MINEVILLE — A second independent motion picture is scheduled to begin shooting here early next year.
And local people could get some jobs because of that.
Producers Lori Kelly-Bailey and Joel Plue, who made “Mineville” in the same place, say their next feature film project will be “Antarctica,” about an explorer lost in a terrific storm at the pole.
“Mineville,” which was about love and revenge in Moriah’s iron mines at the turn of the 20th century, has just been released on DVD.
STRUGGLE TO LIVE
The new picture will be made in February and March 2013 with exteriors actually shot in the heart of the Antarctic region by documentary filmmaker Anthony Powell of the Discovery Channel’s “Frozen Planet” series and feature-film director Kirk Watson, who did
“South of Sanity.”
In the film, explorer Alexander Stevenson fights to stay alive in Anarctica as he searches for his crew.
Starving and slowly freezing to death, Stevenson struggles to separate hallucination from reality, and as he drifts further into madness, this juxtaposition will set the stage for a nightmarish journey, according to the producers.
The interiors will be shot in Essex County, Kelly-Bailey said, including the old Mineville Hospital, recently used as a health center, and the Republic Steel office building in Mineville, as well as a local church. All are currently vacant, and Kelly-Bailey praised Moriah Supervisor Thomas Scozzafava for getting them permission to shoot inside.
’THRILLED’
Antarctica has lots of early 20th century concrete block buildings, Kelly-Bailey said, as do Moriah’s Mineville and Witherbee hamlets.
“We’re thrilled about this,” Kelly-Bailey said by email. “When we were asked by the folks in Antarctica to scout for the best possible locations to match their early 1900s-style concrete buildings and harsh winter conditions, it was obvious we should return to Essex County to film.
“After a decade of working there on ‘Mineville,’ we know with absolute certainty this is an area and a people that are very familiar with the whirlwind ride of filmmaking,” she continued. “They (residents) are as solid as the block houses that pepper their streets.”
“Antarctica” will feature actors Megan Franich, who was in “30 Days of Night,” and Bill Hutchens, from “Human Centipede 2,” as well as cameos by Anthony Powell and Kirk Watson.
LOCAL JOBS
Kelly-Bailey said all additional casting will be done in Essex County. She said a casting call will be issued in November, and people can try out. Many of the supporting actors in “Mineville” were local residents.
“We want to help the local community. No less than 30 percent of our filming budget will be utilized for the hiring of local cast, crew, catering and lodging. This will create temporary jobs for contractors, laborers, set construction, maintenance, security, catering, production assistants and actors.”
The film’s budget will probably be more than the $100,000 for “Mineville,” but hasn’t been finalized yet. She said they’re raising money through an Indiegogo Internet campaign at: http://igg.me/p/198642?a=525117.
The picture is expected to be shown in select theaters, with a premiere in northern New York, Kelly-Bailey said, and will be distributed online on iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Flixscene and Vimeo.
Email Lohr McKinstry:
lmckinstry@pressrepublican.com
