Bergen LEADS to Present Take 2, Bergen: Bergen County Film Through the Years

Nearly a century ago, Bergen County, New Jersey was a powerhouse in the motion picture business. More recently, Law & Order SVU filmed several episodes in various locations in Fort Lee.

The Bergen LEADS 2016 class, a 10-month civic engagement and leadership seminar program at the Bergen Volunteer Center, studied this rich film history and researched the status of the film industry in Bergen County.

"Drawing upon expertise from various sources such as the Fort Lee Film Commission and the New Jersey Television & Motion Picture Commission, the class became a walking think tank of knowledge. At one point, Fort Lee had 17 major motion picture studios producing movies with leading stars in the industry, such as Tallulah Bankhead, Douglas Fairbanks, Lillian Gish, Pearl White and many others," said Joyce Luhrs, a film aficionado and a member of the Bergen LEADS 2016 class.

On Tuesday, June 14, the class presents 'Take 2, Bergen: Bergen County Film Through the Years', 2:30-4:30 p.m., at the Ciccone Theatre, Bergen Community College, located at 400 Paramus Road in Paramus, New Jersey. The presentation will examine Bergen County's past, present and future in the film industry, provide current key film locations and offer recommendations to increase the number of movies made in the area. The event is free and open to the public.

Film and television notables Roger Paradiso and Gary Donatelli will moderate the discussion. Paradiso, the writer, producer and director of Tony ‘N’ Tina’s wedding starring Mila Kunis and Joey McIntyre, is also the executive producer for City By The Sea with Robert DeNiro and Frances McDormand. He is also the co-producer of the Thomas Crown Affair starring Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo. Donatelli, a seven-time Emmy Award winning director and producer, directed several daytime dramas, including One Life to Live, General Hospital and The Bold and The Beautiful. Both are members of Director’s Guild of America.

After the forum, the public is invited to attend a vendor fair and networking session. Confirmed vendors participating in the fair are the Fort Lee Film Commission; New Jersey Television & Motion Picture Commission; Fairleigh Dickinson University Film, TV, & Original Content Production; Sixth Borough Media; and Bergen Community College Theater.

Bergen LEADS offers monthly seminars to help increase participants’ civic engagement, public service, and community stewardship. "Each Bergen LEADS class concludes with a final project addressing a county-focused issue. Previous classes have researched, investigated, and presented recommendations on a range of topics, including revitalizing suburban downtowns, mental health, future of nonprofits, defining a Bergen County 'brand', the future of education, and future of local government," said Bergen LEADS coordinator Beanne DeGuzman.

The mission of the Bergen Volunteer Center is to strengthen the community by connecting people through public service and community engagement. This year, the nonprofit organization celebrates 50 years of service in the region. For information about the Bergen LEADS' June 14 presentation, call Beanne DeGuzman, Director of Civic Engagement, at 201-489-9454, ext. 203.

Photo #1: A production shot from the 2005 movie, The Thing About My Folks with Peter Falk and Paul Reiser, that was filmed in Fort Lee. Photo Credit: Fort Lee Film Commission

Photo #2: Silent film star Pearl White