Today the Narrative and Documentary Feature Film selections for the 2012 Florida Film Festival American Independent Competition were announced. Nineteen of the selections will be celebrating a premiere: three World, one North American, four East Coast, seven Southeast and four Florida premieres.
Henry Maldonado, President of Enzian and the Florida Film Festival, remarked, “The Florida Film Festival continues to attract filmmakers in record numbers. The selections this year will give our audience the chance to have a first look at some truly independent and amazing work with a broad range of themes, styles, and surprises. Every entry has a great story behind it and the spirit of independent film is so passionately represented. There really is something exciting for everyone.”
Among them, DeLand based director Sylvia Caminer unveils her documentary on pop star Rick Springfield. The Zellner brothers, whose bizarrely funny films are regulars at the Festival, bring something quite unexpected and different. FSU graduate Ken Adachi makes his feature film debut. Among
recognizable faces on screen this year are Penelope Ann Miller (The Artist), Lauren Ambrose (Six Feet Under), Andrew McCarthy (St. Elmo’s Fire), Robin Tunney (TV’s The Mentalist), Scott Glenn (The Silence of the Lambs), and newcomers including EJ Bonilla and Veronica Diaz-Carranza.
“I just love this group of films. While the selection process was more difficult than ever due to the sheer volume of wonderful entries, I’m confident our audience will be as entertained, engaged, surprised, and moved as we were," commented Matthew Curtis, Florida Film Festival Programming Director. "The fact that nearly half of the doc features in the American Independent Competition take place in a foreign country is a fascinating one, and we have a great mix of fresh talent and returning Florida Film Festival veterans doing outstanding new work.”
The 20 feature competition films will be eligible for up to three awards each: a Grand Jury Award for best film in that category, a Special Jury Award given at the jury’s discretion for exceptional achievements, and an Audience Award determined by audience votes.
The opening night selection was also announced today. The prestigious pole position belongs to RENEE, which will have its East Coast premiere at the 2012 Florida Film Festival. Based on the life of Renee Yohe, the film tells the story of a 19-year-old who received national and international attention when her courageous story was posted on MySpace. The film deals with the cycle of self-injury which plagues many teenagers and young adults worldwide. Her experience was the inspiration for the “To Write Love on Her Arms” movement. The Orlando-based production skillfully blends gritty reality with rich fantasy as the film powerfully visualizes this young girl who grew up loving fairy tales but lived through a considerably darker truth. Kat Dennings (TV’s 2 Broke Girls, Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist) is a knockout as Renee, and Chad Michael Murray (TV’s One Tree Hill), Rupert Friend (The Young Victoria), and Corbin Bleu (High School Musical) lend superb support along with a great music score and appearances by Rachael Yamagata and Travie McCoy of Gym Class Heroes. It is directed by Nathan Frankowski. Deeply rooted in its own community with people on both sides of the camera whose investment is both personal and passionate, RENEE is a vivid reminder of how the independent film can generate incredible power out of its own reality and bring a story so effectively to life using the support mechanisms available around it.
“We are extremely proud of our students, staff and faculty who have worked on this year’s opening night film, RENEE,” said Rick Ramsey, Full Sail University’s Director of Visual Arts. “The film features scenes shot on location on our campus, as well as audio postproduction work created in our Dolby-approved dubbing stage. It’s an incredible experience to be a part of this film and the Festival, which both have firm roots set within our Central Florida arts community.”
The Competition Feature Film lineup and Opening Night Film will be released online at www.FloridaFilmFestival.com this Thursday, March 1. Downloadable images will be available online at www.FloridaFilmFestival.com/Press this Thursday, March 1.
Festival passes and ticket packages are already available for purchase online or at the Enzian box office. Festival Pass Holders gain VIP access to all films as well as other great benefits. Ticket package purchasers are invited to participate in early redemption which gives them the opportunity to redeem film vouchers for individual film tickets before they are available to the public. The complete Festival film lineup will be revealed Wednesday, March 21. Early redemption occurs Wednesday, March 21 – Saturday, March 24. Individual film tickets will be available to the general public starting Sunday, March 25. For more information on purchasing Festival tickets, packages, and passes, visit www.FloridaFilmFestival.com.
AMERICAN INDEPENDENT NARRATIVE FEATURES COMPETITION
THE BROOKLYN BROTHERS BEAT THE BEST / USA (Director: Ryan O’Nan)
A failing singer-songwriter (Ryan O’Nan) decides to hit the road with a self-appointed music revolutionary and rediscovers his love for life and music. This inspired musical comedy also stars Andrew McCarthy (St. Elmo’s Fire) and features pitch-perfect cameos by Wilmer Valderrama (TV’s That 70’s Show), Jason Ritter (TV’s Parenthood), Christopher McDonald (Happy Gilmore), and Melissa Leo (The Fighter).
DEAD DAD / USA (Director: Ken J. Adachi) WORLD PREMIERE
In the highly accomplished feature debut of FSU graduate Ken Adachi (Picture Day, FFF 2010), three estranged siblings reunite for their Dad’s funeral and end up leaving with way more than they bargained for: his remains.
DOG YEARS / USA (Directors: Warren Sroka and Brent Willis) WORLD PREMIERE
An emotionally withdrawn Japanese-American is working in Japan and struggling with the unwanted arrival of his needy American half-brother. Skillfully shot and boasting terrific performances, the film is at once haiku poetry and psychological monograph.
DREAMWORLD / USA (Director: Ryan Darst) EAST COAST PREMIERE
In this refreshing romantic comedy, an animator finds himself on an adventure of self-discovery. A talented cast led by Whit Hertford and Mary Kate Wiles gives the script just the right balance of dreaminess and weight.
KID-THING / USA (Director: David Zellner) EAST COAST PREMIERE
The Florida Film Festival has been home to many of the Zellner Brothers’ uniquely bizarre short films and screened their acclaimed feature Goliath in 2008. KID-THING is a haunting fable that will surprise even their most die-hard fans. A troubled ten-year-old girl (Sydney Aguirre) with a part-time demolition derby driver and goat farmer father (Nathan Zellner) hears the distress call of a woman coming from an abandoned well and takes matters into her own immature hands.
MAGIC VALLEY / USA (Director: Jaffe Zinn) SOUTHEAST PREMIERE
A high school student in the small town of Buhl, Idaho, returns home early one brisk October morning bearing the burden of a terrible secret. Meanwhile, members of the community go about their day completely unaware of how their lives are about to be changed forever. A strong and powerful cast of actors (led by veteran Scott Glenn, The Silence of the Lambs) reveals this haunting story.
MAMITAS / USA (Director: Nicholas Ozeki) FLORIDA PREMIERE
A coming-of-age romance rooted in Los Angeles Mexican-American community, MAMITAS introduces two wonderful young actors, EJ Bonilla and Veronica Diaz-Carranza, and first-time feature filmmaker and Independent Spirit Award nominee Nicholas Ozeki.
AN ORDINARY FAMILY / USA (Director: Mike Akel) SOUTHEAST PREMIERE
A funny, bittersweet family reunion at a lake cabin centers around two brothers in conflict. Director Mike Akel (Chalk, FFF 2006 Special Jury Award winner) has created a world where love, faith, and reason are brought together with such gentleness that it still seems possible to believe that America is a nation of tolerance and forgiveness.
SEE GIRL RUN / USA (Director: Nate Meyer) FLORIDA PREMIERE
Nate Meyer (FFF 2007 Special Jury Award winner, Pretty in the Face) returns to the Florida Film Festival with a different style of love story starring Robin Tunney (TV’s The Mentalist, The Craft), Josh Hamilton (The Bourne Identity), and Adam Scott (TV’s Parks and Recreation, Step Brothers.)
THINK OF ME / USA (Director: Bryan Wizemann) SOUTHEAST PREMIERE
THINK OF ME tells the gripping story of Angela (Lauren Ambrose, HBO’s Six Feet Under and Best Actress Independent Spirit Award nominee), a jobless single mother doing her best not to fall apart. This disturbing drama, co-starring Dylan Baker (Happiness) and Penelope Ann Miller (The Artist), raises important questions about the claims of parenthood, privilege, and the complicated and powerful ethics of familial love.
AMERICAN INDEPENDENT DOCUMENTARY FEATURES COMPETITION
AN AFFAIR OF THE HEART / USA (Director: Sylvia Caminer) WORLD PREMIERE
Local filmmaker Sylvia Caminer explores the life, fame, and fans of pop idol Rick Springfield. The film
reveals a behind-the-scenes portrait of hard-working Springfield and his devoted, obsessive fans.
BERT STERN: ORIGINAL MADMAN / USA (Director: Shannah Laumeister) EAST COAST PREMIERE
Photographer Bert Stern revolutionized the world of advertising, changed the taste of America during the post-war boom years, and convinced Marilyn Monroe to reveal her deepest heart during what turned out to be her last photo session.
BURY THE HATCHET / USA (Director: Aaron C. Walker) SOUTHEAST PREMIERE
BURY THE HATCHET takes the audience behind the scenes and through the vast history of the Mardi Gras “Indians” and their great Chiefs and shares the culture as well as the extraordinary music that underscores this captivating and hidden corner of New Orleans.
GIRL MODEL / USA (Directors: David Redmon and Ashley Sabin) FLORIDA PREMIERE
Directed by the filmmaking team that brought us Mardi Gras: Made in China (FFF 2005 Grand Jury Award for Best Doc Feature), Kamp Katrina (FFF 2007), and Intimidad (FFF 2008), GIRL MODEL takes the viewer deep into the underbelly of the international modeling industry by following the paths of both model and scout.
GIVE UP TOMORROW / USA (Director: Michael Collins) SOUTHEAST PREMIERE
Paco Larrañaga’s arrest and trial were a media circus reflecting schisms of race, class, and political power in a Philippine legal system marred by corruption. GIVE UP TOMORROW is the gripping result of over a decade of filming, on three continents and four countries, a Kafkaesque trial and conviction where justice was abandoned.
JOBRIATH A.D. / USA (Director: Kieran Turner) NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
In the 1970’s music scene, the vastly talented Jobriath, nabbed one of the richest deals in rock history and openly proclaimed his homosexuality by declaring himself “The True Fairy of Rock & Roll.” Now, nearly 40 years after his solo debut the bizarre, tragic, and nearly forgotten mystery that was Jobriath is ready for its close-up.
KUMARE USA / (Director: Vikram Gandhi) SOUTHEAST PREMIERE
To make a point about blind faith, filmmaker Vikram Gandhi grew out his hair, adopted a kooky accent, and presented himself as Kumare, a perpetually grinning guru recently arrived from India. Setting up shop in Phoenix with a pair of lithe yoga babes, Kumare recruits a cadre of followers. KUMARE starts as an indictment of religious beliefs but ends up a weirdly sincere ode to the true power of faith.
NOT YET BEGUN TO FIGHT / USA (Director: Sabrina Lee and Shasta Grenier) FLORIDA PREMIERE
Retired Marine Colonel Eric Hastings knows first hand about the reality of war and the disconnection soldiers feel when they return home from battle. Beautifully shot and featuring music by Sean Eden (ex-Luna), this moving and powerful look at the human cost of war is the work of Sabrina Lee (Where You From, FFF 2009) and Emmy winner Shasta Grenier.
SALAAM DUNK / USA (Director: David Fine) SOUTHEAST PREMIERE
Nightly news coverage of Iraq typically offers a monolithic vision of violence, fanaticism, and repression. SALAAM DUNK reveals a different reality—intelligent young women developing leadership skills as well as tolerance for diverse religious and ethnic groups via the most American of pursuits, basketball.
THE SHEIK & I / USA (Director: Caveh Zahedi) EAST COAST PREMIERE
Cinematic provocateur Caveh Zahedi (I Am a Sex Addict) is commissioned by the Sharjah Biennial to make a film on the theme “art as a subversive act.” Similarly hilarious yet far more disturbing than the mega-hit Borat, THE SHEIK & I is a breathtaking display of filmmaking chutzpah.
