#mn tv

Thanks, Dad! LOL!

Dear House and Senate Conference Committee Members:

Last night I had the great privilege to spend the evening as an audience member as film director Christopher Nolan shared insights into his experience as a filmmaker. He spoke about making movies on his father's 8mm film camera and learning what it is that a director does. He shared anecdotes tied to the chronology of his film career and to his creative process. Today, his is one of the most prominent voices in the world regarding the future of film and members of our local film community had his ear over the last couple of days. He knows about Snowbate and if we can grow this financial incentive, perhaps we can remain on his radar (in case you need some numbers, his film, "The Dark Knight" saw a domestic gross that has exceeded $530,000,000 and its foreign gross, more than $469,000,000). Yes, that's over a billion dollars total.

Films can be big business if their creators are provided the key inputs needed to create quality work.

I'm writing to you today to ask for your support in providing a favorable investment climate here in Minnesota for film and video production.

I'll soon graduate from film school here in Minneapolis and, although my original plan was to move to Los Angeles to foster my career, after living in the Twin Cities for three years, I see many reasons to stay.

We have a truly amazing community of film folks comprised of members who support one another and mine what few local resources we have for earning an income performing this work locally. It's a challenge and I don't know if there's room for a newcomer (me) to have a piece of that very small pie.

With financial incentives for production companies and studios to bring movie and television production to Minnesota, we may see what was at one point our film economy’s adolescence gain what is necessary for it to fully mature. With your continued support, a successful film production climate in Minnesota could see great longevity.

What a wonderful legacy this would be for you, your children, and your grandchildren. It will always be on the record that you played a key role in making Minnesota a destination for filmmaking, facilitating the documentation of our great state's many beautiful landscapes, cityscapes, and personalities on the finest recording mediums in the world: 35mm film, 65mm film, and the ever-growing resolution found in digital motion picture formats.

That's history folks can see now and forever and it could be history recorded in our very state. Images are powerful (just look at the popularity of Instagram, Vine, Tumblr, etc) and video is perhaps even more-so.

I want that for us and I urge you to, too.

Representative Pat Garofalo District 58B, and House Chair of the Conference Committee, please support Minnesota by supporting Snowbate.

Representative Joe Hoppe (R) District: 47B, please support Minnesota by supporting Snowbate.

Representative Jim Newberger (R) District: 15B, please support Minnesota by supporting Snowbate.

Representative Bob Gunther (R) District: 23A, please support Minnesota by supporting Snowbate.

Representative Kim Norton (DFL) District: 25B, please support Minnesota by supporting Snowbate.

Senator David J. Osmek (R) District 33, Minority Whip, please support Minnesota by supporting Snowbate. Senator Dan Sparks (DFL) District 27, please support Minnesota by supporting Snowbate.

I see that many of you are Republicans and I realize that, historically, the Republican party doesn't support Hollywood. For me, movies and television are our great common denominators, promoting the distribution of a wide variety of perspectives, histories, experiences, and moments. Please consider putting aside any political stereotypes you might have regarding the film and television industry and accept the value of film and television for its inherent worth TO US ALL. This can be an opportunity to work TOGETHER and we can set an example for the country.

Since I'm required to contact Senator David J. Tomassoni (DFL) District 06 (Senate Chair of the Conference Committee), Senator Vicki Jensen, and Senator Richard Cohen using the form provided on the Senate's web site, I will address these members using that route.

I trust that you will thoroughly discuss this matter at the committee level and if questions should arise regarding this program, please allow for due diligence and seek out those from the community who can provide you with the facts and figures you require.

I am grateful for the opportunity to submit my thoughts to you as you debate this issue and manage the allocation of funds.

Sincerely,

Stefanie Toftey, Film Student