COURTSEY PHOTO | The Wardenclyffe laboratory in Shoreham was built in 1901 by renowned architect Stanford White.

Howard Smith, a cinematographer who has worked on the Matrix and Harry Potter movies, has signed on to work on an independent film about Nikola Tesla.

Joseph Sikorski, a Long Island native who wrote the screenplay “Fragments from Olympus: The Vision of Nikola Tesla,” said he was excited when Mr. Smith agreed this week to take part in the film’s production.

“[Mr. Smith] is fascinated about Tesla’s accomplishments and believes in our mission to save the property,” Mr. Sikorski said.

Nikola Tesla conducted his research at the Wardenclyffe laboratory in Shoreham, built in 1901 by renowned architect Stanford White. The 187-foot Wardenclyffe Tower, which was demolished in 1917, was designed for experiments in wireless communications. The main laboratory building remains at the site.

The goal of Mr. Sikorski’s project, he said, was to vindicate the struggles of a man he described as a forgotten inventor. His film tells Tesla’s story through a posthumous FBI investigation in which two special agents race to acquire the papers and experiments of the recently deceased scientist who, shortly before his death, claimed to have perfected a new super-weapon that could turn the tide of the war.

The Tesla property has been owned for more than 40 years by a European photo company, although the property hasn’t been used for nearly two decades.

State, county and town officials are trying to get grant money to acquire the property. An appraisal has not been done because the U.S. Department of Environmental Conservation is still testing the site for contamination.

As the bureaucracy continues, Mr. Sikorski said he is hoping to start shooting his movie in January.

“We’re picking up a lot of momentum,” he said. “There are plenty of opportunities for people to get involved.”

Mr. Sikorski is currently putting together a production team, casting actors and raising funds. His goal is $3 million to produce the movie and an additional $1 million to go toward preserving the property for the community.

Mr. Sikorski, along with co-author Michael Calomino and production supervisor Victor Elefante, will be featured speakers at the Brookhaven Tesla Conference on November 5 at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton.

For more information on the project visit fragmentsfromolympus.com.

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