Tampa Film Fan

exciting news from the gasparilla film festival

Last night I attended a Gasparilla Film Festival wine tasting at the amazing Lyssa Morgan Gallery in South Tampa. In addition to a good visit with my friend Eric Odum, the President/Chairman/Jack of all Trades of the GFF, I finally got to meet GFF Executive Director Sherri Simonetti in person.  Based on her emails, I was expecting her to be energetic and outgoing, but WOW.  She’s one of the most vivacious people I’ve ever met and a great asset to the Festival. Watching her bounce around the gallery tired me out and made me long for my comfy sofa and favorite jammies.  But enough about me.

Odum and Simonetti addressed the packed gallery and did the usual “thank you for coming” spiel.  Then, as a less goofy version of Martin and Lewis — with Odum serving as the straight man — they proceeded to make some exciting announcements:

• They both recently attended the AFI Fest in L.A. to scout for films and have secured the indie documentary Motherland Afghanistan for the Festival. In Motherland Afghanistan, an Afghan-American woman films her physician father’s trip to Afghanistan to work in a large maternity ward in Kabul and at a brand-new rural hospital in the Ghazni province.  The filmmaker, who lives in Jacksonville, will attend the screening of her film.
• Each night of the Gasparilla Film Festival includes a great party in a fun venue, but the party on Friday, March 2, will be unique.  That night’s festivities will be held on the deck of the SS American Victory, the WWII memorial and museum ship docked here in the Bay area.
• The GFF has partnered with the Campus Movie Fest — the world’s largest student film festival — to showcase some films made by University of Tampa students.
• Last, but certainly not least:  the GFF is bringing in LA kinetic artist Bruce Gray to create a work for their outdoor film screening on Saturday, March 3.  Gray’s metal and wood sculptures and kinetic artwork have been featured in hundreds of movies, TV shows, commercials and music videos.  His kinetic sculptures include mobiles, magnetic “suspension” sculptures, rolling ball sculptures and musical art furniture. The Festival team and Gray are planning a very unique kinetic sculpture that will go hand-in-hand with the outdoor screening.  I believe this is the first time that a U.S. film festival has incorporated Gray’s work into a film screening.

Mark your calendars for February 28–March 4 and visit www.gasparillafilmfestival.com often to see what else this inaugural film festival will bring to the Bay area.

(cross-posted at www.sticksoffire.com and www.flicksonfairbanks.com)