LANSING – The Michigan Film Office announced Thursday that the feature film Silver Bells has been approved for a film incentive from the state. A Christmas story, the project features a tale of redemption and family traditions. It is being produced in association with the Salvation Army and will film in Manistee, Grand Rapids and Ludington this month.
Michigan filmmaker Harold Cronk will direct the project. In addition to filming on location, Silver Bells will also film at 10 West Studios in Manistee. 10 West Studios will also lead the post-production efforts on the project, making it a Michigan-made project from start to finish.
?This family-oriented project highlights several West Michigan communities as well as our Pure Michigan winter season, helping promote the state to a wide audience,? said Margaret O?Riley, director of the Michigan Film Office. ?This is also a terrific opportunity to support our local film talent ? from director Harold Cronk to the graduates of the Film Crew Training Program at West Shore Community College he plans to hire.?
Silver Bells was awarded an incentive of $177,655 on $591,213 of projected in-state expenditures. The project expects to hire 50 Michigan workers with the full time equivalent of 3 jobs.
This holiday story revolves around a hyper-competitive father and his journey to discover the true meaning of Christmas and hope. The Salvation Army plays a pivotal role throughout the film as the family volunteers with the organization in various ways. The project is expected to air on the Gospel Music Channel after a limited theatrical release.
?We are very excited to have been approved for the incentives and to be shooting another film in our beautiful West Michigan backyard,? Cronk said.
In Fiscal Year 2013, ten projects have been awarded a total of $10,872,946 on $37,937,440 of approved production expenditures for the year. These projects are expected to create 729 Michigan hires with a full time equivalent of 218 jobs.
