Buffalo is hitting the big screen come December 8th!
You would think that after spearheading another year of the one of the largest startup competitions in the world, that the 43North team would be taking a much-deserved breather; but nope, not this team! They are hard at work on something entirely new for our city (shocker, I know)- a documentary titled, “For the Love of Buffalo.” This film will follow founders, talent and innovation throughout the Queen City in the journey to reclaiming its entrepreneurial fire and creating opportunities that will impact generations to come. You’ll hear stories from the inside of some of Buffalo’s fastest-growing private companies and experience the entrepreneurial revolution that is sweeping our region, all contributing to this resurgence unfolding before our eyes. 43North has teamed up with producer of this film, Brett Tuttle and his company BT Films, to produce something that reinstates an already passionate love for the city we live in.
Tuttle is no stranger to the film world and has an extensive background working in the field of production with features on NBC, MSNBC, Showtime and even Netflix. While he is not a Buffalo native, Buffalo has always been a place that feels like home, and now finally is.
“There’s great people here; and that’s even down to your neighbors. That’s from the people that will deliver your mail, that get you a sandwich at the deli, and all the way up to the top. There’s no change in the way they treat people here, which is such a refreshing thing to find, especially coming from a place like New York City. And so, when we got here, we just didn’t know how rich the tapestry was, which was the most exciting part! Once we started meeting the people and really talking to them and having them tell their own stories, we found everyone we’ve talked to on camera and through the entire process to be super genuine and super passionate about what’s going on.”
Maura Devlin, VP of Marketing Strategy and Public Relations at 43North, explains that while her main role is to oversee marketing for the organization, there is also a storytelling component that plays a major part when it comes to every team members job, and ultimately the decision to do something bigger than ever done before- like a documentary!
“43North has to market nationally and even globally as we go to recruit companies to come here. But I think we have this huge opportunity to tell this story here locally to the people that live in Western New York and really help them understand what it is that we’re doing here and why we’re doing it. That was the reason that both the 43North board and the leadership team had an appetite and a lot of heart to go and do something like this.”
Viewers who are locals can expect to see little love letters to our city embedded throughout with features in beloved places like the Bills Stadium, Allentown, and so many more. Tuttle explains that the goal is to show how incredible this place is from an outside perspective, and scrap the narrative that Buffalo is just becoming “cool.”
“We’re trying to show you unique pictures of things you may drive by every day, but may not have looked at in a thoughtful way. Our hope was to surprise a few folks who think they know everything about Buffalo and to really make people proud of the place that this is. It’s not becoming something cool. When I first came here, Buffalo was already cool. I was trying to tell everybody that!”
There are a multitude of different perspectives throughout the film that aren’t just centralized around 43North. From founders of companies to people like Douglas Jemal, this encompasses a wide range of Buffalonians, and even non- Buffalonians as they speak to the city’s renaissance.
“You come in knowing that people are really passionate about this city, especially the people that grew up here; but then also you hear about people who even like Brett, weren’t born and raised here, but they’ve fallen in love with it- whether it is the people or the opportunities. So, I think it reaffirmed what we had thought, but it’s even more than that which has been really exciting. I think it is something that hopefully the wider community will enjoy, even if they have no idea what 43North is.” shares Devlin
Find inspiration in the stories that are weaved throughout this film that is sure to reignite the fire inside you that has maybe been dimmed for far too long. Devlin shared that whether you are part of the 43North tech and start-up world, there is a place for you to get involved in this resurgence and be a part of the things that make our city great,
“Everybody who watches this will feel moved to find a role in this mission that we’re on. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to go and work at a startup or start your own company; you could invest in one, you could do something as simple as going and having lunch at Seneca One, and just trying to get an understanding of the atmosphere here.”
Watch live at one of three local theatres on December 8th:
North Park Theatre
1428 Hertel Ave., Buffalo, NY 14216 | 716-836-7411
Tickets
Aurora Theatre & Popcorn Shop
673 Main St, East Aurora, NY 14052 | 716-652-1660
Tickets
Hamburg Palace Theatre
31 Buffalo St, Hamburg, NY 14075 | 716-649-2295
Tickets
Tickets to the premiere are free and open to the public. Each location is also offering a free popcorn voucher to the first 50 people. Doors will open at 6pm and the screening will commence at 7pm.
If you’re local, tune into WKBW, Channel 7 to watch the premiere live at 7 PM EST, or if you’re on the go stream the live premiere from anywhere by visiting www.wkbw.com/live2 at 7 PM EST. Be sure to also tune into 43North social media sites for a chance to win some watch party kits and fun swag to help throw a fun watch party at home. Afraid you might miss it? No problem! After the film’s premiere, it will be available for watch on the 43North YouTube page.
I’m sure I speak for most when I say thank you to 43North and BT Films for paving the way in a grand effort that our city has not seen before. Grab your popcorn and let’s be reminded why we are “Buffalo Strong!”
Visit https://www.43north.org for more information
43North is an accelerator program that hosts an annual startup competition, investing $5 million per year to attract and cultivate high-growth companies in Buffalo, NY. 43North portfolio companies also receive free incubator space in Buffalo for one year, guidance from mentors in related fields, and access to other business incentive programs such as START-UP NY. 43North operates through the support of Governor Kathy Hochul, Empire State Development, the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, and several other sponsors. For more information about 43North, visit www.43north.org.