SCHUMER URGES HBO TO FILM NEW HARRIET TUBMAN MOVIE IN AUBURN; SENATOR SAYS, FILMING IN AUBURN WOULD CREATE LOCAL JOBS & SPARK UNTAPPED TOURISM OPPORTUNITIES

Producing Tubman Film In Auburn, NY Where Tubman Resided From 1857 Until Her Death In 1913, Would Provide Unique Historical Accuracy & Significance To The HBO Mini-Series—Senator’s Push Comes After Leading Charge To Bring National Tubman Park To Auburn

Senator Says, The Economic Benefits That Accompany Tubman Should Be A Clear Incentive For HBO; As Part Of NY’s  Film Tax Credit Program, Which means HBO is Eligible For Many Benefits

Schumer To HBO: If You’re Looking To Capture Harriet’s True Roots At A Historic Tubman Site & Save Money, Auburn Is The Place To Be!

In a letter to HBO and parent company Time Warner, Inc. U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer urged filmmakers and production team to film upcoming Harriet Tubman movie in Auburn, NY. Schumer cited four economic benefits HBO could be eligible for if Auburn is selected. Currently, production companies who film in New York are eligible for the Film Tax Credit Program, which means companies could receive a fully refundable credit of 30 percent of costs incurred in the state, as well as an additional 5 percent for post-production costs and 10 percent on qualified labor expenses incurred in Cayuga County, where Auburn is located. Schumer also cited the historical significance for filming in Auburn. During Tubman’s lifetime she resided in Auburn from 1857 until her death in 1913.

“When it comes to Harriet Tubman and her Central New York roots, there is no better place for lights, camera and action than Auburn,” Said Schumer.  Filming in Auburn would be  historically significant  and  economically viable for HBO’s upcoming project. If HBO is looking to save money by taking advantage of New York’s filming benefits, while remaining true to Harriet Tubman’s home, Auburn is the most obvious choice to film,” said Senator Schumer. “This film will undoubtedly commemorate Tubman’s commitment to the freedom and equality that we cherish as a nation. There is no better location for its production than a place where she advanced these principles.”

Harriet Tubman, the famed abolitionist spent the later years of her life in Auburn, where she was active in the women’s suffrage movement and in providing services to aged African Americans. The Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged, which Tubman opened and was later admitted, is located next to the two story brick building she called home. In addition, the Thompson African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church where Tubman attended services and her burial site in Fort Hill Cemetery are also located in Auburn. Each of these sites has been established as a National Historic Park so that future generations may be inspired by her bravery and service.

Last April, Senator urged the National Park Service (NPS) to work with Auburn and Harriet Tubman Home officials to finalize details that will formally put Harriet Tubman National Historical Park on the fast track to being established and receiving critical federal funding. Schumer explained that, in order for Tubman Park to become a reality and be eligible for the necessary funding, it must be officially established by the NPS through some form of land ownership or land rights agreement. Historic sites like the Harriet Tubman Home and the entire city of Auburn would show HBO how Central New York is one of the greatest tributes for Harriet Tubman.

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