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Council votes down RTC film
Published 8:24pm Monday, August 18, 2008Twin Cities filmmaker Dav Kaufman says he’ll take his production dollars elsewhere after Fergus Falls council members turned down his proposal for a film at the Regional Treatment Center Monday.
“I knew the answer was ‘no’ coming up here,” Kaufman said following the council’s 6-2 decision against the film. “They had their shot … there’s no incentive for us to look at this community any more.”
The decision came following dialogue between Kaufman, council members and Rick Anderson, who reiterated the opposition of Campus Development Group (CDG) to the film.
“We don’t want our future students to think about a horror film on that campus when they’re deciding whether or not to come to Fergus Falls,” Anderson said. “This isn’t about China. This is about parents and students.”
According to Anderson, leaders at Chinese universities have said they would never allow a film of this genre to be filmed in the dormitories at their current schools in China. He also said plans for an international business college at the RTC are progressing.
“We’re almost to the point where we’re going to be closing some of the agreements,” he said. “We are moving ahead with construction plans because of the short time period that we need.”
Most council members opted to trust developers’ belief that a film would jeopardize the college project.
“I don’t think I’m in a position to say they’re wrong,” said Ben Schierer, fourth ward alderman.
Other people have expressed concerns about the film since Kaufman’s last visit to Fergus Falls Aug. 4. In an e-mail to City Administrator Mark Sievert Monday, Alan Van Buskirk, physical plant operations manager at the RTC, said he was concerned how the film would affect both the chemical dependency program and the timeline of the asbestos abatement project.
Only council members Tim Jensen and Greg Stumbo voted in favor of the project, which would have brought a crew of at least 70 to Fergus Falls for a month of filming beginning in mid-October.
“I see them as two separate projects,” said Stumbo, saying he wished there had been a way to make both of them work.
“I just think both projects are very good for the community,” Jensen said.
But Monday’s decision means Kaufman is moving on. The director said he’s spent the past two weeks visiting three other Minnesota film sites, none of which he could disclose.
“They work but they’re not as good as this building,” he said.
Kaufman had wanted to use the RTC so badly that he offered to sign a four-week lease agreement worth $10,000 — money he said he would have deducted from his own paycheck. Kaufman also said he’s been approached by many local residents and business owners who support the film.
“Honestly, I’ve never seen this in any community,” said Chris Grap, production services manager for the Minnesota Film and Television Board. Grap works to promote economic development via film projects around the state and first visited Fergus Falls last year. He says he’ll keep Fergus Falls in mind for future projects, but not until after the fate of the RTC is determined later this year.
“It’s a great community,” he said, “but the drawing point really is the RTC.”
