Tonight Women in Film & Television Florida will hold a quarterly meeting at the dMAC in downtown Orlando. I guess I should mention that I sit on the board of this worthy organization, not that I am simply promoting this event. Tonight's event will feature your typical networking updates, followed by a discussion with Kim Dawson, producer of Bobby Jones-Stroke of Genuis. It is Kim's story that I find interesting.
Aside from picking up a rock and scraping it on a cave wall, I still believe that film is the most democratic of art forms, not only in its creation, but in its reception/perception as well. Kim's 13-YEAR quest to secure the rights and develop the film for wide box office release without the funding support of major studios, is a true testament to the spirit of the art. During the six months we spend screening and selecting films for the festival, it is a common tale we hear again and again. "This piece represents years of my life."
I am always fascinated that someone becomes so completely obsessed with one story that they will not rest until it is heard. Kim has been in the business for nearly 30 years. Can you imagine dedicating more than a third of your entire career to one project?! I am sure some of you can. Stacy Peralta made RIDING GIANTS in eight months after the concept began in 2000. Is it any less of a film? Definitely not.
The point is that passion for a story is about as good as it gets when you're a filmmaker. And some people are willing to do anything to realize that vision, even if it means scratching it out on cave walls until you can project it to the world.
Just back from a cousin's wedding in Pittsburgh. 20 attendants, five flower girls, an hour and a half long Catholic ceremony, and a sit-down dinner reception for 300 later, I start to think about Orlando vs. the Burgh. Aside from the fact that my old hometown gets more/better music in a month than we get in a year, not to mention major league sports, and who knew they had a vintage grand prix through Schenley Park?!
Aside from all that, they have a pretty cool independent film scene as well. Pittsburgh Filmmakers does a good job of mixing it up. But they also have the freedom to use several venues and therefore can do more/better. I cannot begin to explain the agony Matthew and I feel on a daily basis that Enzian is limited to our one (albeit gorgeous) screen. Don't get me wrong, we are pleanty busy and are extremely proud of what we bring to the community, but we always feel the pull to do more.
Orlando does however have a thriving community of independent filmmakers trying to make their voice heard. Pittsburgh has Film Kitchen and Orlando has Group 101. Orlando also has the Short Film Slam at dMAC, the Brouhaha Film & Video Showcase we produce each year, and Flicks on Fairbanks at Austin Coffee and Film.
Ok, so maybe we do have a lot going on. Now if we could just get a grand prix...
Last night Enzian held a panel discussion on Fahrenheit 9/11. Events like this are always proud moments for the staff because we get to open a dialogue in the community and engage our audience beyond just sitting in a dark room to watch a film.
In an evening full of highlights, I was most moved by the words of Jared Cruze, a local bartender and former National Guardsman, who was interviewed twice in the film. (See story in the Orlando Sentinel) Jared told us he wanted to set the record straight on some things, so we weren't quite sure what he was going to say. In the end, after watching the film with the audience again, he very simply and eloquently said that he was honored to be among us representing thousands of soldiers who fought, are fighting, have been injured and killed for this war. His short speech brought tears to my eyes and a touching round of applause from the audience. Well done, Jared.
F9/11 sure has turned up the heat here in the sunshine state. Listing the "Florida Film Festival" as one of my Google News Alert categories, I have gotten a minimum of ten Alerts a day over the past two months that have nothing to do with the festival and everything to do with F9/11. The most recent from the Asia Times out of Hong Kong. Interesting at first, but enough already. We know, we're the devil.
In my more than three years with Enzian and the Festival, I have never seen a more diverse crowd. Some folks so old we had to let them into the air conditioning just to keep the ambulances at bay. The middle aged woman who screamed because her hair got wet during a sudden thunderstorm while waiting in line (she couldn't actually be from FL, could she?). The surprising turn out of the good 'ol boys (they hate that flushed decolletage term) and their stripper girlfriends at the late show each night. The spontaneous cypher circle of local free thinkers that broke out in front of the theater after a Saturday afternoon screening.
There has also been a healthy back and forth on KoolKids (the Yahoo newsgroup for Florida production) over the holiday weekend and continuing through the week. This is a somewhat tricky situation. While the idea behind the group is to network, promote production in Florida and discuss issues related to the industry in our state, there is the danger of digressing into a partisan shouting match and losing the interest of the people on the list. The moderators have tried to step in and remind everyone that this is not a political newsgroup, but then the argument follows...what about when we discuss Florida's incentive legislation and try to present a united voice to the folks in Tallahassee, including our friend JEB? Good point, however, those issues are specifically related to the industry. Fahrenheit 9/11 has caused an uproar about politics in general which leads to a myriad of issues unrelated to film production in Florida. There are tons of newsgroups available to those wanting to dive into political debates. Unless there is a direct tie to film production in Florida, I for one, would prefer to leave it out of KoolKids.
