FILMED IN WNY: “Bad Cupid” Gets Digital Release February 12th, 2021

Feb 5, 2021

Los Angeles, CA – January 19, 2021 – Freestyle Digital Media, the digital film distribution division of Byron Allen’s Entertainment Studios, has acquired North American rights to the unique romantic comedy feature BAD CUPID. BAD CUPID will be available to rent and own on North American digital HD internet, cable, and satellite platforms on February 12, 2021 (Valentine Day’s weekend) and DVD on February 16, 2021 through Freestyle Digital Media.

BAD CUPID tells the story of love held hostage as an unhinged Cupid (Archie) takes a heartbroken guy and his romantic rival on a comic kidnapping. Archie is a man on a mission to ensure true love always wins. Or, short of that, someone is going to die trying. Not that he cares which. So beware anyone who gets in his way, especially anyone he’s actually trying to help.  In this case, that’s the heartbroken guy (Dave), his kooky cousin and the man about to marry the girl that got away. But just because the girl is getting married doesn’t mean the groom can’t be bound, gagged and stuffed into a bathroom stall, where Dave will face a fateful decision — help in his escape or help Archie in a capital crime. Oh, the choices we have to make for love.

BAD CUPID is full of twists with a surprise ending you’ll never see coming.
Written by Neal Howard & Ira Fritz and Anthony Piatek, BAD CUPID was co-directed by Diane Cossa and Neal Howard and was produced by Larry Jay Tish. The film was shot in its entirety in Buffalo, New York in the Fall of 2019.

BAD CUPID stars John Rhys-Davies (RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy) as Archie/Cupid, Shane Nepveu (BOARDWALK EMPIRE, RED OAKS) as Dave, Briana Marin as Morris, Claybourne Elder as Henry and Amelia Sorenson as Stella. The Buffalo New York cast is led by Christine Turturro and includes : Darleen Pickering Hummert, Preach Freedom, Joseph G. Giambra, Christina Foster, Pamela Rose Mangus Gregory P. Robbins, Jenny Marie McCabe, Bethany Burrows, David Autovino, Laura Barriere, Daniel Felix Torres, Leah Berst and Nick Stevens. “There’s nothing like this Cupid character that has ever been seen before. Throw John Rhys-Davies into the mix and it’s a Cupid you’ll never see again,” said producer Larry Jay Tish. “It’s a brilliant comic turn adding to an already incredible career.”

BAD CUPID website: www.badcupidmovie.com
BAD CUPID trailer:

FILMED IN WNY: “The True Adventures of Wolfboy” Opens To Rave Reviews

Nov 10, 2020

(November 10th, 2020) Filmed throughout Western New York in the Summer of 2017 “The True Adventures of Wolfboy” has finally received it’s release with rave reviews in The New York Times, NY Post, The L.A. Times and many others.  Irish Central has identified actress Eve Hewson’s role in the film as a career best.  Indiewire has dubbed director Martin Krejci‘s role as “Tim Burton Meets Fellini”.

(Pictured: Paul (Jaeden Martel) and Rose (Eve Hewson) hold up a fireworks stand in front of Hamburg’s Bedrock Eatery)

Along with Hewson “The True Adventure of Wolfboy” stars Jaeden Martell, John Turturro, Chloë Sevigny, Chris Messina, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Sophie Giannamore.

“The True Adventure of Wolfboy” tells the story of a boy with a rare condition condition which causes him grow hair all over his entire body and his journey to self acceptance while searching for his mother who left him at an early age.

Western New Yorker’s will recognize many unique  locations including the South Buffalo Lighthouse, Silo City, The Old First Ward, a carnival built behind the old Summit Park Mall,  the Nichols School, Masten Pool, Hamburg’s Bedrock Eatery and Red Top Hot Dogs, and the Gypsy Parlor.(Pictured: Director Martin Krecji views shot set up inside the Gypsy Parlor)

A chance to see the “True Adventures of Wolfboy” at the on big screen at the North Park Theatre starts this Friday at the following days and times:

Fri 11/13: (2:00), (4:30), 7:00, 9:30
Sat 11/14: (2:00), (4:30), 7:00, 9:30
Sun 11/15: (11:30am), (2:00), (4:30), 7:00, 9:30
Mon 11/16: (2:00), (4:30), 7:00, 9:30
Tue 11/17: (2:00), (4:30), 7:00, 9:30
Wed 11/18: (2:00), (4:30), 7:00
Thur 11/19: (2:00), (4:30), 7:00

An interesting side note:  Director Martin Krecji held weekly screenings for his production team at the North Park during pre-production and showed many films that inspired his creative approach to directing “The True Adventures of Wolf Boy”.

(Pictured: John Turturro as carnival owner Mr. Silk)

WNY COVID Production Guidelines Announced by Governor’s Film Office

Nov 10, 2020

(November 10th, 2020) New York State has released industry-specific guidance for Media Production during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (“Interim COVID-19 Guidance for Media Production”).

Media Production Master Guide: https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/governor.ny.gov/files/atoms/files/MediaProduction_MasterGuidance.pdf

This industry specific guidance includes: Summary Guidance, detailed guidance with an affirmation link, and a business safety plan template.

• Each business or entity must develop a written Safety Plan outlining how its workplace will prevent the spread of COVID-19. A business may fill out the New York Forward Safety Plan template to fulfill the requirement or may develop its own Safety Plan. This plan does not need to be submitted to a state agency for approval but must be retained on the premises of the business and must made available to the New York State Department of Health (DOH) or local health or safety authorities in the event of an inspection.
• Businesses are encouraged to look up their specific business functions and needs via the NY Forward Business Reopen Lookup Tool. This tool was designed to help businesses understand whether they can operate based on the nature of their business activity and the current status of the region(s) in which they operate. One can look up a NAICS code that most appropriately matches the specific activities in question via the federal searchable list here.

Please refer to the New York Forward website for all information, guidance and restrictions in order to operate legally and safely in each region. Please refer to the regional monitoring dashboards to check as regions may move between phases. Each of the phases on the website are continuously updated with guidelines and information on specific business activities.

Another Major Studio Facility Coming to Buffalo Niagara

Oct 29, 2020

(October 29, 2020) Buffalo, NY – – With Buffalo’s film industry potential on the rise, a new project to develop a 27-acre parcel into world-class studio facilities is headed to the city. Buffalo Studios CEO, founder and Grand Island native Matt Fleckenstein announced the project today at the new site location on South Park Avenue. Fleckenstein, a multiple Emmy-nominated writer, and producer with 15+ years of experience developing, writing, and producing television programs, moved to LA after graduating from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications with a degree in Communications, TV/Radio and Film. Though a transplant to the West Coast his love for his hometown motivated him to spearhead this project and invest in Buffalo to help the city thrive so that film projects being filmed in the Western New York area and Canada could be staffed by locally trained professionals.

Buffalo Studios CEO Matt Fleckenstein

CEO Matt Fleckenstein said of the project, “Buffalo Studios will be the first true Hollywood movie studio in Western New York, bringing unparalleled sound stage capabilities to the city of Buffalo for major film and TV projects and offering film industry jobs across Western New York.” Phase I of the site has already entered the NYS Brownfield Clean-Up Program and will work to remediate the rest of the approximately 10 acre parcel and, ultimately, the entire 27 acres on the site of a former steel mill. Phase 1 include 6 stages with support and office space, set on approximately 10 acres. Additional phases will expand onto approximately 17 additional acres.

In all the site will offer state-of-the-art film studios consisting of sound stages (soundproof purpose-built constructions used specifically in film, television, and commercial productions. The project is tentatively expected to break ground in late spring 2021 with the tentative completion of the project toward the end of 2022.

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown welcomed the investment in the city, “As my Administration continues to build on its commitment to increase access and opportunity for City residents who work in the film and television industry, today’s announcement that a second major studio is under development in our community reinforces that Buffalo is a destination for filmmakers, people want to come here and they want to make movies,” said Mayor Byron W. Brown. “I thank Project Developer and Western New York Native Matt Fleckenstein, a multiple Emmy-nominated writer and producer, for his major commitment to this project at a time of economic uncertainty due to the COVID-19 global health pandemic, that will create hundreds of good-paying jobs, generate local revenue, and further build upon Buffalo’s growing film industry.”

Bringing business to Western New York is a key reason Buffalo Studios was founded. Currently, there is no comparable sound stage/studio in the area and business is often lost to Canadian facilities. “This project has been a long time in the making – my office first met with Matt back in February 2019 – and today’s announcement is a testament to the commitment that Matt and Adam have – not just for Buffalo Studios, but for Buffalo and Western New York as a whole,” said Senator Tim Kennedy.

New York State Senator Tim Kennedy.

“This facility is exactly the type of project that policymakers hope for when we strengthen programs like the Brownfield Tax Credit, which will help make the site shovel ready, or when we fight for the New York State Film Tax Credit, which has helped to make Buffalo a top destination for filmmakers. I applaud Matt and the entire Buffalo Studios team for their vision and look forward to seeing this incredible investment move forward.”

Fleckenstein also shared information about educational opportunities created by the project, “Not only will Buffalo Studios bring jobs to the city but it will also offer academic collaborations with the University of Buffalo to train students in the full spectrum of film and animation production. This will allow for future generations of Buffalonians to be educated in the newest technology and skills used in film making and other productions – and to be able to work on those projects in their own backyard.”

Dr. Thomas Feeley, Chair of Media Study Program at The University of Buffalo.

Dr. Tom Feeley, Chair of Media Study at UB applauded the project, “The potential of adding nearly 50-75% more maker and exhibition space has been sorely missing in Media Study at UB, whose number of majors now exceed 250 undergraduates and 35 graduate students who primarily come from New York State with many coming from out of state and internationally to study at UB. Bringing UB downtown is really our manifest destiny in the department and where we belong – most of our students and faculty live downtown and much of their art is situated there. Having a satellite campus on the Buffalo Studios property is an amazing opportunity.”

Buffalo Studios has developed additional partnerships and collaborative efforts to ensure success of the project including working with economic development representatives and leaders from local industry unions including: Local 52 Motion Picture Studio Mechanics and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States.

Fpr more information on Buffalo Studios contact:
Kristin Fleckenstein, Communications Director at Kristin@buffalostudios.co