An old friend of mine, Paul Sherman, who used to write for the Improper Bostonian and The Herald, is writing a book on filmmaking in Boston. He already has a publisher. The text is due in mid-August, and the book in due to come out in April 2008.

I've known Paul for 25 years. (He first came to my house 25 years ago for a "press screening" of Russ Meyer's FASTER PUSSYCAT KILL KILL, when I reviewed it in my Rear Window days) Paul, along with his sister Betsy, who used to write for the Globe, could always be counted on to appreciate films outside the mainstream (Betsy's legendary review of Bobby Goldswaith's SHAKES THE CLOWN, which she called "The CITIZEN KANE of alcoholic clown movies" is still quoted today). Once Nat Segaloff left town, Paul was the only Boston writer who consistently followed the local independent filmmaking scene, and, when I was running the Coolidge, I could always count on Paul to get ink for the local films I would showcase, like Brian Anthony's VICTOR'S BIG SCORE. And he could savor the virtues of Brad Andersons first film, THE DARIEN GAP as well as Roger Saquet's updated comic version of MEAN STREETS, with the mobsters being middle aged wanna-be's.

Paul has a sense of history. He remembers, when, in the early 80's, Gerry Peary programmed a two week festival of independent film at the Coolidge, when Justin Freed was running it. Jan Egleson's BILLY IN THE LOWLANDS and THE DARK END OF THE STREET, were among the highlights. Other than myself, and certainly Gerry Peary, he has seen them all.

What he does with them in his upcoming book is another matter. At the one end, the book just might be a catalogue of the feature films that have been made, with a brief introduction. On the more exciting front, it could chronicle the drama of filmmaking in Boston, from the early 80's, before independent film became fashionable, when there was an incredible vibrance - with Egleson, Eric Stange, Eric Neudel, Rufus Butler Seder, and others. After that, for eight years in a row, a narrative feature made in Boston was in competition at Sundance - two from Brad Anderson alone.

And the book needs to take into account the incredible documentary community. Stimulated by the leadership provided by Channel 2, Boston has been the home to some of America's leading documentarians - Ricky Leacock, Errol Morris, Fred Wiseman, Robb Todd, Ross McElwee, Steve Ascher and Jeanne Jordan, Alfred Guzzetti - the list goes on. For fifteen years, documentary films were in competition at Sundance.

It was exciting to be a filmmaker in Boston.

And there was leadership - BFVF, the Massachusetts Film Office, the Mass Media Alliance. Unfortunately, between l998 and 2002, all of them dissolved, and Boston has had little national presence since then.

In 1997, when NEXT STOP WONDERLAND, premiered at Sundance, Bob Birney, now head of PictureHouse Films, said to me "I'll take a closer look at any film coming out of Boston from now on." Soon, it all ended.

But Paul ought to pick up on the Renaissance in Boston, with the new tax incentives, the installation of Nick Paleologos at the State Film Office, the development of this new 12-part film, called, not surprisingly, "12", which showcases l2 emerging directors, and the enthusiasm around the new unifying organization, Beanywood - at the intersection of Hollywood and Boston.

It's not there yet. It's been years since Filmmaker Magazine has listed Boston as a place to make independent film. Even Virginia Beach is mentioned. And, who knows, maybe the publication of Paul's book will contribute to refocusing on the talent that is here.