Richmond, Va -The Virginia Film Office announced that August and September are the busiest months in the state’s history for filmmaking, with more than three times the usual activity for this time of year. Two feature films, two television series, four cable television series and a mini-series are in production. The Richmond area will be the location for several weeks of filming for "Forces of Nature," a feature film from DreamWorks SKG while Northern Virginia, Washington DC and Maryland share honors for the filming of Columbia Pictures’ feature "Random Hearts." Richmond is also the home for filming on two new television series: "Linc’s" for the Showtime Network and "Legacy" for UPN. "Tom Clancy’s NetForce," a mini-series, is lensing in Richmond and Petersburg and will air on A.B.C., while Virginia’s New Dominion Pictures, headquartered in Virginia Beach, will be working on four cable television series: "New Detectives," "The F.B.I. Files," "The Untold Stories of the Navy Seals"and "Daring Capers."

Virginia Film Office Director Rita McClenny commented: "Never before have we seen such tremendous filming activity at one time in Virginia. This shows that the film community is discovering what we’ ve known all along — that Virginia is an exceptional place for film and television production." Economic figures released by the Film Office each year indicate that production income has tripled over that past three years, growing from $21 million in 1994 to more than $60 million in 1997. This is due both to out-of-state production coming to Virginia and to the explosive growth of the in-state entertainment industry.

Richmond, Virginia, and Savannah, Georgia, will provide the locations for "Forces of Nature, " produced by DreamWorks SKG and directed by Bronwen Hughes ("Harriet, the Spy"). The film stars Sandra Bullock, ("Speed" "A Time to Kill" "While You Were Sleeping"), Ben Affleck ("Good Will Hunting" "Armageddon") and Maura Tierney ("Primary Colors" "Liar Liar"). "Forces of Nature" is a romantic comedy that follows Ben Holmes (Ben Affleck) who has two days to get from New York to Savannah for his wedding to Bridget (Maura Tierney). He meets Sarah (Sandra Bullock) who becomes his faithful traveling companion — whether he likes it or not. It seems that man, machine and the forces of nature are all conspiring to keep Ben from his vows, leaving him to wonder if this is some kind of cosmic test.

"Random Hearts" is based on the novel of the same name by Warren Adler. It is produced by Columbia Pictures and directed by Sydney Pollock ("Sense and Sensibility" "Sabrina" ). The stars of this dramatic film are Harrison Ford ("Star Wars Trilogy" " Indiana Jones" " Air Force One") and Kristen Scott Thomas ("The Horse Whisperer" "The English Patient"). Filming in Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC in the early fall, "Random Hearts" tells the story of a man and a woman who are having an affair and are killed in a plane crash. The only clue that links them together is the fact that both have the same key.

New Dominion Pictures under the direction of Tom Naughton continues to be Virginia’s premiere producer of episodic television programming, and is currently in various stages of production on four series scheduled for the 1998-99 season. The company has won numerous awards for its high quality television programming that is seen both domestically and internationally, and is currently the leading independent supplier of programming for Discovery Communications, Inc. Returning for its fourth season is "The New Detectives," a reality-based show that takes a look at how forensic investigation has assisted in solving some of the nation’s most compelling cases. Whether it involves bullets or bomb fragments, fingerprints or fibers, DNA or detonation devices, the series explores the fascinating world of forensic detective work with the cooperation of police organizations throughout the country. A second series currently in production is "The F.B.I Files," an inside look at the inner workings of the FBI’s crime lab, and is the first series ever to be produced with the full cooperation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Whether it handles bullets or bombs, fingerprints or fibers, the FBI’s lab — the largest such facility in the world — takes on our nation’s toughest cases, grappling with fraud, drug trafficking, kidnapping and murder, extortion and terrorism. Each episode of this 13 hour series, explores a single crime and looks at the hard evidence and the hard science that the FBI uses to solve the case.

A third show currently in production at New Dominion Pictures is "The Untold Stories of the Navy Seals." The Navy Seals are the looked upon as military elite — the special sea, air and land commandos who are summoned to undertake some of our country’s most dangerous and important missions. Each of three hour-long episodes highlights a separate mission and the untold challenges involved. A fourth series in pre-production is entitled "Daring Capers." It looks at the world of crime more from the viewpoint of the criminals than of the authorities, as it examines the lives and careers of some of the world’s most brilliant masterminds and alluring con artists.

Produced by Showtime and directed by several guest directors, including Debbie Allen ("A Different World," "Fame") and Tim Reid ("Frank’s Place," "Once Upon a Time When We Were Colored"). "Linc’s stars Pam Grier ("Jackie Brown"), Steven Williams (The "X-Files"), Georg Stanford Brown ("Tyson" "Roots"). The series is set in a popular Washington DC watering hole that attracts everyone from political insiders to cab drivers, "Linc’s" is a comedy that deals candidly with adult issues — from an African-American perspective. "Linc’s" also offers a diverse cross section of African-American lifestyles and opinions — conservative, liberal, Democrat, Republican, working class and professional. The series is currently filming at New Millennium Studios in Petersburg, and is scheduled for an August 1 premiere.

"Legacy," central Virginia’s second television series will be filming 12 episodes in the Richmond area through December. Produced by Atlantis Films for UPN (United Paramount Network), the show was created and is being written by written by Chris Abbott ("Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, " "Search and Rescue," "Magnum P.I.) "Legacy" stars Brett Cullen ("Apollo 13" "Something to Talk About" "The Outer Limits"). Also featured in the cast are Grayson McCouch, Jeremy Garrett, Lea Moreno, Sarah Rayne and Ron Melendez. The director fo the pilot and initial episode is Stuart T. Gillard ("Rocket Man" "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II"). "Legacy" is set in Bluegrass country in the 1880’s and tells the story of the Logans, a ranching family that raises thoroughbred horses. The ensemble drama revolves around Ned Logan, a successful ranch owner and father to a family of headstrong and independent sons and daughters, aged 10 — 25. As patriarch of the clad, Ned Logan has had to raise his four children alone after his wife died in childbirth.

Produced by ABC and directed by Robert Lieberman (TV’s "Titanic" "Fire in the Sky") "Tom Clancy’s NetForce" will be filming in and around Richmond, and at New Millennium Studios in Petersburg. The four-hour mini-series stars Scott Bakula ("Quantum Leap,"), Joanna Going ("Dark Shadows," "Inventing the Abbotts"), Kris Kristofferson ("Lone Star," "Tad"), Brian Dennehey (Jake Reed"), Judge Reinhold (Beverly Hills Cop") and CC Pounder ("Face/Off"). In "Tom Clancy’s NetForce," the Netforce, a new division of the FBI created in the year 2005 to specifically deal with the spiraling computer crime on the internet, are thrown into chaos when their commander is murdered Deputy Commander Alex Michaels (Bakula) is put in charge and must find out who killed his boss and best friend. However, it soon becomes apparent that somebody is trying to infiltrate the computer system at Netforce, an act which could have devastating global repercussions, as the internet and computers control almost every aspect of government and business.