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IN THE NEWS

Wednesday, March 3, 2010::Lights! Glamour! Pittsburgh!

Pittsburgh is one of the top 10 places in the country to shoot a movie.

The nonstop flow of work into the region generated an estimated economic impact last year of $104 million. That's nearly double the $60 million the region earned in 2008 and a stunt leap from the $18 million that trickled in in 2007 to hotel rooms, car rental agencies, restaurants and local businesses.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010::Movie Budgets Matter, but Plot is Paramount

The hit film Avatar shows how size can matter when it comes to movie budgets. With its costly special effects and massive marketing campaign, Avatar's success shows how a huge financial investment behind a visionary filmmaker can create a stunning product that's tough for aspiring filmmakers to match.

Thursday, February 4, 2010::Oscar Preview Party

John Yost, Brandi Engel and Russ Streiner during the Pittsburgh Film Office Oscar preview party held at Jay Verno's Studio on the SouthSide, Friday, January, 29, 2010.

Sunday, January 31, 2010::Film Office hosts So, You Want to Be in Pictures?

The spotlight was on as more than 320 movie moguls made their red carpet entrance to the Jay Verno Studios on Friday for So, You Want to Be in Pictures?, the Pittsburgh Film Office's annual pre-Oscar party for VIPs and next-big-things.

Sunday, January 31, 2010::Film Office's Oscar gala moves Downtown to Wilson Center

Talk about your "Twilight Saga: New Moon" souvenirs.

A long, hooded red robe worn during scenes shot in Italy and a poster autographed by the Volturi vampires are among roughly 175 items that will be auctioned during the Pittsburgh Film Office's Oscar gala.

Friday, January 29, 2010::Pittsburgh Film Office Gets Ready For Oscar Party

Jessica Conner, of the Pittsburgh Film Office, talks more about their annual Academy Awards party – “Lights, Glamour, Action!”

Friday, January 29, 2010::Studio ready to handle any film job

Mogul Mind Inc. hopes its recent tenant of "Unstoppable" proves an apt description for its plans to do more than provide soundstage space for movie and TV productions and commercials in the Strip District.

"We're producing our own projects, and we're developing projects locally with different writers and producers," says Robert Stewart, film fund director and creative director for Mogul Mind.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010::DIVE Nominated For VES Award For Outstanding VFX on "The Road"

DIVE's exceptional handling of Visual Effects for the feature film "The Road" was nominated for 'Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Feature Motion Picture' by The Visual Effects Society's (VES) 8th Annual VES Awards.

Thursday, January 14, 2010::Inside the Mogul Mind

When Twentieth Century Fox announced it would film Unstoppable, a $100 million motion picture starring Denzel Washington, at Pittsburgh's Mogul Mind Studios, it meant more than a slice of Hollywood was coming to the Steel City. The film also brought along about 250 jobs and $60 million for the local economy, proof positive of the power of Pennsylvania's Film Tax Credit program and a testament to Mogul Mind's expertise and wide-ranging skills.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010::Film Productions Continue to Boom in Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh seems to be known by only two things: its sports teams and its former steel mills. But what you may not know is that the Steel City is also home to a thriving film industry.

This January saw the release of The Road, a film based on the Cormac McCarthy novel about the relationship between a father and son in a post-Apocalyptic world. The film stars Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron and Robert DuVall, and was partly filmed in Pittsburgh.

Friday, January 8, 2010::Local Dispatch: He’s a happy extra during Pittsburgh’s star role in films

With the wrap of two more Hollywood films using Pittsburgh, "The Next Three Days," starring Russell Crowe, and "Love and Other Drugs," starring Jake Gyllenhaal, I look back fondly on my last 20 years as a bit actor in 18 films and several television productions made here.

It all began in 1991, when a friend mentioned to me that casting agent Nancy Mosser was looking for Italians to cast in the TV movie "Dead and Alive," starring Tony Danza.

Saturday, January 2, 2010::Hollywood pizazz a bright spot for Pittsburgh jobs

Last summer, Jordan Lippert took an instructor's advice and skipped the fall semester of college to work on a movie being filmed in Pittsburgh.

Lippert, a technical theater major at California University of Pennsylvania, doesn't regret his decision because he earned enough to pay for more than two semesters, and gained valuable experience as a set dresser on "Love and Other Drugs."

Thursday, December 31, 2009::First Look: ‘She’s Out of My League’

Film crews are going, going or gone but "She's Out of My League," a romantic comedy filmed in Pittsburgh in 2008, is scheduled to land in theaters March 12. Jay Baruchel, from "Knocked Up" and "Tropic Thunder," plays an airport security agent -- and Pittsburgh Penguins fan -- who falls for a woman (Alice Eve) who seems to be out of his league.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009::Pittsburgh Film Office Oscar bash moves to new venue

The Pittsburgh Film Office's Oscar bash will have a new backdrop come 2010 - the August Wilson Center for African American Culture, Downtown.

The annual event, called "Lights! Glamour! Action!" as usual, will feature a red carpet and live telecast of the Academy Awards.

Friday, December 18, 2009::Behind Scenes of Denzel Washington Movie Filming in Pittsburgh

Behind Scenes Of Denzel Washington Movie Filming In Pittsburgh - Video - WPXI Pittsburgh

Monday, December 14, 2009::‘The Next Three Days’ production days in Pittsburgh come to an end

Prison breaks were much simpler in Mrs. Soffel's day.

The warden's wife concealed saws beneath her spacious petticoats to help spring the jailed Biddle brothers in 1902. But in "The Next Three Days," Russell Crowe's character has a much riskier, thornier task at hand and no guarantee of success.

Friday, December 4, 2009::Gyllenhaal Gives City “Stamp” Of Approval

First Russell Crowe raved about Pittsburgh's architecture, sports fans and friendly people, now another A-list actor is singing the city's praises.

After spending three months in town on a movie shoot, Jake Gyllenhaal gave his stamp of approval to the 'Burgh.

Monday, December 7, 2009::Pittsburgh Business Radio

PBR host Mark DeSantis talks with Dawn Keezer of the Pittsburgh Film Office about the business of film-making in Western Pennsylvania, and what Dawn is doing to continue to help to bring big-name projects to the region.

Friday, December 4, 2009::Jake Gyllenhaal gets Steelers tattoo after stay in city

Actor Jake Gyllenhaal, who was just in Pittsburgh for three months to film the drama "Love and Other Drugs," gave high marks to his experience in the 'Burgh early this morning on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live."

Thursday, December 3, 2009::Russell Crowe Interview

Mary Robb Jackson interview with actor Russell Crowe.

Thursday, December 3, 2009::Russell Crowe Reflects On Time In Pittsburgh

A side street in Sharpsburg is lined with neat working-class homes, lights, cameras and Russell Crowe.

"Thinking about going swimming in the river this afternoon you know if it keeps up the heat like this, I think I'd better go for a swim," Crowe said, joking about the cold weather.

Thursday, December 3, 2009::Russell Crowe Digs Pittsburgh Sights, Sports

Actor Russell Crowe is seeing much of what Pittsburgh has to offer and is becoming a fan of the city's architecture, its people and its sports teams as he continues shooting a new movie, "The Next Three Days."

Tuesday, December 1, 2009::Pittsburgh makeup artist helps celebrities put their best face forward

She started out working behind the makeup counter at Horne's department store in Downtown Pittsburgh.

Who would have dreamed that 30 years later, she would have two Emmy Awards for TV makeup?

Monday, November 30, 2009::Local Woman Designs Sweater For Russell Crowe Film

Heidi Kozar, a knit designer at Knit One in Squirrel Hill, never thought what she started as hobby 46 years go would be seen on the silver screen.

"This very young woman came in and asked if they knew anyone in the store who could knit sweaters for the new Russell Crowe film being filmed in Pittsburgh," she said.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009::‘The Road’ brings Hollywood buzz to Erie

Partially shot in Erie and Crawford counties in April 2008, with a release date delayed by its Hollywood studio three times in the past year, "The Road" finally debuts in theaters today, carrying the weight of polarizing reviews from critics, Oscar buzz from industry insiders, and local excitement from those who are curious to know what scenes from this region are included in the final cut.

Sunday, November 22, 2009::Actors, director of ‘The Road’ focused on telling a love story

In "2012," doomsday is the draw.

In "The Road," the post-apocalyptic world is simply the canvas to see how people behave. Do they turn into thieves and cannibals or do they "carry the fire" -- and therefore hope, love and decency -- with them in this extreme environment?

Saturday, November 14, 2009::The area in “Action!”

One of the great movies of the 1980s, "Flashdance," was set in Pittsburgh and took a little shot at Altoona when the lead character was asked where she's from.

"Altoona, Pennsylvania," wannabe dancer Alex, played by Jennifer Beals, said.

Monday, November 9, 2009::After ‘Unstoppable,’ Tyrone on board for more films

Tyrone resident Mike Ieraci said he is used to seeing trains roll only yards away in front of his Washington Avenue home, but last week he got to see something out of the ordinary, as "Unstoppable" began filming several blocks away.

Sunday, November 8, 2009::Movie causes traffic shifts Downtown

Some traffic changes were in place this morning in Pittsburgh to accommodate the filming of the movie, "The Next Three Days."

Sunday, November 8, 2009::Choppers over river for Russell Crowe movie

The two adults, two children in strollers and one golden retriever were all set to jog across the Clemente Bridge when they were stopped on the Downtown side, not because of construction but moviemaking.

Friday, November 6, 2009::Movie filming shuts down Pittsburgh bridges, tunnels this weekend

Some of Pittsburgh's iconic bridges and tunnels will close for filming of "The Next Three Days" Saturday and Sunday, officials said.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009::Tyrone scene ‘very important’

TYRONE - For Tyrone residents, there was good news and bad news Tuesday from the set of the film "Unstoppable," which finishes shooting in the Blair County town today.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009::Movie crew on track

"He was right on top of the train," said resident Rick Sessamen of the aerial acrobatics that punctuated the first day of filming in Tyrone for the movie "Unstoppable."

Tuesday, November 3, 2009::‘As the World Turns’ shoots scenes in several Pittsburgh spots

CBS's "As the World Turns" spun quickly through Pittsburgh yesterday to film scenes for its current sudsy story line: After Jack (Michael Park) accidentally shoots and kills his brother (Austin Peck), he leaves Oakdale, Ill., to go on a soul-searching mission -- the "Never Surrender Tour" -- to track down Simon (Paul Leyden), the con man ex-husband of his brother's widow.

Sunday, November 1, 2009::‘Unstoppable’ stops in Tyrone

Suzanne Johnson is waiting for a phone call to inform her if she'll get her 15 minutes of fame soon.

Johnson, who grew up in Tyrone and lives in Tipton, auditioned to be an extra in "Unstoppable," the Denzel Washington film which will have several scenes shot in Tyrone this week. She said she's supposed to find out this weekend if she was cast.

Thursday, October 29, 2009::Hollywood stars arrive – and have to go

My wife tells me she and our two daughters are going to walk around the corner to Shannon's house because Shannon had called to say Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway were talking in the vacant lot outside her bathroom window.

Monday, October 26, 2009::Crew Films Russell Crowe Movie At Oakland Café

You may have spotted movie crews or even movie stars in Pittsburgh recently.

Channel 11 caught up with one of three movie crews filming in Pittsburgh Monday. The crew was filming at the Luna Café.

Monday, October 26, 2009::Local film office must contend with trimmed state tax credit

The state's tax credit for movies shot in Pennsylvania got a bit chipped and dented during the lengthy battle over the 2009-10 budget, but it has survived for at least another two years.

Saturday, October 24, 2009::Movie is the talk of two towns

In the late 1800s, the villages of Unionville and Julian along Bald Eagle Valley benefited from the railroad that tied the towns together.

Carrying iron and lumber, the railroad made the two villages important centers of trade within the region.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009::Pittsburgh addicted to Gyllenhaal’s ‘Love and Drugs’

True, there were no feverish flu patients but it sure looked like a doctor's office, from the names on the outer glass door to the men in white coats, stethoscopes slung around necks, filing cabinets, boxes of latex gloves and (unopened) urine sample cups, scale and weight chart.

The two doing the brisk walk and talk were Jake Gyllenhaal and Hank Azaria, and the location had been built and decorated with remarkable detail in an office building in McCandless for "Love and Other Drugs."

Sunday, October 18, 2009::KD-PG Sunday Edition (Part 2)

Dawn Keezer and Rep. Paul Costa talk about how the new Pennsylvania budget is affecting the Pittsburgh Film Office.

Saturday, October 10, 2009::Movie cast, crew first guests for new hotel

COLLEGE TOWNSHIP — After weeks of frenzied activity, the Best Western University Park Inn and Suites opened Friday on Shiloh Road.

Among its first guests — the cast and crew of the 20th Century Fox movie “Unstoppable,” which starts filming in the area Monday.

Thursday, September 17, 2009::Why ‘The Road’ took so long

On April 23, 2008, when director John Hillcoat talked to me in the old Benkovitz seafood warehouse, I remember starting our conversation with the fact that "The Road" had a mid-November 2008 release date. And he said something like, well, that's what they tell me.

As it turned out, that deadline proved impossible to meet and "The Road" will now open on Nov. 25, the day before Thanksgiving 2009.

Sunday, September 13, 2009::Three join ‘Drugs’ romantic comedy

Ed Zwick's "Love and Other Drugs" cast has swollen a bit further.

Gabriel Macht, Hank Azaria and Oliver Platt have signed on to the romantic comedy that Zwick is directing for Fox 2000/New Regency. They join Anne Hathaway, Jake Gyllenhaal, Judy Greer and Josh Gad.

Friday, September 11, 2009::Extras still needed for film starring Gyllenhaal, Hathaway

The movie industry keeps on plugging away in Pittsburgh. Shooting has begun on "Love and Other Drugs" a romantic comedy starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway, and extras are needed.

Men and women ages 15 to 85 are sought for jobs as paid extras, stand-ins, photo-doubles and silent bits.

Friday, September 11, 2009::Island Studios plans expansion as movies come to Pittsburgh this fall

With three big movie productions in Pittsburgh for much of the fall, Michael Dolan and his partners are pushing forward to expand their Island Studios operation in McKees Rocks.

Friday, September 11, 2009::Gyllenhaal-Hathaway movie to shoot scene in Aliquippa

A scene for the Anne Hathaway-Jake Gyllenhaal movie “Love & Other Drugs” will be shot at the former Aliquippa Hospital.
The building’s owner, Chuck Betters, said filming is scheduled for the final week of this month.

Thursday, September 10, 2009::Pittsburgh area talent, landmarks gets time on 'Sorority Row'

So many movies have been shot in Pittsburgh recently that it's hardly a surprise when another hits the big screen. This weekend, it's "Sorority Row," a horror/slasher film about the Theta Pi sisters, who find themselves stalked by a killer when a prank they play goes horribly awry.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009::Publicist says communities seem all aboard filming of ‘Unstoppable’

Residents in the community of Port Allegany, Pa., got their first taste of Hollywood this week when a large film crew with the movie “Unstoppable” set up Sunday, rehearsed Monday and shot scenes Tuesday.

Friday, September 4, 2009::Cinema and the city: Movies are hot in Pittsburgh

Lights, camera, action — words normally associated with filmmaking — have been joined locally by three others: You are hired.

Union membership for Pittsburgh-based film industry workers has swelled by more than 137 percent in the past 19 months, as the region's production catch has experienced record growth in recent years, according to union and film officials.

Friday, September 4, 2009::‘Love and Other Drugs’ to start shooting Sept. 21 in Pittsburgh region

Location filming for "Love and Other Drugs" is scheduled to begin Sept. 21 throughout the Pittsburgh region, according to Dawn Keezer, director of the Pittsburgh Film Office.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009::Film Notes: Elizabeth Banks could be Crowe's co-star in the 'Burgh

Elizabeth Banks, who came to Pittsburgh to make a porno, could be returning here. The trade publication Variety reports the actress is in final negotiations to star opposite Russell Crowe in "The Next Three Days," the Paul Haggis movie.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009::Mogul Mind Studios is Unstoppable in Pittsburgh

Although still regarded as the Steel City, Pittsburgh might soon become known as the next film and television production mecca.

Monday, August 24, 2009::Elizabeth Banks eyes 'Next' project

Elizabeth Banks is in final negotiations to star opposite Russell Crowe in Lionsgate's "The Next Three Days," Paul Haggis' adaptation of the French thriller "Pour elle."

Monday, August 24, 2009::Elizabeth Banks picks 'Next' project

Elizabeth Banks is in final negotiations to star in "The Next Three Days" for writer-director Paul Haggis at Lionsgate.

Friday, August 21, 2009 ::Dawson joins 'Unstoppable' cast; film made here on DVD

You can now describe "Unstoppable" as the Denzel Washington-Chris Pine-Rosario Dawson movie.

Thursday, August 20, 2009::Judy Greer joins 'Love' film

Judy Greer has been cast in the new Ed Zwick film "Love and Other Drugs."

Friday, August 19, 2009::'Unstoppable' adds two to cast

Jessy Schram and Kevin Dunn have boarded Fox's action drama "Unstoppable," joining Denzel Washington, Chris Pine and Rosario Dawson, who also recently was cast.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009::Watch Three Rivers preview on the upcoming prime time special

CBS Fall Preview, a prime-time special looking at the network's upcoming lineup, will be hosted by the stars of How I Met Your Mother, and will air on September 2.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009::Rosario Dawson joins 'Unstoppable'

Rosario Dawson will star alongside Denzel Washington and Chris Pine in Fox’s runaway train drama "Unstoppable," directed by Tony Scott.

Monday, August 17, 2009::'Three Rivers' with a view

CBS's fall medical drama "Three Rivers" returned to town to film a new scene yesterday for its Oct. 4 premiere episode.

Thursday, August 13, 2009::'Bridge to Nowhere' a launchpad, director says

Pittsburgh-based movie producer Mike Dolan, 30, of O'Hara, is confident that "The Bridge to Nowhere" isn't a metaphor for the movie business -- just the story told in the film.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009::Pittsburgh Movie Treated To Red Carpet Premiere

A red-carpet premiere opened Pittsburgh's latest movie Wednesday night with WTAE Channel 4's Sally Wiggin as one of the stars.

Wednesday, August 05, 2009::'Three Rivers' hospital set a complex operation

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- The set for Three Rivers Regional Medical Center, the fictional Pittsburgh hospital that serves as the setting for CBS's fall medical drama "Three Rivers," is so large it takes up two soundstages on the Paramount Pictures lot.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009::Lionsgate gambles on Russell Crowe/Paul Haggis project

Unless you're making "Transformers 3" or " Iron Man 2," every movie in Hollywood is a gamble in one way or another. But some gambles are more intriguing than others, like the one Lionsgate recently announced teaming Russell Crowe and Paul Haggis.

Monday, August 3, 2009::Credit-worthy: The state's film tax break pays off once again

As everyone knows, Pennsylvania's state budget is in limbo. More than a month into the start of the new fiscal year, Democrats and Republicans in Harrisburg still haven't agreed on a spending plan for 2009-10.

Friday, July 31, 2009::Hollywood hat trick to play out here

It's the movie version of a G-20 summit: Denzel Washington, Jake Gyllenhaal and Russell Crowe. All coming to Pittsburgh to make three separate movies starting in late summer or early fall.

Friday, July 31, 2009::PRESS TOUR JOURNAL: 'Three Rivers' set visit

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- Just how big is the "Three Rivers" hospital set? So big they cut holes in the wall between Paramount stages 19 and 20 so production designer Philip Toolin could create long, winding, river-like corridors for the doctors to stride down during those all-important hospital show walk-and-talk shots.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009::Russell Crowe to star in 'Three Days'

Russell Crowe will star in "The Next Three Days," the adaptation of the 2008 French film "Pour Elle" that reunites Lionsgate with its "Crash" director Paul Haggis.

Saturday, July 25, 2009::Washington to film thriller in Pennsylvania

Realism was the goal when producers for the Cecil B. DeMille film "The Unconquerable," starring Gary Cooper, hired real Seneca Indians to ride horses in the segment shot in Cook Forest in northwestern Pennsylvania.

Friday, July 24, 2009::Action flick ‘Unstoppable’ to film in Pittsburgh

"Unstoppable" is back on track, bound for Pittsburgh, and counts Denzel Washington on board the action-thriller.

Thursday, July 23, 2009::Report: Denzel Washington back on track for ‘Unstoppable’

After pulling out of the project last week, actor Denzel Washington has come to terms with 20th Century Fox to star in a film that will shoot in Pittsburgh, trade publication Variety is reporting.

Thursday, July 23, 2009::'Unstoppable’ starring Denzel Washington to film in Pittsburgh

Denzel Washington will soon make Pittsburgh his home. At least for a few months.

Thursday, July 23, 2009::Denzel Washington back in movie filming in Pittsburgh

"Unstoppable" is back on track, literally, with Denzel Washington and bound for Pittsburgh.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009::Denzel back on track with Fox

The 20th Century Fox drama "Unstoppable" just might live up to its title.
Nearly two weeks after Denzel Washington formally withdrew from the Tony Scott-directed drama, the actor and the studio have come to terms on a deal that will put the runaway train picture back on its fast track in the fall.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009::Zwick Takes On Love And Other Drugs

It's a druggy, Jakey morning. We brought you Prince of Persia and Mr. Nice, and now we bring you Love and Other Drugs, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway, and directed by Ed Zwick.

Monday, July 20, 2009::'Love and Other Drugs' finds brother

Actor/comedian Josh Gad has joined Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway in the business-world drama "Love and Other Drugs" at Fox 2000/New Regency.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009::Creating 'Three Rivers' (part 3)

In earlier blog posts, "Three Rivers" creator Carol Barbee discussed the genesis of the series and its Pittsburgh setting. She also talked about how she managed to get some Pittsburgh flavor into the pilot that was shot locally.

Thursday, July 2, 2009::Creating 'Three Rivers' (part 2)

As Pittsburgh prepares to be in prime-time again with the locally-set CBS series "Three Rivers," we continue our conversation with creator/executive producer Carol Barbee.

Monday, June 29, 2009::Creating 'Three Rivers'

Native Pittsburghers sometimes ask why a TV show would film here, and the tone is often such that the implication is "we're not worthy, why would they pick us?"

Thursday, June 25, 2009::Film crew shooting at former Moundsville prison

The former West Virgina Penitentiary at Moundsville had a supporting role in a film starring Nick Nolte: It's the stand-in for a Mexican prison in a movie called 'Warrior.'

Monday, June 15, 2009::FX pilot based on Elmore Leonard's "Fire in the Hole" filming in region

KITTANNING -- Just outside of town on Route 422, down the road from USA Flooring ("Spring has sprung, get your floors re-done"), production continued Thursday night on what may be FX's next new drama series.

Thursday, June 11, 2009::Lights, camera, action for Layton Bridge

A local area not unfamiliar to film crews again found itself in the spotlight.

The Sony production crew filmed two scenes of "Fire in the Hole" on the Layton Bridge in Perry Township, from 6 a.m. Wednesday until early today.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009::How A City Changes- the unlikely connection between the Pennsylvania Film Tax Credit and the Salk polio vaccine

Last Friday, I attended a remarkable event-- a hearing on the Pennsylvania Film Tax credit held at a room at the David Lawrence Convention Center. When I say attended, that is not entirely accurate-- as it was hard to get into the room which was more than standing room only with people flowing out of the doors of the hearing room.

Sunday, June 7, 2009::Gyllenhaal, Hathaway back for 'Love'

Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway, who played a doomed husband and wife in "Brokeback Mountain," are in negotiations to reunite for "Love and Other Drugs" at Fox 2000/New Regency.

Saturday, June 6, 2009::Hearing on film tax credit draws 100 supporters

More than 100 supporters of the Pennsylvania film tax credit packed a conference room at the David Lawrence Convention Center yesterday wearing white T-shirts with the phrase "Save the Pa. Film Tax Credit."

Thursday, Jume 4, 2009::Report contends Pennsylvania gains benefits, jobs from $75 million program

Harrisburg- A legislative report released Wednesday boosted Gov. Ed Rendell's efforts to keep film tax credits in the state budget by suggesting the tax breaks more than pay for themselves with jobs and spin-off economic benefits.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009::State study supports film tax credit program

Harrisburg- A legislative report was released today on the Rendell administration's film tax-credit program, showing a net revenue gain of $4.5 million for state and local governments and an influx of jobs and industry spending over the past few years.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009::Report: PA Film tax credit brings in $4.5 million

A legislative study rleased Wednesday finds that Pennsylvania's film tax credit produced a fiscal gain of $4.5 million between 2007-2008, and supported nearly 4,000 jobs.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009::Lionsgate sets Haggis for 'Days'

Lionsgate is teaming with filmmaker Paul Haggis on the thriller “The Next Three Days,” an adaptation of the French film “Pour elle.”

Friday, May 29, 2009::'Warrior' wants you to cheer on its martial arts fights

"Warrior" director Gavin O'Connor realizes people may want to be home in time for the Penguins-Red Wings game. But he invites Pittsburghers to spend the balance of the day with him tomorrow at the Petersen Events Center in Oakland.

Thursday, May 21, 2009::Tuned In: CBS schedule -- 'Three Rivers' runs through it

Five years after CBS canceled its last Pittsburgh-set series, "The Guardian," the network returns to the 'Burgh for the aptly titled "Three Rivers," a medical drama that will air at 9 p.m. Sundays beginning this fall.

Thursday, May 21, 2009::TV film crew visits Kittanning

KITTANNING -- A television crew was in town Wednesday to check potential filming locations for a pilot episode of the series "Fire in the Hole."

Wednesday, May 20, 2009::Extras sought for 'Warrior'

"Warrior," a movie about mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters currently being shot in Pittsburgh, needs a lot of extras on May 30 for a big crowd scene at the Petersen Events Center.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009::Extras for 'Warrior' get chance to win truck, iPods and TVs

No pay but the chance to win a new Ford Ranger truck, iPods, flat-screen televisions and the opportunity to spot yourself in the big-screen background of "Warrior" in theaters in 2010.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009::'The Road,' filmed in Pittsburgh, due to roll into theaters Oct. 16

"The Road," the Viggo Mortensen movie shot in Western Pennsylvania a year ago, has a new opening date of Oct. 16. If it's as brilliant as the early word, that positions it for awards season.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009::Movie extras should never pay a fee to work

Movie actors and extras, beware.

These days, there's plenty of work around town for both professional and nonprofessional actors, thanks to the activity in the film and TV production business here.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009::Letter to the Editor - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Films are profitable for our state

Friday, May 8, 2009::One-two punch: 'Warrior' filmmakers drawn by city's look, state's incentives

Production of the film "Warrior" has turned a room in the Gage Building in the Strip District into a gym. In the film, Nick Nolte plays a retired steelworker and one-time boxer who trains his son, played by Tom Hardy, to compete in a mixed martial arts tournament.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009::After a delay, FX pilot to film here in May

The FX pilot that was supposed to film in Pittsburgh this month is back on.

Saturday, April 25, 2009::In film, Pittsburgh’s no longer shorthand for Nowheresville

"Summer in Pittsburgh," mutters one character in "Adventureland" to another. "That's (expletive) harsh."

For the over-educated, under-experienced main character of "Adventureland" it's the end of the world when his family runs out of money and he has to get a summer job at a run-down amusement park instead of heading off to Europe to his buddies. He yearns constantly for his real life -- grad school in New York City, bright with possibility -- to finally begin.

Friday, April 17, 2009::Several local sites co-star in 'Mysteries'

"The Mysteries of Pittsburgh" is a love letter to the city, with its golden summer glow, unmistakable Rolling Rock beer bottles, dinners at LeMont, drive through the Fort Pitt Tunnel and rebirth of a Rankin steel mill as a cloud factory.Make that the Cloud Factory from Michael Chabon's novel.

Friday, April 17, 2009::Read the book, then see movie by its book

Every now and then while watching a movie -- when someone's hands are being sawed off ("Watchmen") or eyelids sliced away ("The Haunting in Connecticut") -- I turn my head sharply to the left. My creaky neck doesn't swivel as quickly to the right.

Thursday, April 16, 2009::Adaptation of author Michael Chabon's 'Mysteries of Pittsburgh' hits big screen

"The Mysteries of Pittsburgh" is aptly named on so many levels.

For instance, how did the young director of "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story" get to adapt Pulitzer Prize-winning Pitt grad Michael Chabon's supposedly unfilmable debut novel? What happened to the movie, which seemed to disappear shortly after they finished filming here way back in 2006? And what was all that uproar with Sienna Miller really about, anyway?

Thursday, April 16, 2009::Making 'Mysteries': Director took on Chabon book thought to be 'unadaptable'

The birthing process for the movie of "The Mysteries of Pittsburgh" has been a long one.

The Michael Chabon book was considered "unadaptable" for nearly two decades until Rawson Marshall Thurber molded it into a screenplay and directed the movie in Pittsburgh in fall 2006. It debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in early 2008 but spent months in limbo waiting for a distributor.

Friday, April 3, 2009::Will Pa. tax incentive make the cut?

It's nuclear winter on Washington Square.

Well, a postapocalyptic nightmare anyway, happening 10 floors above the historic park in the Curtis Center, the block-long building where the Saturday Evening Post's presses long ago rolled.

Thursday, April 2, 2009::Movie reflects life of Canonsburg teenager

Does art imitate life -- or is it the other way around? A movie, opening here tomorrow, reflects a Canonsburg teenager's life and struggles.

Thursday, April 2, 2009::Kennywood hides its good side for camera

Kennywood tried its hardest to look like Long Island's Adventureland -- well, its grimy, rundown 1980s heyday, at least -- but it wasn't easy. On the surface, Kennywood seems much too nice.

Thursday, April 02, 2009::CMU grad tweaks amusement park as setting for nostalgic 'Adventureland'

Greg Mottola is proof that you never forget your first movie job. Or the recipe for zombie vomit. The writer-director of "Adventureland" has Pittsburgh filmmaker Tony Buba (and director George Romero) to thank for both. Buba helped Mottola land a two-week gig with "Day of the Dead."

Wednesday, April 1, 2009::Kennywood hides its good side for camera

Kennywood tried its hardest to look like Long Island's Adventureland -- well, its grimy, rundown 1980s heyday, at least -- but it wasn't easy. On the surface, Kennywood seems much too nice.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009::Film: 'Adventureland' an insightful comedy

"Adventureland" is the thunder that follows the "Superbad" lightning. The director of both insightful comedies, Greg Mottola, has wasted little time establishing himself as an expert on making you laugh with and at desperate, post-adolescent virgins in their strained quests for love.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009::CMU grad gets '80s tale 'Adventureland' to screen

To a young Greg Mottola, it seemed like the worst summer job ever -- a humiliating, minimum-wage gig at a rundown Long Island amusement park called Adventureland. And it was, in some ways, worse than he imagined.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009::Ryan Reynolds Reveals His 'Crowning Achievement'

Ryan Reynolds goes for laughs in the indie comedy "Adventureland", and this summer you can watch him go mano a mano with Hugh Jackman as the fearsome Deadpool in the highly anticipated "X-Men Origins: Wolverine."

Tuesday, March 31, 2009::'Adventureland' shines movie spotlight on Kennywood theme park

When “Adventureland” opens in theaters this weekend, the coming-of-age movie starring Jesse Eisenberg (”The Squid and the Whale”) and Kristen Stewart (”Twilight”) will feature a 111-year-old Pittsburgh-area theme park in the title role: Kennywood.

Monday, March 30, 2009::From Kennywood to Adventureland

Last Tuesday evening, Carnegie Mellon students piled into McConomy Auditorium for a prescreening of the new film Adventureland. A dramedy in the style of Superbad and other Judd Apatow movies, the film centers around 22-year-old James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg) and his less-than-ideal summer job working in the Adventureland theme park.

Sunday, March 29, 2009::Bankrupt hospital seeks cash to reopen

They've sought money from everyone from government leaders to Pittsburgh hospitals. They've even sent a letter to President Barack Obama asking for federal stimulus money.

Thursday, March 26, 2009::Closed hospital setting for TV show

Brownsville Tri-County Hospital, which closed last month amid financial troubles, is being revived for a couple of days -- as the setting for a hospital television drama based in Pittsburgh.

Friday, March 27, 2009::'Three Rivers' begins local filming

The CBS pilot "Three Rivers" started shooting in Pittsburgh yesterday, turning two locations on Duquesne University's campus into makeshift soundstages.

Thursday, March 26, 2009::Pittsburgh Jewish Israeli Film Festival wraps up

The 16th annual Pittsburgh Jewish Israeli Film Festival concludes this weekend, with all movies being screened at the SouthSide Works Cinema.

Thursday, March 26, 2009::Local religious film to premiere

Moviegoers this weekend will get a chance for a sneak peek at a new Christian movie filmed in the South Hills and featuring local actors.

Thursday, March 26, 2009::CBS series revives Brownsville hospital for shooting 'Three Rivers' pilot

Brownsville Tri-County Hospital, which closed last month amid financial troubles, is being revived for a couple of days — as the setting for a hospital television drama based in Pittsburgh.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009::Medical TV Drama To Film Inside Former Brownsville Hospital

A CBS/Paramount medical TV drama will be filming its pilot episode inside the former Brownsville Tri-County Hospital for the next several weeks.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009::Closed Brownsville Hospital To Be Used For TV Show

Brownsville's Tri-County Hospital will soon become the set for the pilot of a new CBS medical drama.
The Pittsburgh film office says the Fayette County hospital was chosen specifically because it is closed.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009::Closed hospital may host TV drama

There may soon be more than 120 people working at the former Brownsville Tri-County Hospital, but they won't be doctors and nurses, just people who are hoping to play doctors and nurses on television.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009::Pittsburgh Film Office issues warning about agency charging potential extras

The Pittsburgh Film Office is warning people who want to become extras in two projects filming in the city that potential actors do not have to pay to appear on film.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009::Don't fall into movie pay trap

A timely reminder from the Pittsburgh Film Office: "People do not ever, nor should they ever, have to pay to be in a movie."

Sunday, March 22, 2009::Directing to an '80s Playlist

Mr. Mottola’s new film, which he wrote as well as directed, is called “Adventureland,” and while it is another coming-of-age comedy, its tone is bittersweet, not raunchy or farcical.

Friday, March 20, 2009::'Warrior' looking for extras

You don't have to know the difference between mixed martial arts and Mixmasters to be an extra in "Warrior," a movie about the ferociously competitive (and increasingly popular) sport that will start shooting here in late April.

Thursday, March 19, 2009::Extras sought for movie scenes to be filmed in Oakland

Extras of all ages and types are needed for "Warrior," a film that begins shooting April 22 in Pittsburgh.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009::'Moonlight' star in talks for pilot here

CBS has confirmed a report in the Post-Gazette's Tuned In Journal blog on Monday that actor Alex O'Loughlin, star of CBS's canceled vampire drama "Moonlight," is in negotiations to star in the network's medical drama pilot "Three Rivers," which begins production locally on Monday.

Monday, March 16, 2009::TV biz flees California

Pilot season is all over the map this year as the majors squeeze budgets and chase production incentive coin throughout the country and up north in Toronto and Vancouver.

Friday, March 13, 2009::Former Aliquippa hospital as TV location?

There’s been a lot of drama lately with the former Aliquippa Hospital.

There might be more — of the fictional variety — as producers of a CBS television pilot consider filming scenes inside the bankrupt facility.

Friday, March 13, 2009::Films are profitable for our state

It is hard to believe that in these times of financial woe and mass job losses, the state is considering eliminating one of the most profitable measures: the film tax credit ("Tax Credit for Filmmakers Gets Mixed Reviews in Harrisburg," March 9). It is a proven fact that even in times like these, Hollywood goes on because people still want and need to be entertained.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009::Nolte's 'Warrior' To Film In Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH - "Warrior," a mixed-martial arts drama starring actor Nick Nolte is set to film in Pittsburgh.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009::Nick Nolte feature film to shoot in Pittsburgh next month

Lionsgate, the major film distributor and production house, has opened a local office in Pittsburgh as it seeks to begin shooting its third production in Pittsburgh in the past three years.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009::April bringing a shower of TV and film projects

After CBS's "Three Rivers" flows through Pittsburgh, an FX pilot and a feature film will follow.

"Warrior," a mixed-martial arts movie starring Nick Nolte, joins the TV projects shooting in our region.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009::Debating film credits

The factions are lining up for and against continuing a $75 million tax credit for moviemakers doing business in Pennsylvania. One side claims the credit is an economic engine. The other side claims tax dollars could be better spent in these tough economic times.

Monday, March 09, 2009::Tax credits for filmmakers gets mixed reviews in Harrisburg

HARRISBURG -- The state's $75 million tax credit for filmmakers who shoot movies in Pennsylvania has been under attack by some legislators from Central Pennsylvania

Sunday, March 8, 2009::Nick Nolte heads 'Warrior' cast

Lionsgate and director Gavin O'Connor have set Nick Nolte, Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Morrison to star in "Warrior," a drama set in the world of mixed martial arts fighting. Production begins in April in Pittsburgh.

Friday, March 6, 2009::Pennsylvania needs film tax credit

As a category, tax credits at all levels of government deserve close scrutiny. In some instances, tax credits are, in reality, “tax giveaways” and deserve to be eliminated. That is not true, however, in the case of the Pennsylvania Film Tax Credit program.

Monday, March 02, 2009::Letter to the Editor: If film tax credits are cut, our state will lose

These credits have tremendously increased film production here, resulting in continued employment for the thousands of hard-working Pennsylvania families in the film business, as well as increased business for the innumerable hotels, restaurants, suppliers, businesses and mom-and-pop stores that films and their crews support

Sunday, March 01, 2009::Box-office hit: Keep the state's movie-making tax incentive

It doesn't make sense to drop out of a race when you're running ahead of the pack, yet Pennsylvania would be doing just that if it eliminates its $75 million tax incentive for filmmakers and TV producers.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009::Pittsburgh Film Office hosts benefit at Heinz Field

Hooray for Bollywood! While "Slumdog Millionaire" was racking up the awards Sunday night, the Pittsburgh Film Office was racking up the bucks over at Heinz Field. The ninth annual Lights! Glamour! Action! benefit brought almost 800 movie buffs out on a frosty night to walk the red carpet, complete with paparazzi and cheering fans.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009::CBS pilot "Three Rivers" to film here

The CBS pilot "Three Rivers" will be flowing in Pittsburgh next month.

The pilot episode for a Pittsburgh-set medical drama will tell stories from the points of view of transplant surgeons, donors and recipients. No casting has been announced.

Monday, February 23, 2009::Lights! Glamour! Action!

Forget Hollywood, my little starlets ... Sunday evening in our fair city, the red carpet never looked sooo good! Indeed, Pittsburgh Film Office Director Dawn Keezer and supporting cast once again gave us quite a taste of Tinseltown with their annual Oscar night fundraiser, Lights! Glamour! Action!, the ultimate in glitz and glam that left all 800 of us scrambling to put together our demo reels.

Monday, February 23, 2009::Politicians need to pipe down

When it comes to film and TV production, I've railed against politicians in the past. The last time, it was Pittsburgh City Councilman Doug Shields, among others, who was all upset about Pittsburgh Film Office director Dawn Keezer working from Los Angeles.

Sunday, February 22, 2009::A picture is worth 800-1,000 jobs in region

If you're looking for local bright spots in this current economic gloom, Pittsburgh's steadily growing movie industry ought to count.

Saturday, February 21, 2009::Pittsburgh's Red Carpet Night

Pittsburgh will host its own fundraising Oscar party on Sunday night. Dawn Keezer, of the Pittsburgh Film Office, is interviewed.

Thursday, February 19, 2009
::Winners worthy of red carpet

Jacqueline Martini's first love is fabric. Her Evans City home is a treasure trove of swatches and bolts dating to the '70s and the movie "Saturday Night Fever."

Thursday, February 19, 2009::Throw an Oscar party worthy of an award

In three days, Hollywood's shiniest will gather at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles for the 81st annual Academy Awards ceremony. Afterward, they'll toast their big wins (or their "it's-an-honor-just-to-be-nominated" losses) at the Governors Ball, the official post-Oscar party for filmdom's glitterati.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009::Piccola plan would cut tuition by axing film, museum grants

HARRISBURG -- Republican State Sen. Jeffrey Piccola today proposed a way to help more students afford college tuition that is markedly different from the video poker-funded plan Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell wants.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009::A new Pittsburgh-set series?

CBS has given a green light to production on the pilot episode of a medical series set in Pittsburgh. The show is called "Three Rivers" and it's about transplant surgeries.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009::Personality test: Film office director Dawn Keezer

Lights! Camera! Action!

We've heard those three words a lot in Pittsburgh thanks to the dedication of Dawn Keezer, director of the Pittsburgh Film Office. Since 1994, her enthusiasm and ability to promote this region have helped attract dozens of feature film and television projects.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009::Pa. tax credits for film industry might be halted

A state lawmaker said Tuesday she wants to eliminate tax breaks for the film production industry as the General Assembly seeks ways to close a $2.3 billion budget deficit.

Sunday, February 8, 2009::CCAC aims to move students into reel industry jobs

To get a job working behind the scenes on movies filmed in Western Pennsylvania, you need to be flexible and persistent.

Friday, February 6, 2009::Medical services to suffer in state budget

The state agency that could take the hardest hit is the Department of Community and Economic Development, which gives lawmakers WAMs. Rendell proposed cutting $135 million.

Thursday, February 5, 2009::Get a Grip: CCAC opens film technician courses

George Jaber has been with the Community College of Allegheny County South campus since 1982, where he currently serves as chairman of the Humanities Department and producer and director of the South Campus theater.

Saturday, January 31, 2009::SEEN: Pittsburgh Film Office's annual Oscar bash

If you do, Jan. 23 was your big chance during the Patron Party for the Pittsburgh Film Office's annual Oscar bash. The kickoff at J. Verno Studios offered guests a shot at stardom by reciting famous movie lines for the camera.

Monday, January 26, 2009::FANFARE: Coming Attraction

And the Academy Award goes to ... The Pittsburgh Film Office rolled out the red carpet at the J. Verno Studios on Friday for the So You Want to Be in Pictures Oscar pre-party for over 300 of their closest cinephiles.

Friday, January 23, 2009::'08 biggest year yet for city film office

The Pittsburgh Film Office said Thursday that 2008 was a banner year for filmmaking in Southwestern Pennsylvania, with 11 movies filmed here that generated an estimated $50 million.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009::Dawn Keezer's daily Sundance Film Festival blog - FINAL THOUGHTS

Dawn Keezer, director of the Pittsburgh Film Office, will send dispatches of her experiences from the annual Sundance Film Festival, which runs through Jan. 25

Tuesday, January 20, 2009::Dawn Keezer's daily Sundance Film Festival blog - DAY 6

Dawn Keezer, director of the Pittsburgh Film Office, will send dispatches of her experiences from the annual Sundance Film Festival, which runs through Jan. 25

Monday, January 19, 2009::Dawn Keezer's daily Sundance Film Festival blog - DAY 5 - ADVENTURELAND screening!

Dawn Keezer, director of the Pittsburgh Film Office, will send dispatches of her experiences from the annual Sundance Film Festival, which runs through Jan. 25

Sunday, January 18, 2009::Dawn Keezer's daily Sundance Film Festival blog - DAY 4

Dawn Keezer, director of the Pittsburgh Film Office, will send dispatches of her experiences from the annual Sundance Film Festival, which runs through Jan. 25

Saturday, January 17, 2009::Dawn Keezer's daily Sundance Film Festival blog - DAY 3

Dawn Keezer, director of the Pittsburgh Film Office, will send dispatches of her experiences from the annual Sundance Film Festival, which runs through Jan. 25

Friday, January 16, 2009::Dawn Keezer's daily Sundance Film Festival blog - DAY 2

Dawn Keezer, director of the Pittsburgh Film Office, will send dispatches of her experiences from the annual Sundance Film Festival, which runs through Jan. 25

Thursday, January 15, 2009::Dawn Keezer's daily Sundance Film Festival blog - DAY 1

Dawn Keezer, director of the Pittsburgh Film Office, is in Park City, Utah, for the Sundance Film Festival. I asked her to send me dispatches on her experiences and what’s going on with local folks and projects shot locally being screened in Robert Redford land.

Friday, January 9, 2009::'Living Dead' veterans speak to SA students

It's been 40 years since the locally produced horror movie "Night of the Living Dead" first terrified audiences in theaters all over the country.

But unlike thrillers that have quickly faded from collective memory, the black-and-white classic about zombies feeding on the living continues to frighten, entertain and inspire.

Tuesday, December 8, 2008::Pennsylvania film tax credit challenged

Pennsylvania’s program offering tax credits to filmmakers has been challenged by state Rep. Ron Marsico, R-Dauphin, who is seeking an immediate repeal of the two-year-old program.

Friday, November 7, 2008::Reel benefits: Local filming brings business to property owners, artists, others

Chainsaw sculptor Scott Spina thought it might be a prank when Hollywood came knocking on his door.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008::City sets the scene for sorority thriller

Yesterday was graduation day in Oakland - not at the University of Pittsburgh or Carnegie Mellon, but for the fictional Rosman University, setting for the movie "Sorority Row."

Monday, October 27, 2008::TUNED IN JOURNAL - Set Visit: Sorority Row

I took a detour today off the TV beat for a brief layover on the movie beat with a set visit to "Sorority Row," a new thriller.

Sunday, October 26, 2008::Local spots serve as setting for Kevin Smith film

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Pittsburghers will be excused, just this once, for talking during a movie.

Come Friday, they may find themselves nudging their neighbors and whispering, "Hey, that's Hazelwood...or the West End...and that is absolutely Monroeville Mall, although I don't remember that store."

Sunday, October 26, 2008::Kevin Smith talks dirty at the Oaks

Kevin (bleepin') Smith apologized for being a few minutes late to the Q&A after his film, "Zack and Miri Make a Porno," had its local premiere at the Oaks Theater Saturday night.

Friday, October 24, 2008::Taking the Wraps Off Porno

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette -- TORONTO -- Actress Elizabeth Banks was prepared to be naked, although she was hoping director Kevin Smith would block her breasts with something, perhaps Seth Rogen's "big head" with its crown of curls.

INCLUDES AUDIO INTERVIEW WITH KEVIN SMITH ABOUT SHOOTING IN PITTSBURGH

Thursday, October 23, 2008::Director Kevin Smith to host screening in Oakmont

Oakmont will get a night to shine Hollywood-style Saturday.

Director Kevin Smith will play host to an advance screening of his latest comedy, "Zack and Miri Make a Porno," preceding a question-and-answer session at The Oaks Theater.

Thursday, October 23, 2008::EDITORIAL - Film Industry Grows in SWPA

As they say in the movies...Lights, camera, action! And ACTION...IS the operative word in attracting the FILM INDUSTRY to southwestern Pennsylvania these days.

Thursday, October 9, 2008::Zack and Miri Make a Porno, A Pittsburgh Love Story

The two leading characters in Zack and Miri Make a Porno are long-time platonic friends who share an apartment and are struggling to pay their bills. They decide to resolve their financial problems by producing and starring in a pornographic film. Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks are cast in the leading roles.

September 28, 2008::Casting directors put faces in crowds in area films

It's the kind of problem that could only happen in the movies.

September 13, 2008::Mt. Lebanon native Wittlin signs six picture deal

Six more movies could be shot here in Pittsburgh if one of its native sons has anything to say about it.

September 12, 2008::Film Production entrepreneur signs six-picture movie deal

Seven month after leaving Smithfield Street Productions, the Green Tree-based movie production company he helped to found, Mike Wittlin is busy building his own Pittsburgh-to-Hollywood pipeline.

September 10, 2008::Horror movie to be shot here in fall

Pittsburgh has a long history as a location for filming horror movies, from “Night of the Living Dead” to “Silence of the Lambs” to “My Bloody Valentine 3-D” earlier this year.

September 9, 2008::Monroeville-filmed Zack and Miri gets warm reception in Toronto

The crowd cheered, whistled and a few audience members even stood, and that was before the world premiere of “Zack and Miri Make a Porno.”

September 6, 2008::Rogen shows some skin in Smiths Zack and Miri

All Seth Rogen really wanted when he came to Hollywood was to make a movie with Kevin Smith.

September 4, 2008::BBC in town today to film its hit reality series Beat the Boss

A few local entrepreneurs – including a 12 year old – will dip into creating a kid’s sauce for a British Broadcasting Corp. reality show.

September 4, 2008::Autumn brings a silver-screen harvest of big stars Oscar contenders movies filmed here

If you didn’t happen to run into Viggo Mortensen outside the Cork Factory or the grocery store or at a Pirates-Reds game, you can see him this fall in “Appaloosa” and “The Road.”

August 29, 2008::Pittsburgh filmmaking could benefit Somerset County

A Pittsburgh actor-producer plans to build the city’s largest film production studio in an abandoned sheet metal factory

August 28, 2008::Movie production park coming to Strip

A local actor-producer plans to build the city’s largest film production studio in an abandoned sheet metal factory in the Strip District

August 28, 2008::Mogul Mind opening film production studio in Strip District

Pittsburgh may soon have its biggest studio yet in its ambition to grow from being an occasional location for film shoots into a hub for movie making.

Glassport-based Mogul Mind LLC has signed a lease with an option to buy the former Pittsburgh Flatroll Co. steel property in the Strip District and plans to convert the 107-year-old building into a fully integrated film production studio.

August 28, 2008::Director Kevin Smith makes a statement with Zack and Miri

Kevin Smith likes to watch porn online, not to get his jollies but to marvel at how extreme the art of exhibitionist sex can be.

“I’m a morning porn peruser, and not for the titillation factor. I just find it interesting,” says Smith, whose latest comedy is “Zack and Miri Make a Porno,” the tale of best friends shooting their own skin flick to dig themselves out of debt.

August 27, 2008::Channel 4 Gets Exclusive Tour of New Facility

Pittsburgh has already been recognized as one of “America’s Most Livable Cities,” now Hollywood is intensifying its love for the region.

To accommodate Tinseltown’s growing interest in the area, an enormous 330,000 sq. ft. production studio is being built along the Allegheny River in Lawrenceville

August 27, 2008::Tenant announced for Norristown film studio

Feverpitch Pictures, producer of “Just Add Water” and “The Speed of Life,” said Wednesday it will be a tenant in a planned film-production studio in Norristown, Pa.

It will be part of Norristown Studios, a 280,000-square-foot site that will include eight sound studios and complete post-production facilities.

August 17, 2008::Imprint sets up six-pack of films

Imprint Entertainment, the film and TV shingle formerly known as Maverick Films, has set up sex pics to shoot over the next two years with financing from indie backer Mike Wittlin.

August 7, 2008::The Road is fiction but the scenery is real

Imagining the end of the world is not easy, especially if you're not going to create one with a computer. But director John Hillcoat and filmmakers of The Road believe they discovered it in Pittsburgh.

August 7, 2008::Film Notes Filmmaker hoping to rally sliver of Steeler Nation

A Point Breeze man is looking for extras to fill a sliver of Heinz Field on Saturday afternoon for a 12- to 15-minute short film called “Tommy and Me.”

July 17, 2008::Spotlight on HollyBurgh

A year after state lawmakers approved a $75 million film tax incentive program Pittsburgh has emerged as Pennsylvanias brightest star.

July 16, 2008::The fixer: Charlie Humphrey uses clout know-how to help cultural scene

It was a packed May weekend for Charlie Humphrey, with three art openings in 24 hours.

July 9, 2008::Just Call us Hollyburgh Cinemanix and Smithfield offer state-of-the-art film facilities

While on of the most advanced visual effects and animation studios in the east flourished in Cranberry Township, another Pittsburgh startup puts finishing touches on a new state-of-the-art soundstage in McKees Rocks.

July 5, 2008::Briefs Thriller to begin shooting on July 21

The former Prospect Middle School on Mt. Washington will stand in for a hospital for the criminally insane in a locally produced film. Short Teaser Sentence

July 4, 2008::Greetings lets go the movies

Rediscovery, regret, adaptation and a comedic twist on the city’s most beloved genre, the zombie movie, all will play out in 90-minute film to be screened this fall as part of the Pittsburgh 250 celebration.

July 4, 2008::The show must go on

There is no question that the governor's tax incentive program established and implemented in 2004 to lure film production to the commonwealth was initially confronted with opposition creating drama in the political coliseum, but as the program's fourth birthday draws near and partisan politics continues to define itself as beast and not beauty, this feature's genre is classified best as suspense.

July 3, 2008::Little Chicago gets state boost Shyamalan expresses interest in filming in Bradford

Funding for the upcoming, locally filmed gangster movie “Little Chicago” is a wrap, and crews will be ready for shooting soon.

July 2, 2008::Film Tax Credit Attracting Hollywood to Pennsylvania

Filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan first put Pennsylvania on Hollywood's radar screen with his 1997 blockbuster "The Sixth Sense." In recent months, a $75 million tax credit Pennsylvania passed last summer has attracted even more Hollywood big wigs to the area.

June 28, 2008::Shannons Rainbow begins shooting

Shannon’s Rainbow, a theatrical film about a grieving teen who learns valuable lessons by caring for an injured Standardbred, has begun filming in western Pennsylvania- and The Meadows in one of the movie’s principal locales.

June 26, 2008::Larry Richert plays key role in making major movie

KDKA’s Larry Richert has taken on many jobs with his “Larry On the Job” feature; and he’s even doing it while he’s on vacation!

June 24, 2008::Hospital racetrack double as movie set

Move over, Seth, Viggo and Julianne. Another movie is in town, and it has local writers -- KDKA Radio host Larry Richert and actor John Mowod (son of jazz host Tony Mowod) -- along with a story that will take advantage of the horses and heavenly scenery at the Meadows racetrack and nearby.

June 24, 2008::Pittsburgh film production boom continues

If you find yourself seeing stars in Ohio Valley General Hospital this week, it doesn't necessarily mean you've hit your head.

June 23, 2008::New Movie Starts Shooting Around Pittsburgh Area Shannons Rainbow Includes Claire Forlani Daryl Hannah George Lopez Michael Madsen

Another movie being made in the Pittsburgh area will start shooting Monday. "Shannon's Rainbow" is a family film about the rehabilitation of a racehorse, starring such actors as Claire Forlani, Julianne Michelle, Daryl Hannah, Charles Durning, Steve Guttenberg, George Lopez and Michael Madsen.

June 22, 2008::Six movies are currently filming in the Pittsburgh area.

Dawn Keezer, director of the Pittsburgh Film Office, is interviewed.

June 19, 2008::Tax Credits Lure Hollywood Films to Pittsburgh

If you think there’s a new movie being filmed in the Pittsburgh region every month or so, you’d be right; KDKA’s Jon Delano explains

June 19, 2008::Film Notes Screening the best of the 48 Hour Films

If you were driving along I-79 the night of June 8 and saw a car breeze by, it just might have been filmmakers trying to meet the deadline for Pittsburgh’s 48 Hour Film competition. One team traveling that route made it with seconds to spare.

June 17, 2008::Happening place for filmmakers

Start talking about Pennsylvania movies and you won't get far without mentioning his name.
Sure, you can toss around "Rocky," "Girl, Interrupted" and even "8MM." But M. Night Shyamalan has been synonymous with film in the state since "The Sixth Sense" captivated moviegoers in 1999.

June 17, 2008::Film production mines Tour-Eds realistic setting

A town sheriff moves through a dark mine that's illuminated by electric lanterns that hang on the craggy walls. He holds a flashlight in his left hand, a gun in his right, as he strides carefully but purposefully forward until -- BAM! -- he's smacked in the side by someone who has been hiding. The sheriff topples to the ground, landing in a pile of mine equipment.

June 14, 2008::SNL stars descend on Burgh

"Live from Pittsburgh, it's Saturday Night!"

June 5, 2008::Six new movies will be filmed in Pittsburgh as part of Hollywood alliance

After a spring of five film projects, most of which have finished and left town, Pittsburgh is now set for an unprecedented run of six more film projects to be shot here.

June 3, 2008::Smithfield Proud Mary in six-film deal
Wine stars David Spade Pamela Anderson

Indie shingles Smithfield Street Prods. and Proud Mary Entertainment are launching a six-picture alliance with the ensemble comedy “Hollywood and Wine” starring David Spade, Chazz Palmenteri, Vivica Fox and Pamela Anderson.

May 27, 2008::At Worlds End Honing a Father-Son Dynamic

ERIA, PA - Cormac McCarthy's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "The Road," takes place in a world that, because of some unexplained catastrophe, has just about ended.

May 23, 2008::Hollywood invades Irwin restaurant

Irwin restaurateur Fred Panza got a call three months ago from a Los Angeles movie location scout looking for a place to shoot some scenes for DreamWorks Pictures' new film, "She's Out of My League."

April 25, 2008::Film Notes Road doesnt travel usual local paths

Don't look for the Pittsburgh money shots in "The Road." You know, the sort that pop up on "monday Night Football" or as the backdrop for political reporters positioned atop Mt. Washington.

April 24, 2008::North Huntington hopes for movie money

North Huntington had a chance for a little fortune and fame when a house in the township was considered as a setting for a feature film shot earlier this month.

April 22, 2008::Actor/comedian plays for laughs in League

T.J. Miller is making a movie at Pittsburgh International Airport. The number of flights may be declining at Pittsburgh International Airport, but at least one of the shuttered concourses has been put to good use: For the past two weeks, the film "She's out of My League" has taken over the closed portion of the B concourse to film scenes for this DreamWorks comedy, due in theaters next year.

April 21, 2008::Stars follow The Road to Presque Isle

If you happen to see Viggo Mortensen on the streets of Erie this week, it's not a mirage.

April 11, 2008::Pennsylvania faces competition as other states sweeten film incentives

n the ongoing interstate contest of luring film production with juicy incentives, Pennsylvania and every other state have just been outdone by Michigan, which last week enacted a package that includes a 40 percent cash rebate that rises to 42 percent if films are shot in select communities.

April 11, 2008::A guide to Pittsburgh sites in Smart People

When crew members from "Smart People" promised to restore the Mangan house in Friendship to its original state, they weren't kidding. They returned the wine bottles in a rack in the dining room to their original slots, thanks to the "before" photos they took.

April 11, 2008::After finding a sense of family here Smart director selected Pittsburgh

Dennis Quaid, an actor who often plays a heroic or athletic figure, packed on the pounds to come to Pittsburgh in fall 2006.

He gained the weight to portray Lawrence Wetherhold, a Carnegie Mellon University professor trapped in a fugue of grief over the death of his wife. "Unlike me, the Jewish shlub that I am, I think he can't gain weight," at least not easily, director Noam Murro said in a phone call this week.

April 11, 2008::Movie Review Smart People
Pittsburgh-set movie loses punch when it goes off campus

"Smart People" is not particularly smart. Or funny. Or terribly moving.

Shot and set in Pittsburgh, the dramedy stars Dennis Quaid, Thomas Haden Church, Sarah Jessica Parker and Juno herself, Ellen Page, without the striped top, jeans, hoodie and pregnant pause. Instead of playing an expectant 16-year-old, she's a friendless overachiever whose senior year revolves around Young Republicans, model U.N. and National Honor Society.

April 11, 2008::Smart crew homeowners found relationship mutually beneficial

Producers of the movie “Smart People,” which was filmed in Pittsburgh, looked at 20 to 30 houses before deciding to shoot scenes at Tom and Kim Mangan’s stately Victorian house in Friendship.

April 11, 2008::Pittsburgh a Smart choice for films setting

Pittsburgh is a good place for smart people, apparently.

The collegiate drama “Smart People” – opening today – was shot at Carnegie Mellon University and other locations around Pittsburgh. It’s about depressed widower Lawrence Wetherhold (Dennis Quaid), a literature professor, trying to put his life back together.

April 10, 2008::Conneaut Lake Park set for movie debut

Filmmakers, cast and crew of "The Road" - starring recent Oscar and Golden Globe nominee Viggo Mortensen and Oscar-winning actree Charlize Theron - will visit Conneaut Lake Park to record a portion of the major motion picture around "the end of April," according to Emma Cooper, publicist for the film.

April 8, 2008::Movie scene filmed in Saxonburg

On Monday, a farmhouse, barn and cornfield off Roebling Drive were transformed for a day into a snowy, post-apocalyptic wasteland for their role in the upcoming movie “The Road.”

April 4, 2008::Smart People

This story is about how Carnegie Mellon "stole" a movie from Georgetown.

April 4, 2008::Film Notes Pittsburgh Filmmakers spotlights Coen brothers

Mark your calendars

"Smart People," filmed in Pittsburgh in late fall 2006, is scheduled to open April 11. It stars Dennis Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker, Thomas Haden Church and Ellen Page, in her pre-Juno days.

April 1, 2008::3-D horror film joins busy lineup here

It's no April Fool's joke: Yet another movie is coming to town, and this one will be a horror film in trendy 3-D.

March 27, 2008::Filming begins in Nemacolin

Looking for a location to film a movie that takes place in a desolate, post-apocalyptic world, a film crew has found the right setting in the wastelands of the Nemacolin coal-refuse dump.

March 26, 2008::Hollywood breaks out at a hockey game

If you are attending tomorrow night’s Penguins game and security is summoned to remove an unruly spectator, don’t be alarmed. It’s part of a Hollywood script, most likely.

March 21, 2008::Proud Mary Entertainment plans Pittsburgh film projects

Hollywood film producer Mary Aloe is getting ready to roll on her company's first film production in Pittsburgh, and she expects to keep on rolling through many more.

March 21, 2008::Pennsylvania businesses individuals set to benefit from film tax credits

You don't have to operate cameras, perform stunts or provide wardrobe trailers to pick up some cash from Pennsylvania's $75 million film production tax credit program.

March 13, 2008::Hollywood in Beaver County

Andrew Ullman, Location Manager, talks with Scott Tady about why Raccoon Creek State Park was chosen as the shooting location for the new movie "The Road," starring Viggo Mortensen.

March 12, 2008::Director waxes philosophic on his dirty dirty movie

Zack and Miri couldn't make a porno movie just anywhere. For writer and director Kevin Smith, choosing Pittsburgh to shoot his latest comedy was "a no-brainer."

March 12, 2008::Its a wrap on Kevin Smiths Porno

It's not exactly the sort of slogan you'd put on a license plate or town stationary but Monroeville is "the last place in the world you'd imagine someone would make porn."

March 8, 2008::Film workers here straining to keep up with four movies

For more than a decade, Pittsburgh based film and TV workers have had to hit the road to places such as Philadelphia, Louisianna, and North Carolina to find work. Now, the booming Pittsburgh film industry is luring out-of-town film workers here.

February 14, 2008::Hollywood on the Mon Moore flick latest to be filmed here

Movie trucks will be as commonplace as potholes on local streets the next few months.

February 8, 2008::Spotlight shines on Pittsburgh as two more movies set scene.

Two more feature films are set to enter stage left into Pittsburgh.

January 17, 2008::Daily Sundance Film Festival 2008 Post-Gazette Diary

Dawn Keezer, director of the Pittsburgh Film Office is covering the Sundance Film Festival 2008 for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. To read her daily diary about daily screenings, celebrity sightings and the exclusive "The Mysteries of Pittsburgh" premiere dinner click the link below. Daily updates from Park City, Utah through Wednesday, January 23, 2008.

January 16, 2008::Filming of The Road leads to Pittsburgh

Viggo Mortensen will star with Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce and Kodi Smit-McPhee in “The Road” which will be filmed in Pittsburgh.

January 16, 2008::The Road leads to Pittsburgh

“The Road” will lead into Pittsburgh next month, bringing four major movie stars to town for a film production of the bleak, Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Cormac McCarthy.

January 14, 2008::Charlize Theron hits The Road

Charlize Theron has signed on to join Viggo Mortensen in the bigscreen adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s bestselling novel “The Road” for 2929 Entertainment.

December 18, 2007::Local film gets $9.3 million in tax credits

Less than six months after being put in place, the state’s new film tax credits are supporting $37 million in spending by movie-makers working on films in the Pittsburgh area, the Pennsylvania Film Office said yesterday.

December 14, 2007::Hollywood East? Four films scout Pittsburgh for production

Pittsburgh may need to do its post-industrial best to pose for the apocalypse.

October 19, 2006::The Pittsburgh Film Office Announces Television Series for Southwestern Pennsylvania

The Pittsburgh Film Office (PFO) announced today during a press conference at the Regional Enterprise Tower that Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), the leading independent filmed entertainment studio, and Mandeville will produce a television series for cable network Spike TV in southwestern Pennsylvania beginning in early 2007.

March 24, 2006::CBS pilot "Smith" Shooting in the Pittsburgh Area

The John Well's television pilot "Smith" will be filming in downtown Pittsburgh and Oakland from Thursday, March 23, 2006 - Tuesday, March 28, 2006. "Smith" stars Ray Liotta, Simon Baker, Virginia Madsen and Amy Smart.

July 20, 2004::GOVERNOR RENDELL SIGNS FILM PRODUCTION TAX CREDIT BILL INTO LAW

Governor Edward G. Rendell today signed House Bill 147 into law which provides for a 20 percent Film Production Tax Credit for film production expenses incurred in Pennsylvania during the taxable year. The bill was signed into law at the Prince Music Theater in Philadelphia.