LIVERPOOL — Last August, director Jeremy Garelick announced that he would move his American High film studio and trade school out of Liverpool’s historic Zogg building, but now — after recently receiving a county grant for $250,000 — the cameras continue to roll locally.
American High, has produced 10 feature films locally since he bought the 91-year-old high-school building for an estimated $1 million in 2017 and dubbed it the Academy at Syracuse Studios.
While several of American High’s teen-oriented comedies such as “Big Time Adolescence” and “The Binge” have screened at prestigious festivals and found receptive audiences on video-on-demand services, Garelick said that the high cost of complying with village and state codes prompted last year’s decision to sell the building and its 6.9-acre lot.
Last week Garelick confirmed via email that he has received the grant which was administered by the Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency and the county’s office of Economic Development.
First Ward Salina Town Councilor Nick Paro, who works as an analyst for the Onondaga County Legislature, said the grant began as a loan with stipulations.
“American High received a $250,000 loan that they will have to pay back unless they produce two movies or TV shows,” Paro said. “If they produce the movies and/or TV shows the loan becomes a grant.”
Garelick acknowledged the arrangement.
“Yes, ‘Plan B’ was the first [of the two required movies],” he wrote. “‘Sex Appeal’ is the second, and we’re about to start shooting our third. I’m not allowed to announce what it is yet, but it will be the 11th feature we’ve brought here.”
While the county stipulated that two movies had to be produced, Garelick said the money would go toward codes compliance.
“We’re incredibly appreciative and have already begun working on the village and state code requests,” Garelick wrote. “This will allow us to continue to build upon what we had originally set out to do here. Hopefully the combination of COVID-19 easing and the code compliance will allow us to continue to remain here in Liverpool, but as I’ve learned over my 20-year career in this business, nothing is ever certain.”
Liverpool Mayor Gary White said he hopes the grant helps convince Garelick to remain here.
“Since he got that grant,” White said, “I’m thinking they’re probably going to stay.”
