WATERVILLE (AP) – “Empire Falls,” an HBO miniseries about a fictitious Maine mill town down on its luck, has been nominated for 10 Emmy Awards.

The movie was based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Maine author Richard Russo, and was mostly filmed in Skowhegan, Waterville and other central Maine locations. The film, which debuted on HBO on May 28 and 29, featured a star-studded cast that included Ed Harris, Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward and Helen Hunt.

When the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced the nominations for the 57th Emmy Awards on Thursday, the movie was on the list for outstanding miniseries and Russo miniseries writing.

Fred Schepisi was nominated for direction; Ed Harris for lead actor; Paul Newman and Philip Seymour Hofman for supporting actor; and Joanne Woodward for supporting actress. The film received other nominations for art direction, casting and single-camera picture editing.

“We’re really, really pleased, but I’m not really surprised, given the quality of the production,” said Greg Gadberry, assistant director of the Maine Film Office. “It would be shocking if it didn’t (get nominated).”

Local people involved with the film cheered the Emmy nominations.

“I think that’s great,” said Birdie Katz, an Augusta actress who shared a steamy scene with Newman in the movie. “I’ve had so much fun out of the whole experience. It’s kind of like a fairy tale come true.”

Another Maine production, “Conquest of America,” made by South Portland’s Lone Wolf Documentary Group, also won an Emmy nomination for outstanding costumes. The TV special for The History Channel told the stories of early European explorers in North America.

The winners will be announced Sept. 18 in Los Angeles.

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Information from: Morning Sentinel, http://www.onlinesentinel.com/

AP-ES-07-15-05 0215EDT