My Experience at the 2019 Gasparilla Film Festival

Gasparilla Film Festival at AMC Centro Ybor

After two years of volunteering at the Gasparilla Film Festival, I finally got the chance to be in the festival and a part of it, and it’s been quite a week. With the exception of opening night for the Tampa Bay Jewish Film Festival, which ran concurrent to the festival for the second year in a row, I attended every single day of the festival and visited every venue showing films, with the exception of the Family Fun Day event. In total, I saw fifteen films and short film blocks. I also saw Greg Sestero (actor, The Room), and met Daniel Myrick (director, The Blair Witch Project), Martha Pinson (script supervisor, The Aviator, Hugo), and William Fichtner (actor, The Dark Knight). I also attended three of the industry panels and was interviewed for the Tampa Bay Arts and Education Network’s Filmmaker Spotlight, coming Fall 2019 and Spring 2020. Here are my thoughts on the films I saw at the 2019 Gasparilla Film Festival, in the order that I saw them.

Tampa Bay Jewish Film Festival at the Bryan Glazer Family JCC

93Queen - A fascinating documentary about women in Brooklyn’s Hasidic Jewish community forming a volunteer EMT unit, despite opposition from their male counterparts. It is interesting to see them continue to respect their religious observations and traditional gender roles while still breaking the glass ceiling with their work. Employing inventive editing techniques, especially for showing information from the internet it makes for a very interesting documentary which I especially recommend for women. (https://imdb.to/2HHXEUX) Golda’s Balcony - Essentially a recording of the one-woman show about Israel’s fourth Prime Minister, Golda Meir, it covers her efforts to make Israel its own country, opening a window to a history of which I was previously unaware. It is relatively easy to understand what’s going on, although conducting further research is helpful, specifically on the Yom Kippur War, which is a recurring event in the play/film. (https://imdb.to/2UUVCDS) The Samuel Project - Entertaining and sweet, despite some predictable plot points, this film is charming and enjoyable. The protagonist discovers a fascinating story that bears similar elements to other Holocaust stories that I’ve heard. I found the characters and acting intriguing. The overall production quality is enhanced by transitions using the animation style that’s utilized in the final animation project, though making the transitions more quickly and more frequent would be helpful. It’s probably one of the most upbeat films out there that deals with the Holocaust in any way. (https://imdb.to/2UZAPyZ) The Hummingbird Project - An engaging and funny thriller, this film deals with complex financial and technical concepts, yet is simplistic enough to still understand the basics of what’s going on. Jesse Eisenberg (while typecast) and Alexander Skarsgard give great performances. I found that a development regarding Eisenberg’s character was really engaging and added a new level to the film. My biggest criticism is that the second act went on a little too long and felt a little too repetitive. Also, there are two plot points near the end of act two that should have been switched chronologically, in my opinion. (https://imdb.to/2N3o2vg)

Filmmaker Lounge

Etgar Keret: Based on a True Story - I had never heard of the writer Etgar Keret, but this documentary, while not a strict biography covering his entire life story (though it does cover some key moments in his life), brings the essence of his character to the screen. The film uses reenactments and animation to describe both his real and fictional stories (as well as the experience of the filmmakers). A very interesting, funny and enjoyable film. (https://imdb.to/2JGfyZJ) What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael - Having previously known nothing about film critic Pauline Kael, a controversial but important figure, this documentary did a good job of stating the facts and not taking sides, painting an unfiltered picture of who she was. It was especially interesting watching the film after studying Film Studies in college. Using footage from other films (proving once again that everything looks better in a movie theater), and the way they are credited in the end credits is really cool. However, some of this footage included some graphic nudity from some of these films that was unnecessary. It also contains spoilers for some films, including Limelight and Casualties of War. (https://imdb.to/2U27Wps)

Front Table at AMC Ybor, including postcards for Don't Fret

Music Shorts - This was the short film block that screened my short film, Don’t Fret, so I’m not going to review that obviously, but here are some brief thoughts on the other short films. Many thanks to Tyler Martinolich, the Hillsborough County Film Commission, for doing a great job moderating the Q&A. Astro Murphy - Very interesting short film that got better as it went on and a good start for a first-time director. (https://imdb.to/2TDRzdm) Hometown - A really well-done music video and tribute to Tampa. (https://bit.ly/2rywl5P) Hangman - I felt that this film needed to be trimmed. The song was the best part. (https://imdb.to/2V5qGRv)

Poster for Don't Fret at AMC Centro Ybor

Stockholm - Very entertaining film about the 1973 Stockholm bank heist that coined the term “Stockholm Syndrome.” Ethan Hawke is great in the role and the story is both intense and very funny. Probably my favorite film at the festival. I highly recommend this movie. (https://imdb.to/2I1U0Eq) Shoelaces - A sweet, charming and moving Israeli film about a special needs man living with his father who abandoned him when he was a baby. Some of the subtitles were a little hard to read, but it was a very enjoyable and funny film. My only criticism is that one plot point in the beginning of the third act went on for a little too long, almost becoming irritating, and one thing that is mentioned by a character twice never comes to fruition. I also have mixed feelings about the ending. (https://imdb.to/2Ow02hZ) Remember Baghdad - This film covered a piece of history that I was unaware of and was an interesting watch for that reason alone. My only problem is that I felt something was off, though the film did get better as it went on. The testimony the subjects were sharing was very moving, but I just wish the film had a little more to it. Some of the movement of the archival photos were rather odd as well. My biggest criticism is that the filmmaker’s decision to include herself in the film seemed out of place and unnecessary for this type of documentary. (https://imdb.to/2YtioVr) Hotel Mumbai - An extremely tense film that makes you experience the 2008 Mumbai attacks and marvel that anyone survived the ordeal inside the Taj Hotel. It is very violent and disturbing, feeling as much like a horror film as a thriller, so it is definitely not for everyone. It probably could have been trimmed just ever so slightly but it was starting to become too hard to bear and there was too much shaky cam, but overall, it was very good. Just don’t watch it late at night. (https://imdb.to/2JJuSEY)

Directing Talent Panel at Tampa Improv

Save Our Cottages - A very well-produced local documentary about an effort to save historic beach cottages on Indian Rocks Beach. It has a good introduction to the history of the town before going into the contemporary movement of preservation of the cottages. My only criticism is that some of the editing was a little too fast-paced and some of the information in the interviews was slightly repetitive. (https://imdb.to/2U0vqew) Prosecuting Evil: The Extraordinary World of Ben Ferencz - Fascinating documentary about Nuremberg Trial prosecutor Ben Ferencz, his life and his quest for international justice. It really shines a light on a less discussed portion of history. I definitely recommend this documentary. (https://imdb.to/2YrxB9u) Seders & Cigars - Even though this film was subtitled, “A History of Jews in Tampa,” it was more of a series of testimonies than a historical documentary. I must not have been the right audience for this film as a non-Jew and I’m not quite sure how well the film would be received outside of Tampa. The best section had to do with people’s experience with anti-Semitism and discrimination. (http://www.sedersandcigars.com/) Storm Boy - This was such a sweet, Australian family film about a boy who rescues three baby pelicans that’s absolutely charming. The present-day sections were not as compelling and more predictable than the flashbacks and some of the cinematography, particularly in the beginning, was slightly odd, but overall, it was very good. It’s very ironic since it stars Geoffrey Rush, who voiced Nigel the pelican in Finding Nemo. (https://imdb.to/2YDzkZA)

Award Ceremony, Cold Brook winning Narrative Feature Audience Choice Award

Favorite Narrative Films - Stockholm, Storm Boy, The Samuel Project, The Hummingbird Project Favorite Documentary Films - Prosecuting Evil, Save Our Cottages, 93Queen, Etgar Keret