Film Shoot Caught in Cross-Fire

An ongoing battle at Van Nuys Airport between a small business and city officials escalated Tuesday when officials temporarily shut down a movie production company, idling 180 workers and costing filmmakers $250,000 in lost time and wages.

City officials late in the day rescinded the order, but not until after the production schedule was seriously jeopardized, said Allan Wertheim , production manager and associate producer of the film, “Shut Up and Dance.”

“This day cost us a quarter of a million dollars,” Wertheim said.

The production has been filming since May in a hangar rented from Syncro Aircraft Interiors Inc., a longtime airport tenant which city airport officials are trying to evict.

“They just arbitrarily and capriciously shut us down,” Wertheim fumed, hours after a city fire marshal issued an order to halt operations. “This is the first time in my 37 years in film production that I have ever had to deal with this.”

He said the company is rushing to complete filming this week because several of its lead actors are leaving next week for other commitments. The movie, a love story centered on ballroom dancing, stars Vanessa Williams as a dance instructor, with Kris Kristofferson, Joan Plowright and country singer Chayanne.

“It’s not like we’re making a low-budget, pornographic movie with violence and car chases,” Wertheim said. “This is a very beautiful, elegant movie with an elaborate set.”

Kevin T. Ryan, deputy city attorney with the airport department, said the production company’s permit to film at the airport expired July 21 and that it had failed to give airport officials required proof of insurance. Ryan said the shutdown order was rescinded late Tuesday after the film company’s broker faxed proof of insurance to airport officials.

He said, however, that the production crew was given permission to stay only through today because of building and safety code violations, including illegal construction and illegal use, for which citations were issued last week.

The action, the latest in a series of inspections and citations by city officials at the Syncro hangar, has triggered charges by some that the city is attempting to get rid of Syncro as a tenant by sabotaging its business.

City attorneys deny the accusations, saying that they want only to enforce the building and safety code and the city’s lease policy.

“We’re not trying to give anybody a bad time, that’s not the purpose,” said Bret Lobner, an assistant city attorney who represents the airport department. “But what is the city supposed to do when someone is using property they are not entitled to?” He said the city is making every effort to block Syncro from issuing further subleases.

Syncro argues that it has long had permission to use the entire three-acre hangar where its operation is located, has made extensive repairs and turned the once vacant space into a successful operation. The company accuses the airport department of reneging on promises to grant it a long-term lease.

Until a hearing last Friday, airport officials had refused to discuss the reasons for their actions against Syncro. At the hearing, however, airport attorneys cited a series of alleged violations by Syncro, including charges that the company submitted falsified receipts for work performed on the hangar and for which it is seeking reimbursement.

Syncro owner Ed Cesar admits he made mistakes in proper record keeping but said the charges for work performed are fair. The district attorney’s office last year rejected efforts by the city attorney to seek criminal charges against the company.