MOROSO MOTORSPORTS PARK IS HOT, HOT, HOT!    (Top)

It has been a busy year for Moroso Motersports Park, bringing national and international exposure to Palm Beach County.  British publication FERRARI Magazine ran a tribute to Moroso in their Spring 2003 issue, including a compilation of photographs and race results from the Cavallino Classic Ferrari event and photos from Italiafest, an event dedicated to Italian-born vehicles.  Italiafest was also featured in a spread in the Spanish publication MOTOR MAGAZIN.  Subway Fox 29 Powerfest will gain exposure on The Nashville Network’s (TNN) program HorsePower TV, airing on August 2 and 3. ESPN2 filmed NHRA Sport Compact Spring Nationals April 5 - 6 which aired May 3, 4, and 8 on the NHRA Sport Compact Drag Racing Series.  ESPN2 announced that the ratings for the race coverage impressively surpassed all previous sport compact shows.  The event will also be mentioned on the October 9 edition of the new ESPN2 NHRA-XtremeFest, a magazine format show that will feature the lifestyle aspect of the event.   Mention of the Spring Nationals was also found in the Greek magazine, Power Techniques, which had six  photographers on site for the July issue. (MM)

KO-MAR PRODUCTIONS TEAMS UP WITH BURT REYNOLDS FOR ESPN CLASSIC SERIES… (Top)

 PRICE PARKER SHOOTS AT BEAUTIFUL CASA DE ROSA…   (Top)
    Local production company Price Parker shot a segment for their original series, Identity, at the West Palm Beach Bed and Breakfast, Casa de Rosa. The show, designed around empowering women with the necessary information, confidence and ideas needed to live their dreams, shot a segment featuring a home-based business built from the ground up by two entrepreneurial women. Casa de Rosa’s beautiful gardens and kitchen provided ideal backgrounds for the interviews. Creative Director Steven Chip commented, “Frank and Elaine were a joy to work with and very accomodating.”  Since recently purchasing the B&B, innkeepers Frank and Elaine Calendrillo have made changes to the property creating a more beautiful place to stay. Additionally, they state that it is a film friendly place and they would like to continue to welcome film and television production. (JH)

     Todd Kolich, President, KO-MAR Productions, completed a shoot with Burt Reynolds for ESPN Classic this month.  ESPN Classic, seen in about 84 million homes nationwide, features classic moments in sports.  A new series Reel Classics, comparable to Dinner and a Movie (TBS), will air on Monday nights.  Reynolds will host 31 sport films with a five-minute interlude of the story behind the film. Interviews with stars including Sylvester Stallone and Kevin Costner will also be included. Referred to ESPN Classic by Ross Larish, Production Director at WPBF Channel 25,  KO-MAR shot the host segments at the Burt Reynolds and Friends Museum in Jupiter.  Reynolds said of shooting locally, “I have always said the best crews are in Florida”. (MM)

Serena Williams arrived on Singer Island in Riviera Beach on May 8 to do a fashion shoot for a “Behind the Scenes” feature in The Source Magazine. Akihiro Kanaya, CEO of First Option Productions, stated, “I would like to thank the Palm Beach County Film Commission with special thanks to the City of Riviera Beach, Parks and Recreational Manager Don Williams and Fire Chief Troy Perry for making this happen.”  The Film Commission’s Cyndi Demitruk was also an integral part in the shoot’s success. A few miles north of Riviera Beach, Venus Williams was photographed in Dubois Park in Jupiter on May 17 for an article in the August issue of Elle Magazine. Venus sported a new clothing line in the shoot  that she helped design with the assistance of  Reebok and designer Diane vonFurstenberg. After Williams debuts the line at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, it will be available to consumers worldwide. (JH)

(Top) 

Singer Island in Riviera Beach

    When one thinks of Florida, palm trees and beaches come to mind. Singer Island in Riviera Beach features a site where the marriage of these two natives come together to create the perfect setting for still photography and television and film productions. The labor of love, however, that went into creating this setting is a story worthy of mention. It’s all about the trees...who would have guessed that nine trees could become so popular? The nine Maypan and Malaysian Dwarf Coconut Palm Trees on Singer Island did just that. Approximately four years ago, the Environmental Resource Management (ERM) was exploring ways to beautify and create barriers to erosion along Palm Beach County’s coast, the beach at Singer Island being one such site. Says Daniel Bates, Project Supervisor at ERM, “The site is a large dune restoration program that had been underway for some time.” The Tourist Development Council (TDC) and Film and Television Commission (FTC) got involved in a project that would create a palm tree environment similar to Miami Beach for both photography and productions. The site’s accessibility via a dirt road and availability of power from the adjacent Radisson Palm Beach Shores Resort made it an ideal location for the project.  So ERM, the TDC and the FTC partnered for the necessary planning  including an irrigation system that would ensure the trees’ future, a solid planting plan for the  three-year old trees to withstand hurricane winds and the layout design to make the site ideal for any type of production. About 4 years and several noteworthy productions later, including a Bob Greene (Oprah Winfrey’s trainer) workout show on ABC’s Good Morning America and the recent Serena Williams’ shoot, the trees are attracting attention and flourishing. “The site is a valuable edition for film crews and a popular place for people who want to seek some legendary Palm Beach-style tropical shade,” Daniel Bates said. (JH)

COME PARTY WITH SOUTH FLORIDA’S MOST BEAUTIFUL! (Top)

Models and guests are invited to join Devine Talent at Club 215 on the Island of Palm Beach every Thursday from 10:00PM‑Closing.  Palm Beach County celebrity models will be bartending for this new weekly party to help support the local talent.  Each week Devine Talent will partner with a different local charity. All proceeds will be donated. Devine Talent is a multi‑faceted talent agency located in Palm Beach, paving the way within a rapidly growing TV/Film and Fashion Industry for well trained, trendy and professional talent, such as actors, dancers and musicians. For information, call 561.805.8661. (MM)

The Burt Reynolds & Friends Museum is offering Master Acting Class II for experienced actors 18+. Classes are held Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at 7:00PM from June 9-26. Class size is limited. However, individuals may monitor the class as an auditor. For information please call 561.743.9955. (JH)

INFOWORX AND PARALLAX TEAM TO CREATE EXCELLENCE IN INFOMERCIALS...  (Top)

InfoWorx Productions and Parallax Productions come together in a mutually beneficial partnership that resulting in a new breed of infomercials. The InfoWorx team writes and produces the piece while Parallax lends their 2,500 square foot studio to shoot it. Most recently, they worked on the direct-to-retail rollout strategy for Roomba™ , the Intelligent FloorVac created by i Robot (www.roombavac.com). “Working with Parallax Productions the last four years has helped our overall production values increase and enabled our company to be perceived as one of the top infomercial marketing companies in America,” says InfoWorks CEO and Executive Producer, Ron Perlstein. Success speaks for itself...the Roomba infomercial generated sales of 4,000 units in 2 days, as reported by Perlstein. (JH)

Film Commissioner, Chuck Elderd Director of Operations, Michelle Hillery Production Manager, Jennifer Hirsemann Production Coordinator, Cyndi C. Demitruk Location Manager, Jason Goldman Admin. Assistant., Michelle Marton

ROSE LEE ARCHER WINS!! Rose Lee accepted her award for the Association of Women in Communications Woman of the Year on May 15. She stated, “this award takes me to a professional level that I’ve always envisioned but didn’t know it would come into fruition because of the level of competition.” Congratulations! (JH)

Palm Beach County producer George Williams joined other esteemed producers as a finalist for the First Annual Sunlight Production Fund Award with his production, The Pool Man. The First Annual Sunlight Awards Gala was held by the IFP/Miami at the Treetop Ballroom in the New Parrot Jungle on Watson Island in Miami on May 17. (JH)

---

April 29 kicked off the Five-to-Nine Club at the National Croquet Center in West Palm Beach. This club, gathering every Tuesday from 5:00 to 9:00PM, is for working professionals 55 and under. The $12 entry fee includes one drink and casual Golf Croquet off the South Veranda. Cash bar, sandwiches and appetizers available for purchase. Call 561.478.2300 for more information. (M M)

---

The FTC proudly acknowledges Shane Zucker as the 2003 Student Showcase of Film’s Poster Winner. Congratulations, Shane! (JH)