Olympia Dukakis is a MILLIE!!!!!

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!!!

Imploding History

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.

$10 Tees holiday sale

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

Film Snobs catch Lorre

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

MILLIES team hosts doc screening April 15, 2009

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

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.

Millies group now on Facebook

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!

Lorre @ Hillview Montessori School

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.

Video From The Set of MILLIES The Movie

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

Lawrence History Center geneaology talk

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.