Free movies offered by Emagine Entertainment for qualifying moviegoers next week in the Detroit metro area

HIGHLIGHTS FROM A PRESS RELEASE:

Troy-based Emagine Entertainment, Inc. announced (Tuesday) that it will offer a complementary movie experience
for the state’s unemployed from April 27th through April 30th at all 3 of its locations:

Emagine Novi on 12 Mile Road just west of Novi Road
Emagine Canton on Ford Road just east of I-275
Cinema Hollywood on Dixie Highway in Birch Run

Qualifying guests and their immediate family members will receive free movie tickets, soda, and popcorn from Monday, April 27th through Thursday, April 30th.

Tickets will be available beginning on April 27th, and they will be offered to qualifying patrons based on the honor system.  Any Michigan resident 18 years of age or older and actively seeking employment may simply come to the box office and request Emagine’s “Movie Magic Package.”  Immediate family members who accompany a qualifying individual are also welcome.  

Tickets will be offered on a first come-first serve basis from Monday, 4/27/09 through Thursday, 4/30/09 until 11 p.m. each day.

The state is considering eliminating funding for the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital Poison Control Center in Grand Rapids, a move that could force the center to close, a Spectrum Health spokesman said.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s budget proposal cut state support for both poison centers that receive funds, including the one in Grand Rapids and one at the Detroit Medical Center’s Children’s Hospital of Michigan. A spokeswoman for the governor said it was one of the many cuts proposed for all state departments. “It was an extremely painful budget,” said the spokeswoman, Megan Brown.

Some in the state House have considered consolidating state funding to support just one poison control center, the one in Detroit.

A Spectrum statement said the possible closure of the Grand Rapids center would not interrupt statewide poison control service.

The Poison Control Center at DeVos Children’s has an operating budget of $1.4 million, and 17 percent of it — $250,000 — is an annual subsidy from the state of Michigan, according to the Spectrum statement. Another 21 percent of the funding comes from the federal government and three percent is support from the United Way. But the majority of the center’s funding — roughly 60 percent — comes from DeVos Children’s itself and the Spectrum spokesman, Bruce Rossman, said the possible state funding cut would force the children’s hospital’s patients to subsidize the poison center.

The state subsidy covers an ever-decreasing share of the cost of the center as expenses continue to rise, Rossman said, “And if they’re going to put all their funding to one poison center, we can’t in good conscience continue to run this service.”

He stressed that Spectrum will not make a final decision on the status of the facility until the state’s funding plan is clear.

The Grand Rapids center employs 17 people, including some part-time workers, and two doctors who also work elsewhere at Spectrum Health. It is unclear how a possible closure would affect those employees, Rossman said.

The centers in Detroit and Grand Rapids already share the same phone number,  1-800-222-1222 .

Director of Photography Erik Curtis (white hat), extras, and stand-in Craig Roberts (gray sportsjacket) setting up a different angle on the set of "The Steam Experiment" at Bull's Head Tavern in Grand Rapids, MI 9/10/08

One Year Later: Michigan Film Incentives

A year ago today marks one year since Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm signed the film incentive package on April 7th, 2008  that provides up to 40% percent refundable or transferable tax credit for projects in Michigan, with an additional 2% available for projects in core communities.

According to a Michigan State University economic impact study, the incentives brought 32 projects (including “The Steam Experiment”), creating 2,763 jobs and creating $65.4 million in revenue to the state in 9 months of 2008 (since the incentives were signed in April).   Of that, $25.1 million was spent on direct wages and salary and $40.3 million was spent on Michigan goods and services.

The Movies
Those 32 projects shot in Michigan in 2008 include more than a dozen feature films:
“Whip It” (shot in Ann Arbor and Detroit area, Drew Barrymore directed, expecting a 2009 release)

“Youth In Revolt” (shot in Ann Arbor area, starring Michael Cera, Justin Long, Steve Buscemi, Ray Liotta, set for October 2009 release)

“The Job” (shot in Detroit, starring Ron Pearlman and Joe Pantoliano, expecting a 2009 release)

“Gran Torino” (shot in Detroit area, directed by/starring Clint Eastwood, released in 2008)

“All‘s Faire in Love” (shot in Flint area, starring Christina Ricci, expecting a 2009 release)

“Red and Blue Marbles” (shot in Detroit, expecting a 2009 release)

“Tug” (shot in Holland, starring Haylie Duff and Sam Huntington, expecting a 2009 release)

“The Steam Experiment” (shot in Grand Rapids, starring Val Kilmer, Armand Assante, and Eric Roberts, expecting a 2009 release)

“Meet Monica Velour” (formerly “Miss January”) (shot in Detroit area, starring Kim Cattrall and Brian Dennehy, expecting a 2009 release)

“Offspring” (shot in Muskegon, Moderncine, expecting a 2010 release)

“Butterfly Effect: Revelation” (shot in Detroit,  expecting a 2009 release)

“Cherry” (shot in Kalamazoo, expecting a 2009 release)

“High School” (shot in Howell and Detroit, starring Colin Hanks, Adrien Brody, Michael Vartan, Michael Chiklis, expecting a 2010 release)

The Future
Researchers estimate total production expenditures will grow 187% over the next four years (2008 to 2012) based on the experiences of Louisiana and New Mexico, who passed similar, but lower incentives in 2002.   Both states continue to experience year over-year growth in total in-state production expenditures.

The study also says Michigan film will likely “generate tourism… and other indirect benefits from film production”.

Reaction from those in the industry has been overwhelmingly positive, look for interview video soundbites later today from Ed Harris, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Joe Pantoliano.

The Opposition
There are at least four Michigan State Senators speaking out against the current tax incentives: Sen. Nancy Cassis, Sen. Jud Gilbert, Sen. Tom George, and Sen.  Mickey Switalski…. and on March 25th, there was a new proposal to put a cap on the benefits.

(more…)

Armand Assante, Director of Photography Erik Curtis (white hat), WOODTV8 Photojournalist Evan Linnert on the set of "The Steam Experiment" at Bull's Head Tavern in Grand Rapids, MI 9/10/08

 One Year Later: Michigan Film Incentives

 A year ago next Tuesday, April 7th marks one year since Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm signed the film incentive package that provides up to 40% percent refundable or transferable tax credit for projects in Michigan, with an additional 2% available for projects in core communities.

According to a Michigan State University economic impact study, the incentives brought 32 projects (including “The Steam Experiment”), creating 2,763 jobs and creating $65.4 million in revenue to the state in 9 months of 2008 (since the incentives were signed in April).   Of that, $25.1 million was spent on direct wages and salary and $40.3 million was spent on Michigan goods and services.

Researchers estimate total production expenditures will grow 187% over the next four years (2008 to 2012) based on the experiences of Louisiana and New Mexico, who passed similar, but lower incentives in 2002.   Both states continue to experience year over-year growth in total in-state production expenditures.

The study also says Michigan film will likely “generate tourism… and other indirect benefits from film production”.

There is still at least one state lawmaker speaking out against

(more…)

UPDATED WITH MORE

Its been almost a year since Governor Granholm signed the state’s film incentives into law.   A panel discussion today in Grand Rapids focused on the benefits of those tax incentives for Michigan’s film industry.

Four industry officials discussed the history and the future of the state’s tax breaks that brought 35 projects, 28-hundred jobs and 25-million dollars to the state last year.

Nearly a year into the incentives, Ken Droz from the Michigan Film Office says ”ideally, we’d like to think the program can run its course and be allowed to have time to breathe and to mature and for the entire industry to gets its legs before any major changes are being done to it.”

The panelists agreed that while the state is staying ahead of other states like New Mexico and Louisiana,  more work has to be done to build infrastructure and train workers.

Dori DePree, Head of Education Outreach for TicTock Studios says that Michigan’s blue collar work force can be trained to fill the jobs “so its not that we’re training people to do new things, its just saying this is what you’ve already done, this is what you know how to do, and hopefully you love to do, you can do this on a film as well.”

—

Ken Droz from the Michigan Film Office says a “major filmmaker who came last year is thinking about coming again next year”.

Clint Eastwood??  Drew Barrymore??  No further comments or details were offered.

That news today out of a panel discussion on tax incentives and the Michigan Film Industry.

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This is from Associated Press wire copy…

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Some state senators want to cap the tax
incentives Michigan offers to moviemakers.

Legislation introduced Wednesday would reduce Michigan’s
refundable movie tax credit from 42 percent to 35 percent, limit
the amount of credits to $50 million a year and increase another
credit.

Some Republicans proposed similar measures last year but didn’t
get far. A Democratic senator is concerned the state can’t afford
the incentives while facing budget problems.

The Senate’s GOP majority leader says he isn’t interested in
limiting tax credits if they’re stimulating the economy.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm and others also say the tax breaks are
working very well.

Filming expenditures went from $2 million to more than $100
million a year after the law was signed. 
   (Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

Brendan Fraser talks to Laff at the Movies
.

Actor Brendan Fraser talks about his new movie “Inkheart”, the unusual way he was recruited to the movie, how hard it is to make a movie, the prospects of making movies in Michigan and his appearance in this summer’s upcoming movie “G.I. Joe”.

He’s a down-to-earth interview and a guy who called me “dude” at least twice… and with his story about parachuting G.I. Joe figures, this has to be one of my favorite interviews so far.   CLICK HERE TO WATCH, THEN CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO PLAY THE INTERVIEW…

if that link doesn’t work, WATCH IT THROUGH OUR YOUTUBE PAGE.

(Clips from “Inkheart” courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures)

Also, check out my previous interviews:

Joey Fatone talks about Golden Globes

Jon Voight talks to Laff at the Movies about “Pride and Glory”

Maggie Gyllenhaal talks to Laff at the Movies about “Dark Knight” and more

Ed Harris talks to Laff at the Movies about “Appaloosa”

Joe Pantoliano talks to Laff at the Movies about 25th Anniversary of “Risky Business” and more

Grand Rapids Public Schools has set a series of open houses to connect would-be students and parents with the district’s new theme schools, high school speciality programs and expanded grade levels at Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy. (more…)

The United Way is partnering with Grand Rapids Public Schools to improve English and literacy skills among parents at Harrison Park Elementary School.

The announcement kicked off Monday night’s GRPS board meeting.  Parents at Harrison Park will meet for two-hour English As A Second Language (ESL) courses twice a week.

It’s a pilot program expected to start in January.

“The data is very cleary that families who read together can help children significantly boost their vocabulary and school performance,” Literacy Center of West Michigan Executive Director Susan Ledy said in a statement.

The district also announced it exceeded its United Way fund-raising goal by $13,000. GRPS raised $103,000 for the campaign.

That money in a way comes back to GRPS, particularly in the form of Schools of Hope, a massive tutoring program also led by the United Way. Schools of Hope gives first- through third-graders access to an in-school tutor at a total cost of roughly $90,000 per year.

A motion to eliminate Grand Rapids Public Schools teacher jobs in the middle of the school year failed Monday night.

Here’s how the board voted:

Kenneth Hoskins – YES
Amy McGlynn – YES
Tony Baker – NO
Harry Campbell – NO
Jane Gietzen – NO
Lisa Hinkel – YES
Catherine Mueller – YES
David Allen, Arnie Smithalexander – ABSENT

GRPS also announced a new United Way program to help parents at one elementary school with their English and other literacy skills.