By CATERINA GUINTA

Staff Intern

LAFAYETTE TWP. — For approximately 30 years, Chippewa Lake Amusement Park has been closed — desolate and silent. Now, silent breezes are replaced with the words “quiet on the set” and abandoned structures are reinforced and set to spook.

Filmmakers are bringing life to the park for the movie “Closed for the Season.”

Jay Ellison, producer of the film, is a Medina native and Bowling Green State University graduate who came back from Los Angeles to help with the film.

While in L.A., Ellison worked on “Rush Hour 3,” “Prom Night,” commercials and music videos. He went on to create his own company, Shadowcast Pictures, and this is his first feature film.

It was a coincidence that director and writer Jay Woelfel chose Chippewa Lake for the film, Ellison said.

“He (the director) didn’t know I was from this area,” he explained.

Above: Actor Joe Unger (center) and director Jay Woelfel (left) wait as cinematographer Jose Cardenas (right) frames his shot during Tuesday’s filming of the dunk tank scene in the full-length feature film “Closed for the Season” at the defunct Chippewa Lake Amusement Park in Lafayette Township. Below: Actress Aimee Brooks, who plays the part of Kristy in the film, focuses on co-star Damian Maffei during filming of the movie about a park trying to come back to life one more time. (Andrew Dolph | Staff Photographer)

Woelfel has been in the film business for 25 years. Woelfel stumbled upon Chippewa Lake Amusement Park while searching through the book “Ghostly Ruins: America’s Forgotten Architecture.” He decided to pay a visit and found the park was going to be torn down in the future and that sealed the deal, he said. He then contacted the lawyer of the park’s current owner, Chippewa Lake Partners LLC, a development group working to create a resort community for commercial, recreational and residential use.

Gary Sills, one of the managing partners, said he gave them permission to use the park.

“You can’t build a set like this,” Woelfel said. “This is really a unique and fascinating park.”

Actress Aimee Brooks, who plays the part of Kristy in the film, agreed and said she loves the area.

“I ride my bike every morning,” she said. “I might spend my summers here.”

Actor Damian Maffei, a New York native who plays the part of James, mentioned his fascination with the park.

“Every time I have down time I wander around and look at the rides,” he said.

The script for the film came from the myths and legends about the park, Ellison said.

“We got stories from local people and we formulated a story using those elements,” he said.

“Closed for the Season” is about two characters getting caught in a dream world where they encounter ghosts and monsters and they’re trying to escape, Ellison said. It’s more than just a ghost story, he said; it’s about the park trying to come back to life one more time.

Woelfel explained it’s about “using all these areas for the last time for what they used to be.” They even brought in a Ferris wheel Saturday night, with around 100 local residents acting as extras.

The story parallels with the reality of the park as this is its last chance to be brought to life, Woelfel said.

The people wanted a sort of last hurrah before the park’s demolition, he explained, and “Closed for the Season” accomplishes that.

Now, the park Woelfel found in “America’s Forgotten Architecture” has the chance to be remembered on film.

Filming is expected to be completed by the end of the month and it should be completely finished by summer 2009. Ellison said he hopes for a local premiere and noted it will be available on DVD.

Sills said there is no demolition timetable for the park yet and Chippewa Lake Partners currently is working to get the permits.

Guinta may be reached at 330-721-4046 or cguinta@ohio.net.

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