by Andrew Alonzo | aalonzo@claremont-courier.com

Residents and Village patrons were surprised early Monday to see production trucks, film crews and equipment occupying the corner of Harvard Ave. and First St. Though shoppers were permitted in the area, most of the Harvard sidewalk was taken up with film crew and production equipment.

Producer Nina Yang said the production company Full of Heart LLC began shooting portions of an independent feature film, “Transplant,” at restaurant Tutti Mangia at 6 a.m. Monday, with the shoot wrapping at 10 p.m.

“We are shooting at this restaurant for a New York [scene],” Yang said. “We dressed it up like a New York restaurant. And the location is ideal because the scenery looks like New York inside. That’s pretty much it.”

The production company has been shooting scenes across Southern California, Yang said, including in Montclair and San Dimas. The film is funded by state tax credit, which incentivizes studios to film across the state, Yang said.

“What they try do it is, [they] want us to shoot outside of L.A. County when we can,” she said. “There are certain zones that we go by and so Montclair became a very good location when we do have to shoot outside of L.A. proper. We film around here but we’re doing all interiors that look like New York.”

Once completed, Yang said producers hope to enter the film on the festival circuit, including Sundance, Tribeca, and South by Southwest.

For information about the production call (323) 512-7988.