Maine likes film! It's official

From the West End News this morning -- GOOD NEWS!!!

Filmmaking Bill Passes Tax Committee
Friday, May 15, 2009

The Visual Media Productions bill - LD 1449 - which would give filmmakers more incentive to make their films in Maine, passed the Taxation Committee on May 14th with a unanimous “Ought to Pass” vote. The bill now heads to the House and Senate.

The film version of "Bag of Bones" by Stephen King is hoping to film in Maine this summer - if the bill is passed and the incentives are attractive enough. It is set in Maine, the director & producer want to film it here, and King wants it shot here.
"Olive Kitteridge" by Elizabeth Strout just won the Pulitizer Prize for fiction, and it is set in a Maine town. The last Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel set in Maine, "Empire Falls," was made into an HBO film, and it was the last big feature film production shot in Maine, in 2003.

Other films shot in Maine include Message In A Bottle (1999), starring Kevin Costner, Paul Newman, and Robin Wright Penn. A 130-year-old house at 97 Danforth Street, just down the street from Victoria Mansion, was remodeled and used in the movie as Penn's Chicago townhome.

The skating scene in the movie The Preacher's Wife (1996), starring Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston, was filmed on the pond in Deering Oaks Park in Portland.

[Source]

Photo from IMDB.

Local filmmakers looking for ghosts

Thought some of you might be interested in hearing about this...

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HAVE YOU EVER HAD A GHOSTLY ENCOUNTER?

If the answer is yes and you live in Maine, The Soul Smack Team would like to talk to you.

Following the success of their debut documentary YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE, which investigated the phenomenon of sleep paralysis with a supernatural presence,
the Maine-based Soul Smack production team are now in production for their next DVD release, which will be an investigation on the subject of Ghosts and Spirits, i.e. non-material entities.

You may have witnessed first-hand an apparition or been the victim of a frightening haunting, you may even be clairvoyant or sensitive to unseen energy forms, what ever your experience or encounter may be, they would like to interview you and share your story with the world.

HAVE YOU EVER WANTED TO BE AN EXTRA IN A FILM?

They will also be producing reenactments to compliment some of the paranormal stories, and are looking for enthusiastic people to act out some of the scenes. If you have ever been interested in acting or being an extra this could be the opportunity you have been waiting for. They consider themselves to be "a fun team," and promise to ensure a calm and relaxed environment. If you are interested in any of the above please contact Paul Taitt at paultaitt [at] soulsmack.com