LMGI COMPASS
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Fall 2025
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49
Andy fearlessly contradicts him, and the magic of that classic
friendship transcends the celluloid directly into our living
rooms and our lives. Thirty-one years later, we identify
with these fictional, mid-century inmates even more today
than when the film was released in 1994. Because here in
present-day 2025, it feels like we are all relying on hope.
In his new film, The Shawshank Hustle, legendary location
manager -turned-filmmaker and recipient of the 2015 LMGI
Lifetime Achievement Award, Kokayi Ampah/LMGI, tells
the story of how a dying prison and a fading town found
salvation through cinema. "It's really amazing how the film
saved that city," Ampah reflects in his new documentary.
When Shawshank filmed in Mansfield, Ohio, in 1993, the
historic Ohio State Reformatory was slated for demolition.
Closed since 1990, the prison had sat abandoned, neglected
and crumbling. The Mansfield Reformatory Preservation
Society was fighting to save it—and then Hollywood showed
up.
"It was a perfect location," said Ampah, who was the
production supervisor and location manager of the film.
"The Reformatory suited our artistic and visual needs.
The prison (the reformatory) was in disrepair from two
years of neglect and exposure to the elements. It required
considerable clean-up and safety precautions to be put in
place before we could film. The company also constructed
the three-tier cell block where Andy and Red were housed
in a nearby warehouse that the Westinghouse Corporation
had recently abandoned. The city officials worked very
well with us to make everything a success."
