"The Great Gatsby" director Baz Luhrmann was in Port Washington for a Gold Coast International Film Festival screening of the film at Soundview Cinemas.
Luhrmann noted that he and his crew had visited Nassau County nearly three years ago to research Gold Coast mansions, including Hempstead House at Sands Point Preserve and Oheka Castle. And were it not for missing out on a tax rebate offered to filmmakers at the time, he would have shot the film in New York, his first preference, rather than in Australia where it was ultimately filmed.
He said he was glad to show the film in Port Washington, and support the budding film festival.
"The people of this area have helped make this movie," Luhrmann said. "They've been with us on this journey and supported us from day one. I said to [Festival Executive Director Regina Gil], the least we could do is come back and say thank you."
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