LAKE COUNTY — Lake County is making its way onto the silver screen. At least, that”s what Debra Sommerfield of the Lake County Marketing and Economic Development Program said she has been working on for the past two years.
The most recent evidence of that effort was the Friday debut of “Sherman”s Way,” an independent film, at the Cinequest film festival in San Jose. The film is produced by Starry Night Entertainment and produced by Craig Saavedra.
“Over the past two years, the Lake County Marketing and Economic Development Program (LCMEDP) has taken on the liaison role as the Lake County Film Commission. If there are producers or location scouts, our office would be the first contact,” economic development deputy director Debra Sommerfield said.
Working in conjunction with the California Film Commission, the LCMEDP has taken what Sommerfield called a “proactive approach” to attract film and television production to Lake County, “by making direct contact with location scouts and producers and working closely with local businesses and landowners to be able to respond quickly to location requests.”
“Sherman”s Way” is a comedy/drama about “the random nature of friendship, fatherhood and the annoying persistence of finding one”s place in the world,” according to the movie”s Web site, www.shermansway.com. It includes footage filmed in the summer of 2006 on downtown Kelseyville”s Main Street, Library Park, at select Lakeport businesses and at Langtry Estate and Vineyard in Middletown.
“It (?Sherman”s Way”) may have the potential to do for Kelseyville and Lake County what the movie ?Sideways” did for Solvang and Santa Barbara County: an increase in awareness of the area, a boost in tourism, and recognition for local wines and other local products, as well as the opportunity to showcase the beauty of the area”s lakes and mountains and the charm of its communities,” Sommerfield wrote in a June 5, 2006 press release.
According to Sommerfield, the filming of the full-length feature is not the first time Lake County has been in the limelight.
Sommerfield said she”s fielded requests for filming sites for everything from full-length feature films to television shows to commercials to video games.
She recently sent pictures of buildings in downtown Lakeport in response to a request for a location that could be used as the basis for a video game.
“We”ve had couple of enquiries about commercials,” Sommerfield said. “There have been a number filmed here. A lot of car companies are looking for a nice stretch of road. It depends on what they”re looking for.”
The last full-length feature to be filmed in Lake County was the horror/romance “Magic” in 1978, directed by Richard Attenborough. According to Sommerfield, footage was filmed around Blue Lake.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
