2015 | Doing Business in Connecticut 45
PHOTO/SYNTHETIC
CINEMA
young people start their film careers with us."
Some former employees have moved on
to bigger behind-the-scenes roles in L.A., but
Gernhard's focus remains in Connecticut and
he is looking to expand its range of productions.
"When we got started, there was a
strong market demand for horror," he said.
"Every country in the world understands
monsters. Now I'd like to work on more
thrillers and mysteries."
e evolution of Synthetic Cinema has
already begun. e company's latest release
— and Gernhard's favorite production to
date — is Wishin' and Hopin', a Christmas
story based on the New York Times bestseller
by award-winning novelist and Norwich, CT
native Wally Lamb. e movie, which was
bought by, and stars, Lifetime television star
Molly Ringwald, is narrated by Chevy Chase.
But even more special for Gernhard is
the fact that much of the filming occurred
at his high school alma mater, Norwich Free
Academy. He hopes the film's success enables
Synthetic to move upmarket to bigger budget
productions. He knows, of course, that this
will take more funding, but he remains
unfazed and confident. He's been pursuing
funding since high school. ❑
Andrew Gernhard is the 37-year-old co-founder of Synthetic Cinema International, a Rocky Hill-based film
production company.
