Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

“We don’t have a mandate to share editorial. We’re so local in our orientation, it’s never made any sense to do it that way. I think we’ve got six or seven film critics around the company now. If you put your efficiency hat on, could one film reviewer do the same job for everybody? Perhaps, but that connection to film and the local community is something I’m proud of. I’m (more interested in trying) something that really takes this talent and creates a national Web site out of it.” — Ben Eason, Creative Loafing CEO, in an interview with St. Petersburg Times’ TV/media critic Eric Deggans discussing Creative Loafing’s purchase of The Chicago Reader and the Washington City Paper; published August 19, 2007.

After those assurances made almost exactly one year ago, Creative Loafing has let film critic Lance Goldenberg go.

Local writer Philip Booth broke the story Thursday with an eloquently angry post on his blog Scribe Life. That same day, St. Pete Times’ TV/media critic Eric Deggans blogged about his disappointment at hearing the news in a post on his blog The Feed. Deggans’ post included quotes from both Goldenberg and CL editor David Warner, as well as the full statement issued by Warner.

Acknowledging both of those blog posts and the overwhelming support Goldenberg received in comments on both blogs, CL writer Wayne Garcia posted briefly – almost begrudgingly – about Goldenberg’s departure on the CL blog Political Whore. Garcia’s blog post included a statement from CL editor David Warner, who said that the concern about this news is understandable because “Lance has been a reliably expert voice on film in Tampa Bay for many years.”

In his published statements (on Political Whore and The Feed) and his blog comments (on The Feed and Scribe Life), Warner explained that CL’s decision to release Goldenberg – who has been a freelance writer for CL, not a full-time CL employee, all these years – was based on “the fiscal realities that are facing everyone in the newspaper business.” Warner assured readers and advertisers (smart move on Warner’s part to be concerned with advertisers, because they ultimately control the fiscal realities in the newspaper industry) of CL’s commitment “to reviewing and reporting on the local film scene and the many film festivals Creative Loafing has always covered in depth.”

I have so many questions and comments that I don’t know where to begin.

I suppose I should start by acknowledging my discomfort in writing about this topic. I’m a blogger, remember, so technically I’m part of the newspaper industry’s problem in the first place. (I’ll save that discussion for another blog post.) However, I hate reading about the exodus of film/book/art/music critics over the past year or so. (33 film critics since January 2006, according to The Movie Cricket.)

I spent several hours today writing a long article about this, going through all my questions and reactions point by point. After re-reading my final draft, I realized that it didn’t work and deleted it. All of the thoughts that have been swirling in my head since I first read about Goldenberg’s departure relate to one central concern:

Will Creative Loafing continue to write about, support, critique and draw attention to local films, filmmakers, film festivals and theaters?

I certainly hope so, but Creative Loafing’s track record has me a little worried. The same week that Tampa’s CL let Lance Goldenberg go, Atlanta’s Creative Loafing laid off senior editor Scott Freeman and senior arts writer (and occasional film reviewer) David Lee Simmons. Jonathan Rosenbaum, head film critic for the Chicago Reader, retired in February after 21 years. Art/film critic Felicia Feaster left Creative Loafing in Atlanta in April. The Chicago Reader lost several talented, dedicated staff writers in December.

Hopefully, the national advertising agency Creative Loafing signed on with recently can bring in those crucial advertising dollars.

When long-time writers like Goldenberg depart, readers notice the difference. Readers also notice when a paper loses some of its local focus or replaces thoughtful critical analysis with brief infotainment sound bytes.

Local film fans will be watching.  I certainly will be, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

(cross-posted at www.tampafilmfan.com)

Mark your calendars! Deep Carnivale:A Celebration of Words is now scheduled for Saturday, September 27, 10 a.m. — 5 p.m.

Here’s a partial event description from the Deep Carnivale website:

This literary festival aspires to bring Florida authors, writers and poets and related vendors together to share in a celebration of literature and writing with the Tampa Bay community. Approximately 70 poets, fiction writers, and songwriters as well as visual artists presented work at the first event in 2007. There are events for all ages.

There will be four sound stages for readings and live music. Literacy and arts activities will be available for ages from 2 through middle school and workshops available to adults of all ages. The schedule is currently under construction and will be announced around September 1.

One goal is to excite all children and young adults about the pleasures of reading and using the written and spoken word creatively in its many wonderful and diverse forms. Another goal is to illuminate the numerous talented writers living in our community, and a third goal is to provide a new opportunity to emerging authors to develop their audience.

Visit www.deepcarnivale.com for more as the schedule develops or to read about the 2007 festival.

Anyone interested in participating (authors, performers, food/book vendors, etc.) or volunteering is encouraged to contact Deep Carnivale director David Audet at daudet(at)hccfl.edu.

Last month, local filmmaker Andy Nguyen and his brother entered the uPromise Scholarship Tuition Tales competition. This week, their video entry Dream School made it to the top ten. Tuition Tales received over 250 video entries, which “were judged on their creativity, ability to move voters and how clearly and effectively they communicated the need for money for college.”

The Nguyens are trying to win $25,000 in college scholarship funds and they need your help. The Tuition Tales winner — and recipient of the scholarship — will be determined by online voting.

To vote:

1. Go to http://upromise.eprize.net/tuitiontales/
2. Enter your email in the space provided and click SUBMIT
3. Fill out the little information they ask of you (bare minimum - AGE, ADDRESS, EMAIL, NAME) and click SUBMIT
4. Then click VOTE next to the video called Dream School

You can vote one time per day from now through April 16.

Also, everyday you vote, you can play an instant-win game to win a $50 dollar Bed, Bath and Beyond gift card.

I voted for Dream School today, and will vote again every day through April 16. I hope you will too.

(cross-posted at www.tampafilmfan.com)

The 12th Annual Tampa Bay Jewish Film Festival began Monday and runs through Wednesday, March 19. Here’s a brief look at the schedule, according to the festival’s website:

• Thursday, March 6, Tampa Theatre, 7 p.m. — Making Trouble (2007, 85 min) — “An impeccably researched documentary that explores six legendary American Jewish women comics. Produced by the Jewish Women’s Archive, Rachel Talbot as Director, has created a tribute to Molly Picon, Fanny Brice, Sophie Tucker, Joan Rivers, Wendy Wasserstein and Gilda Radner.” Opening Night Celebration with special guest Cory Kahaney and a dessert reception following the film. Tickets for the opening night are $15 in advance and $18 at the door. Ticket includes a dessert reception after the movie. Sponsored by Weinberg Village.
• Saturday, March 8, Tampa Theatre, 7 p.m. — Schwartz Dynasty (Israel, 2005, 104 min) — “This dramatic comedy is a satirical look at Israeli society.”
• Saturday, March 8, Tampa Theatre, 9 p.m. — Someone to Run With (Israel, 2006, 118 min) — “This movie tells a beautiful story based on the novel by David Grossman about growing up and finding the strength to overcome your fears, the meaning of true friendship, and best of all, finding someone to love, someone to hold, someone to run with.”
• Sunday, March 9, Tampa Theatre, 1 p.m. — Praying with Lior (USA, 2007, 88 min) — “Ilana Trachtman’s touching documentary presents a real-world story of faith, the heart-wrenching challenges of a child with disabilities, and the complex relationship Lior shares with family, friends and community.” Sponsored by Tampa Jewish Family Services.
• Sunday, March 9, Tampa Theatre, 3 p.m. — Shadya (Israel, 2005, 52 min)– This film “poignantly illustrates the challenges of coping with competing identities—Palestinian/Israeli citizen and Muslim woman/karate champ.” Sponsored by Tampa Jewish Family Services.
• Sunday, March 9, Tampa Theatre, 4 p.m. — Arranged (USA, 2007, 89 min) — “Featuring strong, naturalistic performances and a sensitive screenplay, Arranged offers a unique perspective on what it means for modern women of faith to make their own choices in a secular world.” Awarded Best Narrative Feature at the 2007 Brooklyn International Film Festival. Sponsored by Tampa Jewish Family Services.
• Thursday, March 13, Baywalk in St. Pete, 7 p.m. — Nina’s Home (France, 2005, 109 min) — This feature film “movingly dramatizes the true stories of Elie Wiesel and other child Holocaust survivors.” Sponsored by Hadassah of Tampa Bay.
• Thursday, March 13, Baywalk in St. Pete, 9 p.m. — Pesya’s Necklace (Israel, 2006, 35 min) — Drama about an elderly woman’s memories of Auschwitz. Sponsored by Hadassah of Tampa Bay.
• Saturday, March 15, Baywalk in St. Pete, 8 p.m. — Beaufort (Israel, 2007, 125 min) — A “stirring war epic” based on Ron Leshen’s best-selling novel. Nominated for Best Foreign Film Academy Award in 2007. Winner of four Israeli Oscars, including Best Cinematography, and the Silver Bear for Best Director at the Berlin International Film Festival for Joseph Cedar, a veteran of the first Lebanon war.
• Saturday, March 15, Baywalk in St. Pete, 10:15 p.m. — A Touch Away (Israel, 2006, 80 min) — A “marvelous, multi-family drama” primetime television series in Israel. The TBJFF will screen two episodes, with the remainder to follow later in the spring.
• Sunday, March 16, Baywalk in St. Pete, 1 p.m. — Sixty Six (UK, 2006, 93 min) — “A wonderful mix of nostalgia, comedy and pathos, Sixty Six is an autobiographical story based on director Paul Weiland’s childhood experiences growing up in post-war Britain.”
• Sunday, March 16, Baywalk in St. Pete, 3 p.m. — The First Time I Turned Twenty (France, 2004, 97 min) — A “charming, humorous and poignant film” about a sixteen-year old misfit growing up in the suburbs of post-war France.
• Wednesday, March 19, University of South Florida, 7 p.m. — Aviva My Love (Israel, 2006, 107 min) — A “richly-layered story of a working-class woman desperate to escape her provincial life.” Winner of six Israeli Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Script and Best Director honors for acclaimed filmmaker Shemi Zarhin (Bonjour Monsieur Shlomi).

You can purchase tickets, watch movie trailers and more at the Tampa Jewish Federation website.

(cross-posted at www.tampafilmfan.com)

Received From Eric Deggans:

The Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists is presenting its second annual session focused on multimedia reporting on March 8, featuring members who have done extensive work translating their newspaper or TV work into online platforms.

On deck so far:

• Ken Knight, multimedia reporter for Media General
• Demorris Lee, reporter for the St. Petersburg Times, who recently completed a multimedia reporting fellowship at the Knight Digital Media Center
• Boyzell Hosey, director of photography at the St. Petersburg Times
• Ken Irby, photography and multimedia expert at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies
• Eric Deggans, St. Petersburg Times TV/media critic and editor/creator of The Feed blog

Scheduled for 11 a.m. March 8 at the Tampa Tribune, 200 S. Parker St., Tampa, this seminar is free and open to anyone who wishes to attend.

During the panel discussion, we will talk about ways to think about expanding traditional journalism work to multimedia platforms, the advantages and challenges of blogging for journalists, the resources available for those who hope to learn more about this kind of work and more…

Last year, we got a great response from area bloggers of all ethnicities and had a chance to turn it into a wide-ranging discussion. Even if you don’t consider yourself a journalist, but would like to learn more about this new field, please feel free to attend.

As we all work to try and understand these new media platforms, sometimes the most fun comes from getting together and swapping ideas on what it all means. And fellow bloggers, feel free to post this on your blog somewheres…

The Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists’ website is www.tbabj.com. Please remember, however, that you’re welcome even if you’re not a journalist. Or from the Tampa Bay area. Or black.

Hope to see you there.

(cross-posted at www.tampafilmfan.com and www.tampabookbuzz.com)

After a successful debut in 2007, the Gasparilla Film Festival has bigger and better plans for this year’s festival, which opens tonight, 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.

By the way, 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.

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.**

(more…)

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.

(more…)

Book Review: Historic Photos of Tampa
text and captions by Ralph Brower (Turner Publishing).

Remember those carefully-packed time capsules your fourth-grade class buried in the school’s playground all those years ago? The book Historic Photos of Tampa is a time capsule of sorts, a peek into Tampa’s history, carefully packed with a variety of photos from all walks of life.

In the book’s preface, publisher Todd Bottorff states that “this book seeks to provide easy access to a valuable, objective look into Tampa history.” Using photographs from the Burgert Brothers — some not often seen in other photo collection books — Historic Photos of Tampa presents local history in four parts:

(1) Beginning of Cigar City to the Turn of the Century
(2) Tampa at the Beginning of the 20th Century
(3) The Roaring 20s, Great Depression and Economic Recovery
(4) World War II and the Baby Boom

Each chapter gives a brief, one-page summary of the local history of that era and each photograph has a caption that gives additional historical information while explaining the photo’s origins, date and subject matter. The book’s photos are marvelous. There are pictures of famous buildings, waterways, horse-drawn carriages, store marquees, parties, industries, Ybor cigar factories, traffic, parades, carnivals, buildings under construction, and a variety of people: famous, not so famous, at work, at play and walking down the street.

I wish that the captions had received as much time and attention as the photograph selection process obviously did. The captions were oddly inconsistent: some gave a great deal of information while others were short and choppy; some were carefully written and edited, while other captions — too many of them, sadly — had grammatical and typographical errors.

Overall, however, the captions are a small part of the book. Beautiful, wonderful photos are the center of Historic Photos of Tampa. The photographs are black and white, but the Tampa Bay area history is colorful.

Book Buzzometer: B+

(cross-posted at www.tampabookbuzz.com)