GCFC announces Tom Hanks as guest of honor at "Behind The Camera" event

[Press release from the Greater Cleveland Film Commission.]

The Greater Cleveland Film Commission (GCFC) is excited to announce that Tom Hanks will be the guest of honor at their "Behind The Camera" event Friday, December 2, 2016 at 8:00pm at the InterContinental Cleveland Hotel and Conference Center, 9801 Carnegie Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106.

The Academy Award ®-winning actor, writer, producer, director and American icon will sit down with WKYC Channel 3 anchor Russ Mitchell in an intimate setting for a conversation about his career, his Cleveland roots and the impact that a full-time media industry can have on a region like Northeast Ohio.

"Behind The Camera" is the Greater Cleveland Film Commission's signature fundraising event, bringing the best of Hollywood to Cleveland for unique insights into their career and the industry. In the past, GCFC hosted the cast of HBO's "Band of Brothers" (produced under Hanks' Playtone Productions) as they paid tribute to the brave men of Easy Company. Last year, Joe and Anthony Russo came home to reflect on their Cleveland beginnings while in post-production on "Captain America: Civil War," which still leads this year's worldwide box office.

"I am honored that Tom agreed to do this for our organization and for Northeast Ohio," said GCFC President Ivan Schwarz. "Working with him on 'From the Earth to the Moon,' and then again on 'Band of Brothers,' are definitely highlights of my career in this industry and I am thankful to be able to call him a colleague and a friend."

 

In addition to the gala event on Friday night, Mr. Hanks will be taking time Friday morning to talk to local high school and college students who are interested in pursuing careers in media and theater.  This event will be hosted by GCFC at Cuyahoga Community College's Metro Campus.

Individual registrations for general admission seating to the event can be secured with a $250 tax-deductible donation to GCFC.  Additional benefits such as complimentary valet, reserved seating and a VIP reception with Tom Hanks are available at higher levels of sponsorship.  For complete details, and to secure your seats for this once-in-a-lifetime experience, please visit GCFC's fundraising website at https://www.blacktie-america.com/rsvp/ and use the event code "BTC2016."  

All inquiries regarding either event should be directed to GCFC Director of Development Erin Gisel at 216-344-7471 or egisel@clevelandfilm.com.

GCFC is the only nonprofit dedicated to bringing jobs and economic impact to Northeast Ohio by supporting a thriving and adaptive local media industry. Since 2009, the State of Ohio has seen over $400 million in economic impact and created more than 1,700 full-time equivalent jobs thanks to media production. With the news last spring of state funding for a standalone film school at Cleveland State University, and a bill in the Ohio House of Representatives that increased the Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit to $40 million annually (up from $20 million), 2016 has been an exciting year for Northeast Ohio's burgeoning media industry.