Maryland Film Office

From the gritty inner city of HBO's The Wire, to the idyllic period towns of Disney's Tuck Everlasting, From the urban landscape of Ladder 49, to the historic civil war battlefields of Gods and Generals, From the Washington D.C. doubles of Enemy of the State, to the untouched Amish farmland doubles of For Richer or Poorer. Maryland is indeed "America in Miniature."

Maryland offers a rich array of landscapes from which to choose - from the mountains in the west across the rolling hills and farmlands of central Maryland to the beautiful waterfront and sandy beaches of the Eastern Shore. Architecture that spans the centuries from colonial to modern and illustrates a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds can be found throughout the state.

Jack Gerbes, Director
Jack was appointed Director of the Maryland Film Office in 2002. He began his career at the MFO in 1991 as its Location Manager. When named Deputy Director in 1994, he continued to manage the location scouting and production servicing of the films and television series that were shot in Maryland. Jack has worked on over 60 feature films, as well as many television series, and countless commercials. Some of his favorite credits include, Twelve Monkeys, Home for the Holiday's, Enemy of the State, Tuck Everlasting and Ladder 49. Jack is on the advisory board of the Maryland Chapter of Women in Film and Video and is Vice-Chair of FILM US. He recently received the Guardian Angel Award from the D.C. Chapter of WIFV.

Catherine Batavick, Deputy Director
Catherine has been Deputy Director of the Maryland Film Office since January 2002. As Deputy Director, she handles the marketing and administration for the office. She has been a member of the marketing team since September of 1994 when she was hired as the Project Manager for Film and Television. That position involved finding locations for productions, conducting location surveys with filmmakers, and servicing productions once filming began. Projects of note on which she worked are The Wire, Blair Witch 2, Runaway Bride and, still one of her personal favorites, Twelve Monkeys. Catherine joined the Maryland Film Office staff after 3 ½ years with the Virginia Film Office. She was born in Richmond, VA and is a graduate of Washington and Lee University. She has two beautiful daughters that she counts as her greatest accomplishments.

Kathi Ash, Project Manager - Film/TV
One of the newest members of the Maryland Film Office staff, Kathi Ash joined the team in 2002 after a successful career as one of the top Location Managers in the Mid-Atlantic region. She worked on numerous feature films and T.V. series. Her credits include Tuck Everlasting, Blair Witch 2, Liberty Heights, Homicide (both feature and T.V. series), Washington Square, Guarding Tess. Kathi also worked as a Producer and Production Manager on hundreds of television commercials and several independent features which helped develop her broad knowledge of production.

Brenda Lee
Administrative Aide, Brenda Lee, is the quintessential "behind the scenes person" who administers the business end of the film office. Brenda is a career public servant, having worked exclusively for Maryland State Government. She joined the Film Office in 1994. Brenda is the first point of contact for the hundreds of people who call or email the MFO. Brenda enjoys a truly remarkable family life and loves her customer service role at the Film Office.