In last weekend’s final FilmSlam of 2009 (Enzian’s monthly showcase of locally produced short films), Steven Shea’s “2:22” was the big winner, taking 1st Place in the Audience Award voting and guaranteeing itself a spot in the upcoming Brouhaha Film & Video Showcase. Shea’s gory creepfest about a young woman waking up after a night of clubbing with a lot more than the spins clearly struck a nerve (or a vein) with local indie film supporters still in the Halloween spirit.
Congratulations also to Ryan Kindel for earning 2nd Place honors for his documentary about Titusville, SPACE TOWN: LAST STOP BEFORE THE MOON, and Kevin Dusinberre’s salesman film, PURRFECT PITCH, which took 3rd Place. And while there is no FilmSlam in December, be sure to circle your calendar for the 18th annual Brouhaha Film & Video Showcase on Saturday and Sunday, December 5 & 6, a 2-day/4-program event composed of many monthly FilmSlam winners, films curated by school departments statewide, and the best of the independent submissions. A jury of industry professionals will be on hand to pick the cream of the crop and select an 80 - 90 minute “Best of Brouhaha” program, which will then be presented as the shorts portion of the Florida Sidebar in the 2010 Florida Film Festival this April 9 - 18. So be sure to come out, show your support, and join the festivities.
Congratulations to International Film Circuit and director Aviva Kempner for their film, YOO-HOO, MRS. GOLDBERG, which just passed the $1,000,000 box office mark this weekend. No small feat for a documentary about “The most famous woman in America you’ve never heard of,” audiences nationwide obviously agree with the critics who have made this deeply affectionate and engrossing work one of the highest rated films at RottenTomatoes.com for the past four months (it still has a “93” rating). A remarkable portrait of an even more remarkable woman, the film tells the story of Gertrude Berg, a pioneer in radio and television who created TV’s very first character-driven domestic sitcom in 1949 and paved the way for women in the entertainment industry. As Associate Editor Lyn Payne wrote in the Heritage Florida Jewish News, ” Kempner’s film will not only make you fall in love with the indefatigable, charismatic Berg, it will show you the way Jewish Americans—and really, all Americans—lived in the pre- and post-war years.”
For anyone with an interest in entertainment history, Jewish culture, 20th century American history, women’s studies, radio, television, humor, media, the Hollywood Blacklist, and many more themes this joyful and informative doc touches upon, YOO-HOO, MRS. GOLDBERG is a must-see. The film has only 3 more matinee performances locally at Enzian, Tuesday - Thursday at 4:00 PM—you don’t want to miss it!
But if you are it makes our current and upcoming programming that much more special. Last Friday Enzian had the pleasure of opening the exclusive Orlando engagement of the new Coen Brothers movie, A SERIOUS MAN, one of the most brilliant and hilarious films of the year. Easily the most personal (and Jewish) work they’ve ever created, it is a stunning meditation on faith and growing up in a predominantly Jewish suburb of late ‘60s Minnesota. Whether you’re a fan of their previous work or not (and this is certainly one of their best and funniest), you don’t want to miss this!
Also opening this Friday, October 30, for a special limited engagement of daily matinees, is a wonderful new documentary from Aviva Kempner (THE LIFE AND TIMES OF HANK GREENBERG) called YOO-HOO, MRS. GOLDBERG. A remarkable portrait of a remarkable woman, Gertrude Berg was an entertainment giant who was one of the pioneers of both radio and television. “The most famous woman in America you’ve never heard of” was even responsible for inventing the sitcom, and this affectionate and fascinating look at her life and career is a joy to watch.
And if the two most important Jewish-oriented films of the Fall playing side-by-side at Enzian isn’t enough, coming up on November 22 & 23 will be the 11th annual Central Florida Jewish Film Festival. What a lineup we have in store! Opening the festival will be Lynn Roth’s THE LITTLE TRAITOR starring Alfred Molina, an uplifting film about a unique friendship between a British soldier and a precocious boy set in 1947 Palestine, just a few months before Israel became a state. Following this Audience Award winner at the 2008 Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival is the terrific Israeli thriller, FOR MY FATHER. A 7-time Israeli Oscar-nominee, the film tells the story of a young Palestinian man on a suicide mission in Tel Aviv who’s given a second chance when his bomb doesn’t detonate. Monday afternoon opens with yet another fantastic thriller, THE DEBT, a 4-time Israeli Oscar nominee and a huge box-office hit in its native country. This unique psychological cat-and-mouse espionage tale is set in both the ‘60s and the ‘90s, and follows three young Mossad agents on the trail of a notorious Nazi war criminal. And last but certainly not least, the Closing Night film of this year’s festival is the best Israeli comedy of the year, A MATTER OF SIZE. Nominated for an incredible 13 Israeli Oscars and winner of 3, including Best Actress, this hilarious and moving work is the story of 4 overweight friends who decide to train to become Israel’s first sumo wrestling team. This sweetly absurd tale of acceptance will remind some of both THE FULL MONTY and THE KARATE KID, and it is a comedic sports drama and love story of the highest order.
Looking for films of interest to the Jewish community? Enzian’s got you covered this October and November.
Attention all independent Florida short filmmakers! This Friday, October 23, is the official (postmark) deadline for all Brouhaha submissions. That’s right—the 18th annual edition of the area’s premier showcase for the best short films produced in the state of Florida occurs the weekend of December 5 & 6, but the entry deadline is a mere 48 hours away. As long as your work is at least in transit this weekend and we can receive it by the middle of next week you’ll be good to go. But you don’t want to miss a chance for your film to be shown on the big screen at Enzian, and be judged by a panel of local industry professionals with a shot at moving on to be screened at the 2010 Florida Film Festival in April. The 2-day Brouhaha Film & Video Showcase is made up of equal parts monthly FilmSlam winners, works curated by department heads at Florida colleges, high schools, and other institutions of higher learning, and independent submissions from filmmakers just like you. So don’t waste any more time and send in your entry…NOW! More info is available on the website at http://enzian.org/festivals/brouhaha
We look forward to seeing your work.
Last weekend’s FilmSlam #10 for 2009 drew a healthy 80 or so local indie film supporters as seven new Florida short films made their debuts on the big screen at Enzian. As always, the Audience Award winner of this monthly in-state filmmaking celebration receives an automatic bye into December’s Brouhaha Film & Video Showcase. And once there, if the FilmSlam winner happens to be selected by a local industry jury to be part of the “Best of Brouhaha” program, the film moves on to play in the Florida Sidebar section of April’s 19th annual Florida Film Festival. So potentially there’s a whole lot on the line at FilmSlam every month, and these young filmmakers really step up to the plate.
Congratulations go out to Director Austin Boggs and Writer/Producer Bryan Patrick Moore for taking 1st Place with ONE FOR WORDS, described as a film in which a pair of long-time friends have something to say to each other but just can’t seem to get the words out. Kudos also to the 2nd and 3rd Place winners, Gerald J. Godbout III and Ronny Vega for their films LEGENDS: A FRIDAY THE 13TH TALE and THE AMBER PROJECT.
Be sure to check out the final FilmSlam of 2009 on November 8, and get your entry in by the end of the month if you’d like to have a shot at your film participating. Good luck!
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