It will show that not all hope is lost for people living in North Carolina who love to make films and television, and pursue a career in the field there, without having to be forced to travel, while also promoting through their work the beauty and rich cultural heritage of this state, both nationally and internationally.
I have been involved mainly as an extra and production assistant on some feature films produced and shot locally in Asheville, NC - beginning in 2008, and with added participation in filmmaking events like the Asheville 48 HR. Film Project - but the experience of actively taking part in something that I have loved since childhood is something worth living and dying for. Every aspect of film production, onscreen or off, appeals to me - and the development, collaboration and camaraderie of talent, and actual production phases are just a part of the whole beauty.
So quite naturally, you can imagine my shock when I received word that the NC Film Incentive had been dropped. And although we can vote out the people who are responsible for letting this happen, we can't stop there. More drastic action and support is needed to provide the people and state of North Carolina, who love both films and the art of filmmaking, with a chance to pursue careers in the field onscreen and off, and without having to travel to faraway locations such as Los Angeles and New York. What is more, we are promoting the natural beauty and rich cultural history of a region that has served as a location for hit films like DIRTY DANCING, BEING THERE, THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS and THE HUNGER GAMES, thereby drawing both national and international interest from tourists and media alike.
Please don't deny the people of North Carolina a chance to pursue their dreams while bringing entertainment to movie audiences everywhere. For many years we have been struggling to do our best to give individual expression to the arts and share it with the world - and cinema is no exception. Don't burst our dreams as though they were bubbles - help them to flourish and blossom into vivid realities that entertains the world, and ushers in a bright new hope and future for the next generation of filmmaking talent based in North Carolina.
