For_Immediate_Release:

(Free-Press-Release.com) July 27, 2009 — FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FilmEmerge CEO Moderates Two Film Discussion Panels at Michigan Makes Movies Event

NOVI, Mich. – Some 1500 local residents and film-related companies enthusiastically attended CBS’s Michigan Makes Movies event at Rock Financial Showplace on July 12, including FilmEmerge.com, which moderated two important discussions, the Movie Studio panel and Casting Agencies/Agents panel. As Michigan’s most-visited film resource website, FilmEmerge.com facilitated lively dialogue among local casting agencies and film studios, attracting nearly 200 people at each discussion panel.

“It’s our pleasure to support Michigan’s film industry in a variety of ways,” says Jonathan Rayos, co-founder of Detroit’s TechTown-based FilmEmerge.com and the panel moderator. “Local film professionals shared the significant opportunities occurring in Michigan and what residents should know to become a part of Michigan’s emerging film industry,” he says.

As also a sponsoring vendor at the event’s expo, FilmEmerge.com attracted significant attention for its film training services to Michigan residents. The training pertains to ‘below-the-line’ jobs, such as production assistance, grip, electrical, lighting, and stage production and carpentry. Recently, FilmEmerge.com acquired UAW’s seal of approval to provide film training to UAW members in all nine Michigan regions.

As background information, on April 2008, Michigan’s legislators passed an incentive package of a 40-percent refundable tax credit pertaining to movie production costs spent in Michigan, or 42-percent if filmed in a Michigan core community. Another key part of this scenario is that the credit applies only to costs paid to Michigan-based companies or staff, not to individuals temporarily brought in from elsewhere.

“Michigan’s unfolding film industry is providing residents with new opportunities,” says Rayos, who with his partner Jason Waterman, created this web-based Michigan film resource that originally started as a film production directory. Today, this social media resource for Michigan’s film and entertainment industry offers more than 270 individual production categories, including a customizable profile with social media components, marketing-friendly URL to attach one’s business name, customizable banner, personalized and up-loadable news, events, videos, area for verified film credits, and ability to share profiles with other social media sites.

Additionally, FilmEmerge provides web-based marketing for independent filmmakers, and film funding. Learn more about FilmEmerge at www.FilmEmerge.com, and to register for quickly-filling trainings and receive special pricing, visit www.FilmEmerge.com/training.

News Media: For more information, interviews, photography, contact Anahid Lisa Derbabian, 248 202.0583, Anahid@integritycommunicationsco.com.

FilmEmerge is a online movie production resource center.

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For more information:
Phone: 248 202.0583, Birmingham, MI 48009