PARKING IS FREE AT HOLIDAY INN, BILLY D’S AND BEST WESTERN Tell the lot attendant you are here for the film festival.
Who, why and what to know and when, where and how to find out.
Everything you need to make a film. Okay, maybe not everything, but a lot of good stuff. Not necessarily stuff you can’t find out anywhere else on your own with a lot of research, but definitely a more interactive and interesting way to learn.
Film panels are accessible with any film badge and give you the opportunity to network with actors, writers, directors, musicians, producers, editors and other film professionals.
Where?
The Duval Center at Holiday Inn – same place we are screening films.
How’s THAT for convenient!
When?
FRIDAY September 23
1:00 PM Film Distribution with Russell Hess Get up to date on the shift in film distribution from the traditional theater route to the on line phenomena of international sales that won’t require burning a single DVD.
2:00 PM Animation and Computer Graphics with Ernie Berger Take a look at Ernie’s technique in a lively in depth discussion about animation on a deadline.
3:00 PM TBA
SATURDAY September 24
10:00 AM Web Series Development with Jeffrey Lynn Ward and Pietro D’AlessioDiscuss the dedication it takes to create a new and intriguing episode every week that keeps your viewers wanting more.
1:00 PM Acting For The Screen with Jim Fitzpatrick, Corinne Broskette and Nancy McBride Learn the basics of what to expect at an audition, how to do it right and get the part.
Who?
Luke Matheny is a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based filmmaker, writer and actor. His short film
“God of Love” – a comedy about a lounge-singing darts champion who receives a package of love-inducing darts – won the 2011 Academy Award for Best Live-Action Short Film. Luke is here to accept the 2011 Wavecrest Award for Best Triple Threat Filmmaker.
Jim Fitzpatrick has appeared in over 30 stage plays, six of
which he wrote, produced and directed in Los Angeles. He has also starred and guest-starred in over 50 films and television episodes; such as U.S. Seals, Operation Delta Force 3: Clear Target, Armageddon, Star Trek: Enterprise, J.A.G., All My Children, and recently played a role in Dolphin Tale, filmed right here in Clearwater.
Russell Hess has logged nine films as a producer and was instrumental in the
distribution of nearly a dozen films in 2009. The same year, the Gulf Coast Business Review honored Russell with the “40 Under 40” award. He is consistently sought after for speaking engagements and panel discussions, and recently, Hess’ efforts have been acknowledged at the Crystal Reel Awards. The movie “Maltese Murder Mystery” took home four Crystals and one Silver Reel Award. Russell and the team received the CRA for best production under one million dollars.
Tavarius “Torch” Eberhart is an inspired and highly motivated filmmaker eager to
create reflective films that impose a sense of urban culture. His goals are to first become one of the influential filmmakers and second, to use his standings to create a Fine Arts High School for the inner city youth in his local neighborhood in Miami, Florida. The themes of separation and loss are prevalent in his stories due to his inspirations in Japanese arts and tales. The rhythms and melodies of urban hip-hop music also plays a major role in the feel of his films.
Federico Lorente became fascinated with movie production his first time on a set. The
logistics of dozens of people, trucks full of lights and equipments, actors and cameras set him on a course he still can’t get enough of. Hailing from Argentina, his adventurous spirit has taken Federico around the globe to work on commercials and feature films. He swam with sharks in Spain, wrangled indigenous tribes people from Venezuela to the island of Kauai in Hawaii for the Kevin Costner film Dragonfly, and shot documentaries on the top of South American tepuis and deep inside bauxite mines. He studied film and took a course in directing at NYU in New York City and has worked at National Geographic, ESPN and Palazzina TV in Caracas Venezuela. Federico worked as producer on TNT’s 48P Venezuela and in 2009 his production team was hired to shoot the biggest reality show in Latin America related to the film industry. In the 12 episode program, millions of viewers in Latin America discovered the process of making a movie and how creative a filmmaker needs to be to overcome the problems presented in the production of a film. He is currently working on his own short and feature length screenplays. In his own words, Federico says “There are so many ways to tell a story, to do film. I don’t know them all but I know I few good ones. I want to share my experience and knowledge, I want to grow, to expand.”
Tom Thompson began his film career producing television commercials for
several Fortune 500 companies, but stepped away from the advertising world about eight years ago to focus more on the entertainment side of filmmaking. In that time he has been involved in several feature film and television projects including Kisses and Caroms, Waste of Space, Counter Intelligence and most recently, Crazy. He’s even been made fun of by Jay on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Tom is very active teaching and consulting as well as producing and directing projects in both L.A. and the Tampa Bay area. “The only thing I know for sure about this business is that it’s like being on a never ending gut wrenching roller coaster with broken seat belts. If you manage to hang on and avoid barfing on people, you’ll be just fine.”
Corinne Broskette is the Executive Director of VENUE ACTORS STUDIO. An
accomplished actress, Corinne has worked with a number of familiar names: Shelley Winters, Marlo Thomas, Ben Vereen, Teri Garr, Sally Kirkland, and many others. Her 37-year Equity stage career spans numerous plays and musicals; including the Los Angeles companies of the acclaimed Broadway shows Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar. Corinne has been involved in many productions in Central Florida since 1985. Many of her students have received acclaim with awards from the Suncoast Theatre Grapevine, and Corinne was recognized as the Best Acting Coach of Tampa Bay by the Weekly Planet in 1998. Some of her former students include Brittany Snow of American Dreams, Mark Consuelos of All My Children, Lauren Mayhew and Lydia Bell of P.Y.T., and Christoper Ford of Disney.
Corinne teaches Intro to Method Acting (Adult Beginners), Experienced Actors, and Teen Theatre.
Jeffrey Lynn Ward has served as adjunct professor at the University of Tampa and on
the Advisory Board of the International Academy of Design & Technology (IADT) in Tampa, Florida. He wrote and directed the feature, Black Reign, starring Burt Ward and Michelle Bauer (currently in post production) and the feature, Hallows Point, starring David Naughton and Christa Campbell. Mr. Ward has also co-directed and co-produced several television pilots. In addition to his produced scripts, Mr. Ward has had several screenplays optioned. He has been a finalist in several screenplay contests and is now the executive producer of the web series Man I Hate Mondays.
Pietro D’Alessio is a Producer, SAG Actor and Casting Director. He is President of 
Alexius OmniMedia and Producer of the online series “Round the Square,” the travel show, “Two Days In…” and several short films and features. Previously he was with Chiopolis Entertainment LLC, Yo Soy Irini Productions, Inc., Time Warner/AOL, CPM Creative Management and Mandalay Sports Entertainment. He is the Producer for the New Hampshire Film Festival, Founder of the Humboldt Park Film Festival and previously worked with The Saints & Sinners Film Festival in St. Petersburg, FL as well as is involved annually with the Sundance Institute & Film Festival.
Scott M. Goldberg is a partner with the Entertainment Law Firm of Hetz, Jones &
Goldberg, LLC, with offices located on the back lot of Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida and in West Palm Beach, Florida. His practice includes Entertainment Law, Intellectual Property Law, Business Law, Multimedia Law, Music Law and Internet Law. His legal experience in the entertainment industry includes: assisting with delivery legal requirements for the independent films “The First of May” and the highly successful “The Blair Witch Project”. Mr. Goldberg is currently working as production legal counsel on the independent films: “The Tenant” (a horror film starring Bill Cobbs and Michael Berryman) distributed by Indican Pictures, the independent documentary film “Boys of Summer” distributed by Tribeca Films, “A Beautiful Belly” and “The Whisper Home” both currently in seeking distribution, and a couple of independent films in production and active development.
And that’s not all.
Click here to meet more of this years panelists.
How? Why?
Okay, now you’re just being silly.
