The tenth annual Environmental Film Festival began Saturday at Eckerd College in St. Pete. The festival ends March 1 and all programs are free and open to the general public. In addition to the films, the festival offers a one-day workshop for filmmakers on March 1 (info below schedule).
Here’s the schedule according to the festival website:
All screenings are at 7 p.m. in The Dan and Mary Miller Auditorium at Eckerd College. All programs will be preceded by a short reception with the presenter and will feature an opportunity for audience questions immediately after the program. Refreshments will be available in the lobby of The Dan and Mary Miller Auditorium.
February 26 at 7 p.m.
Eckerd Alumni Night
Exploring the Mother of Waters (2006)
Presented by: Brian Eustis ‘99, Co-Director and Director of Cinematography
Washing Away (2006)
Presented by: Joe Murphy, ‘04 (Program for Experienced Learners)
In conjunction with Tampa Bay WatchFebruary 27 at 7 p.m.
American Values, American Wilderness (2005)
Presented by: Chris Barns, Writer and Director
In conjunction with Sea Scout Ship 912February 28 at 7 p.m.
In the Shadow of the Moon (2007)
Presented by: James Deutsch, Smithsonian InstitutionFebruary 29 at 7 p.m.
Stand van de maan (Shape of the Moon) (2004)
Presented by: Leonard Retel Helmrich, DirectorMarch 1 at 7 p.m.
Up The Yangtze
Presented by: Hong Gu, Eckerd College instructorSponsored by: The Phoenix Venture Philanthropy Foundation. With additional support from the Program for Experienced Learners at Eckerd College, The Letters Collegium and The Environmental Studies Program at Eckerd College.
Visit www.eckerd.edu/eff/ for more info. In addition to these films, the festival is offering a one-day workshop for filmmakers on March 1:
Run by the acclaimed Dutch/Indonesian documentary filmmaker Leonard Retel Helmrich (The Shape of the Moon), who is here for the 2008 Visions of Nature, Voices of Nature Environmental Film Festival, this one-day workshop will combine a theoretical overview of his acclaimed “Single Shot Cinema” method with a rare opportunity for hands-on exploration of the technique. The workshop is open to filmmakers at all levels (some camera experience strongly recommended).
Helmrich has spent years developing and mastering his “Single Shot Cinema,” an approach built on the theories of film critic Andre Bazin, and rooted in an attempt to think in terms of camera movements instead of fixed frames. He is able to achieve low-key and low-cost effects with his mobile camera that would require elaborate and expensive dolly and crane setups if done Hollywood style. (For a stunning example of his work, see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0u7noFBK6M.) He has run several workshops introducing these techniques to filmmakers around the world, many of whom have used his approach in award-winning films.
As the name suggests, “Single Shot Cinema” is about capturing a moment in one shot, and about anticipating movement and action rather than shooting with an eye to cutting up movement. Participants in the workshop will be introduced to some of the ideas and techniques behind this extraordinary approach to documentary and feature filmmaking.
Time: March 1, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Location: Franklin Templeton Building, Room 209, Eckerd College (4200 54th Ave. S., Saint Petersburg, FL 33711)
Cost: $125 for non-Eckerd participants, $75 for Eckerd College students (proceeds go to Mr. Helmrich) – cash or checks made out to Leonard Retel Helmrich (cash only on the day of or day prior to the workshop). For more information or to register, contact Nathan Andersen at andersnt(at)eckerd.edu or 727-864-7551. Participation is limited to 25, and participants will be accepted (upon receipt of payment) on a first-come, first-served basis.
(Thanks go to David Audet from the Ybor Festival of the Moving Image for sending me the workshop info.)
(cross-posted at www.tampafilmfan.com)
