Entertainment industry awaits new L.A. film czar

Steve Ginsberg

One group floats name of L.A. County film facilitator

With several prospective candidates angling to become the new Los Angeles film czar, the entertainment industry is eager to have Mayor Richard Riordan make the appointment quickly and solve persistent problems at the city's film permit office.

Los Angeles has been without a liaison with the movie industry since Beth Kennedy was fired in the final hours of the Tom Bradley administration in late June. Without a film czar, the love-hate relationship between City Hall and Hollywood hasn't gotten any better, eroding chances of stopping film production flight to other states.

Film companies have been going to the California Film Commission with some of their city problems since Kennedy was sacked. Said Patti Archuletta, director of the California Film Commission: "It's back to business as usual (at the city film office) which is pretty bad."

Riordan's team is said to be considering 13 names but Cody Cluff is among the top contenders, according to entertainment industry sources.

Cluff, 34, is currently executive director of the Los Angeles County Film Office and Director of Business Retention at the L.A. County Economic Development Corp. Cluff acknowledged he's interested in the post and said, if appointed, he would "clean up the film permit process and the relationship between the city and the industry would quickly turn around."

In 1989, Cluff was the architect of the privatization of the county film permit office, which covers parts of the county other than the City of Los Angeles and other municipalities such as Beverly Hills. Cluff's operation is considered much more efficient than Los Angeles film permit office. That office is administered by The Public Works Department and is not under the control of the film czar.

The film czar's position was created by Bradley last summer and is part of the Mayor's office. Cluff says if he becomes film czar, he would move to also privatize the city film office and merge it with the county's.

Cluff, who has been endorsed for the post by the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers, said he has not been contacted by anyone in the Riordan administration.

"We have seen a complete turnaround between the county and the industry and, if asked, our top choice would be Cody Cluff," said Kathleen Milnes, the alliance's vice president of public affairs. "The permit issue is only one issue. Right now, no one is taking a hard look at the other issues. We need that job filled."

The alliance has written to Riordan asking him to fill the post as soon as possible.

Another strong candidate is said to be Rebecca Barrantes, an official at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority who also worked at the Rapid Transit District. She is said to have close ties within the Riordan administration and, with her city government experience, would be able to negotiate the City Hall political and bureaucratic minefield, sources said. Barrantes declined to comment.

Kennedy's departure was partially attributed to her failure to light a fire under the city film office, run by Director Charles Weisenberg -- not a popular man in Hollywood. Many location managers complain about how long it takes to get permits and want to see his office shuttered and the film permitting process turned over either to a private organization or to a powerful film commission working out of the mayor's office.

Weisenberg has defended his office's effectiveness in the past but said he didn't want to comment on Cluff's possible appointment or make comparisons between his operation and Cluff's at the county.

Supporters of Weisenberg point out that issuing permits in the city is far more complicated than in the county. For instance, many neighborhoods in the city, especially Hancock Park, don't want film crews around. Weisenberg gets daily phone calls from people complaining about film crews.

While Los Angeles continues to work out its film permit problems and structure, New York City and many states have smooth working film commissions which have effectively drained production from Los Angeles and California. Between 1990 and 1992 film permits in the city of Los Angeles volume dropped 17 percent and the decline continues this year.

"The industry has been speaking with its feet, it's leaving. We need a new film czar who will make some waves," said Ralph Sariego, vice president of television production for Universal Television. "Beth may have made too many, but I think the civil servants are so entrenched and recalcitrant that they waited her out and won. We would like to see the film office cleaned out and shut down. Privatize it, it's that simple."

Officials in the Riordan administration were unavailable for comment. Riordan is to address the Hollywood Radio & Television Society Aug. 12 to discuss the industry's role in his plans to revitalize the city.

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