The Lehigh Valley Becoming Indiewood After Latest Production

You won't find the Hollywood sign anywhere near the Lehigh Valley. Not even close.

Still, you will find traces of Tinseltown all through its lush green valleys, dozens of small towns and picturesque boroughs. You wouldn't think it, but the local parks and waterways seem to bare a resemblance to the Hollywood Hills.

Maybe not to the naked eye, but to the soul of many filmmakers.

You see, it was just two years ago that Getting Grace, the feature directorial debut of Hollywood actor Daniel Roebuck, began production in Bethlehem and its surrounding areas in the Valley. The movie starred Roebuck, alongside local Madelyn Dundon and some other Hollywood veterans such as Duane Whitaker (Pulp Fiction) and Dana Ashbrook (Twin Peaks).

Getting Grace was not only a festival darling - it won four awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Director, at the Northeast Film Festival alone - but received theatrical distribution. After a nice 10 week run that included several SOLD OUT special screenings, the film will be coming out on DVD and BLU-RAY in November from SONY Home Entertainment.

More importantly, it kicked off a love affair with the Lehigh Valley that is making many stand up and take notice. There was a micro-budget movie - Control - filmed there last summer. And, most recently, one of Roebuck's long-time friends, Award-Winning filmmaker Sam Borowski, decided to bring his production to the Valley.

Borowski wrote and produced the short film, In This Moment, which he adapted from Myra Dell Harman's short story, "A Day at Greyfield Arboretum," and which starred the aforementioned Roebuck, a Bethlehem native. And, after visiting Roebuck years ago in Bethlehem and eating hot dogs in Monocacy Park, and then seeing the landmark again in Getting Grace, he told his friend of 16 years that this was the perfect place to film his latest project.

"I've known Danny for so long," Borowski told Broadway World, "and I always remembered how beautiful Monocacy Park was. When I saw it again in Getting Grace, I knew it was the perfect setting for In This Moment."

Roebuck put Borowski in touch with three people that the latter dubbed, "The Bethlehem Three." Bill Hartin, Ann Knerr and Beth Clausnitzer, all served as Associate Producers on the film and were all instrumental in locking down locations, getting extras, crewing and catering.

Ironically, Clausnitzer was one of the producers on Control.

"I couldn't have done this without 'The Bethlehem Three,' " smiled Borowski. "Their help, generosity and passion for learning the craft of filmmaking was invaluable. As was the help of all the locals and the Lehigh Valley.

"And, I think Hollywood is beginning to stand up and take notice."

Indeed, Roebuck is bringing his next feature - The Hail Mary - back to Bethlehem and its surrounding areas. And, younger filmmakers such as Taylor Salotti, who made her directorial debut with In This Moment, are realizing the benefits of shooting in the Valley, as well.

"It was so beautiful shooting in the Valley," Salotti said. "Monocacy Park, for sure, but other locations, as well. It was so peaceful and serene, I almost didn't want to leave.

"I hope to come back here and shoot something else."

Borowski, who has produced 14 movies - seven features - and worked with Oscar-Winners such as Ernest Borgnine and Benicio Del Toro, has lofty aspirations for In This Moment, such as aiming for 30 or more festivals and qualifying it for the Academy Awards in either 2019 oir 2020. Seems palpable since he has directed five films, including two features and a short that previously qualified for the Oscars in 2009: The Mandala Maker.

If he can have similar success with In This Moment, it certainly won't hurt the chances of attracting more productions to the Lehigh Valley.

"In addition to our wonderful cast that included New York actors such as Sara Harman, Sarah Teed and Mike Vezza, there were so many wonderful crew members we met out here," Borowski said, before pausing for a moment. "There are so many things I could say about the Valley and its businesses that supported us such as The Bethlehem Dairy Store or Dickey's Barbeque Pit. The locations, which were just amazing. You can't find that on a Hollywood backlot.

"I would expect more and more filmmakers - and even studios - would take notice of the area and all of the people willing to work."

You still won't find the Hollywood sign anywhere near the Lehigh Valley. But, the glitz and glow that emanate off it can still be felt in the Valley's small towns and picturesque boroughs. So much so, that they are starting to refer to it as Indiewood.