BIO ~ Mark Sankey
Director of Management & Marketing
I was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio. I attended Kent State University, where I earned a BBA with a dual focus in Business Management and Marketing. After graduating, I began my career in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
In 1980, a visit to my brother—who was attending Arizona State University—made a lasting impression, and I decided to relocate to Tempe, Arizona.
In 1999, I moved to Tucson, where I’ve since established deep roots in Southern Arizona. My career has been defined by change and adaptability. I spent the first two decades in sales and sales management with Fortune 500 companies, including Merck and Bristol-Myers. Following a series of industry mergers, I joined my brother in the publishing business. We operated a niche publishing company specializing in public-record sourcebooks used in the background investigation and pre-employment screening industry. While my brother focused on research and editing, I led marketing and distribution sales. As the print industry declined, we diversified by investing in a wholesale screening and embroidery business, which I managed as President.
When my brother fell ill with cancer, we made the difficult decision to sell both businesses, and I officially retired. I later took a more recreational role as a lead in guest services at Old Tucson.
When COVID-19 forced a temporary closure, I transitioned to the Mescal Movie Set. Given my experience in writing, marketing materials, and sales, the Kartchner family moved me into a marketing role. The Mescal Movie Set was slated for demolition prior to its purchase by the Kartchner family. One of our initial challenges was marketing the availability of the set while simultaneously undertaking the extensive effort to restore and renovate the property in order to attract new film productions.
In addition to film projects, we have opened the set to the public through Historical Film Tours.
These tours allow guests to walk the streets and visit iconic filming locations from classics such as Tombstone, The Outlaw Josey Wales, The Quick and the Dead, and Tom Horn, among others.
Our ongoing goal is to attract major motion picture productions back to Mescal and to help reestablish Southern Arizona as a premier filming destination.
Mescal Movie Set
Company Phone: 520-255-6662
MEET THE HOST:
About Ben Freese
Ben Freese, a writer, director, actor and editor in the movie industry is the host of this exploratory emporium of ideas and insights into the local scene here in Tucson. Ben, sets out to make movies fun and entertaining while pushing what the local community has got going on. With his upcoming directorial debut feature film, “In Terror” releasing in 2023, Ben has his plate full with new upcoming projects as well, like his short horror film “Witchery”. Ben loves to chat it up with his guests every month: Talking about the movies!
Contact number: (520) 909-9170
