ANNOUNCES 2007 ALL STAR TEAM
MFO News, January 15, 2008
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Milton was ready for its close-ups
Boston Globe, January 3, 2008
For five days in November and December, the normally sedate suburban town of 25,000 people became Hollywood Central, with town residents enlisted to serve as extras, police controlling traffic and providing security, and the neighborhood buzz centering around how much taller movie star Cameron Diaz appeared in person.[...]
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Hollywood Invasion
Boston Magazine, December 15, 2007
So clogged has Boston been with filmmakers that during the first week in September, crews shooting in the Back Bay kept crossing walkie-talkie signals. In a city where only five movies were filmed in the previous seven years, these are new and pleasant problems.[...]
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Worcester goes Hollywood, Feature film does location shots at local museum
Worcester Telegram & Gazette, December 4, 2007
If your timing was really good, you might also have caught the illustrious likes of Morgan Freeman or William H. Macy making their way from their dressing-room trailers in the Trinity Lutheran Church parking lot to the Worcester Art Museum, where a Hollywood crew was at work on a one-day shoot for a new movie. [...]
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Boston cop patrols a star-studded beat
Boston Globe, November 27, 2007
Rubbing elbows with the stars is nothing new for Sgt. Michael O’Connor, 54, a veteran of 21 years who is now the Boston Police Department’s motion picture liaison.[...]
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GAME PLAN is the number one movie in America!
Weekly Variety, October 15-21, 2007
MFO Variety ad saluting GAME PLAN as the number one movie in America.[...]
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Small businesses benefiting from movie-struck Hub
Boston Business Journal, October 12, 2007
The increase in action is causing a surge in business for a range of companies and individuals related to filmmaking.[...]
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Film Union membership up in Mass., Incentives drive jump
The Boston Herald, September 15, 2007
Local 481 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts has seen a 37 percent surge in members since Massachusetts’ new film tax incentives took effect last year. More than 140 new enrollees have signed on, bringing its membership to a record 537.[...]
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Action
The Boston Globe, August 25, 2007
For years, Hollywood producers steered clear of the 'celluloid pariah' known as Massachusetts. But now they're all over Boston, thanks to tax breaks and a warm welcome.[...]
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Massachusetts Lifts Cap on Film Tax Credits
Weekly Variety, July 23-29, 2007
MFO Variety ad touting new Massachusetts film tax credit law.[...]
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Ready for our close-up
Boston Herald, May 18, 2007
Two thumbs-up to state officials who now recognize that they can play more than a cameo role in drawing big-screen blockbusters to film in the Bay State.
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Audio & Video Stories
Plymouth, MA residents approve plan for movie studio- Small Town May Become Hollywood Hub
- Mass. tops on Hollywood’s filming list
- Intrepid fan catches up with DiCaprio in Hull
- Economic Impact of Film Tax Credit
- Hollywood East unveiled in MA
- Movie projects could bring the Bay State $200M
- Booming Massachusetts movie business
- Governor Deval Patrick at the MA Film Tax Credit Press Conference
- Speaker Sal DiMasi and Sen. Cynthia Creem speak about new tax credit
- MFO Exec Director Nick Paleologos at the MA Film Tax Credit Press Conference