Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

“Well, you’re quite the busy bee.”

This is The Husband’s standard response whenever I give him long, detailed descriptions of where I’m going and things I’m doing on any given day. Technically, it’s code for “I’m listening and being supportive because I love you, even though you’re boring me to death” and is a much better line than my standard comment to him of “Is your story very long?”

This busy bee buzzed around to three film-related events this past Friday: A press conference at Eckerd College about the movie Misconceptions that’s currently being filmed in Pinellas County; the Tampa Bay Film Industry and Actors Network Meetup; and the Tampa Film Review. Here are a few things I discovered over the course of the day:

• Academy Award and Emmy-nominated director Ron Satlof (The A-Team, Diagnosis Murder) teaches filmmaking intro classes at Eckerd College. Eckerd College continues to support film in all sorts of ways: the International Cinema Series, the Environmental Film Festival, the film studies program, and now this. Wow.
• I’m a terrible photographer. (You’ll see for yourself when I download my photos.)
• My 10th grade math teacher was right: There’s no escaping math in life, no matter who you are or where you go. The Meetup group watched an instructional DVD on lighting techniques for interviews, which was interesting and informative (and not as tedious as it sounds here). When the narrator mentioned the “inverse square law” that determines light reflection, however, I suddenly developed sweaty palms and a strong craving for a sharpened No. 2 pencil.
• A Major Movie Star has agreed to be the guest of the upcoming Sunscreen Film Festival! Festival co-director Tony Armer “leaked” the news at the Tampa Film Review, but since nothing has been officially released to the media yet, I promised Armer and fellow co-director Derek Miner that I wouldn’t name names here. Keeping this secret is killing me….
• Film fest director, filmmaker and extreme multi-tasker David Audet surfaced from under the mountain of DVDs he’s screening for the Ybor Festival of the Moving Image to present the Bud Lee Cinematography Award at the Tampa Film Review. I was able to chat with him long enough to find out that (1) The YFMI is going to be jam-packed — as always — with an eclectic, unusual assortment of films, art and performance; (2) PIX Fest, the Pinellas County film festival originally scheduled to debut this summer, is still going to occur, but probably in a very different way than previously imagined ; and (3) The literary festival Deep Carnivale:A Celebration of Words, fresh from its successful debut last September, will be bigger and better come September 20. This year’s festival will have more of everything: more activities, more venues, more authors…and hopefully more attendees, more attention, more fun.
• Speaking of book news, I met JimSam, Inc. publishing pro Marcia Freespirit (a busy bee herself) Friday night. Her company has some intriguing book/film collaborations planned for 2008.
• In the spring, the Tampa Theatre is going to launch an outdoor classic film screening series at various parks in the Tampa Bay area. Locally-produced short films will be part of this series as well, playing just prior to the main movie at each screening.
• The Sunscreen Film Festival has finalized the judging panel for short films: Filmmaker and UT film professor Tom Garrett…and me. I’m not sure how I snuck in there, but I’m sure I proved my professionalism by jumping up and down with joy when co-director Derek Miner asked me. (Surprisingly, he didn’t rescind his offer.) Here’s an interesting side note: Sunscreen Film Festival co-director Tony Armer graduated from Eckerd College, which brings us full circle.

I’ll post my photos as soon as possible. Hopefully, The Husband’s stories are all short today.

(cross-posted on www.tampafilmfan.com)

I’m one happy film fan. Santa left a stack of DVDs under my Christmas tree, the frivolous-but-yet addictive film award season is in mid-swing, and the Tampa Bay area’s film festival season is now open. It kicks off at the International Bazaar in Ybor City on Friday, January 11, with the fourth-anniversary celebration of the Tampa Film Review. The screening is at 8 p.m., but the party starts at 7 p.m. This event is open to the public and it’s FREE.

Four years ago local filmmakers Paul Guzzo and Pete Guzzo launched the TFR as a showcase for local independent film. Local filmmakers could show their movies to an audience, get some feedback, meet other local filmmakers, and have their films reviewed on the pop culture website CrazedFanBoy.com. Over the years, word spread, audiences grew, the local film community blossomed, and what was once an audience of 30-40 people (mostly family, friends, filmmakers and a few hard-core film fans) grew to a regular crowd of 150-200 who arrive early so they can get a seat.

Purists will argue that the TFR is not really a film festival, because it happens once a month instead of once a year. The dozen or so people who read my blog on a regular basis will note that I usually refer to the TFR as a film series. So why do I think that this Friday’s Tampa Film Review is the start of our local film festival season?

Because this month’s TFR covers both the “film” and the “festival” parts without question. The film part is covered every month, of course. Over the past couple of years, I’ve seen a wide variety of movies at these monthly screenings. Some films made me laugh, some made me cry, some bored me, some moved me, some made me want to jump off the Sunshine Skyway, but most of them I wouldn’t have seen without the TFR. Being exposed to interesting, unusual, hard-to-find-otherwise movies is what I love most about film festivals.

As part of the TFR’s anniversary celebration, the Guzzo brothers are presenting “Best of 2007” awards that are named after legendary Tampa artists like Bud Lee, Rondo Hatton and Rene Gonzalez. They want to congratulate the newer crop of local talent and honor the local creatives who have inspired and motivated this generation. (This is the festival part, by the way.) The full list of award winners and namesakes is available here.

Food, film and a celebration of Tampa artists and filmmakers, plus a special announcement by the Tampa Theatre about a new initiative planned for 2008…sounds pretty festive to me. Hope to see you there.

Visit www.thetampafilmreview.com for more information.

Here’s a brief look at some (certainly not all) of the local film-related events coming up in the next week:

• November 13 and 15 — Two episodes of Star Trek (The Original Series) will be shown on the big screen at participating theaters
• November 15 — Fable of the Beautiful Pigeon Fancier screening at the Salvador Dali Museum as part of the Dali and Beyond Film Series
• November 16 — Spanish film A Wonderful World (Un Mundo Maravilloso) screening at Eckerd College as part of their International Cinema Series. Filmmaker Luis Estrada will attend the screening to introduce and discuss his film.
• November 16 — The Blues Brothers screening at the St. Pete Beach Theatre as part of the Late Night Cult Flicks Series
• November 17 — Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe screening at the St. Pete Beach Theatre as part of the Free Kids Matinee Series
• November 18 — 2nd Annual Children’s Day (activities and classic film screening) at Hyde Park Village presented by the Gasparilla Film Festival

Visit http://tampafilmfan.com/blog/calendar-of-events for info on these and other local film screenings and events. Email your event info to me at tampafilmfan(at)aol.com.

(cross-posted at www.tampafilmfan.com)

Here’s a look at some of the film-related events coming up in the Tampa Bay area:

• November 9 — French film Blame It On Fidel (La Faute en Fidel) screening at Eckerd College as part of their International Cinema Series
• November 9 — A Clockwork Orange screening at the St. Pete Beach Theatre as part of the Late Night Cult Flicks Series
• November 10 — Women’s history documentaries Sisters of ‘77 and locally-produced Ten at the Top in Tampa Bay will be screened at HCC-Davis Island, followed by a discussion led by local historian Doris Weatherford. Click here to read the press release.
• November 10 — The Magic Sword screening at the St. Pete Beach Theatre as part of the Free Kids Matinee Series
• November 11 — The Tampa Comic Book and Toy Convention includes an indie film festival

Visit http://tampafilmfan.com/blog/calendar-of-events for more info on these and other local film screenings and events. Email your event info to me at tampafilmfan(at)aol.com.

(cross-posted at www.tampafilmfan.com)

Well, folks, I’ve got good news and bad news.

The bad news:

“Important News for fans of TEC (Tampa Educational Consortium), the Board of County Commissioners has chosen to accept the recommendation of the County Administrator and zero fund The Education Channel for FY ’08 and ‘09 which begins October 1, 2007. Programs that you may have enjoyed in the past may not be available to you after September 30, 2007. If this matters to you at all please call your County Commissioner and tell them to re-instate the funding for TEC.”

And some good news:

The Independents’ Film Festival is still a go.  The Education Channel’s Laura Tierney said, “I am going on with the Independents’ Film Festival and would like to see some additional funding developed for it.”  Here are two ways to support the IFF:

1) Purchase an ad for your business in the IFF program. Program advertising is $500 for the back cover or inside cover; a full page is $200 or a half page is $100. 

2) Purchase a Movie Lovers sponsorship. “For $100 you receive your family’s name in the program as a supporter of the fest and two all-access passes to the festival. You also get the knowledge that you support creativity and culture in our society.  All these funds go directly to support the Independents’ Film Festival and to demonstrating to the State of Florida that filmmaking is important to us. Of course, if you have friends with businesses who might be interested in a more complex level of sponsorship, please call or email. I need to raise the matching funds for this year ASAP since it seems that those funds will not be available through The Education Channel’s general operating budget.  Remember that we are a 501 c3 so donations are tax deductible to the extent that your CPA tells you they are.”

Laura Tierney can be contacted at 813-254-2253, ext. 206 or via email at laurat(at)educationchannel.org.

The IFF has a new website: http://www.indiefilmfest.us/ and a MySpace page: www.myspace.com/movieminded.  Visit the fest’s new online digs when you get a chance.  Let’s show our support for this much-loved local film festival, shall we?

(cross-posted at www.tampafilmfan.com)

There’s a new family-friendly festival in the Tampa Bay area. Deep Carnivale: A Celebration of Words is scheduled for Saturday, September 8, on 14th Street and Palm Avenue in Ybor City from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Presented by the Artists and Writers Group, Inc. and Hillsborough Community College-Ybor. Deep Carnivale is free and open to the public.

According to the press release,

“This event will be a celebration of literature and writing in its many wonderful and diverse forms. The goal is to excite our community about the joys of literature, with a special focus directed toward our younger generations of children and young adults about the pleasure of listening, learning and using the written and spoken word creatively.

There will be three sound stages for readings, spoken word, original singer/songwriter performances and small theatrical performances. Areas of arts and writing activities for children and adults of all ages will add to the celebratory quality of the day. There will be visual arts components, such as the Books As Art exhibition, and the 20 arches of El Pasaje building transformed into pages by twenty artists and writers and based on an art concept from the 1920s called the Exquisite Corpse.

Thirty vendors or so will sell books and related literature. Numerous community organizations will provide information on their activities. Coupled with interesting decorations, live music and a wide variety of scheduled readings and performances that will appeal from the youngest to the most sophisticated, this inaugural event will be well on its way to becoming a flagship event for Ybor City.”

The schedule, names and bios of attending authors and more details on events will be announced soon. For more info, email David Audet at daudet(at)hccfl.edu or visit www.deepcarnivale.com.

I am on the Deep Carnivale planning committee. If you are interested in buying space for a vendor table or an ad in the program, please email me at tampafilmfan ( at ) aol.com and I’ll send you the details. Hope to see you there.

(cross-posted at www.tampabookbuzz.com)

I came home early today, planning to work at home the rest of the day and get caught up on office paperwork. Instead, I’m anxiously watching the fire that’s smoldering very near my house.

There’s a wildfire burning in Riverview near the Super Target at the corner of Bloomingdale and Gornto Lake Road. The fire is in the woods between the Bloomingdale Shopping Center (at the corner) and the rows of houses under construction. Bay News Nine just reported that the fire covers two acres and is producing more smoke than actual flames. My apartment complex is on the other side of the almost-completed Super Target, so I can vouch for the accuracy of the reported smoke.

Remember the smoky haze from a couple of weeks ago? At my house right now, it’s about ten times worse than that, with the addition of weird tiny bits of debris and ash falling from the sky. Police have closed off the Gornto Lake Road entrance on Bloomingdale, spectators are watching from a distance and comparing stories, two helicopters were in the air a little while ago, and there are too many fire and rescue vehicles on hand to count. It’s nice to have a good excuse not to work, but geez. Keep your fingers crossed for me, folks.

Click the photos for bigger shots.

Attention filmmakers and film fans: the Tampa Bay Film Commission is once again hosting the annual Film Florida meeting on June 6, 7 and 8 right here in the Bay area. A membership-based non-profit coalition of local film commissions and labor/industry associations, Film Florida provides a leadership role in Florida’s film and entertainment industries. Activities during the three-day meeting include a public forum, a mix-and-mingle reception, the annual board meeting, an advisory council meeting and the Legends Award ceremony. On June 6, Film Florida and the Tampa Bay Film Commission are partnering with CreativeTampaBay to present a free public forum to give filmmakers valuable information on film funding, making film pitches and the latest technology trends. Here’s the full schedule as it stands now:

4–6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 6, at the Italian Club: Tampa Bay Film Forum Panel and Discussions (no charge) –

Concurrent Session 1:

• A. Funding 101 – Learn how Florida production companies have been successful making feature films, including drafting budgets, comparing state incentives and raising funds. Panelists include Ed Machek from Ring Productions, Steve Matzkin from Fresh Produce Films, Robert S. Fingerman from Fingerman and Macke (NY), and Bryan Crino from Skyway Capital Investments.
• B. The Perfect Pitch – Maritza Guimet from the south Florida company Florida Media Market will teach filmmakers how to perfect their plans and make the pitch that gets them the film project resources needed.

Concurrent Session 2:

• A. Hot Technologies in Moving Pictures – Judd French from Digital Media and other panelists will present new digital cameras, leading-edge equipment and the latest trends in technology.
• B. What’s Your Pitch? – After learning perfect pitch tips from Maritza Guimet, attendees can try their pitches out on the panel of funders and producers. Each participant will get three minutes to make his/her pitch with the audience present. The judges will then critique the pitch and give recommendations for improvement. (Reservations for this session are suggested.)

6–8 p.m. on Wednesday, June 6, at the Italian Club: Creative Tampa Bay/Film Florida Reception (no charge for food, cash bar) – Meet the forum panelists and network with local and state production and creative industry professionals.

1–5 p.m. on Thursday, June 7, at the Marriott Waterside: Film Florida Annual Board Meeting (no charge) – The public is invited to participate in the annual statewide board meeting and hear from the State Film Office, statewide industry leaders, labor organizations, film commissions and related associations.

6–8 p.m. on Thursday, June 7, at Stumps Supper Club: Film Florida Legends Award ($25 per person, cash at the door) – Join in as they honor the 2007 Legend Award winner (name not yet announced).

9 a.m.–1 p.m. on Friday, June 8, at the Marriott Waterside: Florida Film and Entertainment Advisory Council (no charge) — Feel free to stop by and learn about the Governor’s Entertainment Advisory Council.

Tampa film commissioner Krista Soroka and CreativeTampaBay executive director Donna Manion will appear on this Thursday’s Tampa Bay’s Media Talk to talk about these events.

Visit CreativeTampaBay’s website to learn more.

(cross-posted at www.tampafilmfan.com)

Local author Wendy Boucher has added artist to her ever-expanding list of accomplishments (to list just a few: travel writer, lawyer, mommyblogger, fiction author, public speaker, former Sticks contributor and genuinely nice person possessing a wonderful sense of humor). Boucher’s first solo art exhibit opened May 1 at the TECO Public Art Gallery (702 North Franklin Street in downtown Tampa) and will run through June 29. All the exhibit pieces are mixed media/paper collages that convey her love of Asian culture.

On May 17, the TECO gallery is hosting a reception to celebrate Boucher’s art exhibit and the publication of her second book Letters From A Dead Armadillo. The reception will be from 6 to 9 p.m. and is free and open to the public. (Please RSVP to wendy(at)wendyboucher.com.) Copies of Boucher’s new book, along with her first book Parvenue Throws A Party, will be available for purchase at the reception, thanks to Inkwood Books. Boucher will donate ten percent of all sales from the reception to the Mental Health Care Foundation of Tampa.

I first heard of Letters From A Dead Armadillo about a year or so ago when Boucher was the guest speaker at a Barnes and Noble book club meeting I attended. I fell in love with the title instantly and have been anticipating its release, no matter what the plot. For the record, however, the plot sounds good too:

It only takes a couple of weeks for transfer law student Sally Cotton to become embroiled in an extortion scheme with one new friend and to become another new friend’s best hope for exoneration for murder. Sally and her friends will have to solve not one but two murders in order to save their own skins and keep their friend Karen out of prison. Suddenly, the philosophical debates they’ve been having at school about the death penalty and the criminal justice system aren’t merely academic.

Boucher’s other upcoming appearances include book signings at the South Tampa Barnes and Noble on May 19 and the South Tampa Borders on May 27. Visit www.wendyboucher.com to learn more. Don’t forget to mark your calendars for May 17!

(cross-posted at www.tampabookbuzz.com)