Halbritter to attend Oscars

Oneida Leader Ray Halbritter to Attend Academy Awards; Will Meet with Movie Studio Executives About Bringing Film Production to CNYRay Halbritter, Oneida Nation Representative and CEO of Nation Enterprises, will attend the Academy Awards this weekend in Los Angeles and is scheduled to meet with several movie studios and entrainment leaders to discuss using Central New York as a filming location.

"With its diverse landscapes, universities, lakes, cities and workforce, Central New York is a wonderful place to film a movie," said Halbritter. "The Oneida Indian Nation has worked for years with Hollywood to address issues related to diversity and environmental awareness in films; we're now building on those relationships in an effort to bring major movie productions to Central New York. Beyond the much needed economic activity movie production would bring to this region, many people living in this area who are trained to work in film production are forced to move elsewhere to find employment opportunities--we hope to change that through this effort."

The Oneida Indian Nation has been deeply involved in the film and television industry for a number of years. The Nation launched Four Directions Productions, its award-winning 3D animation/HD cinematography studio nearly a decade ago, created Four Directions Talent as a conduit for surfacing American Indian actors, writers and directors, and produced a documentary, “The World of American Indian Dance,” that aired on NBC in 2003. Halbritter serves on the board of the Environmental Media Association, a group of leading actors and industry leaders that work with the film industry to ensure environmental issues are addressed through movies.

The Nation’s involvement in the entertainment industry intensified in 2007, when it produced its first 3D animated short of an Oneida legend, “Raccoon & Crawfish,” that went on to win 18 international film festivals, including the prestigious Moondance Festival in Hollywood and the International Film Festival of England. In 2008, “Raccoon & Crawfish” was screened at the world renowned Cannes Film Festival in France. Production is now underway on its second legend brought to life through animation, entitled “My Home.”Comment:  As someone suggested, how about if the Oneidas invest in and make films rather than just try to profit from them?

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