By Melanie Barker
Correspondent
Italian film director Max Bartoli has fallen in love with Virginia Beach.
Bartoli, 40, is the CEO and co-founder of MaXam Productions, which has offices in Rome, London and Los Angeles.
But Bartoli spent most of December here, shooting scenes for his new feature film, "Atlantis Down," at First Landing State Park.
"I'm in love with Virginia Beach," Bartoli said.
"I'm amazed by the beauty of this place, and I'm thankful to the people of Virginia Beach, because without them, this movie never could have happened," Bartoli said.
Although Bartoli brought many cast and crew members from Rome and Los Angeles, he also employed several local residents on the almost-$1 million production.
"One fear that L.A. producers have of going outside the area is that they won't be able to find adequate resources," said Jon Wagner, a Los Angeles area resident who served as line producer for "Atlantis Down."
"This is a professional crew, every bit as skilled as you'd find in New York or L.A.," Wagner said.
Scott Hansen of Virginia Beach-based Scott Hansen Productions served as special effects coordinator for the film, with Strawbridge resident David Watson as his assistant.
The film is a psychological science fiction thriller, set in a mysterious location. First Landing offered a variety of looks, including woods, beach, sand dunes and wetlands. No release date has been set for the movie.
Nan Butler, who was born and raised in Virginia Beach but spent 15 years in New York with CNN, is the hair and make-up artist.
Butler said she gets a lot of local work because she's one of the only make-up artists in the area who knows airbrushing - vital when working with high-definition cameras.
The cast includes Los Angeles actors Dean Haglund, Michael Rooker, Greg Travis and Travis Quentin Young. None are household names, but all have solid film and television credits.
Joining them on screen are local actresses Darla Grese, 36, a Courthouse Estates resident, and Pamela Good, 52, who lives near the Oceanfront.
"This is by far the largest project I've ever been a part of and also the most exciting," said Grese, who plays astronaut Mary Bishop in "Atlantis Down."
"As an actor, it's an amazing opportunity, but if nothing else, my 2-year-old son, Brady, can say 'Look at my mom,'" said Grese.
Bartoli brought "Atlantis Down" to the beach at the suggestion of Ethan Marten, a North End resident who has been involved with local film production for most of his life. Marten, 46, is executive producer of the film and a partner in MaXam Productions.
Bartoli and Marten first met in 2006 at the New York International Film Festival, where both men had entered short films in the competition.
"Our films were scheduled back-to-back in the same theater," recalled Bartoli. "I walked in and saw this crazy guy - Ethan - doing a show to get people into our theater, practically dragging people away from other theaters to fill up ours," he said.
Both films ended up winning in their respective categories, and Bartoli and Marten became friends.
"When Ethan said we could make this movie in Virginia, I trusted him, and he was absolutely right," Bartoli said.
Melanie Barker, melanbark@cox.net
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