Millies - A Feature Film by Lorre Fritchy

"Short Pay! All Out!" The Bread & Roses Strike began 100 years ago today!

2012-01-12T02:34:00.005-05:00

Hard to believe this day is here, but today kicks off a yearlong celebration marking the centennial of the Strike that inspired MILLIES.

If you're not following us on Facebook or Twitter by now, here's your chance.

MILLIES has a fab display at the impressive exhibit housed in the Everett Mill in Lawrence, MA, where it all started. The Lawrence History Center was generous enough to invite MILLIES to participate in this 2012 celebration, which we hope will result in many more people knowing about this film project and eventually helping us in our dogged pursuit of major funding.

If we learned anything from those women who shut their machines and walked out for two months to fight for equality, it's that old cliche that good things are worth the wait and the fight. And so we persist...

"Short Pay! All out!" - The Bread & Roses Centennial begins...

Another Lawrence mill reduced to rubble

2011-04-05T07:58:00.005-04:00

Deja view: another mill in Lawrence gets demolished. It was a great building but had been badly abused, neglected and controversied. But as we know, that hardly ever means it cannot be saved with the right vision and backing. Alas, the Merrimac Paper Mill, 1895-2011, joins the ranks of Lost Lawrence:

http://www.eagletribune.com/latestnews/x1281101732/Demolition-under-way-at-Merrimac-Paper-building

A great quote by Nature Conservancy President John Sawhill: "In the end, our society will be defined not by what we create, but by what we refuse to destroy."

Olympia Dukakis is a MILLIE!!!!!

2011-03-23T08:53:00.003-04:00

Yes, kids, you read that right. Olympia Dukakis has submitted a Letter of Interest to play a MILLIE in the film! It is a huge moment for MILLIES to get this generous gesture from a phenomenal talent like Olympia Dukakis. We are excited, we are inspired, we are motivated more than ever to get this film funded.

We Need Your Help!

Read the full Olympia story on our Headlines page.

Meanwhile, put on your Millies t-shirts: Yes, I'm A Millie. And so is Olympia!!!

Fires kill more mills (and more fantastic locations)

2010-08-15T09:07:00.004-04:00

This awesome little mill with its own cool smokestack and unique buildings on the Merrimack River, has gone up in flames so many times, it's a wonder it's still standing. But someone keeps plaguing these mills with their gasoline and matchbooks, and the Merrimack Paper Company is not long for this world. It is sure to be razed soon, and it would be yet another skyline-affecting loss along the river. A hit to the city, and a hit to our film. It helps to storyboard shots in easily-erasable pencil, because more mill buildings have disappeared in the past few years than I can bear. What better way to get rid of an abandoned mill building than to light it up, blame the homeless, and make way for more generic stucco office space? Or more likely another fast food, pharmacy, or gasoline chain. It's unbelievable to watch, and all this amidst serious controversy over the lack of proper fire protection in town. If the people aren't safe because there aren't enough firefighters, you can bet the mills must be shaking in their bricks.

Hopefully there will still be a mill in Lawrence by the time we're ready to roll cameras. Capturing a former industrial city powerhouse is a bit hard to do when no stack is left standing. People do not realize the treasures we are losing, and more often than not it's due to shortsighted human intention and not an act of nature. We are our own worst enemy.

City Says Merrimack Paper Co Buildings Need to be Torn Down

Lawrence pushing for quick demo of fire-ravaged mill

It's the same old trick: Let the mill rot, act surprised when it catches fire, proclaim the only way to move forward is to demolish it entirely, secretly rejoice, Repeat.

Where's Lorre? e-news update

2010-07-29T19:31:00.002-04:00

The latest e-news bulletin is posted now at:
http://www.milliesmovie.com/2010_0729_millies_news.pdf

Happy reading!

Imploding History

2010-05-07T10:05:00.005-04:00

As you may know, we were not the only ones filming the implosion of the two historic smokestacks back in October of 2009 for our MILLIES promotional video. Though we were about the only ones who didn't think of it as such a fun and fantastic event.

If you haven't seen our version of the video, you can check it out here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmhjIBd2Sh8

The Learning Channel's tv reality show "The Imploders" was also filming, with a nice fat budget, helicopter shots, multi-camera set ups, etc. The result of that shoot aired on TLC last night, and I found it utterly painful to watch. It is not that buildings never have to come down, it's just the way there is such a casual celebration of the BOOM, especially regarding historic places, that rubs me wrong. It was like watching little boys kill a wounded animal after kicking it around a bit and letting it suffer. Putting it out of its misery is one thing, but taking such joy in the whole process is disconcerting to me. Can't help it, just the way I see things. It may be the Learning Channel, but it seems to me we are not at all learning the lessons we really need to learn.

Mo' Money - from Cultural Council

2010-04-06T09:54:00.002-04:00

Believe me, it's a good thing when an indie filmmaker gets a call that says, "Yes, We Believe in Your Project. Here's More Money." Those calls are not just rare, they're pretty much nonexistent. So it was a happy day to get news from the Lawrence Cultural Council, a branch of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, that MILLIES was selected to receive additional funding on top of its original grant award from a couple months ago!

Every bit helps. Buy a t-shirt, buy a photo print, or just make a donation at http://www.milliesmovie.com/millie.html.

A big thanks to the Cultural Council for putting their money where their Millies are.

Lawrence MA helps Haiti

2010-03-04T21:07:00.003-05:00

The "Trust & Believe" charity single for Haiti is now available at http://www.lawtownvoice.com! The song was written by Lawrence electronica/dance music artist Bylli Crayone, and members of LawTown Voice.

I'm creating the We-Are-The-World-inspired music video and making-of video for this "note"worthy project uniting Lawrence rappers and singers for a common good.

Also some great bridges built on the music side of MILLIES.

A catchy little tune for a great cause.

MILLIES director helms music video for Haiti

2010-02-11T23:18:00.004-05:00

Lorre Fritchy will helm a behind-the-scenes/music video for the charity single, "Trust & Believe" by LawTown Voice, a group of diverse musical talents uniting to benefit Haiti.

Find out more at:
http://www.LawTownVoice.com

Keeping an ear out with these Lawrence rappers, singers and hip-hop artists to hear if there may be a sound or two for the MILLIES soundtrack in the group.

MILLIES photo exhibit @ Wichit - EXTENDED

2010-01-29T12:40:00.005-05:00

It's the return of "Lincoln" ;-)

"The Assassination of Lincoln: Teardown of a Century-Old Mill" - a photographic exhibit in support of MILLIES - is back on the brick. This photographic exhibit by filmmaker Lorre Fritchy depicts the dismantling of the 108-year-old Lincoln Foods mill building in Lawrence, Mass. throughout its 2008 demise. A portion of the takedown was also filmed for Fritchy's movie MILLIES (http://www.MilliesMovie.com). Witness the haunting beauty and rubbled remains of history as Lincoln falls, brick by brick.

A selection of photos from this exhibit are now on EXTENDED display indefinitely on the fantastic mill walls at Wichit - http://www.wichitsandwich.com.

Just hung the pieces this morning, and then continued working on MILLIES script rewrites at this wonderful WiFi spot. It has been a lovely day of watching people visit the cafe and admire the pics at a steady pace. Not just a polite walk-past, either, but a close-up analysis of each piece, even before getting their coffee! The best response was one woman who walked through the door, stopped in her tracks and just gasped at the pictures. She was blown away by them. Now THAT kind of immediate, gut reaction gives me the warm fuzzies.

Thanks to Rose and Chris at Wichit for hanging me in "the brick gallery." Great sandwiches and a funky ambiance, can't ask for more.

To view a selection of prints from the exhibit, visit: http://www.milliesmovie.com/lincoln_photos.html.

Fade In to Fade Out

2010-01-13T12:05:00.003-05:00

Serious heavy lifting on MILLIES script rewrites. Flying above the story to see the holes, areas that work or don't work, and how this whole surreal story is coming together. I do not fear the red pen, I embrace it! :-)

$10 Tees holiday sale

2009-12-13T09:02:00.001-05:00

50% off official MILLIES t-shirts for online orders only, through December 17th! http://www.milliesmovie.com/movie_tee.html

Radio interview Fri. Oct. 30 at 9am

2009-10-28T12:08:00.000-04:00

With women being an integral part in the success of the historic Bread & Roses Strike that inspired MILLIES, it is appropriate on many levels for Writer/Director Lorre Fritchy to appear on WUML radio's Thinking Out Loud program "Feminist Edition" with host Charlotte Crockford.

Lorre will be interviewed Friday, October 30th in the 9 o'clock hour on 91.5FM in the Boston/Lowell area or you may listen live at:

http://www.wuml.org/webcast.php

Come on, tune us in. You know Lorre's fun on the radio.

Film Snobs catch Lorre

2009-10-27T09:22:00.003-04:00

A great Millies interview with Lorre by Nic Baisely from the fun new film site, Film Snobbery - http://filmsnobbery.com/2009/10/18/lorre-fritchy-interview/

They're not snobs at all, they just love film and they're not afraid to show it.

http://www.MilliesMovie.com

Thank you, Bread & Roses

2009-09-15T08:30:00.004-04:00

Many thanks to the steady stream of people who visited our MILLIES booth at the sunny Bread & Roses Festival on Labor Day! We earned more fans, recruited more film Extras, and signed up more e-news subscribers. Everyone is excited to see this finished film. No one more than us, believe me! All your encouraging words and steadfast belief in this story really do go a long way toward keeping us motivated.

Many people asked about my upcoming appearance at the Northern Essex Community College speaker series November 8th. The topic is "MILLIES: BRINGING PAST AND PRESENT TO THE SILVER SCREEN." I'm sorry they did not give us more pamphlets to hand out, but I will re-post the information as the time nears. It is:

Sunday, Nov. 8, 2-4pm
White Fund Room @ Northern Essex Community College
78-82 Amesbury Street
Fournier Education Center
Lawrence MA

Meanwhile, just a note of thanks to those who came out to this fantastic festival on a gorgeous day. It matters that you were there.

~Lorre

Bread and Roses Festival

2009-08-03T10:10:00.002-04:00

MILLIES was once again invited to the food, fun, history filled Bread & Roses Festival celebrating the legendary American strike that inspired the film.

The festival will be held on Monday, September 7th (Labor Day) from 12-7 at the Campagnone Common in Lawrence.

We will have a booth there -- visit us to sign up to be an Extra/crew, make a donation, buy a t-shirt or one of our previous films, or meet the production team. It's a great day full of music, performances, and stuff every American should know about their own country.

The festival web site is:http://www.breadandroses.net/MILLIES web site: http://www.milliesmovie.com/

We hope to see you there!!

MILLIES booth at Fiber Arts Celebration

2009-06-09T08:44:00.002-04:00

Textiles and fabrics and laces oh my...

MILLIES has been invited to the innovative Fiber Arts Celebration on Sunday, June 14, 11-4pm at the Wyndham Boston Andover Hotel. A full day on fiber arts and crafts in one of the heart of the storied Merrimack Valley textile region. A unique event and a fantastic connection between the regional textile history and MILLIES' storyline with textile mill workers visiting the present day when their historic strike is threatened.

If you spin, knit, felt, quilt, piece, hook, sew, stitch, crochet, stamp, or embellish … If you work with needles or hooks, fabric or yarn … If you’re a beginner, expert, or anywhere in between … this is your chance to hook up with others who share your passion for the fiber arts.

Featured speaker, BRUNONIA BARRY, author of the NY Times best-seller, The Lace Reader.

Bring your needles, shuttles, yarn, yoyos, hoops, hanks, and handwork, and share the day with old friends and new acquaintances.

Gourmet box lunch
Vendors’ booths
Fiber arts demonstrations
Door prizes
Vendor demonstrations
Hands-on activities
Special table for teens and beginning fiber artists of all ages

Tickets: $35 per adult ($20 per student under 18 accompanied by adult) includes admission, lunch, free raffle ticket, author presentation and book signing.

For full details, visit:
http://www.fiberartscelebration.com/?p=32

I "sew" hope you can join us!

Added YouTube Assassination of Lincoln video clip

2009-05-28T19:47:00.002-04:00

Oh to have a full-time Web/Net/Digital staff! In any case, the Assassination of Lincoln video clip has been added to the Millies Headlines page at:

http://www.milliesmovie.com/headlines.html

if you haven't had the chance to see the video yet on my YouTube site.

There are more mills and smokestacks coming down here very soon, unfortunately. but we haven't the time or the budget to capture the sad sight. Just as well, it's hard enough to watch once, and we got what we needed from that. Including a handful of bricks from the original building, courtesy of the awesome contractors doing the dismantling, who were happy to oblige my strange request. Won't it be a lovely little layer to have our actors holding the original, century-old bricks as props? Of course it will! "Thinking ahead" is an understatement in my brain...

Lorre is one of the Nicest Filmmakers Ever

2009-05-14T07:54:00.004-04:00

Other than my name spelled incorrectly (a common mistake, admittedly), this is a decent article covering the fun Berklee College of Music Film & Networking event:

http://bostonist.com/2009/04/12/music_for_film_at_berklee_mason_daring.php

Most hilarious was the designation as the nicest filmmakers ever. We panelists had all worked with composer Jeanine Cowen on past projects (which is why we were at Berklee with her in the first place) and apparently gushed about the experiences. Hey, we get enough negativity in this business, we don't mind ac-centuating the positive once in a while.

Lorre on "Lunch To Go" radio 4/2/09

2009-04-01T13:58:00.003-04:00

Tune in to the sure-to-be-amusing antics of the Lunch To Go radio show, broadcasting live from Salvatore's in Lawrence, MA on 980AM if you're local, or http://www.980wcap.com if you're virtual. The show broadcasts from 12-1pm EST on Thursday, April 2, 2009.

The host, "Wireless" Mike Flynn jokingly calls the show "Shackett's Hideaway" for co-host Ray Shackett and because the setup is reminiscent of Fernando's Hideaway from the Saturday Night Live skit. Should be great fun talking about MILLIES, the Lowell Film Festival, upcoming events and stuff that makes us look Mahvelous.
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MILLIES team hosts doc screening April 15, 2009

2009-04-01T07:41:00.004-04:00

MILLIES Director Lorre Fritchy and Executive Producer Stephanie Higgins will swap roles on April 15 when they co-host a screening of their previous film project, THE GAY MARRIAGE THING. Directed by Higgins and Produced by Fritchy, this film highlights the politics, the piety and the people embroiled in the same-sex marriage debate in history-making Massachusetts in 2004.

The Lowell Film Collaborative and Christ Church United of Lowell, MA are presenting the screening at Christ Church United. The church actively pursued hosting the film because they wish to foster discussion on this topic. So don't be afraid to come to church -- it's not afraid of you. ;-)

Wednesday, April 15 @ 7:00 PM
47-minute Film Screening followed by Filmmaker Q&A
Christ Church United
180 E. Merrimack Street
Lowell, MA 01852
Phone: 978-459-9631

* RSVP appreciated by April 14th to Suzzanne Cromwell
* Daycare will be provided during the film
* $5 Suggested donation

Join the MILLIES filmmakers for this blast from their production past to see just how committed they are to making a positive difference in the world through their art.
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Lorre @ Berklee Film & Music event April 10, 2009

2009-03-26T15:54:00.007-04:00

A terrific and long-time-coming event at the prestigious Berklee College of Music brings aspiring composers together with filmmakers. The Music For Film Networking Event is a fantastic way for student composers to play samples of their work directly into filmmakers' ears via a number of laptop/headphones stations at the Berklee Media Center. This is the 4th year and it promises to be an extremely popular event once again.

I will be speaking on a panel discussing the collaboration between filmmaker and composer, which is a terrific topic to me because the music is CRITICAL to a film. Many indie filmmakers overlook this fact at their own peril. Film and music - two of my favorite topics together - it's like a production Oreo cookie to me and I'm very excited to discuss it.

The list of gifted musicians to go through the Berklee program is extensive. And it is a wise and practical move to pair talented composers trying to get a foot in the door, with filmmakers who may not have a budget for an established composer. It is the ultimate win-win on both sides of the film reel.

Last year, it was packed with quite a diverse international group of young composers representing multiple genres of music. This is the official registration information:
http://learningcenter.berklee.edu/Contests/Music_For_Film_09

Berklee College of Music
Media Center
150 Massachusetts Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
Media Center - 2nd floor
The event is open to all filmmakers and composers free of charge.

Lorre on WUML radio March 26, 2009

2009-03-25T15:06:00.004-04:00

Tune in on the radio or online for Lorre's appearance on "The Long View" broadcasting live at 10:10am on WUML radio 91.5FM in Lowell, Massachusetts or online at http://www.thelongview.net.
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Lorre opening Lowell Film Festival April 3, 2009!

2009-03-04T12:15:00.003-05:00

Lorre will be the Guest Speaker for the kickoff reception of the Lowell Film Festival, April 3, 2009 at the Revolving Museum, 22 Shattuck Street in Lowell MA from 6-7:30pm. She will talk about her theory that as soon as grass is visible in the yard, it means it's going to snow again. Okay, really she'll be talking about MILLIES, of course, the process and the patience in this pursuit. She will also show the existing MILLIES videos to an enthusiastic, film-loving crowd. Should be a fantastic and intimate evening in a gorgeous mill city.

For more information on the film festival itself, visit:
http://www.lowellfilms.org

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Behind The Scenes Pics

2009-02-14T00:30:00.006-05:00

Added some pictures to the Millies page on Facebook, sometimes those pics are different than pictures on the official Millies web site so do check in on Facebook if you want to see some new shots.

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Millies group now on Facebook

2009-02-10T14:48:00.005-05:00

The title of this post is pretty cut and dried: we now have a MILLIES group on Facebook. Please join the group and invite your friends to Be A Millie!

Join the MILLIES page on Facebook!

Companies contributing to MILLIES

2009-02-05T09:20:00.003-05:00

Our links page has been updated with the many companies who've given goods and services to MILLIES. Please drop them a line thanking them for their support of this film. It matters!

http://www.milliesmovie.com/links.html

Lorre @ Hillview Montessori School

2009-02-03T09:14:00.005-05:00

The exceptional students at Hillview Montessori in Haverhill MA provided a terrific reception to Lorre's speaking engagement there on Jan. 13, 2009. The student reviewers summed it up like this:

Lights, Camera, Action!

Independent filmmaker Lorre Fritchy recently visited Hillview Montessori Charter Public School in Haverhill. The students there recently performed a play based on the Bread and Roses Strike of 1912. She talked about a movie that is in production called “Millies” which is about a group of mill worker ghosts that come back from the Bread and Roses Strike to help a bankrupt mill owner in modern times when her future threatens their past.

“I thought that the plotline was cool because it has ghosts in it,” said Grady Maguire. Lorre also talked about the importance of preserving history and how she didn’t like how people demolished mill buildings.

“She was a very good role model,” said Abby K. To show us some of her other work she showed us a clip from the first movie she completed called “Sandy ‘Spin’ Slade Beyond Basketball”. ”Millies” is her third movie. We can’t wait to see it!

By:
CJ Axford and Kevin Greene
HVM Upper Elementary Students

To have Lorre speak at your school, company, or organization, visit the Filmmaker Speaking Series page at MasterPeace Productions.

Millies exhibit comments

2009-01-17T10:44:00.003-05:00

Thanks so much for your wonderful comments in the Comment Book from the Assassination of Lincoln exhibit. It was a grueling effort to get that exhibit up and running, as is the process of taking it all apart. So your positive support means a great deal, on both the exhibit and the film.

A common theme in your comments was how important it was to document this process and capture the past. I appreciate you other Millies out there, believe me. You keep me going during the times when the tasks to be done are mountainous.

Eventually, I will have the majority of prints from the exhibit up on the web site for purchase, but for now we've got highlights to tide you over ;-)

http://www.milliesmovie.com/lincoln_photos.html

Video From The Set of MILLIES The Movie

2009-01-14T20:00:00.002-05:00

From the mill rooftops of Lawrence, Massachusetts on our first day filming exteriors for MILLIES:

Lincoln Foods prints for sale on MILLIES web site

2009-01-07T13:27:00.002-05:00

A newsletter will be coming soon, but I wanted to let you know that a selection of prints from our successful "Assassination of Lincoln" photo exhibit are now on sale in our Mill Store:

http://www.milliesmovie.com/lincoln_photos.html

Thanks to those of you who came out to join us in the raw and nasty ice storm for our fantastic reception. And to those of you who visited the exhibit on your own. It was our last big and creative event of 2008, giving us renewed energy for MILLIES as 2009 begins.

New Video on YouTube

2008-12-11T12:16:00.003-05:00

Didn't think we'd do an event without a video to accompany it,did you? "The Assassination of Lincoln: Teardown of a Century-Old Mill" is now available for viewing on YouTube. Most of the images captured are of a place that no longer exists except on film. Very interested to hear your comments on that one.

Photo Exhibit - prints coming soon

2008-12-11T11:43:00.003-05:00

Thanks to all of you who attended our opening reception for the Lincoln Foods photo exhibit last week. People were unbelievably generous with their comments, time, and participation. We raffled off some 5x7 and 8x10 copies of the more than 50 prints that appear in the exhibit. "The Assassination of Lincoln: Teardown of a Century-Old Mill" show runs through Dec. 19 at essex art center, 56 island street, lawrence ma from M-F 10-6. Sign the guest book if you get to check it out! For more info., visit our Events page.

Many people have expressed interest in ordering prints, and I am working on getting that available to you online in our Mill Store. One ginormous thing at a time ;-)

Happy Holidays!
~Lorre

Millies in Merrimack Valley Magazine

2008-11-12T10:17:00.006-05:00

The Nov/Dec 2008 issue of the glossy pub Merrimack Valley Magazine has an excellent summary of the Millies: Playing With A Movie stage adaptation performed in September. Page 12 has the scoop, plus some great pics by enthused audience member and colleague Logan Seale.

Lorre Guest Speaking at College

2008-11-12T10:13:00.004-05:00

Excited to be doing a presentation for the Contemporary Affairs Club at Northern Essex Community College Nov. 12th. The topic will be Millies but also the labor issues and historic research surrounding the textile strike of 1912, the Bread & Roses Strike. And discussing the similarities and parallels between then and now. Can I just tell you, I love talking about the history and research aspects of the project and how I use them in a modern-day story because the lessons, for better or for worse, still apply.

Upcoming Photo Exhibit - December 8-19th, 2008

2008-10-29T18:08:00.003-04:00

The Assassination of Lincoln: Teardown of a Century-Old Mill - This photographic exhibit by writer/director Lorre Fritchy depicts the dismantling of the 100+ year old Lincoln Foods mill building in Lawrence, MA in varying stages mid-2008. Part of the takedown was also filmed for Fritchy's movie Millies (see footage of this shoot at http://www.youtube.com/lfritchy).

Fritchy's photographs will be on display for two weeks at the Essex Art Center, kicking off Monday, December 8th with a special Artists' Reception from 6:30-8:30pm, free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. The exhibit will run in the main gallery from 10-6pm, from 12/09/08 to 12/19/08. Free admission. (56 Island Street, Lawrence MA)

Visit the exhibit to witness the haunting beauty and rubbled remains of history as Lincoln falls, brick by brick.

Lawrence History Center geneaology talk

2008-10-29T16:20:00.003-04:00

A fantastic discussion at the Lawrence History Center last night, a big thanks to LHC for inviting me to speak to their Geneaology Group. Since more people ask about the "glamorous" part of the actual film shoot, I hardly ever get to talk about the intense (and fun for geeks like me) research I had to do to write this film. Bringing history to life while still telling an entertaining, fictional story is nearly impossible without gobs of research. Plus, the staff at the History Center will tell you, I love the smell of history. Old books, old maps, objects from the past -- stories abound. So it was terrific to have the opportunity to address fellow researchers who understand the buzz you get from making discoveries, connections, and insights into the past.

MILLIES T-shirts are here!

2008-10-23T12:59:00.007-04:00

At long last, you can be a MILLIE, too! Our hip and comfy tees are just waiting to vogue on your body. We have three colors to choose from: white, sandstone, and dijon - all with the same front and back design. The back features the MILLIES logo and web site while the front proudly affirms, "Yes, I'm A Millie" ;-)

This shirt will actually factor into the film, so you will have the same tee as some characters in the movie! It's definitely a conversation-starter, and at $20 it's a very economical way to contribute to the financing of this film.

Visit our mill store at http://www.milliesmovie.com/movie_tee.html to have a look before buying.

PS - A special something if your name is actually "Millie"! Email us before ordering.