Film and event schedule for Saturday, April 9 – Davis Art Center

On Saturday, April 9, the Fort Myers Film Festival screens a host of shorts, features and documentaries at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center. Here’s what’s on tap:

10 a.m. The Rainbow Kid (91m, Canada) Eugene, a teenager with Down syndrome, embarks on a life-changing adventure to find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. dir. by Kire Paputts [Full Length Features: Disability, Down syndrome]

11:45 a.m. Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things (78m, U S A) How might your life be better with less? Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things, a feature-length documentary from the popular simple-living duo The Minimalists, examines the many flavors of minimalism by taking the audience inside the lives of minimalists from various walks of life. dir. by Matt D’Avella [Documentaries: Minimalism; Simple-Living]

1:15 p.m. Mahjong and the West (95m, U S A) Full Length Features: When a young woman returns to Wyoming to bury her mother, she reunites with her childhood friend, a hard-living rodeo princess, who forces her to confront a shared trauma from their past. dir. by Joseph Muszynski [Drama: Western; Asian; Women;]

3:00 p.m. SHORTS BLOCK #6

• Proud to Serve (8m, U S A) A look into the world of law enforcement and an officer’s heart and dedication dir. by Kaitlyn Traurig [Student: Police; Community; Lee County](See article at conclusion of schedule)
• The Advocate (12m, U S A) An educated man gives up everything to live on the streets and serve the homeless community in Indianapolis. dir. by Sean Taylor [Documentary: Inspiration; Homelessness]
• Fish (4m, Iran) An old couple are living in an apartment, the man is sleeping and the woman is doing housework. The lady wants to change the fish tank’s water but it slips out of her hand and falls on the ground. They’ve ran out of water and there’s no water for the fish. But with the help of the man they find water for it. dir. by Saman Hosseinpuor [Short Shorts: Family, Comedy Drama]

3:30 p.m. Panel discussion with Programming Director

4:00 p.m. SHORTS BLOCK #7

• 1 mes y 2 días (5m, Argentina) I felt in love again. I dive into those feelings. I capture moments of my daily life for 1 month and 2 days. [Shorts: LGBTQ, Developing Nations, Women]
• Voicing the Game (14m, U S A) Voicing the game reveals the people who are always heard but never seen. dir. by Clinton Butler [Shorts: Gaming; Gamers]
• Year for Silk (7m, U S A) A married man remembers his mistress on the 12th anniversary of her death. dir. by James Sharpe [Shorts: Student Film]
• LUCKY (11m, Germany) ‘Lucky ‘ is looking for happiness. This animated short is questioning our search as well as its aim: What does luck mean for the individual? Is failure the only possibility? dir. by Kirsten Carina Geisser, Ines Christine Geisser [Shorts: Women; Student film; Animated]

5:00 p.m. How to Let Go of the World and Love All The Things Climate Can’t Change, (128m, USA) Oscar Nominated director Josh Fox (GASLAND) continues in his deeply personal style, investigating climate change – the greatest threat our world has ever known. Traveling to 12 countries on 6 continents, the film acknowledges that it may be too late to stop some of the worst consequences and asks, what is it that climate change can’t destroy? What is so deep within us that no calamity can take it away? Documentary: Climate; Global change; Inspiration

7:15 p.m. SHORTS BLOCK # 8

• (LOCAL) Old anxieties surface on New Year’s Eve. Resolution (6m, U S A) dir. by TL Westgate Strictly [Local: Dating; Mature]
• AGAIN (21m, U S A) A twenty-something busboy finds a peculiar business card for AGAIN, a company that specializes in a patented procedure called “Simulated Time-Placement.” dir. by Mitch Glass [Shorts: Time placement]
• Sh-h-h (6m, U S A) Brenda and Tom quarrel until a home invasion brings them together with just one word. dir. by Elizabeth Billings [Strictly Local: Mature; Adult]
• Seven Ten Split (20m, U S A) Two college grads, one teen, and a lonely woman look for connections in a small town bowling alley. dir. by Jordan Axelrod [Shorts: Relationship; Dating; Youth]
• Tucker (4m, U S A) A good pet has trouble behaving himself. dir. by Josh Evangelista [Strictly Local: Student Film, Mature/Adult]
• RING (17m, U S A) This film is about ‘ENVY’ , one of the seven deadly sins and the filmmakers’ third of the series. It follows ‘The Knife’ (LUST) and ‘Miss Conception’ (GREED). The story centers around a family heirloom engagement ring that is passed down through the generations and the envious relation between two sisters. The drama unfolds when the younger sister, Lily ,upon her engagement, inherits the family heirloom ring that older sister Darcy believed would be hers one day. dir. by Karen Whitaker [Shorts: Strictly local; Mature]

8:30 p.m. Norma Miller Unplugged (60 m, U S A) SWFL filmmaker John Biffar follows 95-year-old Norma Miller, the Queen of Swing, on a standup comedy tour in “Norma Miller Unplugged.” She is hilarious and this is one not to miss. Comedy: Adult; Mature

9:30 p.m. SHORTS BLOCK #9

• DAD IN MUM (6m, France) The middle of the night. Moans are heard behind the parents’ door. Two young sisters are asking questions… dir. by Fabrice BRACQ Shorts: Youth
• Epilogue of a night of romance (7m, France) In the eighteenth century, just before a duel, Edmond is distracted by the memory of his night with a Marchioness. Truly libertine, he does not understand why the Marquess demands redress. Even if his valet tries to explain to him why. dir. by Hugo Bréant Shorts: Comedy, Drama, Romance, History
• Wasted Beauty (15m, U S A) A beautiful young girl has lost everything and has nothing except a dream. Through her eyes, we see just how dangerous a day of dreaming on the streets of Hollywood can be. She is wasted beauty. dir. Ms [Shorts: Disability; Women]
• The Goodbye (17m, U S A) A screenwriter struggling to complete a ninja script must confront the death of the love of his life in order to move on with his own. dir. by Mike P. Nelson [Shorts: Imaginative; Writers: Romantic]
• Duel (2m, U S A) Two sides opposed! Who will prevail? dir. by Andrew Baird Short [Shorts: Children; Youth]
• One Traveler Too Many (7m, U S A) When one too many leads to a night not soon forgotten. dir. by Seth F Johnson [Shorts: LGBTQ; Student FIlm]

10:30 p.m. Desire in New York (65m, U S A) When Karen’s strong personality collides with her sexual addiction, she has to take a closer look at her relationship with her estranged son. dir. by Ed Ziari Full Length Features: Adult; Mature; Sex; Relationships

11:30 p.m. SHORTS BLOCK #10

• Affections (18m, USA) Writer/director/star Bridey Elliott is a triple threat in this intentionally cringe-worthy comedy about a lonely and desperate young woman adrift in the City of Angels. [Relationships: Sex; Mature]
• Tadareru/Becomes Sore (17m, Japan) Kazuya and Miyuki Matsuhashi’s May-December marriage has lost its spark. It’s already been four days since Miyuki’s younger sister, Chiharu, showed up on their doorstep. Living each day in frustration, Miyuki can’t bear Chiharu’s reckless abandon, nor her husband’s favourable treatment of Chiharu any longer. One day on her way home, Miyuki spots Kazuya and Chiharu holding hands, and her suspicion grows… dir. by Keishi Suenaga [Shorts: Mature: Relationships]
• You Are The Canvas (OFFF Quebec 2015 Main Titles) (9m, Belgium) You Are The Canvas, created for the OFFF festival (The leading international festival of digital culture), takes a stand against the present by depicting our social behaviors through iconic « tableaux » diving the viewer into an introspective and sarcastic adventure. dir. by Jean-Paul Frenay [Shorts: Mature; Futuristic; Adult]

Related Articles.

• Film and event schedule for Thursday, April 7, 2016
• Film and event schedule for Friday, April 8, 2016 – Davis Art Center
• Film and event schedule for Friday, April 8 – Lee County Alliance for the Arts
• Film and event schedule for Friday, April 8 – Downtown Fort Myers Library
• Film and event schedule for Saturday, April 9 – Davis Art Center
• Film and event schedule for Saturday, April 9 – Lee County Alliance for the Arts
• Film and event schedule for Sunday, April 10
• Marcus Jansen documentary chosen as opening night film for Sixth Annual Fort Myers Film Festival
• Spotlight on ‘Examine & Report’ filmmaker John Scoular
• ‘Maya Angelou and Still I Rise’ screenings
• Meet ‘Maya Angelou’ filmmaker Bob Hercules
• Meet ‘Maya Angelou’ filmmaker and director Rita Coburn Whack
• Meet FMff’s sponsors, partners and beneficiaries

‘Proud to Serve’ sparks controversy and debate at last Monday’s T.G.I.M. season finale (02-04-16)

At last Monday’s T.G.I.M., attendees had the chance to view a short documentary titled Proud to Serve. Produced and directed by University of Tampa film student Kaitlyn Traurig, who made the two hour drive to gauge reaction to her film.

As Kaitlyn anticipated, reaction from the judges was sharply divided. The film sought to break through stereotypes and humanize police officers by having a local Sheriff’s officer talk about his calling and its challenges and opportunities while driving around town in his squad car and answering myriad calls. But celebrity judge, actress Stella Ruiz, was having none of it, pointing to the long succession of police shootings and abuses over the past several years, in essence saying that the film was an unabashed apology for a profession that doesn’t deserve the benefit of such consideration since they prejudge, profile and stereotype everyone they come into contact with themselves. So when they are stereotyped by a wary public, the police are, to borrow a cliché’, hoist on their own petard.

Matlacha artist and Bealls phenom Leoma Lovegrove could not have disagreed more. She applauded the film and defended the honor and integrity of the men and women of the Lee County Sheriff’s office, and police officers around the country.

Entertainer and former Platters vocalist “Big Al” Holland told the stunned audience that he has found himself at the other end of a SWAT team member’s rifle one time when he and a group of friends were playing guns as children only to find themselves surrounded by law enforcement as a police chopper flew overhead. That notwithstanding, Holland expressed sympathy for the difficulties officers face daily in the discharge of their duties, stating that there are good officers and bad officers just like there are good and bad lawyers, doctors, construction workers and entertainers.

At T.G.I.M., the judges simply serve as catalysts for broader discussion by the audience, and host Eric Raddatz noted in opening the film for discussion by the audience that his goal when screening any film is to prompt intellectual thought and spirited (though respectful) conversation. The film certainly achieved that goal local gallery owner Terry Tincher and a host of other audience members chiming in with their views about the police and what they’d just seen and heard. But it was only toward the end of the audience participation segment that anyone focused on the film itself, such as the cinematography, sound, lighting and the logistics of obtaining permission from the Sheriff’s Department to make the picture, film an officer in the discharge of his duties, and accompany him into the jail and police headquarters.

On the latter subjects, Raddatz brought the neophyte filmmaker to the front of the Davis Art Center grand atrium to field questions and elicit even more feedback that she can process, ponder and incorporate in her next and successive filmmaking projects. In that regard, young Kaitlyn Traurig undoubtedly learned in the course of an hour more than she has in any single semester-long filmmaking class. And the audience enjoyed a bird’s eye view of the logistics associates with making a documentary on a subject as politically charged as police-public relations.

It remains to be seen whether the film garnered enough votes to be juried into this year’s film festival, which opens April 7 with a red-carpet gala at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall and runs through April 10. But however that outcome happens to turn out, everyone who attended Monday’s season-ending T.G.I.M. got exactly what they bargained for when they showed up and paid the small price of admission – a film that challenged them to think critically about an important social issue in the context of the art of film. It’s a win-win for everyone which, after all, is the mission of the Fort Myers Film Festival in the first place. 

The Fort Myers Film Festival is an intelligent independent filmmaker’s preferred event to create, unite and showcase the finest artistic cinematic works. The Fort Myers Film Festival is known for world-class swagger and support of local filmmakers. The event has featured hundreds of local filmmakers and is a must attend for cineasts who love independent film and film festivals. The Fort Myers Film Festival was awarded the prestigious 2015 Chrysalis Award for Cultural Achievement this year. Come and see why. For more information go to www.sbdac.com, www.fortmyersfilmfestival.com and join www.facebook.com/ fortmyersfilmfestival for updates and events.