Exchanges across social media or across the dinner table are often about the state of the arts and living in the Lehigh Valley—many reveal polarized opinions. Many residents, some of whom have achieved international notoriety in their profession, find it a very creative and satisfying place to call home. Others think Easton, Bethlehem and Allentown are an expired wilderness whose glory days have vanished forever. Easton's fans and naysayers are particularly vocal. While their competing voices cause a degree of dissonance, they have not stifled the economic growth engendered by innovative citizens passionately pursuing their dreams in the greater Lehigh Valley. Valley arts are clearly on the move, dramatically impacting our wallets and the infrastructures of our cities and suburbs.
When residents ponder the ever-expanding pool of talent transforming our landscape most conjure images of our fine painters, sculptors and inspired musicians. Nevertheless, it may be the filmmakers who seize the high ground and become an irresistible beacon for the arts.
Gershon Hinkson is the man turning this elusive dream into a reality. It is his extraordinary talents as an artist, businessman and promoter that make his presence in the Valley’s art scene so vital. Unlike many who have attempted to combine these dissimilar endeavors and ended up with an insoluble mess, he has brilliantly combined them and forged a fresh mix that delights the public and serious artists and rewards the involvement of no-nonsense businesspeople.
Although Hinkson is working at the apex of Hollywood filmmaking, he devotes time to nurturing and promoting local artists in an ambitious move to make the Lehigh Valley a viable place to do business with Hollywood. His enterprising plan first developed roots through giving his time and money to promote Movies at the Mill (MME) in Easton.
“You only get out what you put in,” Hinkson shares. “If I can give whatever time I have to create something that improves our quality of life and makes Easton ‘the place,’ that's where I am going to be, making it happen!”
It is part of his DNA to have a hand in shaping whatever community he inhabits. So, after Hinkson arrived in the Lehigh Valley in 2006, it was only a matter of time before his presence powerfully impacted our community. The initial opportunity was manifested through Becky Bradley, of the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, who took notice of the highly effective promotion of his first film, 7 Breaths (based on his experience of being held up at gun point on Christmas Eve). She set up a meeting for them with Mayor Sal Panto to brainstorm on a way to attract a developer to the city-owned Simon Silk Mill.
Hinkson suggested a film festival. His concept was to show off local talent by projecting their films on the wall of the still-vacant Silk Mill. He contacted the publisher of The Elucidator, Anthony Marraccini, who facilitated contact with several local filmmakers. The city's initial reaction to his concept was unenthusiastic. However, he understood the sensory appeal this raw presentation would hold for the public. Mayor Panto had the visionary courage to entrust Hinkson with this unprecedented endeavor. During their initial meeting with Spillman Farmer Architects of Bethlehem, Panto sat at the head of the table and said, “Give this man what he needs.” Spillman Farmer was enormously helpful, drafting a capacity plan for the site and providing a place for them to meet several times each month. They were also one of the first to sponsor the event.
With public works, police and fire officials, and some of the best restaurants in the Lehigh Valley on board, MME held their first event in 2009. This was not a proper film festival by any stretch of the imagination. Rather, Hinkson utilized the initial event as a vehicle to show residents the extraordinary potential percolating throughout our area. They launched into that inaugural evening with carefully selected pieces and fragments of films provided by local artists. Lou and Scott Reda (whom he was working with at that time) showed a promotion for their acclaimed Vietnam documentary. Maciek Albrecht showed some animated shorts, which were a big hit with the audience. Hinkson also screened his first film.
“People were really moved by the film,” Hinkson says. “Overall, this was a way to show people how deep some of us here are in the industry; an industry that many do not think is available [to the public].”
The response was overwhelmingly positive. With Hinkson orchestrating the event and the ambiance, believers were born that night. That initial event attracted 900 people. One of those attendees was Mark Mulligan (CEO of VM Development Group, LLC) who saw the potential of the site and got involved.
The second year, Academy Award winner and Easton native, Rodger Ross Williams accepted Hinkson's invitation to screen his film, Music by Prudence. He also shared encouraging words with aspiring filmmakers and brought his Oscar along to bedazzle and inspire MME attendants.
His concept was to show off local talent by projecting their films on the wall of the still-vacant Silk Mill.
“Right now MME is sort of a traveling circus…since the Silk Mill is presently under construction,” Hinkson says. This past year they held the festival at Hugh Moore Park. In addition to the retro appeal of watching movies outdoors, he hired a jazz band and DJ to perform at the park pavilion. Again, it was sensational.
“The Silk Mill is our home,” Hinkson says. “While it is being erected we are sort of a beacon for the possibilities and beauty of local spots that are naturally and architecturally awesome.”
Hinkson’s vision is both Valley-centric and international in scope. He always promotes local talent while bringing in filmmakers from all over the world. Artists from Los Angeles, New York, Hungary, Africa and Germany have all made appearances at this young festival. There is always a prize awarded for best in the Valley as well as best in show. This intoxicating blend of indigenous and non-native artists is a winning combination that helps keep the event growing in popularity every year.
Presently the Lehigh Valley film industry and MME exert little sway in the larger landscape of international movie making. While some might see this as a monumental disadvantage, Hinkson perceives a cottage industry rife with unlimited potential. He enthusiastically declared, “The market is fertile and the sky is the limit. Sponsors such as Merchants Bank have been on board for three years running. Also, there are no gatekeepers right now.”
Hinkson's meetings with Easton Mayor Sal Panto forged a creative partnership that continues to grow.
So with Hinkson as a guiding force, exciting things are happening. Consider a Hollywood project he worked on recently that directly benefited Lehigh Valley artists: the One Direction: This is Us documentary. His time spent with director Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) blossomed into a rewarding relationship. The intense, relentless shooting schedule helped forge a friendship between the two artists. Hinkson was impressed by Spurlock's back office, which included many interns. “They were training them how to seriously engage in the business,” he says. “I can do that here!”
Eventually, he asked Spurlock to come to our area and conduct a seminar that introduced an educational component to MME. Hinkson's plan was to get working professionals to attend a focused lecture on a specific aspect of the business. “I do not want someone to come in and give a general lecture about the film industry. That never helped anybody,” he says.
The buzz was palpable when Spurlock came to Easton in 2013 and shared how he went from being an intern at the TriBeCa Film Festival to an Oscar-nominated director who is still dropping great product into a challenging market including his current partnership with CNN for his Inside Man series. The lecture was delivered at City Council's Chamber in Easton to about 50 people who left enriched and inspired. Surprisingly, Spurlock gave them all the contact information for his company. He let them know if they had a great idea for a project they could contact a person in his story and development department and to specifically mention that that they attended the lecture. Hinkson’s friendship with Spurlock opened this rare door for Valley filmmakers and a few people have already contacted him with material. Hinkson's personal and professional experiences and his access to A-list Hollywood players makes him a formidable asset to our burgeoning film community. One cannot help but wonder, whom he is going to bring to the Lehigh Valley next?
One cannot help but wonder, whom he is going to bring to the Lehigh Valley next?
Hinkson was eager to talk about other significant players in the Lehigh Valley film industry. He again mentioned local legend Lou Reda who with his son Scott and grandson Marc operates a full-scale television production company with offices in the Lehigh Valley and New York City. Hinkson ebulliently explains, “Their body of work is a recognized one within the industry. If you look closer, you will see that all that magic happens in the little city of Easton. Also, each location they have occupied, they have made it beautiful. They bring business here and spruce up the city—wherever they are.”
Another talent on the local film scene is Emmy award winner Jaccii Farris of WFMZ’s Channel 69 News who presented her documentary at last year’s MME Film Festival.
“Jaccii has a future ahead of her as a documentary filmmaker. She is a brilliant journalist, she checks her facts and presents them in a manner that informs and engages the public. I am looking forward to see where she is going,” Hinkson says.
Hinkson also acknowledged the playful presence of the incomparable Maciek Albrecht. For those who do not know, he is a four-time Emmy-award winning animator whose brainchild, MaGiKworld is an animation production, motion graphics and art design studio in downtown Easton.
Hinkson, pictured here with Mayor Panto on right, was instrumental in getting accomplished filmmaker Morgan Spurlock to come to speak to area filmmakers.
photo by Christina Georgiou
“Albrecht’s studio is like a mini Crayola factory,” Hinkson says. “He is one or two budgets away from creating projects that reach out to the world at large, while, at the same time, employing people locally; a lot of his work is inspired by things in Easton. Essentially he is shooting out flares into the world, letting them know that we are here.”
He also encouragingly added that all of the filmmakers who have participated in the festival, while at varying levels of experience, are on their way to making their mark at the theaters or on the television screen.
The Lehigh Valley is rife with opportunities for those with good ideas and the persistence to make their dreams come to fruition. Hinkson plainly states, “New York and LA are totally over-saturated. What you have here is fertile soil to plant seeds. You have all the space in the world. For a really fair price you can actually garner an edifice that can house your dreams.”
About the future, Hinkson was anything but cautiously optimistic.
“I believe that a film industry can thrive in the Lehigh Valley. By film industry, I don’t necessarily mean that a Warner Brothers or a Sony Pictures will set up outposts here, but rather, the many production companies that create the content distributed by these industry giants can set up shop here and thrive in almost the same manner that textiles such as silk were manufactured here and distributed on a large scale.”
“The architecture and scenic vistas lend themselves to beautiful backdrops and filming locations.”
Aside from the tax incentives available to films being made in the Valley, Hinkson says there is an infrastructure in place here that is not only supportive of new business, but one that is particularly supportive of arts and film related projects.
“The architecture and scenic vistas lend themselves to beautiful backdrops and filming locations. The proximity to a major hub like New York City grants us, for a little more than an hour’s drive, access to a major film market, and specialized crews and equipment,” says Hinkson.
The ability to be social is another huge component of the film industry. The Valley’s opportunities to be social—whether it be to take a meeting or have a night out—are as expansive as the many top tier eateries, watering holes, recreational facilities and entertainment offered here.
“A thriving film industry here in the Valley?” Hinkson conjectures. “Why not?”
Backstory
Hinkson attended Brooklyn College where he was a popular student and a natural leader. One of the perceptive professors from the Africana Studies Department, Willie Page, encouraged him to create an entrepreneurs club. He accepted the challenge and ran with it. Hinkson cleverly combined forces with one of his friends at the school who happened to be president of the film society. He brought an accountant and a lawyer in as guest speakers (so they could learn how to incorporate) and his buddy brought in players from the film industry. Through Hinkson's contacts they incorporated and through the film society they met Spike Lee's producing partner, Monty Ross. Ross mentioned that their company was looking for interns the following summer. Hundreds flocked in to fill out applications. Hinkson passed the demanding exam and took his place among the aspiring editors. When candidates arrived at Forty Acres and a Mule to audition, they were asked to sync film. Since he possessed experience syncing 35mm film, he was at a decided advantage among his peers.
After his successful internship ended, the company chose to keep him on and shortly thereafter got him into the union. He went on to work on Spike Lee's Clockers, Girl 6 and Get On the Bus. From there he worked on Great Expectations. He developed a close relationship over the course of that project with Alfonso Cuarón (Academy Award-winning director for Gravity), and the film’s editor, Steve Weisberg.
He has been involved with one big budget Hollywood movie after another ever since.
Shortly after returning from Germany, where he was working on Æon Flux, he was offered a job on Poseidon with producer/director Wolfgang Peterson. This stellar opportunity required his family to move to LA. While they were in California, their dear friends, Ian and Abigail Crofts suggested they look into buying property in Easton. The Crofts are artists who were part of the gentrification of Soho in the 1980s and later purchased property in the Lehigh Valley. After they wrapped the film, the Hinksons found a great space in downtown Easton and made it their new home.
For any questions about MME, email: info@moviesatthemill.com. For updates regarding the festival, like them on Facebook at Movies At The Mill Easton.
Special thanks to Josh Palmer and the gracious staff at Sette Luna in Easton for hosting our lengthy discussions.
