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Hollywood Haven
Media group brings Alec Baldwin to Omni April 2
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Business New Haven
3/23/1998
By: Nick Raposo
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Entrepreneur/developer Bob Matthews and the Mass Media Alliance, a non-profit regional trade group, will host film actor Alec Baldwin at a gala fundraiser on April 2 at the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale.
The event will kick off the New Haven Film Festival and present Baldwin with the “Spirit of Independents” award, recognizing the actor's dedication to the independent film movement.
Says event organizer and Mass Media Alliance founder Joan Quinn Eastman: “We're very fortunate to have Alec Baldwin as the figurehead for this event. We're also honoring local filmmaker Brad Anderson, whose Next Stop Wonderland netted a $6 million deal with Miramax at the Sundance Film Festival.”
Also at the event, Academy Award-winning screenwriter Ernest Thompson, author of On Golden Pond, will receive an award for his accomplished career in the industry.
Says Eastman, “It is going to be an extremely glamorous, exciting evening.” Vocalist Cherma Andrews will perform, Bob Matthews and his bride, actress Mia Sneden Matthews, will help with hosting chores, and deejay Chris Walsh of Hartford's WKSS radio will play dance music the balance of the night.
If it sounds like all play and no work, Eastman adds, “It's also going to be an excellent networking opportunity: a fabulous way for business people to connect with the creative community.”
The Mass Media Alliance is working to create an active regional network of experienced entertainment industry professionals. Eastman confides, “We have a secret catch phrase for our organization; it's 'I don't want to move to New York or L.A.' The primary purpose is to connect [entertainment] professionals so they learn about each other's resources.”
But Eastman is quick to point out that her organization is also focused on bringing business to entertainment. “This initial effort is dovetailing with the revitalization occurring in New Haven. There are tremendous investment opportunities in [many genres of] production, and business people aren't aware of them.”
The purpose of the event is to help business people learn about what Eastman calls “the ancillary benefits to the surrounding community from film, or whatever type of production is being done. For every dollar spent [on a production],” she says, “five dollars are returned to the community. It spirals.”
The event will begin with a VIP champagne reception at 6 p.m., followed at 7 by the “Grand Celebration.” Tickets for the latter are $50, while admission for both is $75. A portion of the evening's proceeds will benefit Paul Newman's Hole-in-the-Wall Gang fund. Interested parties may contact 617-557-5937 or 203-562-1000 for particulars.
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