With Madisonbeing mentioned in the same breath as other
seminal Hoosier sports films such as Breaking Away, Hoosiers
and Rudy, filmmakers are hoping the story of a tiny
town's quest for hydroplane racing glory can inspire more film
productions to land in Indiana.
The film, being released today, was filmed in the 12,000-resident
town along the Ohio River over a seven-week period in 1999. It sat
unreleased until MGM bought the distribution rights and planned for
a limited release in select cities, including Marion.
But the delay in the film's release shouldn't be construed as a
sign of a poor product, said Marion resident Mark Fauser, who plays
a mechanic named Travis in the film.
"I don't think the fact that it was long is any reflection on the
value of the movie," Fauser said Sunday while walking the red carpet
at the Madisonpremiere in Madison. "I think it was just
finding the right person at the right time to pick it up."
The film tells the true story of the key figures in the town of
Madison as they overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles to save
their town and go on to win the 1971 Gold Cup hydroplane race on
national television in front of their hometown fans.
The movie was co-written and directed by Indianapolis native Bill
Bindley, who said he hopes the film's release will continue to spur
film production in Indiana.
The film, television, commercial and sound-production industries
in Indiana employ about 2,000 people at more than 300 companies and
generates about $350 million a year in economic activity, according
to the Indiana Film Commission. Between $5 million and $10 million a
year of this spending involves feature film production.
A bill was working its way through the Statehouse that would have
granted new tax breaks and other incentives to filmmakers looking to
shoot in Indiana.
The proposed package would:
Allow free use of state-owned property, including university
campuses, to make feature films.
Exempt production equipment purchases from Indiana's 6 percent
sales tax.
Reduce by up to 30 percent the tax liability for Indiana film
and TV productions and give filmmakers access to existing Indiana
tax credits.
Permit the Indiana Department of Workforce Development to help
pay for job training in the film industry.
The initial film industry tax-break legislation, which would have
ruled out tax breaks for "obscene movies," died March 1, when House
Democrats boycotted the chamber.
Work has been afoot to get the tax breaks amended into House Bill
1120, a major tax bill that also would increase local income taxes
and help pay for a new Colts stadium.
But the ultimate fate of that legislation is still uncertain.
"That (legislation) is something we obviously support," Bindley
said.
Originally published April 22, 2005
