The local premiere of a Japanese movie that was partially filmed here last summer is planned for Thursday, just hours before the Grand Slam Little League Parade kicks off this year's Little League Baseball World Series.
"Bokudachi No Play Ball, the Japanese title for the movie "Baseball Dreams," will be shown at noon Thursday at the Community Arts Center, according to Lorena Beniquez, Central Pennsylvania Film Office commissioner.
"We have come full circle at the Central Pennsylvania Film Office. This is our first completed production. Fifty jobs were generated from it, plus the use of local services, merchants and now they want to come back to say 'thank you' to Williamsport and the Central Pennsylvania Film Office," Beniquez said.
"They will screen it on Thursday and kids 13 and under are free," she said.
Local filming took place last August and generated 50 jobs, she said. Plus, it gave another 100 people the chance to be an extra in the movie.
Lonnie Wilcox, who was the location manager during the production of the film, and the film office received credit in the movie.
"I think the experience legitimized (the film office). Other than that, we were just a film office with no (productions). This is our first completed project," Wilcox said.
The film office opened in 2008 and has some other possible productions in the works, according to Beniquez.
Working with Japanese filmmaker, Sotokoto Pictures Inc., the film office had the chance to interact with and learn about another culture while learning more about the business, according to Beniquez.
"We learned a lot of stuff we would not even have to consider as a film office. The new experiences were amazing. It educated us in terms of how to serve our public. Our public is Los Angeles, Williamsport and New York. We had to learn how to do that efficiently," Beniquez said.
The film office is a not-for-profit entity
"We take no money for our services. We are selling our area," Beniquez said.
