Director's Note Film News

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DIRECTOR'S NOTE The Oklahoma Film + Music Office (OF+MO) is “on the move” in every sense of the word. As you may have heard, the Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department, which houses OF+MO, has successfully moved offices into our new home at the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. We are settling in nicely with our new neighbors and have hit the ground running as a new season of exciting film and music events is upon us. OF+MO has pre-qualified two new films for the rebate program — Great Plains and Turkey Bowl. This month, our office will promote both the film and music industries at the Americana Music Festival and Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, as well as in Toronto where we are partnering with the Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture to showcase the state of Oklahoma at a reception honoring the Sterlin Harjo film Mekko, which utilized our film rebate program and has been selected for the prestigious event. Thank you for plugging in with us and play on Oklahoma!

- Tava Maloy Sofsky, Director FILM NEWS VisitTulsa Announces Exciting News for Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture VisitTulsa is pleased to share the new brand design for the Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture. In addition to a new look, the office is thrilled to announce its board of directors. The Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture, formally the Tulsa Mayor’s Film and Music Office, launched in August 2013 and was moved under VisitTulsa in the fall of 2014, along with Director Abby Kurin. READ MORE Mekko Selected for 2015 Toronto International Film Festival Written and directed by Oklahoma filmmaker Sterlin Harjo, Mekko has been selected for the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The film tells the story of an ex-con living on the streets of Tulsa who becomes embroiled in a fateful conflict with a local thug. Mekko was shot in Tulsa last year and utilized the Oklahoma Film Enhancement Rebate Program administered by the Oklahoma Film + Music Office (OF+MO). READ MORE

Click above watch the trailer for Mekko!

Army of Frankensteins Now Available on DVD/Blu-ray/Digital Shout! Factory in association with Six Stitches Entertainment and Boiling Point Media is proud to announce the release of the Oklahoma-made film Army of Frankensteins on DVD, Blu-ray, On-Demand and digital retailers beginning Page 2 of 6

September 1. Directed, produced and co-written by native Oklahoman Ryan Bellgardt, the film tells the story of a man who is mysteriously transported back in time to the era of the Civil War after a mad scientist attempts to re-animate the legendary creature Frankenstein. READ MORE

Two New Films Added to the Oklahoma Rebate Queue OF+MO is pleased to announce the addition of two film projects which have been pre-qualified to utilize the Oklahoma Film Enhancement Rebate Program.

Film Start of Principal Photography Great Plains September 23, 2015 Turkey Bowl February 15, 2016

Please note that these dates are subject to change pending the production’s compliance with the benchmarks and guidelines of the rebate program. For a current listing of films in the rebate queue, please visit the Filming in Oklahoma page of our website. MUSIC NEWS Oklahoma Musicians – Get Your Songs on Our Dropcards In support of the performing Oklahoma musicians, OF+MO will attend the Americana Music Festival and Conference in Nashville. As a promotional item, OF+MO will provide attendees our downloadable music cards with music provided by Oklahoma musicians who are registered in our Oklahoma Music Guide. If you are an Oklahoma musician registered in our Music Guide and want to provide a song for our download cards, please email an MP3 version to [email protected]. If you are not yet registered, please visit the Oklahoma Music Guide for more information.

POSTOAK Wine and Jazz Festival Announces Music Lineup The POSTOAK Wine & Jazz Festival, presented by Weinkauf Petroleum, is pleased to announce the lineup for their inaugural event. This one-day event is set to take place Saturday, September 5, 2015, from 2:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m., at the POSTOAK Lodge and Retreat in the rolling Osage Hills seven miles northwest of downtown Tulsa. The music lineup for the festival includes student bands, Tulsa Latin rock band Braxus, Norman acoustic jazz band Hot Club of Oklahoma, saxophonist Grady Nichols and Bill Champlin (formerly of Chicago), featuring Grady Nichols. READ MORE

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FEATURED FILM ARTIST OF THE MONTH Randi LeClair grew up in Pawnee, Oklahoma, and is a proud member of the Pawnee Nation. She completed her undergraduate degree in English (creative writing emphasis) at Oklahoma State University, and then earned her master’s in Professional Writing from the University of Oklahoma. She has previously acted for the Tulsa Indian Actors’ Workshop (2001- 2004) and written feature stories for the Native American Times. In 2003, she played one of the female leads in the indie film, American Indian Graffiti, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Bare Bones Film Festival. LeClair and her husband, poet Todd Fuller, signed an option agreement with River Rock Entertainment to write the biopic of Pawnee baseball player, Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Palmer Mose Yellowhorse, tentatively titled A Dancing Red Spine.

“I truly believe that some of the most enriching stories come from the rural, red dirt roads of Oklahoma,” said LeClair. “We’re taught in writing courses to “write what you know.” All of my screenplays are set in Oklahoma, and not because that’s what I know, it’s what I love writing about and showcasing.”

The Sundance Institute first recognized the potential of The Other Side of the Bridge when it awarded LeClair a Page 3 of 6

fellowship to the Native Writers’ Lab in 2010. Bridge will be her first produced film.

“I’m completely honored and humbled at receiving this fellowship. I owe a great deal of gratitude to the Sundance Institute and Bird Runningwater, the director of the Native and Indigenous Program at Sundance, for believing in me as a storyteller, and for giving me this opportunity. Their support and guidance have been invaluable to my growth as a filmmaker.”

FEATURED MUSIC ARTIST OF THE MONTH Born in Oklahoma City, Gregory Jerome is a lyricist with wit, streets smarts and a love for extended smiles. He touches the tragedies and triumphs in life, as well as on hope, peace and unity. He separates himself with a message giving hip hop a new solid conscientious voice with non- exclusive lyrics, positivity and inspiration. Gregory began his music career while attending Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. It was not until he enrolled at Middle Tennessee State University where he would find success in Nashville, Tennessee. He was a feature artist for numerous bands which led him to open for national recording artists. Gregory is considered a community activist and a supporter of the arts. He has dedicated his talents to provide art after school programs and enrichment literacy workshops for youth and young adults. Gregory is a true leader for all communities.

Gregory is hosting the inaugural Oklahoma Hip Hop Festival September 18-19, 2015. This premiere event creates a venue for hip hop art forms that did not exist previously, providing education to the public about these art forms, and building a network for hip hop artists. It will bring together some of the hip hop’s elite and brightest up-and-coming artists throughout the state, region, US and internationally. Oklahoma Hip Hop Festival is a cultural event and vital meeting group for hip hop fans as well as Graffiti artists, DJ’s, MC’s, Breakers, producers, media, A&R’s and anyone with a career in the hip hop industry. The Oklahoma Hip Hop Festival is incorporating diversity, education, technology and community involvement to bring worthy exposure to this growing and highly anticipated showcase. The Oklahoma Hip Hop Festival is truly an event you do not want to miss.

"I believe Oklahomans have been waiting on a event such as the Oklahoma Hip Hop Festival. This is a moment in time where it's most needed; it creates a platform for the hip hop community to unite and provide a flagship of identity. This event will educate the masses on the true culture of Hip Hip and illuminate the city with diversity," said Gregory.

THAT'S A WRAP Production Wrap on Pax Masculina The steampunk short film Pax Masculina has completed principal photography in Oklahoma. The production was filmed in Guthrie and utilized the Oklahoma Film Enhancement Rebate Program. OF+MO would like to thank the City of Guthrie, Guthrie Chamber of Commerce and community partners for their support of this production. Congratulations to the 48-Hour Film Project Award Winners OF+MO would like to extend our congratulations to the award winners for the Oklahoma City 48-Hour Film Project, including the Audience Choice winners The Bra’d Squad (who also won the Best of OKC) and Nasty Jack. Each team was given a character, a prop, a line and a genre to use for their film to be written, shot, edited and scored within 48- hours. This event was a wonderful example of the incredible support Oklahoma filmmakers have for each other. For more information on this event, please visit the 48-hour film project. OF+MO to Host Lower Bricktown Live on the Green Concert Giveaway Throughout the summer, we had the pleasure of supporting Lower Bricktown Live on the Green, presented by Oklahoma Chevy Team Dealers and Dr. Pepper, and Fanswell. These free weekly concerts showcased Oklahoma musicians as well as out-of-state talent. We want to thank Lower Bricktown, the Oklahoma Chevy Team Dealers, Dr. Pepper and Fanswell for organizing this wonderful music series! In conjunction with the Live on the Green concerts, Page 4 of 6

OF+MO held a call for entries for Oklahoma musicians/bands for a concert giveaway. Check your inbox in the next week for an exciting opportunity to win a private concert by an Oklahoma musician!

LOCATIONS

Lighthouse Sports Fitness & Health AlleyCats Salon

Lighthouse Sports Fitness & Health and AlleyCats Salon in OKC Lighthouse Sports Fitness & Health and AlleyCats Salon in Oklahoma City are two of the newest additions to our online Oklahoma Locations Guide. Not only can these locations serve as filming sites, but they can also be utilized for the film-friendly support services they offer. Lighthouse Sports Fitness & Health has previously hosted several national commercial productions and is the current official training facility for the Oklahoma City Thunder Girls. The gym’s extensive exercise equipment, indoor pools, volleyball courts, gymnasiums and an outdoor obstacle course make it one of the premiere local fitness sites in Oklahoma City. AlleyCats Salon is a film-friendly business offering a variety of services from traditional salon needs to specialized hair, skin and body treatments. The AlleyCats staff have more than 40 years of cosmetology experience working with a variety of clients including film, television and media personnel. You can find these locations and more in our online Locations Guide. If you would like to register your property or business in our Locations Guide, please visit the Oklahoma Locations Guide. Locations Reel Shoot your next film, television series or music video in Oklahoma! Located just south of the geographic center of the United States, Oklahoma is equidistant from Los Angeles and New York City. Across its 77 counties, you’ll have access to 12 distinct eco-regions where you can experience everything from the trademark great plains and sweeping prairies to the unexpected lush forest, expansive plateaus and sand dunes.

Click the image to see your next film location!

SEPTEMBER EVENTS AT A GLANCE

MORE FILM + MUSIC EVENTS

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Download our Production/Music Guide App Access our database of locations, in-state crew, local musicians and venues conveniently from your iPhone! With our Production/Music Guide app, you can instantly search for local vendors and view their site, map your current location and get directions and filter search results to fit your needs! For more information, please visit the iTunes Store.

Created in 1979, The Oklahoma Film + Music Office strives to share all that Oklahoma has to offer by welcoming filmmakers and music professionals to the state and by creating a network of support to develop Oklahoma's film and music industries. For more information about the Oklahoma Film Enhancement Rebate Program or the Oklahoma Film + Music Office please visit www.okfilmmusic.org.

| www.okfilmmusic.org | 1-800-766-FILM (3456) |

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