Howland Public Library Presents: Special Screening of "The Peekskill Riots" Episode One: The Mighty Oak in the Forest”

Special Screening of "The Peekskill Riots" Episode One: The Mighty Oak in the Forest” and Q&A with local Filmmaker Jon Scott Bennett**

The Howland Public Library is pleased to announce a special screening on Thursday, May 23rd at 6 PM of Episode One of the docu-series "The Peekskill Riots," followed by a Q&A session with Hudson Valley filmmaker Jon Scott Bennett.

The docu-series will shed light on the historic events of August and September 1949, when violence erupted at benefit concerts for the Civil Right Congress outside Peekskill, NY, featuring actor, singer, and activist Paul Robeson. Citizens of Peekskill, galvanized by racist and anti-Semitic sentiments and disdain for Robeson’s left-wing views and campaign for civil rights, started two riots that resulted in hundreds of injuries, made national news, and unofficially marked the beginning of the McCarthy era, which would nearly erase Robeson from the public consciousness.  

Through compelling storytelling and archival footage, Episode One serves as an introduction to Robeson's life and activism and the events leading up to the Peekskill concerts. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with Bennett in a thought-provoking Q&A session following the screening.

Join for an evening of education, reflection, and dialogue.

Film Screening, The Peekskill Riots, Episode One: The Mighty Oak in the Forest
Day: Thursday, May 23, 2024
Time: 6pm
Location: Howland Public Library, 313 Main Street, Beacon, NY 12508
RSVP here >

Panel Discussion Following Screening Of Film Documenting Injustice Of Parole Release Hearings - Story Screen Theater - Happening Tonight

THE FILM, WHICH FEATURES FORMERLY INCARCERATED ADVOCATES AND FORMER PAROLE COMMISSIONERS WHO EXPOSE THE BOARD’S LAWLESS ADDICTION TO PUNISHMENT, MAKES THE CASE FOR REFORM 

WHAT: A screening of “The Interview”, a short film exposing the injustices of parole release hearings, followed by a panel featuring people directly impacted by New York’s prison system and unjust Parole Board. The film features members of the Release Aging People in Prison (RAPP) Campaign, and other formerly incarcerated advocates, who each faced as many as ten parole denials despite having transformed their lives while behind bars many years earlier. In addition, two Parole Commissioners appear in the film and, in very different ways, articulate how the Parole Board makes decisions about the release of people based solely on the nature of their crime, even after they have already served a minimum sentence.   

The Q&A after the film will feature panelists who have been directly impacted by incarceration and the parole process in New York. 

WHERE: Story Screen Theater, 445 Main St, Beacon, NY 12508

WHEN: Thursday, September 29th at 7pm

HOW TO GET TICKETS: Click here >

WHO: The screening is hosted by Beacon Prison Rides Program and Beacon Prison Books Project, in partnership with the Release Aging People in Prison Campaign and the People’s Campaign for Parole Justice. Panelists include RAPP Executive Director Jose Saldana, RAPP Westchester Community Leader Greg Mingo, Beacon Prison Rides member, Ms. John, and After Incarceration Co-Director, Jose Pineda. 

The Beacon Prison Rides Project is a volunteer-run organization providing free rides for families between the Beacon train station and Beacon-area prisons. Since November 2017, Beacon Prison Rides has provided an alternative to costly taxis or prison vans, providing more than 1,800 rides for more than 200 people visiting their incarcerated loved ones. Find out more about the project and about how to request rides, volunteer, or donate here >

The Beacon Prison Books Project is an organization that provides books to incarcerated persons throughout New York State, by request. People who are incarcerated in NYS use free postcards or simply write to us at our P.O. Box to request books or book recommendations. Then we order the books, connect with individual sponsors, pack up the books, and send them to the person who made the request. Most of this activity happens through Binnacle Books in Beacon, NY. Learn more here >

The People’s Campaign for Parole Justice is a new, statewide, grassroots campaign pushing for parole reform in New York State. The campaign platform is supported by over 350 organizations across New York State and led by a coalition of the state’s biggest and most influential social justice and criminal justice groups, including the Release Aging People in Prison Campaign, Parole Preparation Project, VOCAL-NY, Citizen Action, New Hour for Women and Children, NY Communities for Change, Center for Community Alternatives, Osborne Association, NYCLU, FWD.us, #HALTsolitary Campaign, Legal Aid Society, Center for Justice at Columbia, CUNY Law Defenders Clinic, and NYU Law's Center on Race, Inequality, and the Law. 

BACKGROUND:
Nearly 1 in 4 people from Dutchess county incarcerated in New York State prisons is over the age of 50, which many departments of corrections across the country define as “older” due to accelerated aging behind bars. About 63 percent are people of color, even though people of color only make up 23 percent of the general population of Dutchess county, and many are serving long sentences with few opportunities for release based on their rehabilitation and current readiness for release. Without parole reform, many will never make it out of prison.

Racism infects the parole release system just as it does every element of the criminal legal system. A white person in a New York prison is significantly more likely on average to be released on parole than a Black or Latinx person and the disparity widened in 2020, according to a Times Union analysis of the nearly 19,000 parole board decisions over the last two years. The data, which spans October 2018 through October 2020, shows the Parole Board granted parole release to 41 percent of white people, compared to 34 percent of Black people and 33 percent of Latinx people. Importantly, these racial disparities are not new. In 2016, the New York Times conducted an investigation of parole release data and similarly found Black and Latinx people were significantly less likely to be released than their white counterparts.

The People’s Campaign for Parole Justice is calling on lawmakers in Albany to pass two bills that will address this pandemic behind bars and prevent similar tragedies in the future: 

Elder Parole (S.15/A.3475) would allow the State Board of Parole to provide an evaluation for potential parole release to incarcerated people aged 55 and older who have already served 15 or more years, including some of the state’s oldest and sickest incarcerated people. 

Fair and Timely Parole (S.1415/A.4231) would provide more meaningful parole reviews for incarcerated people who are already parole-eligible. 

The Campaign is also calling on Governor Hochul to fully staff the Parole Board with 19 Commissioners who come from communities that have been directly affected by mass incarceration and who have professional and clinical backgrounds in areas such as social work, nursing, reentry services, and other fields that allow them to evaluate incarcerated people for who they are today. The Board currently has three vacancies.

From the film:
Former Parole Commissioner Carol Shapiro said, “The research is so clear on this, and has been for years,” regarding low reincarceration rates in New York State among people convicted of murder who are subsequently released on parole. Keeping people incarcerated for decades—well into old age—has changed the very nature of prisons, she says: “We are running geriatric institutions in America right now.”

Local Filmmakers! A Night of New Paltz Shorts Seeking Submissions

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Are you a local filmmaker? Do you have a short film, documentary, or music video you want to premiere?

New Paltz Shorts is calling all short films that have either been made by a filmmaker who lives in New Paltz, or have been shot in New Paltz, for a night of screenings on Monday, August 20 at the Water Street Market. Come see local films projected on a 40-foot screen, and support the growing talent pool in the Hudson Valley.

There is NO FEE to enter and the deadline is Wednesday, August 1, 2018. You can learn more about this event on their Facebook event page.   

Special thanks to The Cinehub for passing along this information. To keep up with what is going on in the film industry within the Hudson Valley, sign up for their newsletter!

Big Movie with Emily Blunt and John Krasinski to Film at Beacon Natural Market

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Get your grocery shopping done now, folks, Paramount Pictures is coming to town, specifically to the aisles of Beacon Natural Market, on Monday through Wednesday. The market will be closed to the public while the filmmakers work their magic inside (and maybe outside! Who knows, but it may be dramatically blacked out, like when The Vault hosted a TV production company, which A Little Beacon Blog covered here in an interview with the co-producer). Beacon Natural Market announced the news via Instagram this week.

The movie is "A Quiet Place," starring real-life married couple Emily Blunt and John Krasinski. You might know John, who's also directing "A Quiet Place," from his role as Jim on TV's "The Office," and Emily from dozens of film roles, including the assistant Emily in "The Devil Wears Prada." The real-life couple were both in the movie "The Muppets," though they did not appear on screen together. In this movie, however, they will act together.

According to The Internet, the plot is being kept hush-hush, but a simple Google search indicates that it's a horror movie. Blunt is no stranger to gory scenes, with her incredible work in the science fiction movie, "The Edge of Tomorrow" with Tom Cruise, in which she plays the best and most feared warrior against aliens that have invaded Earth. That role was in stark contrast to her mega-assistant role in The "Devil Wears Prada" starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway. Currently, Blunt is wrapping production on "Mary Poppins" (in which Blunt plays the title role), set to release at the end of December 2018. Streep is also in that movie, playing Topsy. Gosh, should make for a good season of holiday movies next year!

Movies Being Made in the Hudson Valley

This movie, "A Quiet Place," has been scouting all over the Hudson Valley, setting major locations in New Paltz (you can see pictures of movie people scouting a small grocery store here). This most recent location comes on the heels of a film forum, The Hudson Valley Film Industry Conference in Newburgh at SUNY Orange Kaplan Hall, sponsored by Orange County, Stockade Works (Mary Stuart Masterson's production company in Kingston), the Orange County Film Office, the Orange County Arts Council, and The Accelerator.

Get ready, film industry people who live in Beacon and the surrounding areas...more is coming!

Interview with Co-Producer of "Big Dogs," One of Several Film and TV Productions Filming in Hudson Valley

You've seen the casting calls. You've seen the yellow NYC taxi cabs parked in front of The Vault when the street was shut down Friday night. Were the taxi cabs making a long-distance delivery? Trying to maintain an edge over newcomers Lyft and Uber? No, they are "picture cars," vehicles used in the impending TV series Big Dogs from Choice Films based on books by Adam Dunn.

Filming outside of The Vault on Friday night.Photo Credit: The Vault

Filming outside of The Vault on Friday night.
Photo Credit: The Vault

Beginning last week, Hudson Valley locales including Beacon, Cold Spring, Garrison, Newburgh, Peekskill, and upcoming areas including Fishkill and Garnerville (over in Rockland County), have been hosting Big Dogs on Main Street and inside of several businesses including The Vault, Roundhouse and Beacon Bread Company. The drama uses taxis as a key plot element in its crime-based story-line. Big Dogs is a futuristic tale set in an aging and decrepit New York City, where crime and drugs are running rampant. A fashion photographer is the central character, running drugs through a circuit of NYC taxi cabs with his boss forcing him to up his game to an evermore dangerous degree.

The Vault's patio is blacked out so that the production can control lighting for a scene being shot on the inside.Photo Credit: Bruno Barros

The Vault's patio is blacked out so that the production can control lighting for a scene being shot on the inside.
Photo Credit: Bruno Barros

The series is directed by David Platt, who has completed decades of work on Law & Order (if you like an inspirational work-your-way-up story, see Platt's resume here at IMDB to see how he started off as a sound mixer and boom operator on Law & Order, and worked his way up to director). Big Dogs is being shopped around to interested networks. It's co-produced by Summer Crockett Moore and Tony Glazer for Choice Films, and co-written by Dunn and Choice Films’ Glazer.

Interior scene for Big Dogs filmed at The Vault.Photo Credit: Bruno Barros

Interior scene for Big Dogs filmed at The Vault.
Photo Credit: Bruno Barros

When will you be able to watch Big Dogs on TV? "We have lots of interest from a variety of places (streaming platforms, cable networks, etc), and are eager to see who the best match will be," says Summer. "It is a very commercial genre, and Dunn's books 'Rivers of Gold,' 'Big Dogs,' and 'Saint Underground' have a fabulous audience, so we are excited to bring the series to life on screen."

We wanted an inside look at why Choice Films selected the Hudson Valley for several of their film locations, and got the the inside scoop from Summer in this interview with A Little Beacon Blog:

Why did you all come up to the Hudson Valley to film?

"We did two feature films in the Hudson Valley over the last year: ABOVE ALL THINGS, which we filmed in Cold Spring in June 2016, and one called HEATHER, which we filmed here in April of this year. We had a great experience. Not only are there amazing locations and amazing people here, but the value of the production dollar and the ease of filming in this area, which includes working with local officials, locations, and local vendors, makes it a wonderful experience overall for all parties.

"The new New York State enhanced tax incentive is also a huge benefit, but it is really the people and the possibilities that keep us coming back. We have made Umbra of Newburgh our local home – with offices and full use of their state-of-the-art soundstage. We spread out from there to many nearby areas."  

How have you liked filming in the Hudson Valley?

"We are very happy to be here. The local people, the wide variety of locations, the enthusiastic support from the film community and many local vendors and the local film offices – it all makes the process of production that much easier. We have a little saying that the people on our production are our #filmfamily, and that 'family' grows daily with many new Hudson Valley locals joining our cast and crew."

The Vault's parking lot is taken over by the "Big Dogs" production crew. Having a convenient parking lot is very helpful for locations where movie scenes are being filmed.Photo Credit: Bruno Barros

The Vault's parking lot is taken over by the "Big Dogs" production crew. Having a convenient parking lot is very helpful for locations where movie scenes are being filmed.
Photo Credit: Bruno Barros

Can you tell us some of the other locations you have used, besides The Vault, Roundhouse and Beacon Bread Company?

"In Newburgh, we used Umbra of Newburgh Soundstage (which is our home base), Liberty Street Lot, The Karpeles Museum, The Infinity Lounge, as well as three local houses in Newburgh. We used a private garage and one private home in Beacon. In Peekskill, we used the Peekskill Diner. In Cold Spring we used Happy Liquor, and we have some great stuff coming up in Garnerville (just scouted the Arts Center). Our location scouts Evie Watters and Bruno Barros have a ton of new places we just saw this week that blew my mind with their awesomeness."

Filming at The Vault

Filming took place at Roundhouse two weeks ago, and Beacon Bread Company and The Vault last week. On Friday, the production shut down a portion of Main Street in front of The Vault, The Beacon Theater and Brothers Trattoria. They continue today (Monday) to film interior shots inside of The Vault.

Photo Credit: The Vault

Photo Credit: The Vault

See that guy holding the big long pole? It's no selfie-stick. It's called a boom, which is the microphone that records the actors. The person holding it is the Boom Operator, and is what director David Platt used to do before he moved into directing…

See that guy holding the big long pole? It's no selfie-stick. It's called a boom, which is the microphone that records the actors. The person holding it is the Boom Operator, and is what director David Platt used to do before he moved into directing.
Photo Credit: The Vault

How Your Business Can Be Considered as a Location

Businesses interested in submitting themselves as a location can email casting@choicefilms.com with photos and contact info. Choice Casting is also offering paid background (extras) casting as well, so interested parties should email the same address with contact info and a photo. The production is seeking all types and all ages. This is a wonderful opportunity for those interested in working in film and television to see how it all gets produced on set.

Beacon Locals Casting Call for TV Series 'Big Dogs'

Choice Films & Theatricals is currently seeking extras for the upcoming TV series production of BIG DOGS! All roles are paid, meals will be provided, and you will even get an IMDB credit! They are currently in production and will be shooting for the next four months in and around Newburgh and Manhattan. They are looking for many local people for immediate hire to appear as background in the series. There will be shooting in Beacon this Thursday and in Newburgh on Friday, so don't delay!

Anyone interested in becoming an extra should email casting@choicefilms.com with a headshot (it does not have to be a professional headshot) and your contact information.

Made for TV Film, "Dancing on Broadway" By Katie Fforde Filmed In Beacon, Airs In Germany

See that yarn bomb on the light pole behind the piano? Does it look familiar? It's an extra in "Dancing on Broadway," a movie from writer Katie Fforde that was filmed in Beacon, was made for German TV, and is airing now online for anyone to watch. See local favorites like Dream in Plastic, Notions-n-Potions, Classic Couture Boutique, Hudson Beach Glass, and others.

Set in Poughkeepsie, Beacon and other Hudson Valley locations, this story follows that of a dancer, Skye Rhodan, as she struggles to find her footing in her dancing career while she's torn between two men - her ex, Ryan, and her new dance partner and widower with two children, Michael.

Stream it here >

"Homeland" Episode 8 Season 6 With Quinn Airs, Starring Key Food Beacon

Photo Credit: Key Food Beacon

Photo Credit: Key Food Beacon

The much-buzzed about episode of "Homeland" filmed in Beacon, Season 6 Episode 8, titled "Alt.Truth" has finally hit TV and streaming computer screens on March 12, 2017. In this episode, Quinn fans get their fill of the actor as he meanders through the meat section of Key Food, past Beacon's own local celebrity and Key Food co-owner/manager, JB, and onto spotting a suspicious man at checkout.

Watch it here on Showtime.

Movie Theater Coming Soon To Beacon In A Historic Building Near You

UPDATE 2/28/2019: The Beacon Theater has opened! Click here for A Little Beacon Blog’s feature article.

The construction office of Highview Development Corporation is covered in layers of white pages of blueprints, dusty artifacts collected from the project on the other side of the door, and yellow sawdust blown in from the demolition going on just beyond that door. The room has the feeling of a temporary office setup, one you might see in a portable trailer parked alongside a construction site. But the wall opposite the room's door is lined in windows that overlook Main Street, as this office is on the second floor of the dilapidated Beacon Theatre, at 445 Main Street. 

Rumors have been circulating about the fate of this historic building, which sits in the heart of what was apparently known as "Theatre Square." [3/6/17 Edit: The name "Theatre Square" is referenced to in Wikipedia at the time of the research period for this article, the week of 2/20/17, and still needs to be validated.]

Though it survived bulldozers of urban renewal, the building closed as a full-time theater in 1968. Tenants over the years have included a church group - who painted the walls purple and installed purple seats - as well as a company offering private rentals to store roofing materials, and for a moment, an actual theater company. That company, 4th Wall Theatrical Productions, initially bought the theater from then-holder, The Ehrlich Company, who previously owned several other buildings in Beacon including The Roundhouse and One East Main.

When restoration costs became too high for the theater company, 4th Wall approached one of its board members, Robert McAlpine, who owned the construction company doing the renovation work on the Beacon Theatre, to see if he was interested in buying it. Robert's son Brendan McAlpine, a lawyer turned developer hailing from Long Island, DC, NYC and now Beacon, stepped in to put together a financing deal to purchase the building from the theater company. The revamped vision for the historic site included new apartments. Some Beacon residents were resistant to such a plan. 

After months of Planning Board meetings and expansive revisions to initial plans, the dust has cleared a bit. What has emerged is a mixed-use project made up of a movie theater, a concession stand serving delicious beer and wine (movie ticket not required), and rental apartments. Harry's Hot Sandwiches and By A Thin Thread will remain tenants in the building's street-level storefronts. One could surmise that Brendan was consumed so much by the history of the building while working in the office, that the building dust got into his blood, leading him to change course on his renovation plans and more deeply incorporate a restoration of sorts on the theater, which once showed "photo-plays" in the 1930s.

The Players

There are four partners in this movie theater project: Brendan McAlpine, Mike Burdge, Jason Schuler and Scott Brenner, each bringing different expertise to the table. After I met with them last week to get a hard-hat tour of the building, I had a few follow-up questions for Brendan. His reply: "I’m happy to talk all day about this exciting project."

Mike Burdge,
Story Screen
Photo Credit: Story Screen

Jason Schuler, Drink More Good
Photo Credit:
Drink More Good

Scott Brenner, Drink More Good
Photo Credit: The Molecule Project

Brendan McAlpine, Highview Development Corporation
Photo Credit: HVDC

Brendan's first concepts of the building's renovation included apartments, as well as a space to be used in a variety of ways. "A big part of the building hasn’t been in real use in a long time," says Brendan. "When I looked at the project, it was important to me to keep it an arts or community space. But it was vital that the project didn’t fail." Brendan looked into theater business models, and found that, "Generally speaking, entities that are theaters tend to not have cash flow and support loans. Pretty much, any theater you see has a public component of financing for it. Those that do not, tend to not last very long. The way to make it work was to shrink it down and have the other components to it. That’s why we came to this mixed-use approach with the rental apartments and event space."

At the end of the day, Brendan wanted to bring in movie and food professionals to partner on the project - namely Mike Burdge, Jason Schuler and Scott Brenner - who know the performance and food spaces well. Each currently runs his own business: Mike, from Beacon, started Story Screen; Jason, a native of Hopewell Junction, founded Drink More Good; and Scott, who descended from Plainview, NY, is a partner at Drink More Good

Pop-Up Movie Theater Gets Permanent Home

Over the past few years, you may have caught wind of Story Screen, the pop-up movie experience started by Mike Burdge. It first took place in his apartment, then in other people's homes, then at Jason Schuler and Scott Brenner's Drink More Good storefront on Main Street. Most recently, you may have caught a show at other restaurants, like Stock Up and Oak Vino. Story Screen will now have a permanent home at The Beacon Theatre, supported by a creative concession stand and bar in the main lobby. You can expect to find Drink More Good's Root Beer there, along with other signature cocktails and must-have popcorn.

The Big Tease...Story Screen confirms rumors and unveils concept.
Photo Credit: Story Screen

Says Mike about the pop-up movie model: "I would take over a restaurant's space after business hours, license the films, and turn the space into a make-shift theater for one night." Mike's initial movie night showed "Groundhog Day" and was hosted at The Main Squeeze, a juice bar he managed just off of Main Street. Next he did a Beacon Horror Show, and a few screenings at Drink More Good. "Those went over so well, that we decided to do a Christmas one, and those did so well, that we set up a screen and a better sound system." Jason and Scott felt the movie experience fit with their brand. "We saw the importance of this nomadic pop-up theater, and we incorporated it into our space (Drink More Good) to bring it a permanent home," says Jason. 

To be a part of its renovation now, to bring it back to life, that’s a really cool, cool, cool, cool thing. I’m getting goosebumps just talking about it.
— Mike Burdge, Story Screen

When Brendan reached out to the trio to consider a renovated theater with a big screen and stadium seating, the movie experience makers said yes. "I’m from Beacon," says Mike. "The Beacon Theater has never been open and operational in the way that it could be since I've lived here. I am a huge movie buff. I love stories. To have a gigantic theater that is just sitting there and not doing anything was really sad. My friends used to own the coffee shop that is now the After Eden antique shop, and we would watch movies behind the shop out back in the parking lot. We could see the inside of the theater while we watched movies outside. It was just weird. I thought about using the theater, but then I found out how much money it would take to renovate it. To be a part of its renovation now, to bring it back to life, that’s a really cool, cool, cool, cool thing. I’m getting goosebumps just talking about it."

Blueprints and visions for the marquee of The Beacon Theatre.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Places! Places!

Initially, the theater was set to be on the second floor of the building. However, it kept feeling "not quite right" to the partners. How would there be a movie theater upstairs, and an amazing concession area downstairs? As the partners mulled it over, it became clear that the only way to proceed was to put the theater on the first floor. It was pricey, and involved a 17-foot excavation of the ground beneath the theater. "It meant we had to pour concrete walls, beams, soundproof walls to a crazy degree," says Brendan. "Costs did go up, but in the end, I think we will all be much happier with the results."

The decision left the partners with more than just a better flow of foot traffic, it legitimized the theater. "What became clear was, when the theater is on the first floor, it has legacy. What we have gained is the historical purpose," exclaims Jason. "We worked really hard to keep the community aspect in the model, and this flow of how people will come in will help ensure that."

History of The Beacon Theatre

The site for the theater was originally known as the Dibble House (as explored in A Little Beacon Blog's Beacon Restaurant and Bar article) which included a roller skating rink in 1886. According to Wikipedia and the Beacon Historical Society, the Dibble House "was torn down in 1927 with plans to construct a new and modernized theater that would be large enough to accommodate larger crowds for the rise of films, known then as 'photo-plays.' "

Brendan Mcalpine holds a poster that had been lifted out of a wall of the Theater during demolition. The Wonder Bar was a well-known jazz bar on the second floor of the theater. Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Brendan Mcalpine holds a poster that had been lifted out of a wall of the Theater during demolition. The Wonder Bar was a well-known jazz bar on the second floor of the theater.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

The Great Depression stuck, and stalled the development for six years. The theater reopened in 1934 and was an immediate hotspot, serving moviegoers, performers, and regulars of the Wonder Bar, a favorite night spot of World War II soldiers stationed at the Army Air Corps Base at Stewart Field.

The soldiers took the ferry across from Newburgh and hopped on a bus up Main Street to listen to jazz bands perform out on the marquee, according to an article from the Beacon Free Press. Dated June 12, 1985, the profile piece captures memories from Ann McCabe Hanlon, whose father co-opened the Wonder Bar. "Many romances started there," recalls Hanlon in the article. The space's interior was a red coral, had a dance floor in the center, and a bar that curled around the room in an L-shape. The chef, named Wong, was even imported from New York City. The restaurant was open until 1950. 

The Scene and Screens 

The next incarnation of The Beacon Theatre includes plans for three screens. Two of those will have stadium seating, with "plush and cushy" chairs. One will have 85 seats, and a small screening room next to it will seat 25. An open floor-plan private screening room that can hold 50 people will not have chairs fixed to the floor, and will be available as a rentable event space to be used for various purposes: birthday parties, yoga classes, a big meeting, anything.

The movies you can expect to see at The Beacon Theatre will be ones you can catch at a Regal Cinema, and indie movies as well. The lobby/bar area will be the upscale concession stand that serves cocktails, beer and wine. In fact, the partners intend for patrons to be able to hang there without ever seeing a movie. This is Jason's area of expertise, being a professional barkeeper and cocktail designer, as well as a creator of after-hours experiences. (Most notably to Beaconites, he produced Ella's After Hours, which boasted delicious flatbread pizzas, other appetizers and creative cocktails at Ella's Bellas.) 

renovation work includes refurbishing these Lights and original sconces from the walls of the Beacon Theatre. Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Says Mike about the availability of movies in Beacon: "There are tons of music and art galleries. Those areas have been created and preserved here, but not films." While the increasing number of moviemakers who live in the Hudson Valley and in Beacon has prompted such business creations as the rental house and production studio CineHub and The Beacon Independent Film Festival, there was no permanent home for a big movie screen. 

Speaking of preservation, some elements of the original theater are being refurbished, while others no longer exist. Among objects being restored are the light sconces, which will be cleaned up and returned to their original elegant state. A sconce hangs on the wall in the picture below, ready to illuminate the ornate details.

Old and older clash: Original sconces from the theater remain on the purple walls, which were painted by tenants running a church. they also installed purple chairs.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

"When businesses open up in Beacon, they are expected to bring something community-based, artisanal-based," says Mike. Scott chimes in: "We are all community-oriented people, which is how this project came together in the first place." Before we head downstairs to tour the raw excavation and leveled dirt that is currently the stadium seating, Jason offers a final reflection on the project: "Anything that opens in Beacon needs to be raising the bar. Our focus is on what [the community can] expect from the theater."

Nailing down an opening date is always tricky with construction projects, so keep your eye on this one, and think spring or summer. The partners won't reveal an exact open date, but Brendan is sure of one thing: "We have a couple of cool surprises that we want people to discover."

When you smell the popcorn as you walk by, you'll know they are ready.

"Homeland" Films At Key Food In Beacon for Episode 8 of Season 6

UPDATE [3/14/2017]: This episode has aired! Get the details here >

On a rainy, otherwise uneventful day in the Hudson Valley, the production crew of "Homeland," the show produced by Fox TV for Showtime, suited up in rain gear and wheeled carts of lighting and camera equipment into Key Food to film a scene that is slated to be in Season 6, Episode 8. The four-time Emmy-nominated show airs on Showtime and streams on Hulu, starring five-time Emmy nominee Claire Danes. A surprise actor is on the scene, who we cannot reveal (#spoileralert).

Anthony Ruggiero, city administrator for the City of Beacon, exclaimed: “This is a major film production and we are very excited. The film production crew has been excellent to work with and very accommodating.” Key Food had been approached by the production company weeks prior to today's filming, and the city was able to turn around the permits in one week. In addition to filming on Main Street, the production rented space from the Elks Lodge to set up and store trucks and equipment, confirmed Carl Oken, and from the Memorial Building on Main Street.
 

Trucks lined South Brett Street from Main Street to Verplanck, holding camera equipment, scenes, costumes, whatever a production company might need to work their magic in the shot. Key Food is scheduled to be closed all day, unless the filming finishes early, says Key Food manager, Junior Zayed. Junior's brother and fellow manager, JB Said, and two regularly employed cashiers at Key Food may also be in the scene - if their part doesn't get cut! Junior and JB are part of the family who owns Key Food.

Says Mayor Randy Casale about the production: “We are very excited that Showtime Productions' "Homeland" chose the City of Beacon for filming episodes of Season 6. This is an opportunity to showcase the city and add to the local economy. Filming production is a growing industry in New York, and Beacon’s historic Main Street and natural beauty are perfect for a variety of movies and shows. We would like to attract other quality productions. On the set today, talking to a few of the 100 employees of the production, there was a buzz about Beacon, and several commented on visiting and moving here.”

Why Beacon?

The creative team for "Homeland" was looking to film on country roads, and selected the Hudson Valley as the best place to find what they needed. As for filming in Key Food, they needed a nondescript town - and apparently a large grocery store -  to hunker down in for the day and film, according to a source familiar with the production company. The show is also filming in Putnam County today, possibly at the Country Side Motel.

Signs of More Filming in Beacon?

While the new tax break that Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed into legislation recently (offering production companies a 10% tax break for filming in Dutchess and Ulster Counties) would be an incentive to film in Beacon, "Homeland" was not able to take advantage of it this time, since they were already filming in the area when it became law, according to a source familiar with the production. That source speculates, however, that the tax incentive will have a positive impact on the communities upstate. The City of Beacon was paid a $50 application fee plus a $2,500 filming fee, and was reimbursed for the use of three police officers, according to Ruggiero. Stores impacted by the filming, such as Key Food, are customarily compensated as well.

As actress Mary Stuart Masterson said in an article in the Poughkeepsie Journal about the tax incentive: “I can't wait to work where I live." Stuart Masterson is a Dutchess County resident, and hopes to open a film production facility in Ulster Country. Located right here in Beacon is the CineHub, a production resource center and studio for filmmakers and video professionals in the Hudson Valley.

Filming outside of New York City costs production companies more in terms of hotels, gas and other accommodations, but they also must pay their crew and actors extra to "go beyond the grid," which is a distance boundary negotiated by labor unions like the DGA and SAG to prevent their union members from traveling too far without compensation. The last movie that filmed in Beacon, one based on a Katie Fforde novel, was not a union job.

Terry Nelson, founder and executive director of the Beacon Independent Film Festival, had this to say about this filming event: "Having 'Homeland' filmed here is a great thing. It’s going to be good for Dutchess Country to do more shooting here, as opposed to having all films being shot across the river, which happens with shows shooting in Newburgh to make it look like Brooklyn. Films are starting to come on this side of the river, and I hope it continues."

Nelson feels that if there were a functioning film commission in this area, "that would be really helpful to look out for local crew to be hired if possible. This is a great start. I’m feeling optimistic about filming in Beacon." According to the production company, local crew were not hired for this job, which can be difficult when a production company for a TV show already has a team and rhythm in place.

Tune into Showtime to see the episode! As in all film and publishing projects, one never knows what will make it to the screen and what will be left on the cutting room floor, so tune in when Episode 8 of Season 6 premieres!

Please note: This article may be updated with more information as we get it.

Photo Credits: All photos taken by Katie Hellmuth Martin, with the exception of the screenshot of Claire Danes, which was taken from Homeland's homepage.

Movie Filmed on Main Street is by British Romance Novelist Katie Fforde to Air in Germany

UPDATE 3/14/2017: This movie has aired! Get the details here >





Get out your lawn chairs, because you've got a lot of binge reading or viewing to do. Last week, a movie from British romance novelist Katie Fforde filmed on the West End of Beacon's Main Street, filled with extras, hair and makeup people, and even yellow cabs from New York City. This made-for-TV-movie called "Dancing on Broadway" will air in the fall in Germany on ZDF, "one of the biggest and most renowned television broadcasters in Europe" (according to ZDF's website). This movie is part of a collection of other made-for-TV-movies from Fforde that are set in the Hudson Valley. According to ZDF, "Katie Fforde’s romances are
ideal for transposing to the TV screen. Everything that makes her
novels so popular – sparkling dialogues, love of life, beguiling
characters – also infuses the TV movies based on them." Beacon's City Administrator, Anthony J. Ruggiero, informs us further: "From what we were told, in the past they have shot fifteen episodes of this series in the Hudson Valley over the past seven years, also working in Beacon in episodes past, both in private homes as well as on Main Street."


The camera tent covering camera equipment.

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin



Yellow cab New York taxis used in a scene.

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Last Monday and Tuesday, the film crew was in Beacon to film a short
street scene with a fancy car, perhaps a leading man, plenty of extras walking up and down the street, and even yellow cabs straight out of New York City. Beacon was chosen because of its likeness to Brooklyn with tree-lined streets with small shops. According to American crew members, Fforde is in love with the Hudson Valley and Beacon itself, which makes sense being that she lives near Stroud, Gloucestershire, which is described by Wikipedia as being "noted for its independent spirit and cafe culture."

To see a clip of what life on a part of Main Street was like that day, see this footage from citizen reporter, Jean Noack:

You may have rubbernecked to see what was going on as you slowly drove by, only to
see a lot of people huddled around a TV monitor in front of Berkshire
Hathaway, Notions-n-Potions, or down the street from Artisan Wine. The movie did close the
street for short periods of time, and the production hired a police officer to help direct traffic. Says Anthony J. Ruggiero, "They did a pretty good job of keeping the sidewalks and street open.
The City insisted that they work with the Main Street businesses." The City of Beacon was paid a rate of $2,500 per day for a total of $5,000 which goes into the general fund. Ruggiero stated that "the production did rent space from some of the property owners for the movie." Several other storefronts may have been "in the shot," meaning, the front of stores were part of the filmed scene. Hopefully these parts make it past the cutting room floor!

The film crew may have looked like a bunch of New Yorkers, but several of them were from all over the country, including Massachusetts and Florida. This was a non-union film, so there's a larger pool for hiring crew members who are not in unions associated with filming like the DGA (Directors Guild of America). Usually, Beacon is too far a distance from New York for unions to let their crew members travel without generating further travel compensation.

Look for this film in the fall if you know how to watch German TV, or if you register to view at ZDF. According to someone at Reddit, the movie collection in Germany is wildly popular. Watch it, and see which spots you recognize!

Watch this clip with Fforde to get an idea of her spirit if you have not read her books yet. She is a mother of three, and did not begin writing under after her third child was born. Inspiring.