Midwest Movie Maker

Northeast Ohio filmmakers and creatives have a new option when it comes to serving clients and creating content. The Film Space , located in Lakewood, Ohio, offers a convenient, safe and, most importantly, says Eric Swinderman , owner, a professional space to meet, conduct business and work on projects without the hassle of a long term lease or expensive rent. This new venture is somewhat similar to the coworking concept. Coworking, as a trend, has quickly evolved into a way of life for 3 million business professionals. Today there are more than 19,000 coworking spaces worldwide , according to Statista, in what is now a $26 billion industry. Swinderman may be best known for the feature film Made in Cleveland . His most recent film, The Enormity of Life , was picked up for representation by Shoreline Entertainment.We talked with Swinderman a bit about his new venture. MMM : Tell us a bit about The Film Space. What is it, what does it have to offer? Eric Swinderman (E...

Liam Neeson on the set of 'The Minuteman.' The young boy pictured was given a chance to help film this scene. If you live in Northeast Ohio and want to catch a glimpse of a working movie set or movie star, this is the week to do it. Three features films are shooting in and around the area, with one, Liam Neeson’s Minuteman , wrapping production later this week. Neeson on the 'Minuteman' set Film fans have spotted Neeson at a number of area locations, including Charlie’s Doghouse Diner in Cleveland, Mahall’s bowling alley in Lakewood, and on location in Wellington and Parma, Ohio. The movie tells the tale of an Arizona rancher who becomes the unlikely defender of a young Mexican boy on the run from a cadre of drug dealers. Katheryn Winnick ( Wu Assassins, Vikings ) and Juan Pablo Raba ( Narcos, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ) also star. Judas and the Black Messiah Daniel Kaluuya Also kicking into high gear this week is Warner Bros.’ Judas and the Bl...

Tom Holland joins the Russo Bros for 'Cherry' For a while, it looked as though Cleveland’s own Russo Brothers ( Avengers: Endgame, Community ) and Tom Holland ( Spider-Man: Far From Home ) were headed to Cleveland to shoot the drama Cherry , based on Nico Walker’s semi-autobiographical novel. Then, in mid-August, it was announced that the film would shoot in Los Angeles instead, the Russos citing concerns over whether the Ohio Film Tax Credit would remain in the state budget. The film received application approval for the tax credit in late July. "While we believed there was a chance that the tax incentive was going to be re-instated in Ohio, we didn't know for sure, and we had to develop some plan B's,” the Russos said. “We ended up qualifying for the California tax incentive and being able to shoot in L.A. We also ended up qualifying for the Ohio tax incentive, but by the time they reinstated it, it was too late for us to change tracks." Then, on A...

FunMill founders Josh Miller and Kinsley Funari Any filmmaker who has endured a 48 Hour Film Project knows the contest is something of a marathon sprint: a race that requires incredible endurance, tons of planning, constant movement and military precision to pull off. At least if you hope to win either audience accolades or a coveted prize. It’s a challenge for even the most seasoned professional. So imagine making two.   “I wanted to shake things up,” says Kinsley Funari, a 48 Hour Film Project vet. “This year, I found myself working with a team I knew collectively could pull it off.  I kinda didn't ask permission, I just paid the fees and registered the teams and apologized later.” FunMill Films founders Josh Miller and Kinsley Funari Funari had help. Her partner in crime, Josh Miller, came along for the ride. Together, Funari and Miller are the foundation of FunMill Films. “Kinsley approached me, telling me that I had no choice in the matter,” ...

The Russo Bros direct Chris Evans on the 'Winter Soldier' set Imagine Medina standing in for the rolling hills of Wakanda or the steps of the Sanctum Sanctorum leading down to E. 9th. With a little more infrastructure, it may have happened. Cleveland natives and Avengers: Infinity War directors Joe and Anthony Russo said as much recently during a Q&A after a screening of the film at the Cleveland Cinematheque, adding that they would have loved to bring Infinity War to Cleveland. One of the reasons the brothers couldn’t is because it lacks a modern sound stage suitably for a film its size. The Russos shot much of Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier in Cleveland. If the right sound stage was available, they would have kept the film in Northeast Ohio longer. Pinewood Atlanta Studios The directors said the availability of state-of-the-art sound stages was one of the main reasons why nearly 40 feature films are shooting in Georgia. Georgia's Pinewo...

Cleveland filmmaker Alex P. Michaels Back before the turn of the last century, Cleveland filmmaker Alex P. Michaels was on the verge of seeing his name on the small screen, credited as the writer and creator of a made-for-television movie titled What Angels Fear . He was 32 years old at the time, working temp jobs so he could make time to screenwrite. One of those stories was Angels . Michaels entered the script into Procter& Gamble’s Dreambuilder competition for African-American playwrights. He won. The Dreambuilder program was created in 1997 to give African-American voices and points of view a place on mainstream television in a production that would appeal to all viewers. “Jim Friedman, a white producer in Cincinnati, created the program for black writers to get their scripts produced,” says Michaels. Friedman is an Emmy-winning director. “In addition to buying the scripts, Jim and his company produced the stories and aired them on television. What Angels Fear won fo...