In The News

In preparation for the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant application portal reopening tomorrow, April 26, follow the steps below. Remember to register on the portal in advance.

•  Now:  Use the checklist to make sure you have everything you need to complete your application. Review additional resources at sba.gov/svogrant such as the applicant user guide and FAQ. Keep these resources open throughout the application process.

•  Before 11 a.m. EDT, April 26:  Register on the SVOG portal. The ability to register will be temporarily suspended between 11 a.m.-12 p.m. EDT on April 26 to ensure a fair process and prepare the site for opening.

•  12 p.m. EDT, April 26:  Begin the application process on the SVOG portal. Every user will be temporarily placed in a virtual waiting room and will be able to start their application in the order in which they arrived.

For technical assistance such as a password reset, browser suggestions, or how to use the multi-factor authentication with an app and the QR code, applicants can call 1-800-659-2955 or, for the deaf and hard-of-hearing 1-800-877-8339 and follow the prompts to SVOG assistance

The call center is open tonight, April 25 until 8 p.m. EDT. Beginning tomorrow, April 26, the call center will be open 24/7.

Shot in the Old Port and on the waterfront, the film let Maine-born actor Greg Finley realize his dream of making a movie in his home state.

The trailer for the new film “Downeast” opens with shots of fishing boat masts bobbing in Portland harbor, of lobster traps piled high on the waterfront and of the long, majestic 19th-century brick buildings lining Commercial Street.

As the camera pans, a voice is heard saying, “Every town is built on bad decisions,” and goes on to outline a story of heavy-handed organized crime, drug smuggling, violence and other seedier sides of life in a port town. But the experience of filming in Portland was pretty much the opposite.

The director, Joe Raffa, said Portland basically acts as another character in the film, and a crucial one. Lead actor Greg Finley and cinematographer and producer Edwin Stevens – two Maine natives who have worked in Hollywood and elsewhere – say using Portland as a backdrop gives the film an authenticity and a feel that can’t be matched anywhere.

Cape Elizabeth native Erik Messerschmidt got his first Oscar nomination Monday in the cinematography category for his work on the film “Mank.”

Last year, he was nominated for an Emmy for his work as director of photography on the Netflix crime thriller series “Mindhunter.” Some of his other TV series credits as a cinematographer include episodes of the FX anthology crime series “Fargo” and Ridley Scott’s science fiction drama “Raised by Wolves” on HBO Max.

Messerschmidt, 40, grew up in Cape Elizabeth and worked on lighting and set design crews for theater productions while at Cape Elizabeth High School. He studied TV and film at Emerson College in Boston before venturing to Los Angeles to find work some 20 years ago. He worked in various positions of the electrical and lighting departments of film or TV productions before becoming a cinematographer.

Who can apply for the Shuttered Venue Operators (SVO) Grant?

• • Live venue operators or promoters
• • Theatrical producers
• • Live performing arts organization operators
• • Relevant museum operators, zoos and aquariums who meet specific criteria
• • Motion picture theater operators
• • Talent representatives, and
• • Each business entity owned by an eligible entity that also meets the eligibility requirements

You need to register (with a Dunn and Bradstreet D-U-N-S number) in the U.S. government’s System for Award Management (SAM) to apply.  Start the process today before the program opens.

The application process is not open yet, but those who wish to apply for the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant should begin preparing now.

1. GET REGISTERED NOW – this process can take weeks.  Interested parties should obtain a DUNS number as soon as possible at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. In addition, Shuttered Venues applicants also need to register with the federal government’s SAM at www.SAM.gov to apply. You will need your DUNs number to apply to SAM.
2. Gather documents that demonstrate your number of employees and monthly revenues
3. Determine the extent of the gross earned revenue loss you experienced between 2019 and 2020
4. Gather backup documentation such as floor plans, contract copies and other evidence

Register for one of two webinars that the Maine Small Business Development Centers is offering about the grant program on February 10th and 17th, from 11am to Noon.