Central Pennsylvania Film Office unveiled

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Since the first movie was shown more than 100 years ago, all things film have transformed into the main mode of entertainment and a major force in driving the economy.

It's not by chance that film and television personnel are able to find beautiful sweeping landscapes, the grittiest of urban scenes and the most majestic, picturesque architecture. It's thanks to the hard work of individuals such as Lorena Beniquez, executive director and founder of the Central Pennsylvania Film Office.

The film office, which was officially unveiled Tuesday morning during a news conference in the lobby of the Cinema Center, will work in conjunction with the state film office to highlight what central Pennsylvania has to offer. According to Beniquez, the state office has been working with them over the past year.

It's the work of volunteers - such as Beniquez who plans to serve in her position entirely separate from her duties at City Hall - that will keep the project running. The process of creating a database is underway, but help is needed to document the wide area the film office hopes to cover. The main focus area will be Lycoming, Tioga, Union, Snyder, Montour, Northumberland and Columbia counties.

"We just have to go out there and take pictures and keep the database up to date. We're just now building our database. We're looking for partnerships and volunteers in the community," Beniquez said.

Once the database is built, the next step is to pull images that match inquiries in hopes it may be just what the company is seeking.

"This will give us national exposure and will bring more people to see what Williamsport is about and see our wonderful quality of life and that we're a city on the go," Williamsport Mayor Gabriel J. Campana said.

"There's a lot of economic development and that will bring more commerce to the city. Not only people coming in to spend money in restaurants and staying over night, but hopefully we'll get more entrepreneurs who say, 'This is a business friendly city, we'll open a business here too.' "

Aside from donating office space in City Hall, Campana, whose main involvement with the project is moral support, said he will be involved when he can, especially when it comes to obtaining grants or other forms of state funding for the office.

Stimulating the local economy is just one of the many ideas behind the film office. From supporting existing business and services to creating new ones, the office has an opportunity to bring a new market into the Williamsport area.

Beniquez already has some projects in the works, such as "Feast or Famine: The Hunt for Natural Gas" which is being directed by area native Meg Pinsonneault.

Pinsonneault said that Beniquez has been a great contact as a source of knowledge. From naming people involved locally and county-wide with the natural gas industry to being able to find key locations, the office already is serving its function. As an art director now living in Los Angeles, Pinsonneault knows what filmmakers seek.

"Those people are looking for landscapes," Pinsonneault said. "Beautiful places they can shoot that you can't build. You can't build a Peter Herdic House, you can't build what you see here. That's why I think it is a viable option to bring production here, and there's a lot of money to be had in production."

The office presents a chance for the community to volunteer in bringing in an industry that can show the world the beauty and diversity of central Pennsylvania while ultimately boosting the economy.

"Commerce and creativity will foster growth," Beniquez said.

For information, call Beniquez at 327-7580.