Film
Festival Spotlights
The Amelia Island Film Festival takes place Sept 25-28 at four venues:
The Fernandina Woman’s Club, The Peck Center, Florida House Inn and The Palace
Saloon.
In addition to the 33 screenings of 45 films, the festival will present Panel Discussions at the Hampton Inn & Suites on Thursday, Friday and Saturday that are free admission and open to the public. Thursday, September 25 at 11 a.m. the topic is “The Making of Jetty Man” with author G.W. “Bill” Reynolds and cast member Bill Leeper in attendance. On Friday, September 26 at the hotel will be discussion by local residents entitled “ The Making of Pippi Longstocking”. Panel members will include Susan Steiger, Joan Altman and Steven Traver.
Saturday, September 27 there will be two Panels, the first at 10:30 a.m. and the second at 12:15 p.m. at the Hampton Inn & Suites. “How to Establish a Local Film Commission” will present a round table discussion by local government officials and film industry participants. The final presentation entitled “The Art and Business of Making a Film in Florida will feature S. Bryan Hickox, producer and Nadia Ramoutar, filmmaker and professor both from Jacksonville area.
A correction to last week’s Spotlight is that the entire cast and production crew of “Darius Goes West: The Roll of His Life” will be on hand at the Saturday evening screening at the Palace including the film’s title character, Darius celebrating his birthday at the festival.
The festival is excited about screening two
different, but highly acclaimed films that were both Official Selections at
Tribeca Film Festival this year.
“A Powerful Noise”
is a compelling documentary of the personal journeys of three courageous women
in three different parts of the world. Co-producers of this film are Sheila C.
Johnson, co-founder of Black Entertainment Television, and Scott Thigpen of
Unify Films, Georgia. This film is scheduled for both Friday and Saturday at 1
p.m. at the Woman’s Club.
“Darius Goes West: The Roll of His Life” will be screened at the Palace Saloon Banquet Hall on Saturday evening only with appearances by the entire cast. This award-winning film has taken the festival world by storm from Ojai (Audience Choice) to Palm Beach International including coverage on The Ellen Degeneres and The Today Shows.
It will be Darius' birthday during the AIFF
Screening! Darius' older brother died of MD at the age of 19 and was not
able to graduate from High School. Darius graduated last June and he hopes to
outlive his brother. Participating in this film has certainly given him the
motivation he needs to do that.
On the first day of the festival at the Woman’s Club George Cukor’s classic “Gaslight” staring Ingrid Bergman in her first Academy Award role of Paula will be screened at 4:15 pm. Also in the film are Charles Boyer, Joseph Cotten and 18-year-old Angela Lansbury in her movie debut-Oscar nomination role. During the screening there will be a presentation of a “Reminiscence” by Bergman’s daughter Pia Lindstrom.
One Official Selection feature that will
be screened is “Last Flight Home”
by Jennifer Powers & Daniel T. O’Brien of
California. This documentary depicts the adventure of searching for and finding
B-24s, Corsairs and Avengers missing since the battles of World War II. The
emotions are evident in this film by bringing closure to families about their
loved ones some sixty years later. Two screenings of this film are planned at
the Palace Saloon Banquet Hall at 1 pm Friday and at 3:30 pm on Saturday.
The feature documentary IN MARGORIE’S WAKE, created by Equinox Documentaries retraces the 1933 journey on the St. Johns River by Pulitzer-winning author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings and her friend Bessie Smith by following present day adventurers--writer Leslie Poole of Winter Park and playwright Jennifer Chase of Jacksonville. This film was completed this past March and has been previewed locally in the First Coast area. Thanks to the help of AIFF Founding Member Teresa J. Sopp the AIFF will be able to showcase this film plus entertain Equinox Board Members who will be in Fernandina Beach for their Board of Director’s Meeting during the Festival. A literary history not to be missed!
Also, the AIFF is proud to announce the Official Submission short FORCED PERSPECTIVE: ODESSA by legendary filmmaker Deanna Morse of Grand Rapids, Michigan will be included in the Festival as a Florida Premier Screening. Her recent production (2007) examines her visit to the Odessa Steps in Russia juxta-positioned against Eisenstein’s Battleship Potemkin (1925) during pre-revolution Russia. Morse has produced over 30 independent films and videos seen on PBS, Sesame Street and has won numerous awards in film festival around the world.
2008 Inaugural AIFF Panel
Participants & After Screening Q & A Sessions
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Hampton Inn & Suite- 19 South Second Street
11 AM The Making of “Jetty Man” with Donald Flynn, Producer, G. W. “Bill” Reynolds, Author and Bill Leeper, cast member.
The Woman’s Club
201- Jean LaFitte Boulevard2:15 PM Q & A following Shorts regarding the Fernandina Beach Scrimping Industry with Janie Thomas, Executive Director of \ Scrimp Producers Association & Nick Deonas, Deonas Ship Building.
The Palace Saloon Banquet Hall
117 Centre Street5: 15 PM Q & A following “Rebel Without a Cause” by Nick Adams’ son Art Steinig.
The Woman’s Club
201- Jean LaFitte Boulevard6:30 PM Q & A following “Murder on a Sunday Morning” by Duval County presiding case Judge, Pat McGuinness & Ann Finnell, Duval Public Defense Attorneys from Butler case.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Hampton Inn & Suites
10:30 AM The Making of “Pippi Longstocking” with Susan Steiger, Joan Altman, Steven Travers and others from Fernandina Beach.
12: 15 PM Panel Discussion- Filming in Florida with S. Bryan Hickox, producer and Nadia Ramoutar, filmmaker.
The Place Saloon Banquet Hall
11: 15 AM Q & A following “Haberdash” by filmmaker Patrick Barry, Mike Smithgall and Jeff Larsen, producers of Jacksonville.
Q & A following “ A Patriot Act” with filmmaker D. Thomas Laskowski and writer Wendy Keith of Orlando.
Q & A following “ Last Flight Home” with filmmakers Daniel T. O’Brien and Jennifer Powers of Woodland, California.
3 PM Q & A following “ Amelia Island: Isle of 8 Flags” by Rob Hicks, Producer, Pirate Television, Nassau County Board of Education.
Q & A following “ Earano” by Luke Matheny.
Q & A following “On the Down Low” by Thomas W. Oliver.
The Woman’ Club
1 PM Q & A following “ Shut Up and Kiss Me” by Barley Argo and Miriam Oxtoby of Savannah, Georgia.
Q & A following “ A Powerful Noise” by Scott Thigpen, Co-Producer, Care Productions, Atlanta, Georgia.
4 PM Q & A following “Appalachian State Football: A Date With Destiny” by Ray Goodrich and Kyle Payne.
Q & A following “Stick It to Me” by filmmaker Cristina Cassidy plus discussion of her new film in production- “Concerto for Two Brothers”
The Peck Center
1 PM Q & A following “Abigail’s Spring” by Antonio Sarte
Q & A following “ The Lonely Bliss of The Cannonball Luke” by Levi Abrino.
Q & A following “ In Marjorie’s Wake” by Bob Giguere of Equinox Documentaries.
3: 15 PM Q & A following “Happy Talk” by filmmaker Nadia Ramoutar of Art Institute of Jacksonville.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Hampton Inn & Suites
10:30 AM Workshop & Discussion (Public Notice Given) – How to Establish a Local Film Commission with Carolyn Haney, Former Nassau County Film Commissioner; Bruce Malcolm, Fernandina Beach Mayor; Ken Walker, Fernandina Beach City Commissioner; Ron Sapp, Fernandina Beach City Commissioner; Tom Ford, Nassau County Planning and Zoning Commission; Aaron Bean, Florida State Representative; Mitch Harbeson, Location Manager of John Travolta & Gil Langley, Director of Amelia Island Tourist Development Council.
12:15 PM Panel Discussion: Making A Documentary with Cristina Cassidy (Concerto for Two Brothers, in production) of Charlotte; Teresa Sopp of Fernandina Beach; Karen & Tim Morse (Secret Courage) of Boston; Bob Giguere (In Marjorie’s Wake) of Orlando and Bob Rutherford (Green Monster & Revenge of the River) of Jacksonville.
The Peck Center
11 PM Q & A following “A Monk Jumped Over a Wall” by Felix E. Martinez of Miami, Florida.
1 PM Q & A following “The Will to Survive: The Story of the Gullah/GeeChee Nation with Chieftess Queen Quet of Charleston, South Carolina.
The Woman’s Club
11 AM Q & A following “Enormous Nuclear Potato” by Michelle A. Barnes.
4 PM Q & A following “Secret Courage: The Walter Suskind Story” with Karen and Tim Morse.
The Palace Banquet Hall
5:30 PM Q & A following “ Darius Goes West: The Roll of His Life” by Logan Smalley.