Mark Lund Puts Figure Skating Political Thriller, Serpentine, Into Production

WORCESTER, Mass. - Oct. 24, 2016 - PRLog -- Mark Lund is pleased to announce that principal photography of the short film version of Serpentine, The Short Program, will commence on October 30, 2016. In Serpentine the sport of figure skating meets the Cold War in this modern day political thriller. Lund will direct the first ten pages of his script to develop interest in the feature length version. Filming will take place in central Massachusetts at Northstar Ice Sports in Westborough, MA, The Verve, Crowne Plaza hotel in Natick, MA and a private residence in Sturbridge, MA. Foley Motorsports in Shrewsbury, MA will provide automotive services to the production.

"The idea for Serpentine came to me in January and combines my love for political thrillers with my work in the sport of figure skating," said Lund. "After attending the World Figure Skating Championships in Boston this year it motivated me to move forward with the project."  Lund has worked extensively in the sport of figure skating as a magazine publisher, television personality and analyst.

In Serpentine a champion figure skater finds herself in a government conspiracy involving her missing mother and a Cold War mystery that culminates at the world championships in Moscow. Set in the present day, the story could best be described as Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and The Americans meet the sport of figure skating. To learn more visit http://www.theserpentinemovie.com/

In addition to working with several cast members and crew from Lund's previous films, the production of Serpentine at Northstar Ice Sports unites Lund with his first skating coach Denise Marco who serves as Northstar's Executive Director and will play the character of Elizabeth Rogers in the film. "I am very excited to be a part of a little bit of Northstar history especially since the movie is about my first love...skating", said Marco. "Hopefully playing myself won't be that difficult…I hope!"

Lund is developing Serpentine in the same fashion as Justice Is Mind with the production of a short film to develop interest in the project. Prior to the production of Justice Is Mind, Lund produced a short film version titled Evidence. Unlike Evidence which included a few select scenes from Justice Is Mind, Lund is directing the first ten pages of Serpentine's feature length script that introduces the primary characters and storyline. The Serpentine short is appropriately titled "The Short Program" to not only reflect the length of the film, but "short program" refers to the first of two programs performed in figure skating competitions (the other is titled "free skate" or "long program").

Serpentine, The Short Program, will premiere in February 2017 on Amazon Prime and other platforms.

"I could not be more excited to bring Serpentine to life with such a talented cast and crew," said Lund. "The timing could not be better. Should the short develop sufficient interest next year to produce the feature length version, the plan is to release the feature in 2018 after the XXIII Olympic Winter Games."

Serpentine, The Short Program, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5990216/ stars Kim Gordon (Marlene Baxter), Paul Lussier (Philip Harrison), Denise Marco (Elizabeth Rogers) and Isabella Ramirez (Suzanne Wilson). Featured and supporting actors Herbert Fuchs, Vernon Aldershoff, Brooke Blahut, Robin Ann Rapoport, Michael A. Coppola, Stephanie Percoco, Jeff Bouffard, Taylor Foley, Shannon McNamara and Tom Pomfret.

Mark Lund, Executive Producer, Director and Writer; Denise Marco and Thomas J. McGinnis, Executive Producers; Jeremy Blaiklock, Director of Photography; Elizabeth Carr, Assistant Director; Jared Skolnick, Editor; Lori Grenier, Makeup Artist; Claudio Jimenez, Sound Recordist; Chris Denmead, Boom Operator; Adam Starr, Special Effects Supervisor; Manny Gonzalez, Camera Operator and Still Photographer; Daniel Elek-Diamanta, Composer; Dov Kling-Levine, Production Assistant and Digital Imaging Technician and Andy Marsden, Production Assistant.

Aout Mark Lund

Mark Lund is an award winning magazine publisher, thrice award nominated screenwriter, television personality, producer, director and writer. From 1993 – 2004, Lund founded International Figure Skating magazine and built it into the world's largest magazine for the sport. As a TV personality, Lund starred on FOX's Skating with Celebrities and served as a TV analyst for the sport of figure skating for over fifteen years most notably for CNN during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. Lund's first screenplay, First World, a science fiction drama, was nominated for three screenplay awards and later condensed to a short film version that screened in several countries. He is the author of Frozen Assets and First World: Covenant. Lund wrote Justice Is Mind in 2010 and produced a short film version, Evidence, in 2011 that led to the financing of the feature film. Justice Is Mind had its world premiere in 2013 and has screened at theatres, universities and science fiction conventions around the world with its international premiere on Cunard Line's Queen Elizabeth in 2014. First World, Evidence and Justice Is Mind are now available on video on demand.