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Financing delays film at Air Force Academy
Comments 0 | Recommend 0The Air Force Academy may be ready for a closeup, but fillmakers are holding off.
"Bring Me Men," an independent film that was to begin shooting in May at the academy, will now be put off for a year, said Charles Morrison, the film's producer.
"It's very disappointing," he said. "We were anxiously looking forward to working with the Air Force this summer."
Morrison said the financing he had in place when he announced the $6 million project in November 2007, was no longer available. He said he could not secure new financial backers in time to meet the filming window that would capture graduation in May and basic training for new cadets in June. Instead, he asked the Air Force for an extension so the project could film next year.
Morrison said he's still searching for funding.
"It's just a difficult time this year to raise money," he said.
"Bring Me Men" is a fictional retelling of the arrival of the first women cadets at the academy in 1976. The title refers to the famous motto at the academy's Terrazzo entrance, which was removed in 2003 and replaced by the academy's core values.
Academy spokesman Johnny Whitaker said the one-year delay was by mutual agreement.
"The good thing about the Air Force Academy is that we basically do the same thing at the same time year after year after year," Whitaker said.
Tom Como, the film's coproducer, said the project would have meant 60 to 70 jobs for local crewmembers.
"To be honest with you, it's one of the few feature films that was actually going to come here," he said.
Como said he's confident that "Bring Me Men" will be a go next year.
Colorado Springs film commissioner Kim Griffis said it will be better for the Springs that the producers wait until everything is in place to begin filming.
"Even though it's a kink in the wheels, it's still going to move forward," she said.
Morrison said he will post updates on the project on his production company Web site, www.summitworksfilms.com.
CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0275 or awineke@gazette.com
