Film Commission

FilmmakingEditor: It's good to see The Sun promoting the importance of the filmmaking industry to Maryland's economy. Your June 24 editorial ("Hollywood on the Monongahela") and Eric Siegel's June 16 article ("Maryland Filmmaking at a Crossroads") have placed a much-needed spotlight on the industry. However, I'd like to clarify a few points.The assumption that the TV movie "Cobb's Law" was shot in Pittsburgh instead of Baltimore because of union restrictions is not what my experience shows.

The Maryland Film Commission is looking for hundreds of good spots to shoot a movie.In a daylong tour of Carroll's highways and back roads, the commission's five-person staff saw plenty of spots that could end up on the silver screen someday."

If you want your children to be the first on the block to see ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze,'' tell the kids to save their money ($5) and get to the Yorkridge Cinemas on Saturday, March 16, at 10 a.m.Proceeds from the showing will go to The Children's House at Johns Hopkins Hospital. The kids will not only get to see the film, they will also be presented with a ''bag of goodies,'' whatever that means.If you want more information on the screening, call The Grant-A-Wish Foundation at 242-1549.

Imagine a Hollywood movie company coming to Havre de Grace to make a blockbuster film starring actors like Mel Gibson and Meryl Streep.Sound far-fetched? Maybe not.The state Film Commission came to Harford County on Thursday to scout sites for movies, television shows and commercials.Although no film projects are targeted for the county at the moment, the commission wants to be ready just in case, said Jay Schlossberg-Cohen, director of the commission.After the tour Thursday, commission members agreed Havre de Grace, with its bridges, historic structures and picturesque view of Chesapeake Bay and the Susquehanna River, is a top prospect for movie locations, Schlossberg-Cohen said.