Green Light Film Funding roars out of Wayne County's starting blocks

Thursday, July 16, 2009 | Source: metromode

Lots of people think they can become the next Kevin Smith and make a cult favorite like Clerks. Wayne County is teaming up with Green Light Film Funding to make that happen in Metro Detroit.

The Wayne County Film Initiatives office is partnering with the Northville-based company to provide funding for between 10-15 local films a year. The company will also analyze films and do production consulting work. Wayne County will direct prospective filmmakers to Green Light Film Funding.

"A lot of films are coming to us and looking for financing but we don't do film financing," says Mike Mosallam, director of film initiatives for Wayne County. "The best we can do is point them in the direction of local film financiers."

Green Light Film Funding CEO Keith Simon and COO Kevin Weedmark have a combined 35 years of experience in the financing world. Their company will offer partial and complete financing of local films, whose number is expected to shoot up this year thanks to Michigan's new tax incentives. About a dozen motion pictures have been shot in Wayne County so far this year.

Green Light Film Funding has provided funding for two feature films and has more in the works. Those two films are "Shotgun Wedding" (about an avowed bachelor who ends up in a shotgun wedding) and "Detroit Unleaded" (think the Detroit version of "Clerks").

"It's companies like these that are going to build an indigenous film industry in the region," Mosallam says.

Green Light Film Funding is based in downtown Northville at 104 West Main St. Prospective filmmakers are encouraged to call (248) 212-0922 or click here to learn more about funding opportunities. More information on filming in Wayne County can be found here or by calling (313) 224-5423.

Source: Mike Mosallam, director of film initiatives for Wayne County
Writer: Jon Zemke