Tampa Film Fan

gasparilla film festival — wednesday

The Gasparilla Film Festival owes me several hours of sleep. I haven’t stayed up so late so many nights in one week since … well, never. Fueled by Channelside Cinemas’ large diet Dr. Peppers, I bounced back and forth from theater to theater, trying to catch as many movies and meet as many filmmakers as I could.

I went to the Gasparilla Film Festival’s opening night party Wednesday night hoping to find a nice, quiet corner to hide in until the movie started. I had so much fun, however, that I ended up going to the post-screening party too, even though I usually skip those kinds of things. The Tampa Theatre was packed and everyone was eager to see the opening night film Kabluey.

The first familiar face I saw that night was networking expert Eric Sturm, who knows almost everyone in the Bay area and yet amazingly manages to remember everyone’s name…I hung out with local filmmaker Daniel Brienza for a little while and talked with him about his upcoming Weekend Film School…I saw Guzzo Brother #2, who somehow managed not to burst out laughing when I tripped over a lighting stand as I walked past him. (At last year’s Ybor Festival of the Moving Image, I stepped on a tablecloth as I was talking to Guzzo Brother #2 and almost dumped the table’s contents on the floor. I have decided that for my own safety and the safety of those around me, the next time I see Guzzo Brother #2 at a film fest I will just wave hello at him from across the room.)…

…Up-and-coming actor Rachael Lee (The Good Samaritan, Gunn Highway) was there. She’s 16, gorgeous and talented, but it’s impossible to hate her guts because she is incredibly sweet, nice, polite and generous. (She’s more mature and polished at 16 than some people in their 30s that I know.) Her mom Allison was there too, glowing with pride about seeing Rachael up on the big screen…Steve Persall from the St. Pete Times and his wife Diane (in a gorgeous bright red coat) were there…I saw Bob Ross, looking dapper with his cane that he’s using while recovering from knee surgery…local author Skip Allen (Out of the Ashes) was there, making instant friends out of strangers as only Skip can…of course I spoke briefly with festival executive director John Rosser and president Eric Odum, both of whom looked proud, relieved, exhausted and excited all at the same time, now that after all their hard work, the festival was finally here…I had a chance to say hello to Tampa Bay film commission manager Lindsey Norris – someone else gorgeous but impossible to hate because she’s so nice and amazing — who teasingly threatened me about giving the festival a good write up (and who’s gonna teasingly kick me in the shins the next time we see each other because of this post!).

Kabluey was wonderful…whimsical, moving and hilarious. After the movie, writer/director/actor Scott Prendergast and producer — and Tampa native — Jeff Balis took the stage for a brief Q and A. On the way to the festival’s after party at Spain, I had a chance to talk to Prendergast for a few minutes and tell him how much I enjoyed his film. He was nice, down-to-earth and thrilled at the audience’s positive reaction. He said it was a lot of fun to watch Kabluey in a theater full of people who were enjoying it. (He also gave me his email address so I could ask him additional questions!)

Spain was wall-to-wall people; navigating to my usual corner took longer than usual. Throughout the evening, I met filmmaker and Gasparilla Film Festival board member Rob Sterret, Bay News Nine’s On The Town reporter Virginia Johnson and several GFF volunteers. Right before I left the party, I screwed up the courage to talk to Jeff Balis. As I made a fool of myself gushing about how much I liked Kabluey, I think I actually uttered the phrase “local boy makes good” when explaining why it’s so great to see someone from Tampa become a success in the film industry.

On the way home, I texted a friend to tell him what he had missed that night. (Note to any members of law enforcement who might be reading this: I would never text and drive at the same time.) I was still wound up when I got home, so I made The Husband listen to my stories and look at my pictures even though he was half-asleep. Finally I had it out of my system and was able to get some sleep. (Little did I know how much I’d need it for the rest of the festival.)