P R E S S R E L E A S E

The Executive Office, City of Providence, Rhode Island

VINCENT A. CIANCI, JR.

MAYOR OF PROVIDENCE

DATE: MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1997

CONTACT: DOREEN PICOZZI/BERYL KENYON, 421-7740, EXT. 222

PROVIDENCE -- Stating that the Providence Film Commission's presence in Los Angeles, California this weekend was a "huge success," Mayor Vincent A. Cianci, Jr. announced today that the City's booth at the Locations Expo '97, held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, was selected as the convention's "Most Creative". The award was given by the Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI), the host of the event, which selected a panel of judges to recognize the most impressive booths among the 230 Film Commissions from around the world represented at the event.

"Our newly constructed modular booth, with back-lit photos of our city, featuring a continuous promotional video made by Fox Point Films, and hundreds of jars of the Mayor's Own Marinara Sauce, made a smash hit with the judges at the Convention," Mayor Cianci said. "We're coming home with the equivalent of the Bronze Medal for our booth, and more importantly, over 150 leads on filmmakers looking for locations like ours. Providence left its mark on Los Angeles throughout the convention, and our Providence, Rhode Island Party on Saturday evening attracted more than 200 filmmakers, producers, actors and others in the industry." Among those in attendance were native Rhode Islanders Vin DiBona, actor James Woods and Will McKenzie.

The Mayor said that the City's presence in L.A. over the weekend attracted the serious interest of several film and television professionals. "We had many fruitful discussions with filmmakers that could result in a major film presence in Providence, and possibly other Rhode Island locations in early 1998, as well as several other films made by professionals who are now considering Providence as a result of our participation in the Expo and our enormously successful party."

The Film Commission's booth is a newly constructed modular convention booth that was made by the Providence Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau for the Expo.