Portantino Named to the California Film Commission

He came to California to work in the entertainment industry, and now Assemblyman Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge) gets to blend his two favorites: politics and film.

Portantino on Tuesday was appointed to the California Film Commission, said spokeswoman Wendy Gordon. In a press release, Assembly Speaker John Perez cited Portantino’s extensive background in film and television production.

“California’s entertainment industry -- a major source of jobs and an important part of our history and culture -- has had no greater champion than Anthony Portantino,” Pérez said in a prepared statement.

Portantino has long had a love of the cinematic arts, Gordon said, noting Portantino has an extensive background in fim and television production. He wrote and produced a 1987 film called Time of Tears, which IMDB.com depicted as a child's struggle with death, and an old man's belief in the magic of youth.

Portantino, whose appointment was announced Tuesday, also chairs the Assembly Select Committee on the Preservation of California’s Entertainment Industry.