The city claims that Unity Studios president, Southfield native Jimmy Lifton, has failed to make rent payments to the city and hasn’t produced required documents outlining the venture’s financial condition.

Lifton said late Tuesday afternoon that there is no problem and that they are not behind on rent. 

Last summer, hundreds of Allen Park residents and others gathered for a celebration at the site of what they hoped would become a big, successful Michigan movie studio.

Photo:  The city of Allen Park welcomed Unity Studio in an August 2009 ceremony.

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Ken Droz from the Michigan Film Office says Hugh Jackman and Pierce Brosnan are two of the big stars scheduled to film in Metro Detroit.

Droz tells WWJ Newsradio 950 that celebrity sightings have become almost commonplace.

“A lot of the benefits of this whole program are very serendipitous — there’s no denying that, so it is possible that a star may pop into your coffee shop,” he said.

“Hillary Swank was going to this one store often before when she was doing ‘Betty Anne Waters’; Richard Gere is coming in. You know, last summer Rob Riner was hanging out all over Ann Arbor and he absolutely loved it!” Droz said.

Droz says it’s still going to take some time for Michigan to realize the full benefit of the tax incentives, but he’s encouraged by the recent news of a possible new studio in Pontiac. 

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Filmmakers Anne de Mare and Kirsten Kelly are recording the oral histories of women who went to work in America’s defense plants and munitions factories during World War II.

The filmmakers will be in Michigan at the end of next month to interview  “Michigan Rosies.”

They hope to have completed a documentary by the spring of 2011 and are working with the Tamiment Labor Archives at NYU, which contains archival, print, photograph, film and oral history collections documenting the history of the labor movement.

 If you or someone you know was a Rosie and is interested in participating, please contact: Kirsten Kelly (646-526-4407) or Sacha Schwimmer at (212) 925-5980 or via email at spargelfilms@gmail.com

Get more info at this link

Stautzenberger College of Ohio Friday opened its new Michigan campus at the Unity Studios Complex in Allen Park, where students will be trained for those jobs.  

Oakwood Healthcare is the first major employer to partner with the college and will provide education, training and employment opportunities for students and graduates. The studio and campus is on Southfield Road near I-94. 

A statement from the college says classes, which will be taught for medical billing and coding, medical administrative technology, massage therapy, medical assisting, personal fitness training, and phlebotomy technician, start April 12th for the first 150 students.

“We will provide the training and curricula to enable our students to assume careers in professions that are growing in Michigan, including health care,” said Stautzenberger College President George Simon.

Unity Studios is a studio and entertainment complex project that was announced in 2009 and is expected to open soon with feature sound stages, production services, post audio dub stages, music recording stages and post video services where films, TV ads and other similar productions can be completed.

Financial aid is available for students who qualify.

Click here for enrollment and other information about the Stautzenberger Institute.

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It’s making props for film, TV, and other uses in the entertainment industry — and may mean from 200 to 300 new jobs.  The firm has been around for awhile, coming up with props for Black Sabbath, and TV shows like Extreme Makeover.

Potential candidates will need to be trained for the jobs, and to find out where and how visit www.centerforfilmstudies.com or call (248) 545-2648.

The 3 Minutes Lyon in Film Festival also allows entrants to express their ideas and display their multimedia talents without the need for significant finances and resources that a professional film requires.

3 Minutes in Lyon Film Festival welcomes entries of all types from crazy, witty comedy sketches, to stop-motion Lego creations, documentary style, music video, man-on-the street or anything you find entertaining and unique.

Entry Deadline – May 10, 2010

Free Screening Night – May 21, 2010

Festival Awards Night – May 23, 2010

More Info at: lyonfilmfestival.org

The film is about a vampire trying to make it big on a reality TV show. The film will be shot in New York City. Roles available: a male and female vampire, ages 20 to early 30s, any ethnicity or race. Also needed are six male and female reality show contestants, ages 20 to 45, and extras ages 12 to 45.

For information, visit http://www.timgreenefilms.com/.

The pilot was produced by ABC Studios and Mandeville, executive produced by Jason Richman, David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman.  Read more at this link.

In the meantime, if you haven’t seen HBO’s “Hung” yet (shot in Detroit, with a particulaly awesome downtown opening sequence) . The DVD set of the first season is available for pre-order at amazon.com.

The casting call is for the latest film by the production company titled “Locked in a room”. The movie will begin filming in Michigan in February.

Click here for the production company’s website.

Date: Thursday, December 17, 2009

Time: 3 – 7pm

Applicants must be 18 and over. Please review the official application and eligibility requirements before attending and bring a copy of the COMPLETED application, and a valid Driver’s License with you to the open call. You will not be considered without these items.  You can get all the forms you need at this link.

Upon receiving these items from you, THEY will film your application video, live, on site.

Questions? Call WWJ-TV at (248) 355-7000.