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Edie Falco to act in Port Jefferson
Indie film will shoot one day this month in the village
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| | | By Dave Willinger | | |
September 04, 2008 | 11:02 AM
Long Island filmmaker Eric Mendelsohn recently referred to a meeting he held earlier this year with Port Jefferson village and Port Jeff ferry officials as one of the luckiest things that ever happened to his small, independent film company, Caruso-Mendelsohn Productions. Mendelsohn, 43, is making a movie called "Four Backyards," and the writer-director was able to find several key locations in Port Jefferson as a result of cooperation by Mayor Brian Harty and others.
The lion's share of the shooting will take place in Northport Village, but Mendelsohn likes Port Jefferson's potential. In particular, the filmmaker is looking for high angle views of suburban street grids, and would like any homeowner or merchant whose property affords such views to contact him at 212-941-4032.
Mendelsohn, who is spending up to $100,000 of his own money on the project, has also reached out to the citizenry of Northport, who are providing volunteer services and donating equipment. He said he still needs a van or truck for the 27-day shooting schedule. Anyone donating a vehicle or allowing Mendelsohn to film from their property will be given an on-screen credit that will roll at the end of the movie.
The film stars "The Sopranos" actress Edie Falco, who will also shoot scenes in Port Jefferson, Mendelsohn said. The two are close friends, from their college days at SUNY Purchase, he said.
"Four Backyards" is about real people and real circumstances, Mendelsohn said, and described the story as one where "odd occurrences, seemingly trivial," change characters' perspective about who they are. The setting is an anonymous harbor village and the action takes place in the course of one day.
"I tend to write Long Island stories," Mendelsohn, an Old Bethpage native, said. "Four Backyards" would portray life in the suburbs in a way not seen in most mainstream movies, he promised.
Mendelsohn's 1999 feature "Judy Berlin" also starred Falco. Filmed in Nassau County, it has since been shown around the world, Mendelsohn said. "Judy Berlin" won the Prix Tournage at the Avignon Film Festival, according to IMDb.com, the Internet Movie Database website.
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