Coming of Age Movie Being Filmed in Pittsfield
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A coming-of-age movie is being shot in Pittsfield this summer.
On Tuesday, the Parks Commission permitted Caroline Film Inc. to film at Burbank Park on June 26 and at Deming Park on July 8.
"It's for a coming-of-age film about an 11-year-old girl named Caroline," the director said.
"I like to say it's 'Little Miss Sunshine,' 'Matilda,' a little 'Harriet The Spy,' like."
Residents of Lake Onota Village were also notified that filming will occur in the mobile home park this month.
At Burbank Park, filming is expected from about 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. with a maximum of around 50 people. The film's location director said the spot is "out of the way" and won't impact pedestrian traffic.
They do plan to have a fire ring and an open fire with a fire safety staff member present.
In the Burbank Park scene, the little girl and her family will have a picnic and then pitch a tent and have a sleepover.
At Deming Park, filming was approved for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with somewhat fewer people on site. In scenes, the lead, Caroline, and her friends will cut through the park on their way home from school, entering behind Palmers Variety Store and exchanging secret handshakes.
They won't be using the playground or ballfields.
It was pointed out that this park has close-by neighbors and is used by the Pittsfield Little League. This is the season for all-star tournaments, and Commissioner Anthony DeMartino asked for an earlier wrap time so as not to interfere.
"I can't tell you if there's a game on that day, but I can assure you that if there's not a game, that Little League field will be used for practice," he said.
Permission for Deming Park was granted under the condition that the producers connect with the Little League, and permission for Burbank Park was granted pending communication with the Fire Department and a site visit with the Parks Department.
The director said it was her sixth movie in the Berkshires, and it was "really nice to come back."
Also listed on the application, but not present, is Mark Farrell, who IMDb says focuses on comedy, music, biography, and social consciousness.
The Commission also learned that there is a temporary pause in the demolition of Wahconah Park's grandstand.
Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath reported that the contractor was unable to achieve the negative air required for some of the hazardous material abatement.
"Negative air is a really important part of making certain that stuff doesn't migrate out of the site and that workers are safe," he said.
"The building is pretty tricky. Once they started getting into the building, they were having a hard time achieving negative air in that home locker room space. They went back to [Department of Environmental Protection.] There was a whole bunch more work that they needed to do to refine the plan."
He said they are at a point where a plan can be signed off on, and there is a change order request for additional funding that is being reviewed.
"We hope to, in the next week or so, remobilize the crew down there and really begin to demolish and take down portions of that building, so that's where we are," McGrath said.
"The project is paused, but there's a very good reason for that."
If funding is in line, they hope to take the grandstand down by the end of September. Construction plans are almost at 100 percent.
Tags: movie, public parks,
