Photo provided Street closings for movie filming at the Bartholomew County Public Library are shown.
City officials approved road closures for an upcoming art heist film set to film in Columbus.
The Board of Public Works and Safety on Tuesday approved special use of right-of-way requests to close streets around the Bartholomew County Public Library on three days near the end of this month for production of director Kelly Reichardt’s “The Mastermind.”
Closures involving Franklin, Fifth and Lafayette streets, along with no parking restrictions on Fourth and Seventh Streets will take place on Oct. 21, Oct. 29 and Oct. 30. Closures will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., but differ slightly on each day. However, the film crew said the entire library parking lot will be closed for the three days, meaning individuals who use the lot while working downtown will need to make other plans for parking.
The film stars Josh O’Connor, known for his role in “The Crown” and more recently in director Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers.” According to documentation filed with the request, the film is set during the era of the Vietnam War and features an art heist organized by O’Connor’s character.
City Engineer Andrew Beckort said the city is providing barricades as is the case for all road closures the city approves, adding that the film’s production company is hiring off-duty Columbus police officers to help with traffic control.
Board member John Pickett said someone from the film had been making the rounds talking to neighbors that might be affected to inform them about the upcoming production.
“The guy that came to us told us about an art heist — they’re turning part of the library into a museum setting,” Pickett said.
