Tampa Film Fan

nightmare collection volume 2 dvd promotion

Received via email:

Enigma Films and The Nightmare Collection bring you a very special opportunity.

Collect as many raffle tickets as you can between April 15 and June 15 to increase your chances of winning. During the June Monthly Tournament, the drawing will be held. Actress Krista Grotte, a.k.a. Necro Nancy, will be on hand to pull the lucky ticket and the winner will be announced. Good luck and happy hunting.

Visit www.enigma-films.com or www.finaltableofdeath.com for more info.

news and notes:digital media storage cost, kinsler, seminole heights movie, ground up films

• I don’t know which surprises me more: that I read a Computer World article without falling asleep, that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has a council devoted to studying technology, that digital media storage is more expensive than film storage, or that the article’s comments were more interesting than the article itself.
• Filmmaker and Tampa native Lauren Kinsler recently finished shooting the short film Widow in the Bay area. Kinsler told me that “the shoot was great and we are now in the post-production phase.” To learn more about the film and future screening dates, visit www.widowthemovie.com.
• On Thursday, April 17, the Old Seminole Heights Neighborhood Association presents Seminole Heights:An Intimate Look at the Early Years at the Tampa Theatre. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the film starts at 7:30 p.m. General admission is $5, with free admission for anyone who lived in Seminole Heights before 1945 (see the box office on the evening of the event for these free tickets). Here’s the scoop from the Tampa Theatre’s website: “Discover Seminole Heights’ part in the Civil War. See the development of the neighborhood in the early decades of the 20th Century. Hear tales of growing up during the Great Depression when material goods were scarce, but the abundance of backyard vegetable gardens and warm camaraderie kept bellies full and spirits high. Co-sponsored by Eric Krause Designs and Quillian Craftsman, the film is written, directed and filmed by award-winning filmmakers Gene and Krissy Howes of Cigar City Pictures, Seminole Heights residents.” (h/t to the Reclaiming Our Heritage e-newsletter)
• Local filmmakers Jon Wolding and Jen Persons have a new website at www.GroundUpFilms.com. You can check out their short films, read about their philosophy, or just hang out and get distracted.

2007 crystal reel award winners

(This is from the end of October, via the Florida Film Commission website.)

2007 CRYSTAL REEL AWARD WINNERS!

It’s a wrap! The 2007 Crystal Reel Awards (CRA) were fabulous! The Florida Motion Picture and Television Association (FMPTA), a trade association initiated in 1973 by professionals within the Florida film industry, maintains the primary objective to encourage and facilitate increased film, video and sound recording production within the state of Florida. Indoctrinated in the late 1980s by FMPTA, the Crystal Reel Awards (CRA) honors Florida filmmakers for their fine work in fields such as motion pictures, videos, screenwriting, acting, music, print models and numerous other categories. Winning a Crystal Reel Award is a unique distinction among Florida filmmakers. A great BIG thank you goes out to the Tampa Chapter for hosting this year’s terrific program. Plans are already underway for the 2008 CRA.

FMPTA is dedicated to the promotion of film, television, recording, print and digital media in Florida.

Congratulations to all the winners and nominees! To learn more about the FMPTA, visit www.fmpta.org.

news and notes:hocus focus productions, loren cass, medicine man

• Florida film studio Hocus Focus Productions has created a teaser trailer for the upcoming film Indiscretions using recently-shot footage and voiceovers from the audition tapes of actors who were cast in the film. The scenes in this teaser will be used in the film’s opening credits. Visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErxXxw0cUB8 to view the teaser trailer.
• Local film Loren Cass has been nominated for an IFP Gotham Award in the category of Best Film Not Playing At A Theater Near You — reserved for films “that have garnered critical support on the film festival circuit, but have yet to be seen widely by the public in the U. S. because they have not been seen theatrically in 2007.” Loren Cass is one of five nominees selected by the editors of Filmmaker Magazine and a curator from The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. Award winners will be announced at the awards show on November 27. Prior to the awards show, Loren Cass will screen November 17 and 19 at the Museum of Modern Art. Both screenings are open to the public and the filmmakers (director Chris Fuller and producers Frank Craft and Kayla Tabish) will be in attendance. Loren Cass has been accepted in multiple film festivals around the world — from Denver and New York to Helsinki and Vienna — and has garnered some great reviews from various publications, including Variety. Wow! Congratulations and good luck to the filmmakers!
• There’s a new website for the local film Medicine Man: www.medicinemanteas.com.

screening list for the tampa film review september 14

Received via email from Guzzo Brother #1:

The next Tampa Film Review, presented by 1 Day Films, will be held on Friday, September 14 at 8 p.m. at the International Bazaar, located at 1600 E. Eighth Ave. in the Centro Ybor Complex. Tampa Film Review is a monthly showcase of local independent films and is held every second Friday of the month and is free.

There’s Always Hope by David Hurd and Rod Grant: A kid into the wrong scene, and on the run, is forced to deal with his past and his future when he unexpectedly finds himself in the wrong house at the wrong time confronting a cop.

Visit www.thetampafilmreview.com for more info.

film news:chris woods, shelby mcintyre, joe redner, clark brooks

Tommy at www.sticksoffire.com has out film-fanned me but good:

*He’s got info about local filmmakers Chris Woods and Shelby McIntyre’s upcoming documentary about Joe Redner.  Click here for the full scoop.

*Tommy also has an interesting interview with filmmaker and newbie blogger Clark Brooks. I met Brooks via email last summer when he sent me info on his upcoming film Ten at the Top. I was able to meet him in person a couple of weeks ago at the Tampa Bay Blogger Fest Un-Meeting.  (Great guy!) Check out his blog Ridiculous Inconsistent Trickle of Consciousness here.  Visit www.tenatthetop.com to learn more about this upcoming documentary profiling ten successful local women (you can view the trailer there too).

new local film secrets of a medicine man

Fenton Productions has a new project:

Secrets of a Medicine Man is a new local documentary that shares the amazing life and achievements of a special Native American Indian Billy Rainwater Barnes (a.k.a. Billy Two Feathers).  Barnes has helped countless people in his lifetime by offering them alternative medicine with his natural herb recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation for over ten thousand years. These herbal remedies have helped cancer patients, couples with fertility issues, and people with high blood pressure, lupus, high cholesterol and arthritis.

According to Associate Producer Sheri Lawrence, “This documentary will help to enlighten and educate the general public on alternative medicine. It will surely give them peace of mind in knowing there are other options that are less invasive.”  The documentary shows testimony from patients who have successfully used Barnes’ natural herbs and includes a detailed demonstration showing viewers how to prepare the herbal tea for consumption.

Completed in December 2006, Secrets of a Medicine Man was filmed in the Tampa Bay area. Visit www.fentonproductionsllc.com to learn more.

**Update on 2/8/07:  I had Sheri Lawrence’s title wrong; it is actually Associate Producer, not Executive Produer as originally listed above.  Marshall Payn is the Executive Producer and Nanette Fenton is the Producer.  Sorry about that!

a review of last friday’s tampa film review, part 2

This will probably make more sense if you read part 1 first.

Continuing on…

Guzzo Brother #2 announced two new online film competitions: a monthly Head-to-Head contest and another one called Are You Up For The Challenge? that includes a cash prize for the winner. (I hope I got the contest names correct.)  The Tampa Film Review website will be updated soon with the specifics and the Guzzos are going to email me the details to post here on TFF.

Next, two Lithuanian films were screened:

Ponas Pimpis (Mr. Dick) — A hilarious short about a Lothario who wakes up one morning to find his manhood in the form of a person named Richard, who challenges him to a contest to see who can seduce a woman first.

Parents and Children — An amusing — but not hilarious — short about a newly-engaged, sexually-inventive couple who discover that they’re more like their parents than they ever imagined.

Then Paul (Guzzo #1) stood on the stage and handed out certificates to thank and acknowledge various people who have contributed to the success of the Tampa Film Review over the last three years:

• Rick Danford — local filmmaker and creator of the now-extinct, but much-loved Saints and Sinners Film Festival
• Damien Kincannon — local filmmaker who fills in at the TFR as needed when Paul and Pete are out of town
• the Romeo family — former owners of Studio 1515, the coffeehouse in Ybor City where the TFN used to be held before the coffeehouse closed
• International Bazaar — the current home of the TFR, for all they do to support the TFR (and for the free snacks!)
• Rick Gershman of the St. Pete Times — not only does Rick write positively about the local film community, he loves film and often attends events instead of merely writing about them
• Chris Woods and Simon Lynx of Icon Film Studios — local filmmakers who helped found the TFR
• Joe Davison and Chris Woods (again) — local filmmakers and founders of the networking group Tampa Film Network
• Mike Compton of One Day Films — local filmmaker
• Krista Soroka — Tampa Film Commissioner
• Nolan Canova — the glue that holds the local filmmaking community together, the Crazed Fan Boy himself (and a really great hugger, might I add)

Oh, and me.  Yep, right after Rick Gershman received his certificate, while I’m concentrating on how best to wind my way through the crowd afterward in order to meet him in person (yes, I’m a Gershman groupie), I hear “…and Lisa….I’m not sure how to pronounce her last name….tampafilmfan.com.”

After that, I have only a flash of the green shoes that the girl next to me was wearing, and the next thing I know I’m standing with my back to the crowd, staring at Guzzo Brother #1 with my mouth hanging slightly open, not hearing a word he said about me.  There was something about my writing for Sticks of Fire and a joke at the end about my not knowing his and Pete’s names, since I always call them Guzzo Brothers #1 and #2, which made everyone laugh.  And then I floated back to my seat, stunned and deeply honored.  I’m not worthy, I’m not worthy…

The last movie to screen was the short film The Quiet Place, which is the first collaborative effort of the local group the Tampa Film Network and was directed by Damien Kincannon.  A couple goes in search of their missing daughter and encounters “a whole new world of terror.”

Afterwards, I got to meet all sorts of fascinating people: Tony Armer and Derek Miner from the Sunscreen Film Festival (lots of good stuff happening there this year); Kevin Hoag, director of local film Draw 3!; and many, many more.  Nolan helped me combat my inner wallflower by introducing me (as “Lisa film fan” — I kinda like it) to anyone I hadn’t already met. 

And just in case you were wondering: Rick Gershman is nice and down-to-earth.  He even agreed to play Five Questions.

a review of last friday’s tampa film review, part 1

The Tampa Film Review last Friday was one helluva night. To celebrate the third-year anniversary of the TFR, Guzzo Brothers #1 and #2 — also known as Paul and Pete — used the time in between films to make special announcements and to share exciting news.

Thank goodness I was a few minutes early for once in my life, because with about 200 people in the International Bazaar for the TFR, it was standing room only. Sitting in the row in front of me was author Eric Sturm, who is truly one of the most generous people I’ve ever met.  A frequent contributor to my blog calendars, Eric knows just about everything there is to know about the social scene in Tampa.  He could write a book with all that he knows.  (Oh wait, he has!  It’s called Access:Tampa Bay and it’s a great resource.)

My first social faux pas of the evening was not remembering that I had already met Kim, who was sitting next to Eric.  She politely reminded me that Eric had introduced us on two previous occasions. (Sorry, guys!)  Just before the first film started, she dropped a hint about an upcoming local film event that left me dying to know more. Eric then introduced me to the editor of Creative Loafing, whom I spoke with at length before and after the screenings. (And to whom I made the less-than-brilliant statement “I was just reading Creative Loafing today.”  Which was true, but still pretty lame to actually say out loud.  I probably slipped up and referred to it as the Weekly Planet, knowing my luck.)

The first film was a delightful short called Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dumpling, written and directed by New Jersey filmmaker David M. Henderson. Henderson filmed his two small sons on the Great Wall of China, complete with costumes and choreography, and made an absolutely adorable, funny short film (with great sound effects).

Then, Guzzo Brother #1 made his first announcement of the evening.  The Tampa Film Review has worked out an exchange with several other film festivals.  In September, the Guzzos and Nolan Canova (from www.crazedfanboy.com) will select the best film (possibly top 2 or 3) that has screened at this year’s TFRs.  The selected film(s) will be accepted into and will screen at the following film fests: Gasparilla Film Festival, Garden State Film Festival, Bare Bones Film Festival, Delray Beach Film Festival, Sunscreen Film Festival and Wildwood by the Sea Film Festival.

He also announced that every four months, the Tampa Film Review is going to exchange films with the WILDSound Monthly Film Festival in Canada and the Home Brewed International Film Festival in Australia.  This exchange will bring international exposure to the TFR and to local films and filmmakers.

The next movie screened was Full Sail Films’ Not Another Student Film, a short about two idiot stoner roommates who think their neighbor is a terrorist because he’s teaching foreigners about chemistry in his home.  It was ok, with one really funny bit about the heavy-duty stoner selling his soul to the devil for a steak.

Jon Wolding’s short film The Libertines was next.  The Libertines is a very clever take on how sex and violence are sometimes more similar than one might think.  I can’t say anything else about it because I don’t want to give anything away.

Continued in another post…

film news:creature productions’ film fest, loren cass, tampa gold, the ghosts of ybor

*The directors of Creature Productions have extended the deadline for submissions for the upcoming November 12th film festival.  The new deadline is November 6th.  Also, they’ve announced that award-winning producers’ rep Page Ostrow will be in attendance to talk about film distribution and financing.

*There are only a few dozen tickets left to Friday’s premiere of the new local movie The Ghosts of Ybor at Channelside Cinemas (benefitting the Gasparilla Film Festival).  If you don’t have your ticket already, you’d better arrive early!

*I heard from filmmaker Chris Fuller about the premiere of his film Loren Cass Saturday night:

Loren Cass premiered last night in St. Petersburg, Florida, with seating for 150 audience members. Over 200+ people attended and we even had to turn some folks away, unfortunately, as the showing sold out. There was standing room only which was also filled shortly after the doors opened. We received a tremendous response from the audience and press alike, and a large portion of the viewers even stuck around for the filmmaker Q & A session. We’re left very encouraged about the near future and will be announcing more screenings in the coming weeks!

*I’m on the Tampa Gold website!  There’s a picture of me and my ever-increasing a$$ at the Halloween Horror Picture Show on Sunday.  They caught me while I was talking to author Lynne Hansen at one of the tables. They’ve got video and interviews from the HHPS posted on their site also.