And the winners of the Oscar Raffle are…

In honor of the 90th Academy Awards, Greater Cleveland Film Commission raffled off prizes from 2017 Oscar nominated and blockbuster movies!

Thank you to everyone who bought raffle tickets.  When you buy raffle ticket, attend an event, or become a member, you support our efforts to create jobs and economic impact through the building of a film and media industry in Northeast Ohio.

 

“The Shape of Water: Creating a Fairy Tale for Troubled Times” Book

Winner Anthony DiSanto

Oscar Winner for Best Picture

Oscar Winner for Best Director

Oscar Winner for Best Music (Original Score)

Oscar Winner for Best Production Design

 

“Dunkirk” Package – Screenplay, Making Of, Visual Art Book & IMAX 70mm Filmstrip from Film

Winner John Luteran

Oscar Winner for Best Film Editing

Oscar Winner for Best Sound Editing

Oscar Winner for Best Sound Mixing

 

“Darkest Hour” Gary Oldman Signed Photograph

Winner Richard Clark

Oscar Winner for Best Actor in a Leading Role

Oscar Winner for Best Makeup & Hairstyling

 

“The Art and Soul of Blade Runner 2049” with Special Letter from Director Denis Villeneuve

Winner Heidi Urbanic

Oscar Winner for Best Visual Effects

Oscar Winner for Best Cinematography

 

“Get Out” Film Inspired Artwork Book

Winner Amy Haught

Oscar Winner for Best Original Screenplay

 

“The Greatest Showman” Signed Sheet Music for “This Is Me”

Winner Ashley Kolojek

Golden Globe Winner & Oscar Nominated for Best Original Song – Motion Picture

 

“Wonder Woman: The Art and Making of the Film” & Special Letter by Director Patty Jenkins

Winner Elaine Harper

 

 

 

Win your own piece of the Oscars!

In honor of the 90th Academy Awards, Greater Cleveland Film Commission will be raffling off prizes from 2017 Oscar nominated and blockbuster movies!

Winners will be drawn LIVE on our Facebook page on March 30, 2018 at 1:00 pm

 

“The Shape of Water: Creating a Fairy Tale for Troubled Times” Book – CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

Oscar Winner for Best Picture

Oscar Winner for Best Director

Oscar Winner for Best Music (Original Score)

Oscar Winner for Best Production Design

 

“Dunkirk” Package – Screenplay, Making Of, Visual Art Book & IMAX 70mm Filmstrip from Film – CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

Oscar Winner for Best Film Editing

Oscar Winner for Best Sound Editing

Oscar Winner for Best Sound Mixing

 

“Darkest Hour” Gary Oldman Signed Photograph – CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

Oscar Winner for Best Actor in a Leading Role

Oscar Winner for Best Makeup & Hairstyling

 

“The Art and Soul of Blade Runner 2049” with Special Letter from Director Denis Villeneuve – CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

Oscar Winner for Best Visual Effects

Oscar Winner for Best Cinematography

 

“Get Out” Film Inspired Artwork Book – CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

Oscar Winner for Best Original Screenplay

 

“The Greatest Showman” Signed Sheet Music for “This Is Me” – CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

Golden Globe Winner & Oscar Nominated for Best Original Song – Motion Picture

 

“Wonder Woman: The Art and Making of the Film” & Special Letter by Director Patty Jenkins – CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

 

 

 

Bill Would Increase Ohio’s Film Tax Credit

Cleveland.com’s Laura Hancock recently interviewed President and CEO Ivan Schwarz to talk about the new bill, House Bill 525, which would increase the Ohio Film Tax Credit from $40 million to $100 million, allowing for the creation of many more new jobs for the state, but more specifically, for Northeast Ohio.  ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE


A new bill before the Ohio General Assembly would more than double the state’s Motion Picture Tax Credit and would make some Broadway shows eligible for the benefit.

Currently at $40 million year, the credit would increase to $100 million annually under House Bill 525, according to Capitol Letter, cleveland.com’s daily Statehouse tip sheet.

The money is aimed at making Ohio more competitive than other states when Hollywood and Broadway producers scout locations, said the measure’s sponsor, Rep. Kirk Schuring, a Canton Republican, who recently visited Broadway with leaders from the Greater Cleveland Film Commission.

Schuring is interested in economic development that can come from large film, television and theater productions.

Broadway plays and musicals that run in Ohio for at least five weeks, with at least six performances a week, would qualify for the credit under HB 525. So would productions known as “adaptive versions,” which show off-Broadway to work out kinks before opening in New York City.

Only New York, Chicago and New Hampshire have tax benefits for Broadway productions, said Ivan Schwarz, president and CEO of the Greater Cleveland Film Commission.

“What’s really nice about this is we will probably have the best incentive in the United States, which will make us more competitive than anybody,” he said.

Schwarz was on the New York trip with Schuring at the end of last year. They spoke to four Broadway producers who each encouraged the tax credit.

If the General Assembly adopts the bill, Cleveland – with the country’s second largest theater district, after New York – could get shows that run for up to five months, Schwarz said.

Schuring also hopes his bill will create a permanent Ohio workforce in film, TV and live theater – jobs such as lighting experts and stage techs.

The tax credit would be distributed twice a year, instead of the current annual award. Schuring said a twice yearly distribution allows the credit to be more flexible to award money as new projects arise.

The bill requires applicants to show the positive economic impact their production would have on the state, and productions will receive money based on their impact.

As the No. 2 in GOP House leadership, Schuring has an influential role that boosts the bill’s chances of being adopted by the General Assembly. Schuring hopes some producers will testify in favor of the bill.

“I think we can see more and more of these productions land in Ohio, in particular the Northeast Ohio area,” he said.

Film In CLE: Award Season Nominations with Local Ties

The excitement of award season in Hollywood has stretched all the way to the shores of Lake Erie this year, where award nominations and wins for Cleveland natives and transplants are everywhere!

Chagrin Falls native, Lee Unkrich directed “Coco”, the film that tells the story of  Miguel, a boy who dreams of becoming a musician despite his family’s generations-old ban on music. Miguel finds himself in the stunningly beautiful Land of the Dead in his attempt to prove his musical talent, and once there, he goes on an extraordinary journey to unlock the secret to his family history.

“Coco” won Best Motion Picture – Animated at the Golden Globes, and has also been nominated for two Oscars: Best Animated Feature Film and Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song) for the song “Remember Me”.

Unkrich brought a screening of “Coco” and talked about the film at The Cinematheque in December. “Coco” will be available on digital and Movies Everywhere starting February 13th and Blu-Ray on February 27th.

“Knife Skills”, a documentary short film by Thomas Lennon, is about reentry into society, second chances, and the healing power of food.  The film asks what it takes to build a world-class French restaurant, and what if the staff of that restaurant is almost entirely comprised of men and women who have just been released from prison?

The documentary follows the launch of Edwins Restaurant in Cleveland, and depicts the challenges of the men and women who are training there, proving that they can make the most of their second chances by bringing beauty and mouth-watering dishes to the world.  “Knife Skills” focuses on three trainees specifically, as well as the restaurant’s founder, Brandon Edwin Chrostowski, as they comes to terms with their pasts and look to the future.

“Knife Skills” has already won the Audience Award for Best Documentary Short at the Traverse City Film Festival, and now has a Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Short Subject.  “Knife Skills” will be showing locally starting February 9th at the Apollo Theatre, Capitol Theatre, and at Chagrin Cinemas.  Tickets and showtimes available HERE.

While Paul Thomas Anderson’s newest masterpiece “Phantom Thread” , starring the always incredible Daniel Day-Lewis, may not have been #FilmedInCLE, the director himself has a Cleveland connection by way of his father. Paul’s father is none other than the great Ernie Anderson, or as he was known in Cleveland by his alter ego, Ghoulardi!

Anderson hosted “Shock Theater” from 1963 to 1966 as a host that went against the grain of typical horror host.  Ghoulardi made fun of the “B”-rated science fiction and horror movies he showed, adding sound effects or music in place every now and then of the film’s real audio track.  Sometimes he would even put himself into the movie, usually to be chased by the monster.

“Phantom Thread” has already seen a number of nominations, and wins, in the awards circuit, scoring two Golden Globe nominations, one for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama for Daniel Day-Lewis, and Best Original Score – Motion Picture for music by Jonny Greenwood.  Now Anderson seeks to sweep the Oscars, with six nominations in total:  Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for Daniel Day-Lewis, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for Lesley Manville, Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score) for Jonny Greenwood, Best Achievement in Costume Design for Mark Bridges, Best Achievement in Directing for Paul Thomas Anderson, and Best Motion Picture of the Year.

“Phantom Thread” is now playing in theaters nationwide.

President Ivan Schwarz – Union Club Member Spotlight

The Union Club of Cleveland chose GCFC President Ivan Schwarz for the Member Spotlight section of their internal magazine this month, highlighting Ivan’s accomplishments as well as his future goals for our organization.  The Union Club is Greater Cleveland’s premier city club where business, civic, social and philanthropic leaders meet in friendship and shared purpose, striving for the betterment of themselves, their organizations and the citizens of the region.


Ivan Schwarz is determined to bring a fair share of the billions of dollars spent each year on movie and TV production in the U.S. to northeast Ohio. And a quick look at the industry figures suggests he’s definitely on the right track.

As President of the Greater Cleveland Film Commission, Ivan Schwarz has been instrumental in building the film industry in Cleveland from the ground up. Since the passage of the $40 million Ohio Motion Picture Tax Incentive in 2009, the film industry has produced more than a half-billion dollars in economic impact and created more than 1,900 full-time equivalent jobs in the region. These numbers are only a fraction of the success Ohio can have. Therefore, Ivan is focused on raising the Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit again to $80-$100 million, which will put Ohio in the top five of desirable locations to film.

Ivan, who spend a good part of the ’90s and ’00s traveling the globe as a location manager and producer for TV and film, including for popular shows like My Name is Earl and Entourage, came to Cleveland in 2006 with a vision of building a film industry here and adding value to the community. He had spent time in Cleveland in 1999 scouting locations as a producer for HBO’s Band of Brothers and had always been impressed with the people and potential of northeast Ohio.

Ivan sees no limit to the potential for the film industry here and has his sights on building additional infrastructure to keep the momentum going, including a film school, soundstages and production offices. “We don’t have to be just a medical town,” says Ivan. “Diverse industries can attract young people to a city and generate a real economic impact. Movie making is straight-up manufacturing, just like cars or steel production.”

When asked his reason for joining the Union Club two years ago, the non-profit leader admits that although he has always seen value in membership, it took a relaxing of the club’s dress policy for him to seriously consider joining. “Our industry is definitely geared more toward jeans rather than a suit and tie, and the new policy is more suited to our industry,” he says before adding, “I bet you’ve never heard that answer before!”

Ivan takes advantage of the Club’s networking opportunities and its meeting spaces, dining room and bar. “The Union Club is a beautiful club with a very professional and accommodating staff and great food,” he says. “We do a lot of wining and dining and the club is the perfect venue for entertaining visitors checking out Cleveland as their next location to film,” he says.

Two recent movies shot in Cleveland – White Boy Rick starring Matthew McConaughey and the Sylvester Stallone feature Escape Plan 3 – will hit theaters in 2018 and Ivan teases upcoming announcements of other exciting projects in the works. Meanwhile, he’s busy building an industry, and with it, is bringing jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in economic impact to our region. Stay tuned for more exciting filming in CLE.

McConaughey: “We Love Cleveland!”

Matthew McConaughey is the gift that keeps on giving.

While on “Live with Kelly and Ryan” promoting his new film “The Dark Tower,” host Ryan Seacrest asked him about his recent stay in a treehouse, resulting in this Cleveland shoutout.

Matthew McConaughey’s “White Boy Rick” wrapped production in Cleveland in June, and is set for an early 2018 release.

Saint Martin’s Kick-Off Breakfast

This year, GCFC is continuing its partnership with Saint Martin de Porres High School’s Corporate Work Study Program and attended their Kickoff Breakfast to learn about student communication, initiative, time management and upcoming changes for the 2017-2018 school year.

We’re excited to welcome back our returning Saint Martin’s student Camren Davis in the fall, and will be welcoming a new freshman Work Study student as well!

GCFC Welcomes Our New Partner, Trinity High School

GCFC is always looking for new educational institutions to partner with, and this year we are partnering with Trinity High School in Garfield Heights.

We will be hosting a Trinity Junior for the 2017/2018 school year, to help them not only learn about the media production industry and the pathways they might take through it, but also the day to day operation of a nonprofit organization and everything it takes to promote the growth of a new industry in Cleveland.

“American Ninja Warrior” Cleveland Qualifier Airs

 Cleveland, did you catch your beautiful city on “American Ninja Warrior” on NBC Monday night? If you did, you saw not only the daring feats of strength and agility of the Ninjas who took on the most intense obstacle course yet, but also the gorgeously lit landmarks of your hometown!

Whether it was the perfectly lit Terminal Tower, or the Goodyear Blimp shots of our new Public Square, every shot made our city look as special as we know it to be.

We’re proud to have brought this fun experience and spotlight to Cleveland!

GCFC at Laurelive!

We had an amazing time at Laurelive 2017!It was such a great event, and as you can see, our GCFC beachballs were a big hit. They even got on stage!