Mention film and Rochester in the same breath and people will likely assume you're talking about Kodak - and, for the most part, they'd probably be right. But while it's not yet widespread knowledge, Rochester actually has a burgeoning movie-making community committed to turning this area into the next big film hub.

If you're involved with the local arts community, or are an avid reader of the arts section, you might be aware of some shorts and feature-length films that have been shot in Rochester over the years. Last year's "Cherry Crush" was directed by local Nicholas DiBella, and starred Hollywood actors, including Nikki Reed ("Thirteen") and Oscar-nominated Michael O'Keefe ("Roseanne"). Anyone who ordered a pizza in 2005 is apt to remember the local film "Drivers Wanted," due in part to its clever guerilla marketing campaign that included flyers delivered with pizzas across the city. And festival-goers may also cite the recent "Smoking Laws" by local director Matt Ehlers, which just premiered earlier this month as part of this year's Rochester High Falls International Film Festival.

Even with some local films of decent renown, it would seem optimistic to pronounce Rochester the next big city for independent filmmaking. But look a bit closer and you'll find that optimism may be a reality.

Standing inside an ordinary-looking school hallway adorned with lockers (replete with those iconic combination locks), a traditional stainless steel drinking fountain, and those sterile cinder block walls, you can almost hear the faint sound of a school bell - except this hallway isn't in a school at all. Rather, the full-scale re-creation has been built on an old basketball court inside the 4 million-square-foot Rochester Tech Park on Elmgrove Road. The hallway is just one part of the impressive set being used for the current feature-length production "Sophomore," from writer/director T. Lee Beideck, the same local talent behind "Drivers Wanted."

Beideck and producer Rich Angell run Pillen's Farm, a production company based out of the Rochester Tech Park, which, thanks to the inspiration provided by the duo, will soon be home to New York State's largest soundstage, Rochester Park Studios. Beideck and Angell have received offers to work in bigger cities, but the two made a conscious decision to continue making films in Rochester.

"It takes a whole community to make a film, and we couldn't ask for better than Rochester," Beideck says. "I mean, I've lived here almost my whole life, but until you're out meeting everybody with a purpose, you don't get to see all that's going on here."

While filming "Sophomore," the production crew required the shut down of several streets, including Browncroft Boulevard, for filming purposes. Beideck and Angell say that the community was both excited and supportive, rather than inconvenienced, which is often the case in larger cities.

"In cities like L.A., it's hard to get locations because they're already beat up, or some guy will come out and mow his lawn on purpose so they'll have to pay him to quiet up," Angell says. "Here people are respectful and happy to help. Plus, Rochester has anything that L.A. or Chicago or New York has, just on a smaller scale."

In order to pursue his dream of becoming a filmmaker, West Irondequoit grad Beideck went to film school in New York City. But after two years he dropped out, ready to embark on his calling. He convinced his parents to give him the two additional years of tuition money to jump-start his filmmaking career. Now, he has a feature film and several shorts under his belt, and "Drivers Wanted" has received critical praise from celebrities like John Landis, director of "Animal House," and Tony Hawk, professional skateboarder and pop culture icon.

"We've got to flush out the idea in Rochester that just because something is a big idea doesn't mean it's a bad idea," Beideck says. "How did companies like Paychex and Kodak begin? They began because people took a chance and said, ‘Let's try something new.' And that's what we're doing."

To that end, Beideck and Angell are actively involved in educating the community about the filmmaking process. They give lectures at local schools and colleges, and also encourage local aspiring filmmakers to get involved with their projects.The two claim that some of their hardest-working crew members were students who approached them after one of their college talks.

"We have RIT film students," Beideck says, "but not a lot of them stay here in Rochester because they feel there's no work. Our job is to help keep them here by growing a film scene in Rochester with plenty of work for everybody."

The film"Sophomore" is a comedy that follows a group of high school 10th-graders through a series of adventures involving their teachers, parents, and siblings. About 70 percent of the filming is already complete and was shot in Irondequoit, Spencerport, Penfield, the Cobb's Hill area and on sets built at the Rochester Tech Park. The actors are predominantly Rochester talent, except for a couple of roles that will be filled by some well-known Hollywood actors - but those names are still under wraps.

In addition to a predominantly local cast and crew, Beideck and Angell were able to secure the majority of "Sophomore"'s roughly $1 million budget right here in Rochester.

"It's not just about finding investors and raising the money," Beideck says. "It's about educating people about the process, because it's a new idea around here. Just like if I was the head of Pepsi and I say, ‘Here's what goes into it, and here's where we make our profits.' But hopefully, it's a lot more exciting than a bottle of Pepsi."

One of the biggest challenges in educating a burgeoning film community is to re-train people on how to perceive local films.

"Everything is local depending on where you are," Beideck says. "Pearl Jam is a local band if you live in Seattle; M. Night Shyamalan is a local filmmaker if you live in Philadelphia."

No release date is currently set for "Sophomore," but Beideck and Angell are planning to start negotiating worldwide distribution rights by early summer. A trailer for the film is currently available on its official website, sophomoremovie.com.

In addition to the efforts by local filmmakers to increase film activity in Rochester, Governor David Paterson announced a new bill at this year's Tribeca Film Festival that will expand tax credits for filmmakers in New York State, and also help boost the local film economy. The now-signed legislation triples the percentage of qualified production costs eligible for credit from 10 percent to 30 percent, an attempt to make New York's tax credits comparable with those offered in nearby states, which commonly offer credits in the 20 percent to 30 percent range.

Rochester is also fortunate to have a non-profit economic development organization dedicated to marketing the area to attract film production. The Rochester/Finger Lakes Film and Video office is funded in part by Monroe County and Visit Rochester (formerly the Greater Rochester Visitor's Association), and provides scouting assistance and information on local resources and services. In its 18 years of service, the office has helped establish Rochester as one of the foremost hubs for film production in the east, reportedly second in the state only to New York City.

While a large bulk of filming in Rochester is for television and corporate advertisements, feature film production now makes up approximately 6 percent of that business, according to June Foster, executive director of the Rochester/ Finger Lakes Film and Video Office. In addition, Rochester is frequently used for second unit filmmaking - which entails scenic and aerial shots - because of the wide variety of locations it offers. For instance, many of the crop circle shots for M. Night Shyamalan's "Signs" were shot in the Rochester area.

"We have so much indigenous film talent, and it's a very exciting time right now," Foster says. "In 2007 our total economic impact was $13 million - the most in a single year to date."

According to Foster, 2008 is already shaping up to be a big year for feature film production in the area. The film "Man in the Maze" will be shot here this year with an estimated budget of $10 million to $15 million. Its executive producer is Alexander Payne, director of the independent darling "Sideways."

"Man in the Maze" is not only using Rochester as a filming location. The crew also consists of many Rochesterians, including director Robert Manganelli (director of 2001's "After Image," which was shot in Rochester and starred rocker John Mellencamp), producers Chris Nakis and John Cocca, and art director and co-producer John Vincent.

Vincent, a Rochester native, worked in both New York City and Los Angeles before eventually settling back here, his hometown. His long list of film credits includes visual effects work on cult classics like "Freaked" and sci-fi favorites like "Robot Wars" and "Prehysteria." He now works full-time as a writer, director, and effects artist, and as president of his own production company, Philrose Productions, which provides effects and production management for industrial videos, commercials, and feature films.

"There are other smaller cities with big film communities, like Austin and Portland, that are really promoting their work, and it pumps millions of dollars into their economies," Vincent says. "We need to promote that here. We're not Hollywood, and we never will be, so to people here it's very intangible to think of Rochester as a film city. But to us, it is what we do already, so we need to change the way they're thinking."

Vincent also remains involved with a core group of local filmmakers committed to boosting the Rochester film scene. He co-hosts a podcast on local writer/filmmaker/animator Mike Boas' website, maddogmovies.com, and will shoot a lower budget film ("100 grand or less," he says) with Boas this year with the working title "Lake Midnight." In addition, Vincent acted as second unit director to Matt Ehler's recently premiered film, "Smoking Laws."

"People like Matt and others could be working in L.A. or New York, but the great thing here is that we just help each other out or work for free on each other's films," Vincent says. "It's a ‘You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours' mentality, because we're all in this together."

"Smoking Laws," directed and written by Ehlers, was shot entirely on location at Mex Restaurant on Alexander Street. The film centers on a group of hardcore smokers stuck outside their favorite bar on the coldest night of the year. While the feature-length film just had its premiere in Rochester earlier this month, Ehlers has been making shorts for several years that have been shown at the Sundance Film Festival, as well as on HBO and Comedy Central.

"One of the best and worst things about Rochester is that it's pretty isolated, so there's no real pressure to put a cookie-cutter feel on your films," Ehlers says. "Here I can do what I want because there's less pressure. But at the same time, because it's so isolated, it can be hard to get distribution."

In addition to the inner circles that exist within the community, a couple of local filmmaking groups exist to promote and capitalize on the interconnectedness of the Rochester film community, and the willingness of local filmmakers to collaborate on each other's projects. Rochester Movie Makers (rochestermoviemakers.org) was started last year by Stan Main as a venue for local filmmakers to exchange ideas, network, and work collectively on projects. A second group, Rochester Film Lab (groups.yahoo.com/group/rochesterfilmlab), has been around for several years, and was previously the local chapter of the Association of Independent Video and Filmmakers. It offers a classroom-like setting where filmmakers can share and critique one another's work.

Rick Staropoli, a former trial attorney turned actor/writer/director and one of the members of the Rochester Movie Makers club, also says that Rochester is on the verge of public awareness as a major film hub.

"The major difference with Rochester is that it's tighter knit," Staropoli says. "People are willing to put in significant time, and you can easily form this team in a short amount of time, whereas in Philly or Chicago they are in a been-there-done-that stage. Sure, there's competition, but it's friendly competition, because we all have the same goal in mind; no one can do a feature film alone."

Staropoli is currently working on several projects, one of the largest being the co-production of a feature length film titled "Sleep Shift," which was written and will be directed by RIT MFA candidate Neal Dhand, originally from Philadelphia. Also involved in the film's production is actor/producer Scott Lancer (who also heads up the production company Discreet Charm with Dhand), writer/actress Marcy Savastano, and producer Eric Shoen.

The neo-noir "Sleep Shift" is currently still in the financing stage, and the group held a premiere screening event for the trailer and other shorts at the School of the Arts back in February (the trailer is now available on the Discreet Charm website, discreetcharm.net). While it may sound strange to screen a trailer for a film that doesn't yet exist, the idea is common in the independent film community, where teasers are often shot to attract investors (the Coen brothers used this method in their early career). In the case of "Sleep Shift," a packed crowd at the School of the Arts bodes well for the film's investment future.

Dhand's other works, including several shorts and music videos (also available on the Discreet Charm site), boast such high production value that they eschew the normal negative stigma associated with "local" filmmaking. And while Dhand remains humble, his co-producers are perfectly willing to praise his flair for filmmaking.

"Neal is just so humble, down-to-earth, talented and together that we all knew we had to work with him," Staropoli says.

While Dhand's career certainly seems to be going places, he claims to be staying right here. "For me, if you'd asked me a year ago, I would say I'd like to go back to Philly. But now I know everything is here that I need and want. My production team is here and there's a great art scene," he says.

While many are just beginning their Rochester film careers as the scene grows, there are also quite a few established local filmmakers who have been working and making films in the area for years. Chris Seaver has been writing, directing, and producing films for more than 17 years, with the last 10 years spent in Rochester. As president of Low Budget Pictures (lowbudgetpictures.net) he has attained a kind of cult status; his portfolio of more than 30 films includes titles like "Filthy McNasty" and "Filthy McNastier"; the "Heather and Puggly" series, including "Heather and Puggly Cock-Block the Apocalypse"; and "Mulva: Zombie Ass Kicker!"

As the films' titles imply, Seaver's movies are comedic - often verging on ridiculous - low-budget horror movies regularly compared to those made by the king of low-budget filmmaking, Troma Entertainment. For the unfamiliar, the Lloyd Kaufman-run independent filmmaking studio is responsible for more than 1000 movies since 1974, the best known being "Toxic Avenger."

Whereas many other local filmmakers are still looking for their big break, Seaver has, for all intents and purposes, already made it.

"I love being sort of the bastard stepchild of Troma, 'cause that's the stuff that I clung to growing up," Seaver says. "I'd love to be the next Troma. Lloyd Kauffman is a millionaire, and he's a millionaire from making shit... And knowing how crappy and B-movie-ish my work is, and knowing there's people out there who still dig it, is mind-blowing and really fuels everything for me."

Seaver's newest project, "Ski Wolf," is due out late this fall. It's an 80's throwback to films like "Teen Wolf" and "Ski School." "It's sort of my version of what would happen if those two films had sex," Seaver says with a laugh. And while Seaver may be laughing, he takes his job quite seriously, often shooting six or more films in a year (though that number has dropped to about three since Seaver became a father). He finds creative fulfillment in making love ‘em or hate ‘em cult films.

While many of Seaver's films are available for rent online and in local and national stores, he doesn't think Rochester knows he's here.

"I have fans anywhere else you can pick, but I'm always shocked when someone from Rochester knows me," Seaver says. "I always think they should put out something in the video stores that says, ‘Made by Rochester filmmaker' so people know." He says, "Hey Rochester, let me know that you're here, and that you'd like to be involved in some way, or let me know that you've seen the crap."

With a wide variety of filmmakers, from a multitude of backgrounds, working in a range of genres, Rochester seems perched and ready to take hold of a piece of the independent filmmaking pie. But a big first step will be for Rochesterians to wake up and take notice of what's happening in their own backyard.

SIDEBARS:

A sampling of local films available for rent:

"Cherry Crush" Nicholas DiBella, Post Central Entertainment, 2006

"After Image" Robert Manganelli, Catch 23 Entertainment, 2001

Several movies from Low Budget Pictures, including: "Mulva: Zombie Ass Kicker!", "Quest for the Egg Salad," and "Teenape Goes to Camp."

"The Painted Veil," "We Don't Live Here Anymore." While these films were not shot in Rochester, Hollywood director John Curran calls the Rochester area home. Warner Independent Pictures and Front Street Productions, respectively.

Current local feature-length film projects:

"Fury" Horror film in post-production from local writer/director Liz Lehman. trilliumfilms.com/fury/

"Homicidez" A documentary confronting Rochester's high homicide rate from director/producer Nicholle La Van. web.mac.com/filmstress/Site/Homicidez.html

"The Last Experiment" A documentary from three local filmmakers about how the global climate change affects our community. lastexperiment.com

"The Machine Who Loved" An in-development sci-fi from writer/direct Zoje Stage. masterbuilderfilms.com

"Sign of the Times" Director/producer Don Casper's period piece about the invention of baseball signals.

"A Voice from The Lantern" Writer/director Anton Zane's haunting drama featuring music by Moby. lanternfilm.com/

Local film festivals:

Deaf Rochester Film Fest A festival celebrating and supporting films from the Deaf community. March 26-29, 2009. ideatools.rit.edu/sktedr/drff

ImageOut: The Rochester Lesbian and Gay Film and Video Festival Highlights films from the LGBT community. October 10-19, 2008. imageout.org/

Rochester High Falls International Film Festival A now-combined festival of the High Falls Film Festival and the Rochester International Film Festival. 2009 festival dates TBD. rochestersmoviefest.com

Rochester Jewish Film Festival Screens Jewish-themed films from around the world. July 13-21, 2008. rjff.org

Rochester Native American Film Festival Concentrates on films by Native Americans, or about Native American culture and identity. 2009 dates TBD. rocnafilms.org