January 27, 2003
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA AMONG TOP TEN CITIES FOR FILMMAKING
Moviemaker Magazine, in its Winter 2003 issue, has selected Richmond, Virginia  as one of the ten best cities in North America for independent filmmakers. Quality  of life and ease of shooting were Important components of the decision, but all the chosen cities were commended for "fostering productive work worth shouting about."

VIRGINIA SELECTED FOR COLD MOUNTAIN
The Virginia Film Office announced that Virginia has been selected as one of the locations for the feature film, "Cold Mountain." The film is a co-produced production between Miramax and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and is produced by Academy Award winner Sydney Pollack and William Horberg (Mirage Productions) and Albert Berger and Ron Yerxa (Bona Fide Productions). "Cold Mountain" was adapted and is directed by Academy Award winner Anthony Minghella, based on Charles Frazier's best-selling and National Book Award winning Civil War novel of the same name. The cast of "Cold Mountain" includes Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Renee Zellweger, Brendan Gleeson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Natalie Portman, Giovanni Ribisi,   Donald Sutherland, Ray Winstone, Kathy Baker, James Gannon, Charlie Hunnam, Jena Malone and Ethan Suplee.

VIRGINIA FILM OFFICE ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF  "GODS AND GENERALS"  FILMED IN VIRGNIA
RICHMOND, VA - The feature film "Gods and Generals," shot on location in Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia, will open nationwide on February 21, 2003. It is a prequel to the acclaimed film Gettysburg" and stars Stephen Lang as Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, Jeff Daniels as Colonel Joshua Chamberlain and Robert Duvall as Robert E. Lee. It was filmed on location in and near Lexington, Staunton and Winchester, Virginia. The film also features cameo appearances by several U.S. Senators including Senator George Allen from Virginia

November 12, 2003
THREE VIRGINIA FILM AND TELEVISION PROJECTS TO DEBUT SOON
RICHMOND, VA -The Virginia Film Office announced that three film and television projects with ties to Virginia will be released this month. A new ABC television drama, "Line of Fire" will debut on Tuesday, December 2, at 10:00 p.m. and will run through February, 2004. A high profile feature "Cold Mountain will open on          December 25, and HBO will be premiering a new made-for-television movie, "Iron-Jawed Angels" on February 22.

VIRGINIA PRODUCTION ALLIANCE DEBUTS
The Virginia Production Alliance (VPA) is a newly formed organization whose mission is uniting businesses and individuals committed to growth of Virginia film, audio and new media production. In addition to providing a variety of programs for professional development and networking, the VPA will focus on developing business inside Virginia, while simultaneously stimulating production from outside the Commonwealth.

"THE CONTENDER" FILMED ON LOCTION IN  VIRGINIA AND STARRING
GARY OLDMAN, JOAN AND JEFF BRIDGES - OPENS OCTOBER 13
RICHMOND, VA
The Commonwealth of Virginia played the lead in the shooting of the feature film, "The Contender," a political thriller that gives a behind-the-scenes look at the high-stakes world of contemporary politics. The film, produced  by Battleground Productions, is released by Steve Spielberg's company, Dream Works. It has the honor of being the first film produced by an outside company that Dream Works has chosen to release. "The Contender" was written and directed by Rod Lurie, a former film critic from Los Angeles who made his feature-film writing and directing debut with "Deterrence."

GOVERNOR GILMORE WELCOMES FEATURE FILM "HANNIBAL" TO VIRGINIA
RICHMOND, VA- Governor Jim Gilmore officially announces the arrival in Virginia of "Hannibal" the highly -anticipated sequel to "Silence of the Lambs." The Governor met with Ridley Scott, the film's director, several weeks ago when he was here scouting for locations. "The Commonwealth is honored to host such an illustrious high-profile project. The economic benefits to Virginia will be  enormous.

VIRGINIA FILM: PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE
When the Film Office opened in 1980, the film and television industry in the state was in its infancy. That year saw the production of two successful feature films, "Coal Miner's Daughter" and "My Dinner with Andre. "Since that time, the industry has shown a steady pattern of growth with a number of well-known movies being shot all or partially in the state. These include "What About Bob?" "Dirty Dancing," "Sommersby," "Broadcast News," "The Pelican Brief," "Dave," "G.I. Jane," "Deep Impact," "The Jackal," "Random Hearts," "Hannibal," and "Hearts in Atlantis." Recently there has been an explosive growth in the industry, both in Virginia and world wide. In Virginia, economic impact of the industry has grown 600% in the past ten years and approaching the $200 Million mark.