ARTICLES

***This page under visual construction*** 

FLIFF 2009 AWARDS:

Spirit of Independents - BLACK DYNAMITE, WONDERFUL WORLD, DEAR LEMON LIMA, DON MCKAY, FAILING BETTER, HERE & THERE, WHEN THE EVENING COMES, ARTICLE 32, A BRIDGE LIFE, A CHEMICAL REACTION, CODY, INGELORE, OFFICIAL REJECTION, PADDLE TO SEATTLE, GASHOLE,
Special Jury Prizes
Feature Production - BEYOND THE POLE
Short Subject Production - MIRACLE FISH
Screenplay – PANDORA’S BOX
Acting Ensemble - FAILING BETTER NOW
Debut Performance by a Child –Sebastian Villada for ENTRE NOS
Debut Performance by a Child –Laura Montana for ENTRE NOS

Best Short (tie) PIGEON IMPOSSIBLE and THANK YOU FOR WASHING
Best Doc - MOUNT ST ELIAS
Best Children's Film - AZUR AND ASMAL
Best Florida Doc - CIRCUS ROSAIRE
Best Florida Film - ROUGH WINDS
Audience Award Short - THE FINDING
Audience Award Doc - OFFICIAL REJECTION
Audience Award Foreign Feature - ITALIANS
Audience Award American Indie Feature - IN MY SLEEP
Best Actor American Indie (tie) - David Thornton for HERE & THERE, Henry Philips for PUNCHING THE CLOWN
Best Actress American Indie - Michelle Monaghan for TRUCKER
Best American Indie Director – Gregori Viens for PUNCHING THE CLOWN
Best Actor Foreign Film – John Hurt for AN ENGLISHMAN IN NEW YORK
Best Actress Foreign Film - Paola Mendoza for ENTRE NOS
Best Director Foreign Film - Darko Lungolov for HERE & THERE
Best First Time Director - James Mottern for TRUCKER
President's Award Feature - ENTRE NOS
President's Award Documentary – TURTLE: THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY
President's Award Short - LOVER
Best American Indie - PUNCHING THE CLOWN
Best Foreign Film - QUEEN TO PLAY
Best Film (Seashell Award) - ENTRE NOS
Star On The Horizon - Michelle Monaghan
Career Achievement - Matthew Broderick
Lifetime Achievement in Cinematography - Mario Tosi
Lifetime Achievement - Kevin McCarthy
----------------------------
"Bart Got a Room" is on DVD! INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR BRIAN HECKER By Rachel Galvin (as seen, in part, in DUO Magazine -- www.duomagazine.com)


Brian Hecker and William H. Macy

Hollywood, Florida-born director Brian Hecker, who won Best New Director at the Fort Lauderdale Film Festival, wrote "Bart Got a Room" based on his own life. This comic tale follows a young high schooler, Danny, and his quest to find a date for the prom. While dealing with his divorced parents dating, he tried to find his own way to face rejection and ultimately find happiness in an unlikely realm.

Hecker began working on “Bart Got a Room” ten years ago. It started with a short eight minute version of a similar topic called “Prom Pudendom,” which he showed at AFI in Los Angeles. His professor urged him to make it a feature.

In the meantime, he created his AFI Thesis called “Family Attraction,” in 1998 starring the late Chris Penn and Martin Sheen. The key to getting these big stars came down to his winning Director of the Year at AFI in 1997. This accolade also made agents in Los Angeles stand up and take notice.

The young filmmaker knew he wanted Chris Penn and was hoping to also get Christopher Walken. He asked Chris Penn if he would ask Walken, a friend of his. Although Penn decided he didn’t want to ask him, he offered up Sheen as a replacement much to the surprise of Hecker.

The same strike of luck worked in his favor with “Bart Got a Room.” After getting many companies saying they liked the film and then declining, he offered it to Plum Pictures, who grabbed the chance to produce it. They were a crucial step. He put William H. Macy on his wish list and Macy liked the script. After that, it was simple to get the other actors, including Cheryl Hines and Jennifer Tilly.

“I met William H. Macy at the Roosevelt Hotel here in L.A. and because he cares about the integrity of the projects he chooses, he read it and he loved it,” said Hecker. “It was important to me to capture the idiosyncrasies of my father.” Hecker utilized the skill of the same wig maker that worked on the movie “Adaptation” to create the red curly wig that makes Macy look so distinctive in the film.

“Cheryl Hines captured the essence of my mother, her sense of humor and sharp wit,” he added.

He also had to find the character of Danny, which basically emulated Hecker as a teen. He chose Stephen Kaplan, a fairly new face on the scene.

Making a film about his own life, according to Hecker, was a “therapeutic exercise to expose the misery and agony of being a teen in South Florida.” “Although this is about prom,” he said, “it really is a love letter to my family. They are so supportive.” His parents spent a lot of time helping him with everything from location scouting to casting.

Instead of filming in Los Angeles, Hecker insisted on doing most of the shots right here in his hometown of Hollywood, Florida. “I was obsessive about it,” he said, “I wanted to show the senior citizens walking in the background, something you normally don’t see in teen movies, also the condos, canals, puffy white clouds, lizards and egrets. We used a classic soundtrack and even the bandshell, where I often played as a student at Hollywood Hills High.”

It was in high school that he first got bit by the writing bug. “We were given this assignment to write an essay. I wrote about asking out a hot cheerleader and being rejected. It was self-deprecating, gut-wrenching and honest and the class loved it. It really gave me a sense of confidence. I thought ‘this is something I can do. My teacher was also very supportive. Many of her students were extras in the film.’

Now that “Bart Got a Room” is done, Hecker has moved on to a new project, currently called “Atari.” Working with writing partner, Craig Sherman, who has been his friend since he was 12, he created a script idea about the inventor of Atari, Nolan Bushnell. “We grew up playing Atari games so we thought it would be great to write about the man who at age 32 started a revolution. He invented Pong and started Atari. He was anti-establishment, a hippy who started with $500 working with drug addicts and bikers at $1.75 per hour in a rented out roller rink and ended up being the fastest growing company in history,” he explained.

He added, “It took us seven to eight months to get the family to trust us enough to give us the lifetime rights. They liked the fact that we were not so Hollywood. We pitched it to Leonardo DiCaprio’s producing partner. He liked it and pitched it to DiCaprio, who decided to produce it and star in it. Once he was involved, doors opened.”

Hecker pitched the idea to every president of every major studio all within one day: Warner Brothers, MGM, Paramount… Eventually, he decided on Paramount, which DiCaprio had enjoyed working with in the past.

As of press time, Hecker was working on a script for DiCaprio’s approval. He is contracted to do two other drafts if needed. Making a film of this level is a lengthy process, but Hecker is prepared.

Despite making in roads into Hollywood circles, Hecker is still a Hollywood boy at heart. “I plan on making more films in South Florida. Hollywood still gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling. I plan to come back.”
--------------------------------------------------------------
INTERVIEW: Lynn Shelton, director of "Humpday"
The title itself suggests either it is about Wednesday or something far more lascivious. The truth is that it really is about relationships, although it does include the attempt by two heterosexual friends to make a porno. What makes this film work is its realistic style, the infusion of such was a collaborative effort. Director Lynn Shelton was merely a guide to the creativity that would ensue as brought forth from the cast. "The starting point was Mark Duplass, who I met on the set of a film he was doing called "True Adolescence." I was a still photographer on the set. I thought about him for Andrew, but he wanted to play the married guy. Then, he suggested Joshua Leonard and then I brought in Alycia Delmore later. It evolved over a few months. We developed in each of the characters a rich backstory. The movie was shot in order in Seattle over 12 days. We structured an outline," said Shelton, who allowed cameras to roll as actors improvised their dialogue, allowing as much as 20-30 minutes a take without a cut and filming the whole scene in its entirety. "We didn't decide how the last scene would be ahead of time." This wasn't the first stab at this type of filmmaking, Shelton had experimented with it before. Her first film was more traditional and it was her first jump into this type of experience, the film industry. She was used to theater. "I learned cinematic storytelling. It was so weird with an artificial environment and not a lot of time. Ninety percent of the time was on lighting leaving actors five minutes to nail the scene. There are so many really talented people out there in theater, but when in a film scene with 50 people watching, it is difficult for them." This experience propelled her into experimenting with what she termed "intense naturalism," which she utilized in her next picture "Effortless Brilliance." "I did it "Dogma" style. I started with who I wanted to work with first and a loose sense of character. The characters were custom designed for the actors and they were part of the process of creating the characters, which gave them more ownership. I didn't write dialogue. But I didn't want meandering so it is a combination of Improv and written. I basically gave them emotional guideposts," she said, explaining that actors were told what beats to hit within the scene but were allowed freedom as to how they reached those points. "We did the whole scene in one fell swoop. It felt more like editing a documentary." When it came to her third feature, "Humpday," (which won special jury prize at Sundance) she knew she enjoyed the natural process, but wanted to add a bit more lighting. She also knew since she was in it as well that she needed some extra assistance so she hired an assistant director and a line producer. Shelton never went to film school. She got a B.A. in theater and went to grad school for photography. She got bitten by the film bug when they did a video art project. She did several films while still in school. "Humpday" is being distributed through Magnolia Films and is showing in Miami at Regal South Beach. For a full list of nationwide theaters, visit www.magpictures.com. ----------------------------------------------------
FILM REVIEW: Wild Sunflowers (directed by Thomas & Jeannie Griffin) By Rachel Galvin

When military man Bobby Hatcher (Rick Crawford) returns from Iraq, the community prepares to celebrate, with an undercurrent of who can gain favor for their political campaign. But none expected the toll the battle would take on their returning vet, especially his wife, Molly Hatcher (Gia Franzia), who vows to stand by him under God's purpose no matter what.

The story takes place in a small southern town within Florida, a town in which everyone seems to know everyone else's business and none is less nosy than Bobby's mother, Joy (Jeannie Holland Griffith). Molly finds solace from her mentally unstable husband through the company of a friend, Connie Mayfield (Keri Lutz) and a new ally in more ways than one, Tate Ammons (Wesley Van Hoeven).

This tragic tale is gripping and ends up as a tear jerker. Overall, the acting is commendable. Crawford is frightening in his rendition; we have empathy for Franzia, we love the outcast played by Lurtz. Holland-Griffith is especially powerful in a role that could have been a throw away. The award-winning Carole Wood as a politician's wife is believable. I.S.'s Vanessa Rolfe is seen in one of her best roles to date. Also look for an appearance by I.S.'s Rick Michaels as the sheriff.

The green screen effects, in parts, may be a little off, but given the budget of this picture and the power of the plot, it matters little. This story gets better and better, hooking you in up to its powerful ending.
------------------------------------------------------------
PREMIER OF WALKING WOLF'S "TAINTED TOUCH" AND MUSIC VIDEO FOR "CREER SIN VER"




The crew and cast, including I.S. members Rene Fornari and Terence J. Lee, stand in front of Cinema Paradiso.



About 150 guests filled the Cinema Paradiso patio in anticipation



I.S. members Rene Fornari and Kevin Walton star in "Tainted Touch." ------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------
WANT ONLINE DISTRIBUTION? Check out BigStar.TV. -----------------------------------------------------------
"Turkles" event brings in good crowd




Director Frank Eberling stands with "Turkles" actor Todd Vittum (I.S. member) and his friend, Peter--MORE PICS BELOW

I.S. member Todd Vittum has been cast as the foreman in "Turkles," which will be shot here locally.

What is "Turkles?"
The full-length feature is about a group of 8th graders who monitor loggerhead turtle activity in the summer and join forces to solve the mystery of who is poaching turtle eggs.

Who is Frank Eberling?
Frank Eberling has done over 3000 film and television productions here locally throughout the years and has won multiple Telly Awards, as well as an Emmy. Look for an extensive interview soon.

What was the Kick-Off Party like?
The kick off party was held under the Jupiter Bridge, which turned out to be an effective move given the rain. Crowds of mostly parents and children streamed in along with filmmakers and actors to partake in hot dogs and hamburgers while watching the kids perform Broadway hits or do some dance moves. There was also a book sale, bake sale and other products. Eberling seems to hope the event will not only raise excitement about the movie, but also raise some funds, always hard to come by in this economy.

It ended up being a fun-filled day for the whole family and an introduction the the "Turkles" cast and crew.



Actors/ I.S. members: Joe, Vanessa Rolfe and Michael Haney (who also is an acting teacher. www.palmbeachactingschool.com)



Todd Vittum and Ken La Kier (actor, salesman, poet/ writer)
---------------------------------------------------
Need acting classes? www.palmbeachactingschool-- Michael Haney, an I.S. member!
---------------------------------
DELRAY BEACH FILM FESTIVAL WRAPS
After a fun-filled week of films, parties and seminars, DBFF wrapped.




Director Alex Marquez stands with cast members Frank Licari and I.S. founder Rachel Galvin, as well as DBFF founder Michael Posner and the director of the short film "Makeup."

I.S. member Alex Marquez won Best Florida Film with his feature film "Film Contest?" which showed closing night at the Crest Theater to a great response.

The cast of "Elixir" posed in front of the Crest Theater one year after their film being shown here.



Dave Clark, who played Boton -- the lead in "Elixir," stands with Rachel Galvin (who played the sexiest reporter in the galaxy, Magalada Hoopalong) and Todd Vittum, who played the Captain





Director Alyn Darnay talks extensively about the making of his two films, shown at the Crest Theater May 24

On the same night, I.S. member Alyn Darnay showed two of his short films: "Smooth Operator" and "Art of Roadkill." The grindhouse feel and tongue and cheek humor intrinsic in these pieces won over the audience for these dark comedies.



I.S. member Heath McKnight also showed his ever-popular feature "9:04 a.m."
---------------------------------------------------------------



PBIFF (Held Apr. 24-27)




Tim Ware, actor in "American Violet" (see below) stands with his wife, Dee (on left) and his co-star Nicole Beharie's grandmother who attended the screening at the Sunrise Cinemas in Boca Raton on Apr. 24.


I.S. founder Rachel Galvin stands with restaurateur Burt Rapoport and his wife Robin in his restaurant Opus 5 at the after gala party Apr. 24.




The Glamour Girls! These posh princesses descended on Palm Beach at the after-gala party at the sophisticated Opus 5 to cause a commotion. The award-winning Iranian actress Shohreh Aghdashloo and actor/ producer/ director Meredith Scott Lynn were part of the group and I.S. Founder Rachel Galvin had the privilege to meet them.




I.S. Founder Rachel Galvin with Exec. Dir of PBIFF Randi Emerman and Charles Martin Smith, director of opening night film "Stone of Destiny."
For more information on the fest, visit www.pbiff.org.
------------------------------
Local Color: George Gallo
Follows His Heart

(My interview with the legendary director in his most personal
project to date)


-- Opens Jul. 31 in LA-- By Rachel Galvin 


For George Gallo, all the world is a canvas. As a screenwriter/
director/ producer, he is well-known for his Hollywood comedies,
including "Bad Boys," "Wise Guys," "Midnight Run," "Double Take,"
"The Whole Ten Yards" and many others. But one of his most personal
projects threw his friends off guard. “Local Color” is a
nostalgic-filled film loosely based on Gallo’s life. It has already
won several awards in the festival circuit, including Best
Screenplay a few years ago at the Ft. Lauderdale Film Festival.
Now, it is doing a limited theatrical release through Monterey
Media (www.montereymedia.com) before going to DVD.


Before Hollywood, Gallo was a landscape artist. “When the other
kids were out playing baseball, I was up in my room painting,”
admitted Gallo. “I love everything about art, the smell of the oil
paint, everything. I couldn’t get enough of it; I still can’t.”


Today, Gallo’s impressionistic landscape paintings are on
display as Newman Galleries in Philadelphia, PA; George Stern Fine
Arts in Carmel, CA; Lois Wagner in New York City, NY, Mountains
Edge Fine Art in Santa Fe, NM and The Bluebird Gallery in Laguna
Beach, CA.


Told partly through narration, “Local Color” tells of a young
artist, John Talia Jr. (Trevor Morgan), struggling to follow his
dream of being an artist against the pressures of his father and
society as a whole. He stumbles across a cantankerous artist,
Nicoli Seroff (Armin Mueller-Stahl), who has turned his back on
painting and life, and tenaciously attempts to persuade the old
genius to offer his wisdom. As the elder lashes out with cynicism,
the novice comes back to soak up more. After a meeting of the
minds, Seroff finds respect enough for John to consider him as a
pupil and invites him to a second home in Pennsylvania, where he
will teach him to paint for the summer.


John learns to look at life through his own eyes, rather than
duplicating others. The film deals with redemption, but also with
love. The beauty of this story, like a painting, lies in the
shadings and in the light. “I wanted to tell the story in tableau
like an artist with one good vantage point and live and die by that
angle,” explained Gallo.


Gallo’s use of language is just as artistic. While both Seroff
and Talia use colorful language, dotting it with fitting
explicatives, the dialect overall has a romantic
quality--intelligent and filled with double entendre. Characters
become both realistic and symbolic at the same time. He uses the
literary meaning of ‘local color’ while also inventing his own
definition.


The making of the film has changed him for the better. “Standing
on the set of what was supposed to be my old house that was dressed
just as my parents had decorated it, seemed odd. Recreating it, I
got choked up. I realized I have come such a long way—from a kid
that had a dream to now making a movie with friends working for
almost no money because I asked them to,” said Gallo, who had to
fund the $5 million budget from his own efforts. “I made this movie
about people I loved. Many are gone now and only live in memory and
I get to make them immortal. There used to be morality in
storytelling—a sense of life-affirming humanity. A lot of that
seems to have vanished. I hope that people leave [the movie] with a
deepened sense of joy and have learned something. Then I will have
done my job,” he added.


Gallo's advice to new artists is to follow their heart. “Play
your hand, you’ll never know where it will take you.”
----------------------------------------------- THE STONING OF SORAYA M. opened July 10.


Based on a true story. This is not in the Middle Ages. Stoning
happens today...


 I (Rachel
Galvin) spoke with Shohreh Aghdashloo, lead actress in this film,
and she told me her passionate dedication to getting this film
made. Revealing the every day tragedies that do take place even
today in some countries against women, countries like Ashdashloo's
native home of Iran. This is a film that many did not want to be
filmed. They don't want it shown because they want to hide from the
rest of the world their unjustices. Aghdashloo hopes that this
project, about 10 years in the making, will show people the truth
and cause a stir, at the very least pull at the heart strings, and
make a difference in that corner of the world, in her homeland.
Agdashloo is beautiful inside and out. This Oscar® nominee has been
seen in many films and on TV shows, including "House of Sand and
Fog." The film also stars Jim Caviezel ("Deja Vu," "The Thin Red
Line" and "The Passion of Christ.") and Mozhan Marnò, of "Charlie
Wilson's Ward" as Soraya. The film was the runner up for the
Audience Award at the Toronto 2008 Film Festival, with "Slumdog
Millionaire" taking first place.
--------------------------------------------------- All About
the Pitch: Experts Talk at PBIFF By Rachel Galvin




Meredith
Scott Lynn (Actor/ Producer/ Director), James Cromwell (Actor),
Pascal Borno (Producer -- Arclight Productions), Stephen Polk
(Producer -- Providence Productions) So you've written a
script or have an idea and now want to sell it to a studio. You
have a lot of preparation in front of you. Receiving stacks of
proposals daily, experts at the "Pitch" seminar held at FAU this
morning (Apr. 26) for PBIFF have heard it all. Ideas, it seems are
a dime a dozen. Stating that 95 percent of films in development
never get sold, they offered some tips on making the pitch in a
dog-eat-dog world of the film biz. They added that even great
stories that turned into huge films took a long time to get made.
"Million Dollar Baby"-- 8 years, "Forrest Gump" -- 10 years! Making
something saleable is the bottom line and taking the first step
toward getting a production company or studio to even hear your
idea begins with the pitch. Keep it Short: The premise is
simple: think catch phrase rather than essay. Keep it short, marry
two familiar notions together into a two sentence pitch. That may
be all the time you have: "It's Mafia meets Harry Met Sally." "It's
Die Hard set in the future." "It's Airplane! meets Titanic" Make
it Quick: Give them familiarity in quick sound bites they can
digest quickly. Remember: Most studio heads are clock watchers and
two-minutes may be your limit. If you get a chance to elaborate,
make sure you can. Prepare a five minute speel, a 15 minute speel,
etc. Make sure you can answer the questions they may ask. Stack
the Deck: The more "stacked" you can make your presentation,
the better. "We've got Tom Hanks" is great! But even if you have
local actors, you may have another in. Perhaps you have Doritos
looking to possibly back you. Maybe you already have locations
picked out. Actor/ Producer/ Director Meredith Scott Lynn suggested
that "Have the money, the script, an attachment, then come see us
and we'll talk" is what many pitchees might hear, saying that the
more you have in place and the less work that the studio needs to
do, the better it is. During a more lengthy pitch, Lynn recommends
"peppering your pitch with information about the characters because
they are already thinking about who is going to be in this."
Stephen Polk of Providence Productions said, "You have to cut to
the chase, have your one sheet ready... have persistence and
passion ..." Actor James Cromwell has tried to pitch several
projects, but has found it to be not so easy even with his clout,
categorizing the studio-world as "a club" and saying that in
Hollywood "the thinner it is, the easier it is to sell." He
suggests defining your audience and practicing your pitch. Shoot
Something: Lynn added that shooting something -- a pilot, for
example, is a great idea because then you have something to show to
solidify the concept; this is particularly important for the writer
who may not have the finesse and chutzpah to master the art of the
pitch. Mastering the Art of the Pitch: One writer in the
audience voiced her concern about the pitching process, stating
that writers are a sensitive bunch and that pitching seems more
like a separate art form. To that, acting Lynn suggested she take
an acting class to feel more confident and be able to speak in
front of others. Acting Coach Joan Ellis, recently relocated from
New York, offered to help.



Director
Alec Asten gets sliced up by the experts as he dissects his pitch
and plot, but the process is fruitful


Pitching Practice: Director of "The Curse of Micah Rood"
(Showing 7 p.m. at Cobb Theatres in Palm Beach Downtown at the
Gardens), Alec Asten acted the guinea pig by pitching his project.
The panel really put him on the spot, asking him to continually
tighten his concept while pointing out the parts that did strike
them and get their attention. He is using his film as a springboard
to a larger project. Besides an intriguing, straight-to-the-point
and descriptive title, he also used the prop of bringing in an
apple. This alluded to his currently showing film about the spooky
legend of tainted fruit and bloody guilt. Visit www.pbifilmfest.org to read more.
IN SUMMARY *Formulate a two-sentence (3 minute) "elevator
speech" pitch *Be brief! *Create an effective one-sheet (an
informational sheet on your film that is easy to read quickly on
one sheet of paper and has your contact info!) *Know your own plot/
characters *know your audience (not "it's for everybody") *Either
shoot a pilot or have something already in place (locations,
actors, money, etc.) *Know who you are pitching to and what they
are looking for!




I.S.
Founder Rachel Galvin with actor James Cromwell on Apr. 26 at
FAU.




I.S.
contributor John Delia stands with actor James Cromwell on Apr.
26. Cinema Paradiso's evening with Celeste Holm
The starling of yesteryear, Celeste Holm, 92, not only created a
magical evening with her presence last night (May 9), but brought
in unprecedented crowds. Over 100 people were turned away. The
evening included a showing of her film "All About Eve," a
presentation of an award for her lifetime of achievement and a
special duet with her husband. It also featured an interview
with film expert Foster Hirsch.
When asked about her co-star Bette Davis, Holm said she
spoke to her off-set once. Holm said something to the effect of
"It's so nice to work with you" and Davis replied, "Shit ... good
manners." She noticed the growing relationship between Davis and
co-star Gary Merill, who she later married. "They were nice to each
other more than to other people," she said.
A little known star emerged in "All About Eve," a star that was not
mentioned once in the reviews of the time, according to Hirsch. It
was none other than Marilyn Monroe, who Helm knew even then
would be a mega-star. "She has a quality about her. I could see
it," she said.
On co-star Anne Baxter, she explained that "Baxter helped to
dress me when I first came to Hollywood. She was so nice to
me."
On the director of another picture she was in "Gentleman's
Agreement," Elia Kazan, she said, "He was a wonderful
director. He let you do what you wanted to do as an actor, what
felt right."
Still spry and feisty beneath a serene gentility, Holm shared her
story of meeting Yul Brenner. He was doing push ups at the
time, to which she said to him, "Somebody stole your girl" -- an
anecdote that brought ever-growing laughter from the Cinema
Paradiso audience.
Discussing acting, she said, "You have to be smart, not
intelligent. There is a difference. An actor needs instinct and a
way of making it clear to the audience what's clear to you.
Instinct needs to be there first [rather than training alone.]."
Holm said she learned a lot about communication for her mother and
her grandmother.
Her favorite part? "The one I am in right now," said the
always-present star, who is far from retirement. "I'm always busy,"
she later told me.
Her best friend from college, Betty, who is 93, stepped out
on the stage all the way from Indiana. Beneath a thin fragility, it
was evident that this gal had chops, the moxie of a Katherine
Hepburn, as she projected out even without the microphone the
qualities of her best friend now and in college. She said that Holm
was so natural on the set, but off stage, she was a real drama
queen. She cited a scientific study about aging, saying that those
who have lived the longest, in part, had the quality of maintaining
friendships. "Those who lived longer had good friends," she said.

Her husband, Frank, about 40 years Holm's junior, showed his
love for her, discussing when they first met and their time
together, followed by his absolutely beautiful and moving vocal
rendition. His smooth-toned Broadway belt filled every crevice of
the room.
Following "Some Enchanted Evening," he sang with Celeste, "Getting
to Know You." Holm sang her famous "I Caint Say No," from
"Oklahoma!"



I.S.
founder Rachel Galvin poses with Celeste Holm and Cinema Dave
Montalbano, frequent I.S. contributor, next to Celeste's husband
Frank.

After
the performance, she signed fliers of "All About Eve," asking for a
$5 donation to UNICEF, a charity close to her heart, and took a few
pictures.




To
stave off the muggy heat, she shared a Strawberry Daiquiri and
Margarita Popsicle with her husband.
The evening was made possible by many hard at work within the Entre
Nous, FLIFF and Cinema Paradiso team, including Larry and Suellen
Caplan. Suellen lived with Holm for many years so seeing her was a
very special moment.



-------------------------------------------------
"American Violet"
 Directed
by Tim Disney, this film was shown on Apr. 24 at Mizner Park's
Sunrise Cinemas in Boca Raton. Starring Alfre Woodard, newcomer
Nicole Beharie, Michael O'Keefe and Tim Blake Nelson, this film is
based on a true story.



Tim
Ware It also stars a character actor named Tim Ware, who
you may have seen in several films. Ware lives locally but travels
back and forth between here, Atlanta and Los Angeles making films.
He has worked with the likes of Denzel Washington, Susan Sarandon,
Joaquin Phoenix and others and been in such great films as "Walk
the Line," "Return of the Titans," and Charlize Theron's
awars-winner "Monster."
Despite being among the high society of Hollywood, Ware has kept
himself grounded. He is father of actress Courtney Cole-Fendley, so
he spends time encouraging her, and hanging out and paying golf
with his best buddy Malcolm McDowell. McDowell alone is enough to
keep him busy. He describes his antics with passion, talking about
the pranks McDowell has pulled throughout the years and the frantic
energy that seems to always get both of them into hot water.
Ware did not dream of being an actor as a child, but rather,
started off working with his father at Coca Cola. When he saw a
friend who was a fireman being able to work less and still bring in
a good paycheck, Ware jumped on the chance. He left his life in
soft drinks and turned to putting out fires. But when offered a
chance to be in a film, he didn't turn it down. The rest is
history.
It is surely his laid back demeanor, his humor and his charm that
have carried him through his career and gained him parts again and
again. Watch Ware tonight in "American Violet" as he plays Mark
Shelby. "BackStage West's" Simi Horwitz, said of his role: "Tim
Ware as a beefy red-necked lawyer, gussied up as a good old boy, is
superb."
------------------------------------------------------


I.S. member Cinema Dave nominated for award/ honored







Dave in action taking pictures at the Ft. Lauderdale
Film Fest



Our own Cinema Dave Montalbano was nominated for a prestigious
online award for his blog--http://CinemaDave.Livejournal.com
has been nominated for a Rondo Hatton Award! Dave has been a
film critic in Broward County writing his own blog as well as
writing for "The Observer" Newspaper for 9 years (for his own
column). Of course, since September 2008, he has been a frequent
contributor on I.S. He has a book coming out soon featuring his
reviews throughout the years. Some of his most notable interviews
include: Len Lesser, Harley Jane Kozak, Cindy Morgan, Fay Wray, Eli
Wallach, Richard Chamberlain and more. His knowledge of film
includes not only more recent contributions but also having a firm
grasp on the history of cinema and utilizing that background in
relation to today's motion pictures in his review style. He has a
real appreciation for the founders of the industry more than the
flashy stars of today. [He also has a day job in Broward County
libraries and is honored this week as achieving 10 years with
the library system. He works in the A/V department in Fort
Lauderdale's own library. Congratulations! That kind of staying
power is hard to come by.]
------------------------------------------------------------
DIRECTORIAL STYLES By Rachel
Galvin




As
an actor, you will encounter many different directing styles
throughout your career. Some directors like to stand back and
let the actor add a lot of zest to the character and plot, others
are very hands-on down to doing line by line readings on how
every vocalization should sound. There is not a wrong or right. As
a director, it is their film and an actor's job is to simply
provide what the director is wanting (if they can figure out what
that is). Some directors love actors (and some are or were actors
themselves.) Others hate actors. For example, Alfred Hitchock, once
said "actors are cattle." This angered the actors and they brought
a herd of cattle on the set one day (This is a witty anecdote I
learned while working on the set of Universal Studios in Los
Angeles). Evidently, according to actor John Ratzenberger
("Cheers"), Clint Eastwood as a director says, "You come in
here...you do your thing...and you go out here..." Many directors
who like to implement more Improv into their style. Of course, we
all know that Christopher Guest does this with films like "Mighty
Wind," "Best in Show," etc. Guest often uses actress Jane Lynch in
his films, who recently was in Ft. Lauderdale for her premiere of
"I Do & I Don't" -- a hillarious comedy, directed by Steve
Blair, which also implemented a lot of Improv. Rumor has it that
Steven Spielberg is a director who is very hands-on. So is James
Cameron, George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, Stanley Kubrick, David
Fincher and, of course, Alfred Hitchcock. Some directors write
their own scripts. Stanley Kubrick has done this. Spielberg has
too. But directors like Woody Allen really capture the dual role by
adding a certain panache to their style. A Woody Allen film is SO a
Woody Allen film. It can be hard to mistake. There are hundreds of
others. Of course, locally, most directors do write their own
stuff, for example, I.S. director D.S. Ullery, who also uses his
talent for the written word to contribute to this site. His
penchant for the pen has gained him quite a reputation. Some
directors like to or for one reason or another end up in their own
films. Ullery has done that in his "Intersect" and his upcoming
"Trap." The incomparable Mel Brooks has done it. So has Spike Lee,
Kevin Smith, Clint Eastwood and M. Night Shyamalan. Others compose
their own music. Again many locals do their own musical creations.
Tommy Nelson has already worked on some interesting tones for "End
of the Living," for example. Others compose songs or seek out local
or national bands for their score. The director of "The New
Twenty," Chris Mason Johnson joked that the reason he used all his
own original songs was "because it was cheaper." Mason was just in
Ft. Lauderdale for FLIFF.
-------------------------------------------------------------------


"The Incubus" begins A Haunting New Story Tantalizes South
Florida’s World of Independent Film




I.S.
member Shayne Leighton, the inspiration for the brand new
production company, S.M.ir.K. Entertainment, Director of the vampy
feature film, Guardian of Eden (winner of the “Best Up and Coming
Film Maker Award” at the 2008 Delray Beach International Film
Festival) and Diji Studios announce the start of a new feature film
and TV pilot, The Incubus. This is Shayne’s second go round as
Director, Writer and Star of an original film. What makes this
independent artist so interesting is that she is younger than most
determined directors with a vision. Only eighteen years old and a
senior theater major at the Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West
Palm Beach, Shayne is fighting for the chance to shine on the
silver screen with a second professional project under her belt.
Marcie Gorman, previous owner of a successful Weight Watchers
franchise and one of South Florida’s own TV personalities, has
signed on to be the Executive Producer of Leighton’s film, calling
the haunting twists and turns of Leighton’s screenplay “captivating
and sexy” and “beyond the years of any high school student.” What
is more impressive is the list of talent signed on to ensure a
successful future for The Incubus. Matthew Rosenblatt, G-Star
alumni, local free-lance lighting designer for Diji Studios, and
responsible for most lighting at events in City Place in West Palm
Beach, has agreed to make the set of The Incubus dark and alluring,
but with just enough light to catch the devilish shine in the eyes
of the film’s antagonists, Alexandra Santanna and James Pace (Burn
Notice; VISA). The Director of Photography, Rochelle Khadkhodaer
(Roc Drago), is committed to the project as well and is planning to
film the ghostly tale in high definition, boosting the look of the
project from a $100,000 budgeted indie film to one that takes on
the look of being shot on a professional back lot. What the movie
will sound like must be highlighted also since it includes an all
original sound track and score by Ginger-Ly Enterprises and Palm
Beach Idol winner, Anthony Espina. Some other cast members of this
excitingly dark film include Geovannie Gomez (VH1’s Viva
Hollywood), Amber Benson (Guardian of Eden, Miami Ghost Tale),
Shayne Leighton (Guardian of Eden, NIKE, H2KZ), as well as a slew
of talented first-timers; Michael Nouri, Frank Mach, Donna Lisa,
and Danielle Lilley. And, this list doesn’t even include some
people who are attached to the project through family members, like
one of Miami Beach’s most well-known casting directors, Lori Wyman,
whose daughter, Ali, plays ‘young Marnie’ in the film. The eighteen
year-old Leighton’s goals for the film are high, but both Leighton
and Gorman believe those heights can be reached. They plan on
distributing the film in episodes for download on iTunes or
possibly to Showtime as a pilot. If that plan doesn’t blast this
film out of the universe, this dynamic team of women would like to
tour the film festival circuit and sell the story as a feature film
that is either ‘Made for TV’ or goes directly to DVD in an attempt
to make their audience shiver in their seats and fall in love at
the same time. More information about the film can be found at
http://myspace.com/theincubusseries
Contact info: Shayne Leighton (561) 704-6428 Marcie Gorman (561)
307-2756
---------------------------------------------------------------------------


Opening Night at Sundance


This
92-minute claymation movie straight from Sundance, directed by
award-winner Adam Elliot and starring Toni Collette, Philip Seymour
Hoffman, Barry Humphries and Eric Bana got an opening night
showing. See preview here. For more info., go to www.maryandmax.com. 


CASTING
DIRECTOR LORI WYMAN




This
Emmy Award-winning casting director has been known for a long time
among actors here in South Florida. A member of the Casting Society
of America and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, she is
considered one of the top casting directors in the entire
Southeastern United States. Most recently she cast the Emmy winning
HBO movie entitled, "RECOUNT," and the coming of age "Bart Got A
Room" (SHOWING 11/9 AT FLIFF) starring William H. Macy. RECENTLY
WRAPPED: "Marley and Me," "I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS" with Jim
Carey and the Sam Mendes project. CURRENTLY CASTING: "Men Who Stare
at Goats," the new George Clooney movie. Look under casting for
opportunities! For more information, visit www.loriwymancasting.com
----------------------------------------------------------------
Are you eligible for a filmmaker incentive? Film in Florida,
The Governor's Office of Film & Entertainment, is offering a
special Indie FL Filmmaker Incentive that gives a cash rebate of 15
percent of your qualified expenditures. That means, for example, if
you spend $100,000, you get back $15,000. You are eligible if
your production: *is a feature or documentary 70 minutes or
longer *has at least $100,000 in qualified expenditures *can show
50 percent of your funding in place *has 6 of 8 key positions who
have been Florida residents for at least a year or are Florida
college grads or students *will do your major post production in
Florida For more information, call 850-410-4765 (or their LA
office: 818-508-7772) or visit www.filminflorida.com.An
Indie Film Wrapped: The conclusion of 'Trap' By director, D.S.
Ullery

Well,
the actual shoot dates for my current short film project TRAP have
come and gone. The cast were all on point and my crew- particularly
[fellow I.S. member]Tommy Nelson, my erstwhile DP, really
delivered. We shot for 9 1/2 hours on Day 1- Saturday, Dec. 6 - and
5 hours on Day 2, finishing at 11 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 7.
Lighting


As
was the case on my previous films, I learned something new on this
shoot. My apartment, where the bulk of the interior action occurs
in the movie, does not lend itself to artificial set lighting. We
must have spent forty five minutes at a time setting up the
lighting in various sequences that first night. However, since the
scenes in question are set inside of an apartment at a time that
can best be described as early evening, the off screen light source
appears to be a lamp or ceiling light in the various shots. That's
actually a good thing, since an audience will reasonably expect to
see interior illumination inside of an apartment at sundown. In
other words, the look of the film is appropriate to the time and
place set by the story. Happy Accidents One interesting
development: While deciding how to light a scene where my friend
Alex Rincon (who plays Tony in the film) is the subject of a single
shot , we experimented with different positions for the lights.
During this experimentation period, I discovered that, when
underlit properly, Alex looks like The Crow. The ancillary benefit
to this is that if I ever want to film a scene in a later film
where someone makes an intimidating entrance -such as a vigilante-
I now have a template for how to shoot the scene. For all of you
first timers out there reading this, this is a prime example of how
you stumble across techniques which you can use later on. Knowledge
is power, baby. Lighting an Exterior Driving Scene inside the
car Then came day two and the most difficult shot of the night-
the interior driving scene. We quickly discovered that we couldn't
actually shoot a scene from inside the car with me and the other
actor having a conversation because it was too dark and we couldn't
strap a light to the hood of the car we were using or anything for
insurance reasons (the equipment belongs to PBFS). So we faked it!
We set up a light with a pale blue gel over it on the passenger
side of the car and illuminated the interior on the driver's side.
Then we used a thick blue tarp (which at night looks black) and
draped it over the driver side window and the part of the
windshield visible on screen, simulating nighttime outside. No, we
didn't have any lights passing by the window.. this is a limitation
of being a low-to-no budget production. We shot an entire take with
me saying my dialog and reacting to the passenger while making
movements with my hands on the steering wheel to simulate driving.
The car was actually turned on during this take, so the engine can
be heard. Then we reversed the entire set up so that it was the
passenger side being illuminated the same way and we filmed one
complete take with [I.S. member]Brian Clemens- who plays the
villain. I watched the footage of this scene and though it's still
fairly dark, you can clearly see the actors. Once I edit the two
takes together and add a driving sound effect, the illusion should
come off . Keep in mind, there are actual exterior shots before and
after of the car in motion, so the overall impact should be
effective. Creating a Gunshot Victim For a scene involving a
gunshot victim, I created a simple makeup effect and some fake
blood. The wound looks great on film, but during an important take,
the "corpse" blinked his eyes and breathed. However, I should be
able to edit around that. That's the magic of editing..get your
timing down just right and a lot of those little flubs can
disappear as if they never happened. Creating a bullet wound
For the curious, to accomplish the wound I picked up some flesh
colored foundation makeup from the Wal-Mart cosmetics aisle and
some eyeliner. I applied some of the foundation to my actor's brow
and then attached some small, rolled up pieces of tissue which I
bent in a curve to form a circular, raised ridge . Then I applied
foundation to the tissue to color it to look like torn flesh and
filled the space inside of the circle by coloring it black with the
eyeliner marker. I dabbed a bit more foundation on the blackened
area and mixed the two with the tip of my finger, creating an
almost bruised effect .. after this, I darkened the spot with the
eyeliner once more for definition and applied fake blood. When we
shot the footage from a few feet away, it really did look for all
the world like a corpse with a bloody hole in it's head . The image
captured on film is terrific. How to make your own fake
blood: You mix corn syrup, red food coloring/dye and some
chocolate syrup to make it more opaque. Then you add a bit of
water, depending on the consistency you're going for. Mix it up and
let it sit out for ten minutes or so. Voila- a bloody mess o' fun!
For a total of four bucks you can get all of the ingredients for
fake blood at Wal-Mart. So that's it for this final installment of
"Setting a Trap." [See previous installments under D.S.'s blogs] I
hope you've enjoyed reading these blogs. Armed with what is overall
really solid footage, I'm heading into the editing suite soon to
assemble my film, add music and fine tune the final product. I hope
to have a trailer for the film up on I.S. asap, as well as a behind
the scenes "making of" video. Take care and good luck to all you
other indie filmmakers out there!
--------------------------------------------------------------------