LIVERPOOL — After putting its summer film festival on the back burner, the American High film company is now postponing the fifth anniversary celebration that had been scheduled in Liverpool for Aug. 20.
Heath Cottingem — director of operations at American High’s Academy at Syracuse Studios — appeared before the Village of Liverpool Planning Board on July 25 and announced that the anniversary celebration was being postponed to sometime in the fall, possibly October.
In a telephone interview, Axelle Azoulay, co-director of the outdoor all-day birthday party, said she was disappointed but understood the reasons for the postponement.
“We’ve got an important film shoot here this summer,” she pointed out.
Last week, Cottingem presented the planning board with a 13-day shooting schedule for a comedy-horror film, from July 29 through Aug. 26. Cameras will roll Aug. 1, 2 and 3 at 412 Cypress St., and all subsequent scenes will be shot at the American High building at 800 Fourth St.
That property, which American High CEO Jeremy Garelick purchased in 2017, includes 6-plus acres of land along with the former Liverpool High School building, constructed in 1929.
According to this summer’s shooting schedule, the planned scenes involve special effects, pyrotechnics, stunts, prop weapons and child actors. While filming on Aug. 25 at 800 Fourth St., an animal wrangler will oversee the performance of a goat.
Azoulay declined to name the film’s title or stars at this time.
