Downtown Loft Boom Frames Indie Rom-Com Dorfman in Love

Producer Leonard Hill, who got his start in Hollywood as a writer on the TV series Adam-12, is intimately familiar with downtown LA’s residential renaissance. As an LA Times article by Richard Verrier documents, he and a partner converted a pair of landmark buildings into the trendy Biscuit and Toy Factory loft complexes.

After a break from the TV movie business he once dominated, Hill is back with the independent romantic comedy Dorfman in Love, due to hit theaters and VOD in March. The film tells the story of a San Fernando Valley woman (played by Sara Rue) whose life is shaken up when she temporarily relocates to cat-sit at a downtown loft. From Verrier’s piece:

“The truth is, old producers die hard,” Hill said. “Making movies is more fun than making buildings. I really missed the creative aspect of the business.”

Hill served as the film’s producer, location manager and also worked with [screenwriter Wendy] Kout on the idea for the script. He initially pitched Kout on a story called “The Loft,” inspired by the classic Billy Wilder film The Apartment. Instead, Kout suggested an original story, partly based on her own impressions of growing up in the Valley.

Other locations that pop up in the movie include Angel’s Flight, Chinatown and Union Station. Full LAT article here.