Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1544671
30 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | MAY 4, 2026 26_002720_Hartford_Business_Journal_MAY Mod: March 18, 2026 2:42 PM Print: 04/01/26 page 1 v2.5 QUALITY WORTH DISPENSING ORDER BY 6 PM FOR SAME DAY SHIPPING BIG DADDY BIG MAMA INDUSTRIAL π SHIPPING SUPPLY SPECIALISTS COMPLETE CATALOG 1-800-295-5510 uline.com Category Winner YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR TJ Noel-Sullivan Founder, The Hartford Film Company Q&A talks with TJ Noel-Sullivan, founder of The Hartford Film Co. H artford Film Co. is a film and video production firm based in Hartford, producing feature films, commercials and branded content for businesses and nonprofits. Its feature film "Midas" received a 100% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes and has reached a global audience. How did you get into this business? Being born and raised in Hartford, I always had a belief in the untapped potential of this region. In May 2022, I was working for Mattel Films in Los Angeles, but recognized that Hartford was an underserved market, and industry shifts were making it more possible than ever to launch a company here. Filmmaking has the power not just to entertain, but also to tell important stories, and that's what we've been able to do on a daily basis, with films like "Midas," and the dozens of brands we've worked with. How has your business grown in the past year? For the second year in a row, the company doubled its annual revenue year over year. This rapid growth has allowed us to consistently grow our full- time staff, while also making long-term investments in equipment and vehicles. We're also very proud of our invest- ments in building a pipeline of future filmmakers, in partnership with Real Art Ways. Each summer, we train local high school- and college-aged apprentices, preparing them to meet workforce needs as the industry continues to grow. What's a major challenge your busi- ness has overcome? When we were first starting out, the unpredictability of building a client base was definitely a challenge. One month we might produce six projects, and the next could have none. However, as we've grown, more clients have meant greater stability, and larger projects have allowed us to grow more predictably. What major strategic plans do you have in the next few years? We're currently wrapping up produc- tion on our second feature film, a docu- mentary about the teacher shortage, executive produced by Soledad O'Brien. It's obviously a timely and important topic, and we hope that the film can also help to spotlight our work on the national stage. Simultaneously, we continue to grow our team, recruiting some of the top talent in the area, in order to produce larger national campaigns, while continuing to service our local clients. INDUSTRY: Film & Video Production HEADQUARTERS: 56 Arbor St., Hartford EMPLOYEES: 6 WEBSITE: www.hartfordfilm.com CONTACT: 860-573-3346 SMALL BUSINESS WE E K