SCHENECTADY — Words flash on the screen as clips from the film pass by: “a woman — with three lovers — two identities — one purpose.”

Then comes the big clip from the long-awaited film “Winter of Frozen Dreams,” at least for Debbie Civitello, manager at Mike’s Hot Dogs on Erie Boulevard.

“There we are!” Civitello said as she was shown the trailer by a reporter. “That’s awesome.”

Main characters from the movie struggle in the Mike’s parking lot, with the restaurant’s sign in the background.

The trailer was recently posted online; several of those involved got their first glimpse Wednesday.

The movie, about convicted Wisconsin killer Barbara Hoffman, was filmed almost exclusively in Schenectady County in February and March 2007, and participants have been eagerly awaiting news on its release.

“This is exciting; this is great news,” said Nick Barber, who with local historian Don Rittner closely worked with the filmmakers. “Now it’s a real thing.”

Exactly when the movie will be released and how remains to be determined.

The trailer is hosted on the Web site of Artist View Entertainment, artistviewent.com. The owner could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

But in an interview with the Wisconsin State Journal this week, Artist View President Scott Jones said they had recently acquired the film.

“We wanted it from the time we saw it,” Jones told the paper. “It’s a very interesting and compelling story with a good cast. It’s clever.” He told the paper they are now trying to find an outlet, whether that be in theaters, on television or on DVD.

“Time will tell,” he said. “It could also be a fantastic TV movie. It will have legs.”

The film was produced by Millie Stanisic, sister Milka Stanisic and Anthony Vorhies. It was directed by Eric Mandelbaum.

The filmmakers chose Schenectady after a suggestion from a lawyer on staff who attended Union College.

Filmmakers used Maple Ski Ridge, Rolling Greens Bowling Lanes, Schenectady City Hall and Mike’s, among other locations. Several are instantly recognizable in the trailer.

The film is based on a book of the same name by Karl Harter, subtitled “A True Story of Passion, Greed and Murder.”

Thora Birch, who was in the 1999 Oscar award-winning motion picture “American Beauty,” plays the convicted killer Hoffman, a one-time college student who moonlighted in a local massage parlor. She was later accused of killing two of her former clients.

Keith Carradine, who played Wild Bill Hickok in the HBO series “Deadwood,” plays the detective investigating the case.

The budget for the film was less than $1 million.

Barber and Rittner helped the filmmakers with everything from finding 1970s cars to picking up people at the airport. The two started the fledgling Schenectady Film Alliance to promote local filmmaking.

They also both got bit parts as police officers escorting Birch to her trial — a scene filmed on City Hall’s grand staircase and included in the trailer.

“They did a real nice job on the trailer,” Rittner said. “You could tell by the way they were shooting it it would be a good-looking movie.”

Barber put his own stamp on the narration, recalling different scenes and the story behind them.

In one scene, the toes of one of Hoffman’s victims stick out of the snow. The scene was filmed at Maple Ski Ridge, noted Barber, whose day job is as director of Schenectady County’s Real Property Tax Service Agency.

Barber also helped get the feet there, though not in the way Hoffman did.

“I picked up the guy with the dead body feet,” Barber said. “He came in carrying the feet in a bag. It was so funny.”

He also recalled how a car in the trailer wouldn’t start.

“How cool is this?” Barber said as the trailer concluded. “This is wonderful.”

Another location used was a home on Avenue A owned by locals Allan Barber and Craig Taylor. Allan Barber is no relation to Nick Barber.

Allen Barber spotted his claw-foot tub in the trailer. He also pointed out another location: the Grog Shoppe and its jukebox.

“It’s exciting for Schenectady,” Allen Barber said. “I can’t wait to tell all my friends.”