Local production company, DNP Studios, is set to release their fourth feature film, Letters to God, shot entirely on location in Central Florida. The movie is is the 4th feature film to be distributed by Vivendi Entertainment for Possibility Pictures, the movie arm of DNP Studios.

Directed by David Nixon, one of the producers of Fireproof and Facing the Giants, the movie was shot at Universal Studios soundstages and backlot, Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, Give Kids The World and various locations around Winter Garden. The Metro Orlando Film & Entertainment Commission - a division of the EDC - assisted with location scouting and film permitting throughout the production.

"We knew that we could make the same kind of Hollywood movies right here in Orlando. Many movie production companies come to Orlando to use the location. They bring in talent and technicians to direct, act and produce, then they go back to LA to finish the movie. But we did it all here with the local film community," stated Nixon.

A tale of inspiration, hope and redemption, Letters to God is the story of what happens when one boy's walk of faith crosses paths with one man's search for meaning--the resulting transformational journey touches the lives of everyone around them.

Letters to God opens locally with a red carpet premiere Wednesday, March 31 at the Plaza Cinema Cafe in downtown Orlando. The film is scheduled to be released in 750 theaters nationwide on April 9th.

Orlando has a worldwide brand known for its imagination and creativity thanks to our region's world class theme parks.

Recognized by BusinessWeek as one of the world's "most fiercely competitive" communities, Orlando offers unlimited potential on par with the nation's top business centers; a diverse spectrum of industries; young, vibrant, talented workforce; multi-modal access to destinations around the globe; a do-what-it-takes attitude; and year-round sunshine.

There are many reasons in which to consider Orlando as a business location.

Here are our top ten:

1. Young, Diverse, Educated Workforce
2. Access. Access. Access.
3. Top Location for Entrepreneurs
4. Real Estate Variety
5. Tech Industry Hub
6. Innovation Economy
7. Nation's 3rd Largest University
8. Great Neighborhoods
9. Partnership Philosophy
10. The "Livability" Factor

But don't take our word for it. Plenty of business leaders have told us in their own words why Orlando is an ideal business destination.

Click here to read their testimonials.

Or watch them tell their story...

...from a business perspective...

...or from a personal perspective...

Click here for more about why Orlando rocks.

In announcing the National Export Initiative during his recent State of the Union Address, President Barack Obama set a goal of doubling international trade over the next five years. Recently, Theodore Johnston, Chief of Staff to the Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, spoke at the Disney Entrepreneur Center in downtown Orlando about this ambitious initiative and explained how Metro Orlando businesses can take advantage of U.S. Government programs to increase their exports.

On March 11th, the President signed an executive order establishing the Export Promotion Cabinet, a group that includes the Departments of State, Commerce, Treasury and other agencies. This is the first time that a National Export Initiative has been mandated and structured at the Cabinet level. His administration has also re-established the President's Export Council, which helps businesses get access to financing, enforces existing trade agreements and promotes U.S. companies overseas.
What does all this mean for our community? The purpose of this enhanced federal initiative is to create jobs through exports. As the President announced, a doubling of sales of U.S. goods and services abroad would support 2 million American jobs. We want to be part of that!

Here in Orlando, the Metro Orlando EDC is also focused on helping to generate new jobs and increase local companies' bottom lines through increased international trade. Business owners looking to expand their business through exporting will find information and resources available through the EDC's International Team.

Irma Stenman, the EDC's International Business Development Director, explains her role at the EDC.

For assistance, email Irma Stenman. For more information about the National Export Initiative, visit http://www.export.gov.

Pelliconi Group - an international leader in the production of plastic and metal caps, crowns and closures for the bottling industry - has established their North American operations in Orlando, Fla.

Pelliconi will create a total of 24 positions; ten will be hired immediately and fourteen will be created over the next three years. Pelliconi has chosen an 86,000 square foot facility in Orange County's Central Park, just south of downtown Orlando.

Pelliconi explored markets throughout Florida and Georgia to establish the company's North American operations. According to Marco Checchi, Pelliconi Group CEO, "In Orlando we feel that we found people and a place that were truly interested in the future of our company. We felt like we were at home here, something we didn't feel other places."

Here, Marco Checchi explains why they chose Orlando.

The Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission (EDC) and NAI Realvest worked to recruit Pelliconi to Orlando, providing a variety of economic development and site selection services. A number of local companies were involved in helping to attract the company here, especially Akerman Senterfitt and Duke Realty, among others. Additionally, Orange County and the State of Florida provided support throughout the economic development process.

Pelliconi is based in Bologna, Italy and has three production plants: Bologna; Chieti, Italy; and Cairo, Egypt. The company also has three foreign subsidiaries, in France, UK and Germany; and a worldwide network of sales and distribution that has allowed them to become the world's largest producer and exporter of crown corks.

LUNAFEST kicks off tonight at the Enzian Theater in Maitland. The fundraising film festival features films by, for and about women each year on International Women's Day.

The festival is hosted by Women in Film & Television Florida and sponsored in part by Florida Hospital and will highlight women as leaders in society, illustrated through nine films by women filmmakers. Screening begins at 6:30 and showtime is 90 minutes. For more, visit www.enzian.org.

This past week, ESPN announced the launch of the 3D Development Center at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort in Osceola County. This will serve as the hub for developing the new ESPN 3D network, which will launch on June 11.

ESPN will invite various technology companies to utilize the site for emerging technology enhancements focused on 3D television. In addition to the resources at the ESPN Innovation Lab at the sports complex, ESPN currently operates a new production center that can be used for producing live sporting events for multiple ESPN platforms.

RealTime Immersive, a newly-established simulation industry software and support company, announced this past week that they have established their headquarters in Orange County. The organization is off to a good start; they serve as North America's exclusive representative for CryENGINE® in the serious games and simulation market space, which is a critically-acclaimed game engine developed by Germany-based, award-winning game development studio Crytek.

RealTime Immersive has leased space in Avalon Park, where they intend to take advantage of their new headquarter location's proximity to UCF to tap into the region's skilled technology workforce as they look to build the company in Metro Orlando.

Company CEO John Brooks indicates that the decision was made to locate the company here based on our region's established industry strengths in defense simulation, medical simulation and digital media. "Orlando's proximity to the joint military commands and the fact that I/ITSEC [major defense simulation industry conference] is held here every year were major contributing factors in our decision to locate in Orlando," says Brooks. "We determined that this was THE place to be."

The Metro Orlando EDC assisted RealTime Immersive with commercial real estate and other local resource needs. We look forward to watching this dynamic new company grow.

The Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission (EDC) will host the 2010 EDC Award Dinner from 6:00 - 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 10th at Walt Disney World's Contemporary Resort. At the annual award dinner, the Honorable Toni Jennings will receive the James B. Greene Economic Development Award and Walt Johnson will be honored with the EDC Chairman's Award.

The James B. Greene Economic Development Award, first presented in 1990, is the highest honor bestowed by the EDC. The award recognizes an individual whose work has contributed substantially to the economic prosperity of the region. The EDC Chairman's Award, first presented in 2007, recognizes a long-term contributor to the work of the Metro Orlando EDC.

Toni Jennings is the former Lieutenant Governor of Florida and the chairman of Jack Jennings & Sons, her family construction business. She is widely known for her legacy of community service. This one time public school teacher served in the Florida Legislature for 24 years, served as Senate President for four years (the only person to have held that position for two consecutive terms), and served as Florida's first (and so far only) female Lieutenant Governor. Her contributions to workforce development and Florida's education system are especially notable among the many underpinnings she helped put in place to support economic development in our region and state.

Walt Johnson is the chairman and CEO of Johnson Bros. Construction. Walt has served in a variety of volunteer leadership positions since becoming an investor with the EDC in 2004, including serving on the board of directors and executive committee, as the current chair of the 2010 Leadership Mission, as a member of the leadership cabinet of the EDC's hdED fundraising campaign, the EDC's CEO Roundtable, trade missions...and the list goes on and on.

The price for an individual EDC investor is $175, non-investors is $215 or $1,750 for a corporate table of 10. Click here for more information. For questions or to RSVP, send an e-mail to Events@OrlandoEDC.com or call 407.422.7159 ext. 230.