The Norwich Rotary Clubs and the Norwich Woman’s City Club are proud to announce the 2024 Norwich Native Son is filmmaker Andrew Gernhard of Synthetic Cinema International, LLC.
Born and educated in Norwich, he graduated from NFA in 1995, and continued his education at Southern Connecticut State University, graduating with a Major in Communication (Television Production) and Minor in Graphic Design.
In a successful producing career spanning over two decades he has worked on a variety of projects, mostly through his Connecticut-based production company in Rocky Hill. Including a series of successful feature horror films for NBC Universal‘s Chiller Network and the hugely popular annual Christmas movies for the Hallmark Channel. Coincidentally, he produced “Wishin & Hopin” written by 2023 Norwich Native Son Wally Lamb (Andrew’s former English teacher at NFA.) Andrew reached back to him, and Wally and Andrew filmed this movie at NFA. It is now a Lifetime Christmas Movie.
In recent years his company has created strong working relationships with many prolific executive producers, major studios and networks such as Hallmark, Paramount, Netflix , Lifetime, Lionsgate, Disney, NBC Universal and more.
Gernhard was awarded the 2023 Joyce Resnikoff Tourism Award by the Mystic Chamber of Commerce for supporting, growing, and nurturing tourism in Southeastern Connecticut.
He was lauded by Governor Ned Lamont for helping to keep the economy afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the safely employing local workers and the utilizing COVID-19 affected businesses involved in the making of so many movies in Connecticut.
Of the five movies he produced in 2023, two of them, (one filmed in Scotland and one filmed at the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina) earned the two highest Original TV Movies of all cable 2023.
At age 47, his credits include over 100 movies for major Networks and Studios, many are now being produced internationally such as in Finland, Scotland and Iceland. At the present time, he is producing another movie in Iceland, however will return by the time of this event.
He is now a resident of his beloved Connecticut with his partner Christy their two young daughters and rescue dogs.
Andrew has stated that his “roots,” established in his home town, led to the “solid supportive background and respect for honest hard work, New England practicality and prudence” has stood him in good stead all over the world and in his life. He attributes that much of these values were instilled in him by the schools he attended and that “The period at NFA” prepared him for college and the world..
Andrew was nominated by Jan Sauvageau, President of the Woman’s City Club of Norwich.
Andrew Gernhard will be honored at a luncheon on June 5th, 2024 at the Holiday Inn, Norwich. The event will start at noon, and tickets are available here.