Tampa Film Fan

gasparilla film festival — friday

I didn’t make it to the Gasparilla Film Festival on Thursday, but made up for it with a full day on Friday. Friday was the day of “liked it, didn’t love it.”

That began with the festival’s schedule. The festival’s program guide gave descriptions of all the films and listed the screening date/time for all of the feature-length films at the end of each description. The program guide didn’t give a day-by-day schedule, which I missed dearly. I need the easy-to-read, TV Guide-style grid of what’s playing when. I looked at the festival’s online schedule to map out what I wanted to see each day. I didn’t “drill down” and click on each movie title, however, so I had no idea that each feature-length film would be preceded by a short film or two. I’d just assumed that the shorts would be shown during the time slots marked Shorts Section I and Shorts Section II. (You know what they say about assuming.)

I’d received several emails from local filmmakers listing the date/time their short films were scheduled. Thank goodness for that, because that’s how I found out about how the short films were going to be shown. When I arrived at the theater, the first thing I did was take a look at a festival volunteer’s detailed daily schedule page so I could see which short film was scheduled to proceed which feature-length film. I managed to dart back-and-forth between theaters to catch most of the shorts and features that I’d wanted to see, although I had to miss out on some filmmaker Q and A sessions to do so.

While I like the festival’s attempt to expose moviegoers to short (often local) films by running them before each feature-length film, I didn’t love the execution of that attempt. I hope that next year, the GFF will list the shorts on the overview page of the online schedule and include the screening date/time in the program guide.

I saw the local short Good Samaritan, which screened before Dream Havana. Good Samaritan paired Rachael Lee and Robert Elfstrom, two very strong local actors, in a drama/thriller about justice and revenge. Liked it, didn’t love it.

Then I hopped over to a different theater to see American Fork, a comedy/drama about an overweight, sad-sack, nice-guy loser with the usual quirky friends, family and co-workers. American Fork combines the job/home/job monotony of Bubble, the retail world quirkiness of The Good Girl and the socially-awkward misfits of Eagle vs. Shark without adding enough oomph of its own to make it really stand out. (Although American Fork won the festival’s grand jury prize, so what the heck do I know? [info via Steve Persall’s blog] )

Local short film There’s Always Hope was next. I missed the first minute or two — which is more important than it sounds, since the entire movie was only 13 minutes long — so to my “liked it, didn’t love it” I’ll add the caveat that I need to see the movie again before saying anything more.

The documentary Big Rig was one of the films on my GFF Must-See List. It takes a look at truck drivers across the country and gives the viewer a glimpse into truckers’ lives, experiences and opinions. Big Rig was beautiful and fascinating, but a little long and in need of some “framework” text (or narration) at either the beginning or end in order to provide some information and put the film in context. I had a lot of questions after watching the movie, but had to skip out on the filmmaker Q and A to catch my next film.

Next up were two exceptions to the “liked it, didn’t love it” vote: The Job and the preview of Strip Club King:The Story of Joe Redner. I LOVED those. The Job is a very short (4 minutes, I think) hilarious take on the struggle to find employment. To say any more would spoil the fun of this clever, funny film.

I figured that Strip Club King would be interesting — how could it not be, with controversial, often-hated, outspoken strip club owner/political activist Joe Redner as the subject — but I had no idea it would be fascinating. Local filmmakers Shelby McIntyre (director) and Chris Woods (producer, editor) had full access to Redner, his family and decades’ worth of incredible footage. I thoroughly enjoyed the 14-minute preview and am looking forward to seeing the completed documentary.

Last film of the night was Judy Toll:The Funniest Woman You’ve Never Heard Of. Toll reminds me so much of Gilda Radner: the zaniness, the physical comedy, the multiple characters on stage, the never-ending sense of humor…and unfortunately, the ultimately unsuccessful battle with cancer. Toll’s brother and mother made this film, which was brave not only because of the obvious pain of their not having Judy in their lives anymore, but also because a lot of Toll’s humor was about very personal subjects, especially her sex life.

Toll co-wrote the film Casual Sex, wrote for Sex and the City, toured the nation performing in clubs big and small, and was devastatingly hilarious as Andrea Dice Clay, the female version — and very clever parody — of comedian Andrew Dice Clay. For some reason, however, Toll never became a national success, so her brother made this documentary to ensure that her talent would not be forgotten. Judy Toll’s mother attended the screening. It was so late that no one stuck around for the Q and A session with Mrs. Toll, so I made sure to thank her for coming and for making the film. She asked me if I had any questions, but I didn’t. (I wish now I had come up with something to ask her.)

I stopped by the GFF party long enough to stalk actor Shane West into a photo op, then I headed over to another party. I had a chance to chat with Mike Compton (Good Samaritan), Rachael Lee (Good Samaritan), Chris Woods (Strip Club King) and Rod Grant (Gunn Highway) for a while. I’ve met Grant before, but had never really had a chance to talk to him much. After seeing him as the creepy bad guy in Gunn Highway and the creepy, crooked cop in 100 Tears, it was a relief to finally get to know Grant as the NON-creepy, regular, nice guy that he is.

My mind wasn’t ready to give up on GFF yet, though, because I dreamed about the festival that night. And then overslept the next day…

second annual gasparilla film festival february 27-march 2, 2008

After a successful debut in 2007, the Gasparilla Film Festival has bigger and better plans for this year’s festival, which opens February 27. At a recent press conference, festival executive director John Rosser and president Eric Odum presented the film line up, announced guest appearances, and listed the panels, receptions and special events planned for this year. 81 films from ten countries will be screened over five days, with at least 20 of the selected films having a connection to the Tampa Bay area.

Here’s a glimpse at some of the special events and screenings planned for this year:

Wednesday, February 27:

• Opening Night VIP Reception at the Tampa Theatre
• Opening night film Kabluey, a “hilarious, unique and heartfelt comedy” starring Lisa Kudrow, Chris Parnell and Christine Taylor. **Executive producer Jeff Balis is a Tampa native.**

Friday, February 29:

• An exclusive screening of The Good Fight, an “exclusive sneak-peak, work-in-progress” about FSU Seminoles’ coach Bobby Bowden by acclaimed filmmaker George Butler (Pumping Iron). Following the screening, George Butler and fellow producer Elisabeth Haviland James will be on hand to answer questions from the audience. (Tickets to the screening and the reception may be purchased separately or together.)

Saturday, March 1:

• A special, 45th anniversary screening of Blood Feast, the “first film ever to showcase explicit gore!” Legendary filmmakers Herschell Gordon “Godfather of Gore” Lewis and David F. “Mighty Monarch of Exploitation” Friedman will be in attendance! There’s a reception at 8 p.m., the film screening at 9 p.m., and then at 10 p.m. Lewis and Friedman will participate in a Q and A session with St. Pete Times film critic Steve Persall! (Sorry about the overuse of exclamation points, but I’m really excited about this event. !) “True fans of independent filmmaking will no doubt appreciate Lewis and Friedman’s fearless and pioneering cinematic legacy. However, the fact remains that their blood-soaked repertoire continues to influence people of all stripes to this very day…most notably, curious youngsters eager for kicks,” said Andy Lalino, producer at Film Ranch International, the sponsor of this special event and screening. I’m told that there will be a nurse on scene at this event, just in case. This event will put the GASP in the Gasparilla Film Festival, for sure. (While I wish I had thought of “GASParilla” myself, I must give credit to Film Ranch International for coming up with that.)
• Women’s Power Hour — The Gasparilla Film Festival is supporting Women’s History Month by showcasing the short films Ten At The Top in Tampa Bay (**by local filmmaker Renee Warmack**), In Between, Drive Lesson and Loose Ends. This event will take place at Channelside Cinemas at 5:30 p.m., followed by a complimentary networking session from 6:45 to 7:30 p.m. and is sponsored by local publishing company JimSam, Inc. There will be gift bags for the first 50 people to enter the theater for this screening. Also on March 1, Channelside Cinemas is hosting the 3rd Annual Focus on Females Women’s Healthcare Symposium, a free day-long series of health-oriented seminars, screenings, demonstrations, and classes.
• Campus MovieFest — Sixteen of the best five-minute movies from the 06-07 tour of Campus MovieFest, the world’s largest student film festival, will be screened. Don’t ignore or dismiss this because of the “student” or “five-minute movies” aspects. Last year, the Campus MovieFest films were some of the best short films I’ve seen in the past few years (and I’ve seen hundreds of ‘em, at film festivals, at local screenings, online and on DVD). I have high hopes for this year’s Campus MovieFest crop as well.
• An exclusive screening of The Flock, a “heart-stopping psychological thriller” starring Richard Gere and Claire Danes.
• Several panel discussions/seminars, including: Worldwide Marketing and Distribution of Your Film, Budget Techniques for Producing Your Film and Working in 16mm and Other Filmmaking Techniques.
• Screenings of Requiem, a documentary about “one of the most misunderstood predators on our planet — the shark” featuring beautiful underwater photography. Requiem will screen at the Florida Aquarium and the filmmakers will be in attendance.

Sunday, March 2:

• The Young Filmmakers Series screenings.
• A special family screening of the kids’ action/adventure film The Flyboys starring Stephen Baldwin and Tom Sizemore. One free children’s ticket with each adult ticket purchase.
• The Closing Night/Award Ceremonies — hosted by Wendy Ryan of ABC’s Action News.

YOU READ IT HERE FIRST, FOLKS: I have permission to announce that Shane West, star of TV’s ER and the GFF selection What We Do Is Secret, will be at the Gasparilla Film Festival this year. I’ll post more details when I get ‘em.

Other films to be screened at the festival include:

Special American Indies (Features):

• Autism–The Musical (U.S. premiere) — A documentary about five autistic children in L.A. who write, rehearse and perform their own full-length musical.
• Big Rig (Florida premiere) — This documentary is “an extended portrait of modern American as seen through the eyes of long-haul truck drivers as they span 21,000 miles, 45 states and dozens of truck stops.”
• Daydreamer (Florida premiere) — A mystery/drama/sci-fi feature that “zigs and zags, defying convention.”
• Judy Toll:The Funniest Woman You’ve Never Heard Of (Florida premiere) — A documentary about Judy Toll, “one of Hollywood’s funniest and talented comedy writers in the 80s and 90s…whose lifetime career achievements remain largely unknown even today.”
• The Memory Thief (Florida premiere) - A “fascinating and unsettling film about a young tollbooth worker whose search for meaning leads to an obsession with the Holocaust.”
• What We Do Is Secret — This drama takes a look at the Germs, “the seminal band from the late 70s L.A. punk rock scene,” and Darby Crash, “their enigmatic lead singer.”

Fun and Fear (Features):

• American Fork — Comedy starring William Baldwin and Kathleen Quinlan.
• 100 Tears — A horror film about two reporters drawn into “the bizarre world of a serial murderer known only as The Teardrop Killer.” **Locally-produced film.**
• Viva (Florida premiere) — “A comic tale of a suburban housewife in 1972 who is abandoned by her husband and goes out to find herself in the middle of the sexual revolution.”

Latin Panorama (Features):

• Death of a Bureaucrat — A “hilarious tale of the ludicrousness of bureaucracy” from Cuba.
• Drained — A Brazilian comedy.
• Dream Havana — Cuban documentary about two friends “faced with a life-altering choice” of whether or not to attempt escape from Cuba.
• El Custodio — An Argentinean drama about a man trapped in the thankless role of bodyguard.
• It’s Better That Gabriela Doesn’t Die (East coast premiere) — A Mexican comedy about soap opera obsession.
• Making Tom Ze’ — A Brazilian documentary about the controversial musician Tom Ze’.
• The Man of 2 Havanas (Florida premiere) — “Everything your parents never told you growing up about U.S.-Cuba relations…”
• Tocar Y Luchar (Florida premiere) — A documentary about a network of hundreds of orchestras in Venezuela.

And shorts, shorts, shorts. Lots of short films, many of which are locally produced, several that are making their premieres at the festival, and all of which sound interesting.

Visit www.gasparillafilmfestival.com for details on the films, filmmakers and the schedule. A variety of festival passes and ticket packages are available through the website as well.

See you at the festival. (If you get there first, save me a good seat, will ya?)

(cross-posted at www.sticksoffire.com)

art after dark showing local films october 19

From Guzzo Brother #1′s email newsletter:

Art After Dark Showing Local Films

The next Tampa Museum of Art’s Art After Dark event on Friday, October 19 ,from 8 – 11 p.m. at the museum, located at 600 N. Ashley Drive, will be showcasing local films from past Tampa Film Reviews for its “Fright Night” theme. The films they selected will include: The Quiet Place, Night of the Bat Demons, To Live Is To Die, and Gunn Highway. The event will also include food, drinks, art and live music. I hope you can all come and support the local films. It’s always cool when the museum includes films in their art events. A few years ago this never would have happened! Let them know they are making the right choice!

Visit the Tampa Museum of Art website for more info.

summer shorts online 2007 at ifc.com

I have only just now discovered the online film series Summer Shorts Online 2007, presented by IFC.com and Rooftop Films (I’ve never claimed to be the sharpest knife in the drawer, now have I?).  A new short film is being posted online every day this summer.  The films are in a variety of genres from many different countries. 

Check it out:  http://www.ifc.com/films?aId=20130

(Thanks go to Andrea the Rooftop Films Intern for sending this to me.)

highlights of the ybor festival of the moving image, part two

*Cough.*  I’ve been under the weather the past few days with some sort of pox or plague, so I didn’t make it to Ybor City for the Ybor Festival of the Moving Image, dammit. Today’s the last day, but I doubt I’ll drag myself out of bed in time to catch any screenings.  For those of you who are healthy and able-bodied, however, here are some of today’s festival highlights:

• 1:30 p.m. — a repeat screening of A Moving Feast, local filmmaker Victoria Jorgensen’s documentary about the history and influence of indie filmmaking in the Tampa Bay area.  (I’m so mad at myself for being sick and missing this; I hope to see it some day.)  Cuban Club Theater; tickets $5.00.
• 2:30 p.m. — screening of The Ghosts of Ybor:The End is Blossoming, an entertaining short romance/drama set in the Spanish Mafia-controlled Ybor City following World War II; by local filmmakers Guzzo Brother #1 (Paul, the writer) and #2 (Pete, the director).  Cuban Club Theater; tickets $5.00.
• 3:30 p.m.  — screening of Ten at the Top in Tampa Bay, a well-done documentary about ten local women currently in top governmental positions.  First-time filmmaker Renee Warmack interviews these women about the good and bad they’ve encountered along the way: their goals, mentors, challenges, obstacles, advice, supporters, heroes and more.  Cuban Club Theater; tickets $5.00.

Visit www.yborfilmfestival.com for more info.

screenin’ shorts at the sunscreen film fest, part three

Florida Film Showcase:

For the Motherland — An ambitious film about a conflicted Russian soldier upset about being given a flag instead of a gun.  Continuity errors and meager special effects aside, this was a good attempt by a very young director on an extremely limited budget.

Tampa Jai Alai — Creative camera work, decent acting and an interesting story come together to create a compelling movie about this popular local sport of the late 70s.  One of my festival favorites.  Winner of Best Florida Short.

Tattoo Love Magic — A man is obsessed with his girlfriend’s tattoo and its mystical powers.  Confusing and boring.

Broken — Style over substance.  Beautifully filmed with great special effects, this horror film loses power and shock value through vague storytelling and an unsatisfying ending.

The Roman — While waiting for his target to get home, a hit man eats dinner with the target’s family and finds his evening forever changed.  After a very slow start, the movie picks up and engages the viewer.  Ultimately, however, the story is both familiar and predictable.

Ghosts of Ybor:The End is Blossoming — A cruel Sicilian mobster in 1940s Ybor city tries to thwart the romance of two of his employees — a bartender and his top-earning call girl.  Wonderful music, great selection of historical photographs and first-rate use of historic Tampa sites and architecture.  This film’s greatest flaw is the choice of actors.  Several of the actors were less than solid and even the very competent female lead was given to periodic histrionics.

Matters of Media Shorts:

And Now A Word From Our Sponsors — A cute short about the insidious nature of advertising.  No one can avoid advertising, even the young man hurriedly popping into a store searching for condoms.

Marksman — A very inventive tale of a non-violent marksman applying for the job of police sniper in the early 1900s.  He is mistaken for a policeman and sucked into a criminal’s revenge plan where he must kill or be killed.  Funny, with great attention to detail with the historical props and wardrobe.

Mr. Extion (say the name out loud slowly; you’ll laugh when you get it) — Two filmmaking buddies brainstorm movie ideas.  A simple plot, likeable actors, a twist ending.  Sounds like a good idea for a movie.

The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle — A brilliant idea executed in a less-than-brilliant way.  A guy discovers that he’s living inside of a movie, complete with hilarious continuity errors, nostalgic flashbacks and cheesy voiceovers.  If this film lost half of its 46 minutes, it would be practically perfect.

Parental Guidance Requested Shorts:

Mexican Sky — Wonderfully tense film about an atypical car trip: two cops transporting a convicted killer to a new prison on the back roads of Texas.  Nothing fancy here – just simple camerawork, solid acting, a well-written story and a memorable ending. One of my favorites of the festival.

Rushers — Two twenty-something guys revisit their college days by posing as college students during Rush Week.  Much better than the last few National Lampoon movies I’ve seen.  Another of my festival faves.

The Morning After — A woman and man recall what led them to their one-night stand.  Oooh, with a surprise ending!  Ho-hum.

Zombie Love — I hope this film attains cult status.  I loved it.  It’s a musical about a sensitive zombie who tries to pass as normal because he’s fallen in love with a living woman. Yep, you read that correctly.

Will his girlfriend freak out when she discovers his true identity?  Will his zombie friends talk him into eating people again?  Will he be able to avoid taking a bite out of his girlfriend when nuzzling her neck?  Will you ever be able to get the catchy-but-gross song Eat the Flesh out of your head?

Great special effects, surprising singing talent and a highly creative (and funny) story.  One of my favorites of the festival.  Winner of Best Short.

screenin’ shorts at the sunscreen film fest, part two

Words and Images Shorts:

A Cigar at the Beach — Beautiful music; stunning shots of the ocean; a melancholic man on the beach escaping from real life into a vivid fantasy life; a confusing and depressing ending.

The Girls of Elizabeth Street — A simple story about a ten-year-old boy in 1976 discovering girls, this film employed very creative techniques to tell a good story on a limited budget.  Title cards advanced the action and plot, while the camera’s focus on the lead actor eliminated the need for a lot of 70s props.  Fun opening credits using the Speed Racer theme song.

Begleiter — An amazingly original and humorous film about Happy, an orphaned dog looking for a richer and fuller life.  Great use of color desaturation to depict dogs’ colorblindness.  Hysterical cameo by Ken Osmond from Leave It To Beaver.  One of my favorite films of the festival.

Drifting on the Wind (ArRuh Ala ArRih) — An Iraqi exile’s return home stirs up painful emotions and memories.  At least I think that’s the plot.  It was boring, so I had trouble paying attention.

Absolute Zero — A riveting, suspenseful film about the painful death of a railway worker trapped inside an empty refrigerated trailer.  Told through archival footage and interviews interspersed with the dying man’s point of view.  Marred only by a slightly unsatisfying ending.  One of my faves of the festival.

May the Farce Be With You (Shortly):

My Name is Wallace — A touching comedy about a lonely mentally-handicapped man who takes a newspaper ad literally and calls a 900 number looking for love.  Beautiful piano music.  Very funny and heartwarming.  One of my festival favorites.

Talk Me To Death — A very clever look at society’s cell phone addiction at one of the most unusual and hilarious funerals ever seen.  Another festival fave.

What’s Your Problem? — A wacky spy thriller about a group of wannabe private detectives.  This is a wannabe comedy that wanted to be entertaining, but wasn’t.  Should have been shorter.

The Great Pretenders — A satirical send up of office politics, layoffs and outplacement.  Wickedly keen with solid acting.  One of my favorites of the festival.

Autographs for French Fries — A mediocre role-reversal story of a beleaguered waiter forced to wait on spoiled, rich sports starts.  Offered a few funny bits, but was predictable.

screenin’ shorts at the sunscreen film fest, part one

I watched eleven-and-a-half hours of Sunscreen Film Festival short film selections last week. Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly:

Shorts for Everyone! (Bring the Kids):

• Scaling Up – A decent-enough animated short about a boy practicing his trumpet.  When he discovers a magical old trumpet sitting around, band practice becomes much more fun.  Ok, but nothing compelling.
• Sadie Turns Seven — A simple, sweet story of a young girl who makes her own birthday wish comes true and tries to make the world a better place.  Adorable young actress.
• Once Not Far From Home — The filmmaker had money for special effects, music and casting (Erik Per Sullivan, Daniel Hugh Kelly), but forgot to spend any on a good story.  This movie is lusciously filmed and colored, but leaves you scratching your head in unsatisfied confusion at the end.
• Linear Progression — A cute animated (traditionally drawn and digitally painted) film about two hungry creatures happily chomping their way through the grass until they get in each other’s way.
• Good Night, Sleep Tight — Using live action and stop motion for a short film can work when you have an adorable teddy bear as the hero.  This movie gave me few chuckles, but was ultimately boring (and a little odd).
• Rad Racers — A halfway amusing idea of using plastic dolls and cars to show two men drag-racing over a woman.  Unfortunately, the other half of the idea turned out to be dumb, sexist and creepy.
• Binta and the Great Idea — It’s easy to see why this film was nominated for Best Live Action Short Film at this year’s Academy Awards.  It’s a moving story of seven-year-old Binta, a Senegalese girl who is allowed to go to school even though her cousin Soda is forbidden to attend.  Between school, worrying about Soda and watching her father’s attempts to tell government officials about his big idea, Binta is one very busy little girl.

Dramatic Shorts With International Spice:

• Gua Zi (A Watermelon Seed) — This Chinese film about a secretly-pregnant teen and her quiet little sister is beautifully filmed, but ends abruptly without any plot resolution.
• Winter Sea — A bizarre tale of family secrets.  The actors were decent, but the movie was too long and confusing.  I hated it.
• Mickey and Maria — A German short about ten-year-old Mickey’s romantic pursuit of twenty-year-old Maria.  Poignant, sweet, funny and not in the least bit creepy (even though this description might sound that way).
• Argo — I think this was about two lonely strangers connecting with each other, but with the bad acting, bad writing and bad directing, I’m not really sure.  Hated it.
• Silent Consent — A highly-original, funny, Italian film about a waiter who takes extreme measures to get his loud, rude customers to listen to him.
• Cherry Bloom — A unique Chinese film about a chronically-ill girl with psychic abilities.  This slowly-paced film is somber and intriguing.