Crailo Wins 2010 CINE Eagle Award & Special Jury Prize!

An idea generated by the staff at Crailo State Historic Site—to combine a 350 year old local court record and Dutch genre painting and bring them to life--has been recognized by the National CINE Film Awards! In early 2009, Argentine Productions was chosen to produce the 2 – 3 minute film for Crailo's 2009 permanent installation, A Sweet and Alien Land: Colony of the Dutch in the Hudson River Valley. The production, which took place near Pittsburgh, Pa. in a very cold studio, included two Dutch Americans, actors from local colleges, and a couple volunteers. Site staff were on hand to advise on 17th century Dutch mannerisms and costuming. While there were many tricky obstacles to overcome with the 17th century script, the most challenging aspect of the filming was the struggle to replicate the exact poses of the six actors to those of the characters within the painting.

Just before the holidays, Crailo's 2 minute and 48 second film, Keeping Order: A Fort Orange Court Record had won a prestigious CINE Golden Eagle Award. Shortly after the film recieved a second honor, the CINE Golden Eagle Special Jury Prize for Best in Arts and Exhibits—the top award of all films in this category for 2009. The film can be seen in its entirety at the museum. See a preview of the film.