"Forged" Filmed in NEPA and Produced By Scranton Native Joe Van Wie (2010)

Check out the new issue of Go Lackawanna (July 24th); the cover story (Scene in Scranton) discusses the new film Forged, filmed in Northeastern Pennsylvania and Co-Executive Produced by Scranton native Joe Van Wie.

Forged tells the story of 13 year-old Machito, who must come to terms with the murder of his mother at the hands of his father Chaco.

Forged opens in New York and Los Angeles this Friday, June 29th. The film will premiere locally at Marquee Cinemas in downtown Scranton on Friday, Aug. 12. Screenings will continue through at least Sunday, Aug. 14.

According to the article, Forged will be released on DVD and Netflix in September.

Click here to read the full article from Go Lackawanna.

The film was also featured as a Cover Story in last week's issue of The Weekender. To read the article, click here.

UPDATE 7/30: Forged received a rave review in Friday's New York Times. Click here to read it.

UPDATE 8/16: Click here to read an article from the Times-Tribune about the Scranton premiere of Forged.

http://forgedmovie.com/

http://www.facebook.com/forgedmovie

Request for Information Regarding W-B Based Film Companies "De Frenes and Company" or "BDF Films"

A reader of this blog, Mike Champlin, recently sent me a question that I need your help with. He writes:

"Hi Bill-

"I saw your blog and thought you might be the right person to ask about this company 'De Frenes and Company, Wilkes-Barre, PA' which produced films from 1920 to well into the 1950s.

"Is there any institution in Wilkes-Barre that may have information about this company, or its sister company 'B.D.F Films'?

"I am doing research on a film this company produced in 1921 'A Movie Trip Through Film Land'. The goal would be to research what became of the production company and to discover if any of their records or production materials survive. Thank you for taking the time to read this and considering my request. Any help would be most appreciated.

Best,
Mike Champlin"

I did refer Mike to both the Osterhout Free Library in Wilkes-Barre and the Luzerne County Historical Society. BUT I need your help, too. If there are any local history or movie buffs out there who are familiar with either De Frenes and Company or BDF Films (both now defunct, but originally based in Wilkes-Barre, PA), will you PLEASE help Mike by emailing me with any information you have? Or you can even leave me a message in the Meebo box on the lefthand side of the blog.

Thanks for your question, Mike, and I'll do my best to seek an answer for you. But if you find it first, please email me too so I can post the info here in the blog.

Thanks :-)