×

Film Fest kicks off, honors Enterprise

Adirondack Film Society Founder Nelson Page, Lake Placid Film Festival Director Gary Smith and Festival Marketing Director Charlene Trotter are seen at the Film Festival kickoff party at the Hotel Saranac in October 2019. (Enterprise photo — Griffin Kelly)

SARANAC LAKE — Stories and films are a great way to experience romance, action, comedy and scares. But the initial reason for these two media was to record time.

The Adirondack Film Society’s Lake Placid Film Festival kicked off with a party at the Hotel Saranac Wednesday night. The event also celebrated the Enterprise’s 125th anniversary. The event saw film festival and newspaper alumni coming together to celebrate the importance of recorded time.

Former Enterprise Features Editor Bruce Young reminisced about the good, and sometimes bad, old days at the paper, remembering stories of producing the Weekender and covering the September 11 attacks during his last week at the paper. Film Society founder Nelson Page commented on the festival becoming an important and attractive regional event for the Adirondacks. State Assemblyman Billy Jones D-Plattsburgh presented a resolution to Enterprise Publisher Catherine Moore, congratulating the paper on 125 years of reporting.

Alan Hofmanis came back to the North Country for the first time in a while. Back in the early 2000s, he was an aspiring filmmaker, sleeping in the back seat of his car while volunteering at the film festival. He later became the program director, and then his life took an interesting turn.

“I basically ran away and joined the circus,” he said. “I packed up all my stuff, moved to an African slum and survived by producing Hollywood-inspired action films.”

State Assemblyman Billy Jones, D-Plattsburgh, congratulates Enterprise Publisher Catherine Moore on the paper’s 125th anniversary at the Hotel Saranac Wednesday. Neighboring Assemblyman Dan Stec, R-Queensbury, although not present at the ceremony due to his son's Boy Scout event, also presented the Enterprise with a citation from the Assembly congratulating the Enterprise on its 125th year. (Enterprise photo — Griffin Kelly)

For the past 15 years, Hofmanis has been producing, distributing and staring in shoe-string budget action films akin to popular 1980s blockbusters such as “First Blood,” “Total Recall” and “Aliens.” His film “Bad Black” will screen during the festival.

After more than a decade, Hofmanis said being back in the North Country for the film festival feels familiar, but also like “everything has gotten a fresh coat of paint.”

“There’s a new-car smell, but the character is the same,” he said.

Former Enterprise reporter and current New York Times editor Chris Mele came up for the event. He said he appreciates the continuing work from the newspaper not only as a watchdog but as a general record keeper and piece of the community.

“You think about the role that the Enterprise fulfills in the community, it can’t be overstated how important it is as a watchdog and reflection on the community,” he said. “You’re telling people about birth announcements and high school graduations and events in the community and Winter Carnival. And then you’re also being mindful of the taxpayer purse and holding people in power accountable.

“Those were all things that were instilled in me when I worked there,” he added.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.75/week.

Subscribe Today