‘Disenchanted’ princesses just want to be taken seriously and seen for who they really are ‘Duck Variations’ two men on a park bench perfect choice for Theatre Conspiracy’s first outdoor show

Actors, artists, filmmakers and events in the news September 22-30, 2020

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Grouped under headings that include art openings, film, outdoor art fairs and festivals and theater are advances, announcements and articles about the actors, artists, filmmakers and events making news in Southwest Florida this week:

1 ACTORS

Rachael Lord plays Snow White in Lab’s production of ‘Disenchanted: Stay-At-Home Version’

Rachael Lord is a professional actor, singer and dancer. She is playing Snow White in Lab Theater’s hybrid film-theater production of Disenchanted: A New Musical Comedy! Her other stage credits include Sabine in In Flight: The Story of Sabine Van Dam (Gulfshore Playhouse touring production), ensemble in Shipwrecked (an adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Tempest for Gulfshore Playhouse and The Naples Philharmonic at Artis-Naples), Showgirl in Step Right Up (RWS Entertainment Group), Faith in Respect: A Musical Journey of Women (Clandestine Arts), Cherry in The Impossible Club (a staged reading for the Winter Park Playhouse) and Martha in The Secret Garden (Florida Southern College).

You can access Rachael’s full profile here.

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Kimberly Suskind plays Cinderella in Lab’s production of ‘Disenchanted: Stay-At-Home Version’

Kimberly Suskind is an actor, singer, dancer and teaching artist. She plays Cinderella in the Laboratory Theater of Florida’s upcoming filmed theater production of Dennis Giacino’s Disenchanted: A New Musical Comedy! [Stay-at-Home Edition]. Her stage credits are extensive, and she also has an evolving catalogue of work in television and film. Suskind has a BFA in Musical Theatre from The Boston Conservatory and is accomplished in tap, ballet and jazz. Go here to view her full profile.

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Kimberly Suskind makes SWFL theater debut as Disenchanted’s Cinderella

On September 18, Lab Theater dta (doing theater as) LabTV will air the first of three screenings of Disenchanted: Stay-At-Home Version, a comedy in which Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Hua Mulan, The Little Mermaid, Pocahontas and The Princess Who Kissed the Frog come together to vent about how things actually turned out following their presumptive “happily ever after.” Kimberly Suskind plays Cinderella.

The Cinderella we’ve come to know and love from fairy tale lore is demur and irrepressible, and the princess presented by Dennis Giacino in Dis! is endearingly perky, quirky and impish. She’s all in when it comes to being a real- life princess but she’s about to discover there’s more to being a princess than pretty gowns and shiny glass slippers.

“Cinderella starts out as the classic princess that we know from the [fairy tale],” concedes Suskind, who notes that Cinderella is one of the few princesses who is in a happy marriage. “But she learns from the other, more enlightened princesses that she can also be her own woman, that it’s okay to be independent. You get to see her sense of empowerment develop over the course of the show.”

Go here for the rest of this interview.

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Nancy Fueyo plays Sleeping Beauty in Lab’s production of ‘Disenchanted: Stay-At-Home Version’

Nancy Fueyo plays Sleeping Beauty in Lab Theater’s upcoming hybrid production of Dennis Giacino’s Disenchanted: A New Musical Comedy!, which airs twice in September and wraps up with a 2:00 p.m. matinee on Sunday, October 4. Nancy Fueyo is an actor, director, classically-trained opera singer and vocal coach. She was last seen virtually in SoDis (Lab) Theater’s production of Melanie Payne’s Inviting Marie (May, 2020) and Scott Sickles’ Intellectuals (she was Margot Welles). Other local shows include productions at Cultural Park Theatre (she was Mama Rose in Gypsy), as well as Sound of Music at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre in 2013. Go here to view Nancy’s full profile.

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As Sleeping Beauty, actor Nancy Fueyo delivers Eleven O’Clock number in Dis!

When she was little Nancy Fueyo had a girl crush on Sleeping Beauty. “So it was kinda interesting that Annette asked me to play the part [after receiving my audition tape for Disenchanted: Stay-At-Home Version! It’s a new musical comedy from playwright/composer Dennis T. Giacino that Lab Theater is bringing to your screen on September 18 & 26 and October 4.

In Giacino’s iteration of this modern-day fairy tale mash-up, the princesses are back many years after their “happily ever after.” They’re jaded, opinionated totally unmitigated. But poor Sleeping Beauty! Thanks to her spindle-induced hundred year nap, she still battles residual narcolepsy. But that doesn’t blunt her newfound acerbic wit. “She’s the joker of the crew,” Fueyo relates.

The rest of this story is here.

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Kat Ebaugh is The Little Mermaid in Lab Theater’s ‘Disenchanted: Stay-At-Home Version’

Kat appears next as The Little Mermaid in Lab Theater’s filmed production of Dennis Giacino’s Off-Broadway smash Disenchanted: A New Musical Comedy [Stay-At-Home Version], which screens on two dates in September with a finale on October 4, 2020. Ebaugh is an actor, dancer, performer and yoga instructor. In addition to performing with Stage 2 Improv troupe, she has appeared in numerous stage productions at The Naples Players, including TNP’s virtual production of Comedy Night on August 22, 2020 as well as in the roles of Kitty in The Drowsy Chaperone (2014), Tessi Tura in Gypsy (2014) and Ulla in The Producers (2013)(for which she received rave reviews from Chris Silk, who said that Kat brought a Marilyn-Monroe-singing-to-JFK-sexpot vibe to her role as she vamped, twirled and swallowed “her guttural Swedish consonants with ease” with her flirty rendition of “That Face” proving to be a highlight of the show).

You can access Kat’s full profile here.

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How bulesque positioned Kat Ebaugh to play The Little Mermaid in LabTV’s ‘Dis!’

Like so many other actors, dancers and singers throughout Southwest Florida, Kat Ebaugh was feeling disjointed and out of sorts. She was experiencing an overwhelming drive to perform somewhere. Anywhere. Then a friend suggested she audition for Disenchanted: A New Musical Comedy! because she knew Kat is a big fan of princess fairy tales. So Kat indulged her friend and sent in a video reel. To her pleasant surprise, she was cast in the role of The Little Mermaid.

Although Ebaugh’s favorite fictional character growing up was Alice in Wonderland, Hans Christian Anderson’s Little Mermaid was a close second. “After the movie came out [on November 17, 1989], I would act out the part with my babysitter and little brother, singing and dancing around the house,” Kat fondly recalls. She would regale both with songs from the film, which was credited at the time with importing Broadway into the realm of animation.

Go here for the rest of this interview.

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Krystle “Kryscendo” Pitts is the Princess Who Kissed the Frog in Lab’s ‘Disenchanted!’

Krystal “Kryscendo” Pitts is a Tampa-based actor, singer and dancer. She is playing The Princess Who Kissed the Frog in Lab Theater’s hybrid film-theater production of Dennis Giacino’s Disenchanted: A New Musical Comedy! Krystal has a B.A. in Journalism and Women’s Studies from the University of Georgia and an Masters in Organizational Leadership from South University.

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Krystle Pitts’ life has surreal, fairy tale quality

Go here for more.

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Hile plays woman stranded at Reagan National in ‘Walter Cronkite Is Dead’

Cindy Hile will play Margaret when The Studio Players resumes on-stage productions September 18 with Joe Calarco’s Walter Cronkite Is Dead. In the play, Hile portrays a reserved, educated, liberal Washingtonian who is not interested in sharing her thoughts or anything else. But she’s forced into that unaccustomed and unwelcome circumstance when she’s stranded at Reagan National Airport after severe thunderstorms shut down airports up and down the East Coast. Hile is a veteran of both the screen and stage. Go here to view all of her stage and film credits.

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2 ARTISTS

Jansen solo show opens at Winter Park’s Cornell Fine Arts Museum

The Cornell Fine Arts Museum is exhibiting a solo show of work by Marcus Jansen through January 3, 2021. Titled E Pluribus Unum, the exhibition will focus on works Jansen created in the last 15 years and is comprised of both large scale paintings and a selection of works on paper (among them a select number of new pieces on view for the first time) that examine Jansen’s visual explorations of structures of power and the struggle to grapple with the nuanced reality of our time. The exhibition is accompanied by an illustrated catalogue.

E Pluribus Unum represents Jansen’s first solo museum show in the United States. The Bronx/Fort Myers artist has enjoyed a number of solo shows abroad, however, including shows at La Triennale di Milano Museum in Milan and the Museum Zitadelle in Berlin, and he participated in the 12th International Print and Drawing Biennial in Taiwan at the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Art. Works by Jansen are in collections of the Moscow Museum of Modern Art (MMOMA), The University of Michigan Museum of Art, The New Britain Museum of American Art, The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, The National Taiwan Museum of Fine Art, The Housatonic Museum of Art and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C.

Jansen is known for powerful, monumental canvases that address poignant social and political themes. Through the use of an arresting visual language characterized by colorful and expressive brushwork, and references to contemporary and historical issues, Jansen invites viewers to engage in a reflection about the human condition. Jansen continues to explore surveillance and social divides in society and will place his iconic 2010 piece Obscure Line Between Fact and Fiction (3rd photo) to the museum for the show.

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3 ART SHOWS, EXHIBITIONS & ARTS ORGANIZATIONS

‘Warhol Experience’ coming to DAAS in October

In the month of October, DAAS CO-OP Art Gallery will be staging The Warhol Experience Invitational Exhibition. The show will feature the work of a number of Southwest Florida artists who were challenged to create pieces inspired by the iconic pop artist.

Andy Warhol was an American artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. One of this most renowned creations is Campbell’s Soup I from 1968, but he is equally associated with his portraits of Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe. He died in Manhattan on February 22, 1987 at age 58.

For co-owner and exhibiting artist Xavier Brigoni, Warhol is an idol and an incredible source of inspiration. “From the moment I first saw an original [Warhol] piece in person, I was mesmerized and injected with all these thoughts and emotions,” says Brignoni, a conceptual/pop artist whose body of work is similarly influenced by color, design and beauty. “His pieces are unapologetically bold – sometimes simplistic in theme, but strong in presence.”

The opening reception is scheduled for Friday, October 2, 2020 from 6:00 to 9:30 p.m. in conjunction with Fort Myers Art Walk. The exhibition will be on display through October 31, 2020.

DAAS CO-OP Art Gallery is located at 1815 Fowler Street, Unit 3, in Fort Myers, FL 33901. Temporary business hours are 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Thursday to Sunday. More information about gallery and/or how to become a member can is available at daascoop.com or by calling 239-590-8645.

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DAAS ‘Artfully Vintage’ through September 26

DAAS CO-OP Art Gallery’s Artfully Vintage show is on display through September 26. Offered in collaboration with Sirena Del Sol Vintage & Antiques, the exhibition features a selected collection of items from the store and original art by the gallery members in an installation-style setting.

This is the first collaborative event between DAAS CO-OP and Sirena Del Sol. “The vision behind our shop is to give new life to vintage and antique pieces while lessening the impact on our environment,” says owner Marissa Keyes, whose store is just across the street from the Butterfly Estates complex. “We love when customers find the perfectly unexpected vintage item for their space.”

“I think that antique/vintage items and original art are the essential elements for good taste in decoration,” adds DAAS CO-OP president David Acevedo. “Curating this type of inventory will be a first for me, but I am definitely up for the challenge.”

“Vintage and antiques are a great way to add an element of depth and meaning to your décor,” Keyes agrees.

“Mixing old in with new is the perfect juxtaposition to take your interior to the next level,” Keyes adds. “At Sirena Del Sol, we are constantly outsourcing, trying to find beautiful pieces for any home.”

DAAS CO-OP is located at 1815 Fowler Street, in the Butterfly Estates complex in Fort Myers, FL. The gallery’s hours are Thursday to Sunday, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. More information about gallery and/or how to become a member can be found at daascoop.com or by calling 239-590-8645.

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Alliance’s ‘Plays Well With Others’ on view through October 17

The Alliance for the Arts’ September/October exhibition is titled Plays Well With Others. Curated by Jessica Todd, it features work created by national and international artists that engages with play and toys in interactive, mischievous and often subversive ways. The exhibition includes works of all media that entertain while disrupting the status quo. One could easily enjoy it as a collection of nostalgia and delight, but the artists have skillfully transformed the lighthearted theme of “play” into a critical dialogue of contemporary issues. This exhibition is generously funded through the City of Fort Myers Arts and Culture Grant program.

Jessica Todd is a Tampa-based curator, writer and arts administrator. But before her recent move to Tampa, she served for six years as the Residency Manager for the Rauschenberg Residency in Captiva, an artists’ community serving over 70 artists of all disciplines each year. Jessica is passionate about building the creative infrastructures that support artists, as well as addressing issues of equity, access, and inclusion in the arts. Through her writing and curatorial work, she seeks to amplify the voices of artists who create work that is fresh, innovative, impactful and interdisciplinary, favoring work which lies outside of the mainstream and engages new audiences. Jessica earned an MFA from Kent State University in 2014 and a BA in Art from Penn State University in 2008.

The artists who will be exhibiting in Plays Well With Others include Isabella Baquerizo (Bonita Springs, FL), Amelia Briggs (Nashville, TN) Breana Ferrara (Fitchburg, MA), Whitney Hackett (Fort Myers, FL), Chloe Lewis (New York, NY), Alexander Martin (Peoria, IL), Lebrie Rich (Portland, OR) and Asser Saint-Val (Miami, FL). Each of these artists expertly articulates broad concepts centered around play using media ranging from animation to inflatable sculpture to beading.

Plays Well With Others will exhibit through October 17 with limited gallery and gift shop hours on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. or by appointment by contacting gallery director Ehren Gerhard at exhibitions@artinlee.org. For more information about the exhibit, visit ArtInLee.org/PlaysWell or call 239-939-2787. For details on the Alliance’s current programs and precautions, please visit ArtInLee.org/Covid-19.

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Call to Artists for joint Alliance/Bailey-Matthews water exhibit

In partnership with the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum, the Alliance for the Arts is seeking Florida artists to submit work for an exhibition focused on water.

Water is the source of all life and has been an inspiration for writers, philosophers and artists from around the world for thousands of years. This exhibition hopes to elicit myriad pieces in multiple mediums that explore, explain and inform our infinite individual and communal connections to water.

Entries must be submitted online no later than Friday, November 6, 2020 at ArtInLee.org/H20Exhibit. All mediums will be considered, including sculpture, jewelry, painting (oil, acrylic, collage, watercolor and mixed media), drawing, printmaking, photography, digital media, fiber or textiles, video and installation. Prizes will be awarded including $1,000 cash for Best in Show, $250 for 2nd place, $100 cash for 3rd place and Juror’s Choice Award of $50. Artists may submit, 1, 2 or 3 artworks for consideration.

The juried exhibit will be on display from February 9 through April 30, 2021 at the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum, which is located at 3075 Sanibel Captiva Road Sanibel, FL 33957. The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum is a Natural History Museum, and the only museum in the United States devoted solely to shells and mollusks. Its mission is to connect people to the natural world through their love of shells and the marvelous animals that create them. Bailey-Matthews uses its collections, programs, and expertise to inspire learning, support scientific research, and tell the story of mollusks and the ocean that they inhabit. There are more mollusks in the oceans than all marine mammals and fish species combined, and mollusks are becoming extinct faster than we can name them due to climate change, ocean acidification, and pollution.

Sanibel receives 3.3 million visitors each year. The Museum expects 100,000 visitors this year.

The exhibit space is a multi-use exhibition space with moderate security. There are also indoor and outdoor alternative installation spaces available for proposal.

To download full guidelines, learn more or submit artwork, visit ArtInLee.org/H20Exhibit. For additional questions, contact Alliance for the Arts gallery director Ehren Gerhard at exhbitions@artinlee.org or 239-939-2787.

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4 ART FESTIVALS

ArtFest Fort Myers app deadline closes September 29

ArtFest Fort Myers is accepting applications through September 29 for participation in its 2021 juried show. At this time, ArtFest is considering multiple scenarios to maximize both safety and success, but besides the potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, new this year will be completion of the Luminary Hotel between Bay and Edwards on the western side of the 1.8 acre water basin.

Well over 1,000 artists vie for the 200 spaces historically allotted for this show. Why? It’s simple. Because ArtFest’s year-round friendly and professional staff places the focus on the artist and the art-selling experience. Targeting art buyers throughout Southwest Florida and beyond – from Marco Island to Sarasota and east to West Palm Beach – ArtFest’s promotional campaign includes all forms of media. Judging from each year’s turn-out, they’re clearly doing something right. No other art festival in Florida comes close to pulling in the number of people or the concentration of collectors that ArtFest does.

The organizers also understand the importance of providing great artist amenities over festival weekend to ensure that its exhibitors are stress free and ready to share their work with the festival’s dedicated and enthusiastic attendees.

How are festival artists chosen?

Each October, ArtFest Fort Myers brings together a panel of professional artists who view submitted images and score each applying artist on a range of 1 – 7 points. The artists with the highest scores are then invited to participate in ArtFest.

“Our jury panel varies each year but always represents a broad base of expertise with regard to artistic mediums,” ArtFest points out. “Theirs is the difficult task of evaluating who is the ‘best-of–the-best’ from the hundreds of artists who wish to join ArtFest Fort Myers! Our jury process is open to artists and patrons – please contact us for more information.”

The application deadline is September 28, 2020. The application fee is $35, with booth fees for a single 10×10′ space costing $454 plus 6.5% Florida sales tax and a $10 City Business Fee.

ArtFest Fort Myers 2021 opens Friday, February 5 with a limited preview and VIP event and continues on Saturday and Sunday, February 6 & 7, 2021 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

For Artist Application information, please contact ArtFest Fort Myers at 239-768-3602, email info@ArtFestFortMyers.com or visit http://www.ArtFestFortMyers.com.

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Deadlines loom for Boulderbrook art festivals

Boulderbrook Productions hosts a number of boutique art festivals in Southwest Florida each season. It is currently accepting submissions for:

The Sanibel SCA Art Festival (January 17 & 18, 2020); deadline: October 4;
The Art Festival at Mercato (January 22 & 23, 2021); application deadline October 10, 2020;
Boca Grande Masters Art Festival (March 6 & 7, 2021); application deadline October 14, 2020;
Bonita Springs Fine Arts at The Promenade (February 13 & 14, 2021); application deadline October 15, 2020;
Sanibel-Captiva Lions Club Arts and Crafts Fair (March 26 & 27, 2021); application deadline: October 15, 2020;
Peace River National Art Festival (December 5 & 6, 2020); deadline October 20, 2020;
Peace River National March (March 20 & 21, 2021); application deadline October 26, 2020;
Bonita Springs Masters Art Festival (March 13 & 14, 2021); application deadline November 1, 2020; and
The Art Festival at University Village Shops located by Miromar Lakes Country Club on Ben Hill Griffin Parkway (February 5, 6 & 7, 2021); application deadline not given.

You must register and apply online at http://www.boulderbrook.net/.

N.B.: The application deadline has closed for the Bonita Springs Invitational Art Festival (November 21 & 22, 2020), Sanibel Masters Art Festival (November 27 & 28, 2020) and the Sarasota Masters Art Festival.

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Deadline for Hot Works’ Naples Fine Art Show is November 13

Hot Works LLC is accepting submissions through November 13 for its Naples Fine Art Show, which is scheduled for March 27 & 28, 2021 outdoors at the Naples Italian-American Club at the corner of Airport Pulling and Orange Blossom Roads. The show features original work in a wide array of disciplines, including painting, clay, glass, fiber, sculpture, wood, photography, jewelry and more.

Artist applications are accepted electronically at www.zapplication.org or manually at www.hotworks.org. For more information, please contact Executive Director Patty Narozny at patty@hotworks.org or 248-684-2613.

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Naples New Year’s Art Show 2020 application deadline is October 2

The Naples Art Association will begin accepting applications for The Naples New Year’s Art Show 2021 on www.zapplication.org/ beginning August 20, 2020. This fine art festival draws professional artists from around the country and was ranked #15 in the nation in 2019 by Sunshine Artist Magazine and is included by ArtFairSourceBoook.com in its “BLUE CHIP 100” Fine Art Events for 2019.

If you are interested in exhibiting at this show, here’s what you will need to know:

Dates: Saturday and Sunday, January 2-3, 2021
Festival Hours: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Location: 5th Avenue South, Downtown Naples
Accept 250 artists max
Application fee: $35
Booth fee: $450 for 10×10
Set up specifics: 4 a.m. early morning set up only: On street set up in quads; No electrical
Application deadline: 10/02/20
Jury Process begins: 10/09/20
Status Notification: 10/21/20
Booth Fee Deposit Due: 11/11/20
Wait List Acceptance: 11/11/20
Artist Info Emailed: 12/11/20
No Refund Deadline: 12/04/20
Application available online at ZAPP

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Naples National Art Show application deadline is November 6

The Naples Art Association will begin accepting applications for inclusion in the 42nd Annual Naples National Art Festival on August 20, 2020. Naples National is consistently voted among the top 100 art festivals in the country by Sunshine Artist Magazine and was ranked #24 last year. In addition, Naples National was named one of ARt Fair SourceBook Blue Chip 100 Fine Art Events for 2019 and ArtFairCalendar.com’s America’s Best Art Fairs. As one of the oldest festivals in Collier County, Naples National is counted by the local community as among its premiere, must–see events, thanks to the high quality of art, the engaging personalities of the artists and the festive atmosphere. The show is held in scenic Cambier Park and along 8th Street South, one block from downtown Naples’ premier shopping and dining district.

If you are interested in exhibiting in the 41st Naples National Art Festival, here’s what you will need to know:

Dates: Saturday & Sunday, February 20-21, 2021
Festival Hours: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Accept 190 artists max
Application fee: $35
Booth fee: $625 for 10×10
Cancellation refund policy: Full refund: 01/15/21 (subject to $25 processing fee, $75 deposit fee non-refundable)
Set up specifics: Friday set up on 2/19,
Park and street setting
Application deadline: 11/06/20
Jury Process begins: 11/13/20
Status Notification: 11/25/20
Booth Fee Deposit Due: 12/18/20
Artist Info Emailed: 01/22/21
Wait List Acceptance: 12/18/20
Balance of Exhibit Fee Due: 01/15/21
Application available online at http://www.zapplication.org/ beginning June 1, 2019

To improve the quality of the show and to provide more sales opportunities for our artists, NAA has limited the number of booths to 221, with 190 selected by the jury and 31 who are specially invited to participate in the show. “This will allow artists greater exposure and less competition,” states NAA in its prospectus for the show. “Additionally, the park layout, will consist of one loop making it easier for customers to view all artist’s booths. However, there is a corresponding increase in booth fees.”

This is the only Naples Art Association show that offers cash awards for Best of Show, Best 2D, Best 3D and Awards of Distinction in 2D and 3D. The amounts are:

Best of Show – $2,000
Best 2D – $500
Best 3D – $500
Awards of Distinction 2D – 5 awards at $200 each
Awards of Distinction 3D – 5 awards at $200 each

Awards will be presented at the band shell in Cambier Park at 3:00 pm on Saturday. NAA staff or volunteers will notify an artist if they need to be present at the awards ceremony on Saturday. Awards are given based on the same criteria used for the jury process. The winning artists are invited to participate in the following year’s show and receive jury exempt status but must still pay his/her booth fee.

The mission of the Naples Art Association is to expand cultural opportunities, broaden education and enrich SWF through the visual arts. Proceeds from the Naples National Art Show support educational programming at The Naples Art Association.

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Naples Downtown Art Show application deadline is December 11

The Naples Art Association will begin accepting applications for inclusion in its Naples Downtown Art Show beginning on August 30. The 33rd Annual Downtown Naples Festival of the Arts is one of the last major art festivals of the winter season and a favorite festival for artists, art enthusiasts and collectors.

This festival was rated #24 by Sunshine Artist’s Magazine 2019.

If you would like to exhibit in this show, here’s what you will need to know:

Dates: Saturday and Sunday, March 20-21, 2021
Festival Hours: Saturday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Sunday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Location: 5th Avenue South, Downtown Naples
Accept 250 artists max
Application fee: $35
Booth fee: $450 for 10×10
Cancellation refund policy: February 12, 2021 full refund for artist withdrawal (subject to $75 in deposit forfeiture and $25 processing fee)
Set up specifics: 4 a.m., early morning set up only;
On street set up in quads: No electrical
Application deadline: December 11, 2020
Jury Process begins: December 18, 2020
Status Notification: December 29, 2020
Booth Fee Due: January 20, 2021
Artist Info Emailed: March 2, 2021
Wait List Acceptance: January 20, 2021

Last year’s show was cancelled and launched virtually due to COVID-19. Naples Art’s website has yet been updated to provide a prospectus, application or key dates for the 2021 show.

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Naples Art accepting submissions for next season’s Art in the Park

Are you ready for the 2020-2021 season of Art in the Park? The Naples Art Association (NAA) proudly connects artists with art shoppers in another terrific season of Art in the Park. The jury process will begin virtually on October 15. You must register by 5:00 p.m. one day before at http://naplesart.org/outdoor-shows/online-registration/.

Since 1957, Art in the Park has showcased paintings in oil and acrylics, watercolors, mixed media, photography, sculpture, ceramics, glass art, jewelry and wood-working created by members in good standing of the Naples Art Association. For art lovers, it’s a casual, fun-filled venue for meeting local artists and becoming acquainted with their work. It is believed to be the first outdoor art show held in Naples. And the tradition continues for the 2019-2020 art fair and festival season.

Art in the Park is held between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on the first Saturday of each month from November through April. Because of its long tradition, prestige and the interest and number of people who routinely turn out for the show, many NAA members seek admission to the show. Applicants go through a jury process.

“Art in the Park is a membership opportunity, providing artists a venue to sell and market their work while broadening their customer base,” notes the Naples Art Association in its call to artists for the 2019-2020 season. “It also provides a setting for artists to interact with other artists sharing ideas, industry changes and the camaraderie of creative people. It is an opportunity for both artists and the public to engage in enlightening conversations about art.”

The one-day fair takes place on Park Street adjacent to The Naples Art Association in the northwest corner of Cambier Park. Located just a block and a half from historic Fifth Avenue South, Art in the Park is within walking distance of trendy European boutiques, sidewalk cafes and iconic art galleries such as Sheldon Fine Art, Call of Africa’s Native Visions Gallery and Shaw Gallery of Fine Art. The show is also just three minutes by car from fabled Gallery Row and the Third Street South Gallery District. The January show is also held in conjunction with the Downtown Naples New Year’s Art Fair, which will be held next season on Saturday and Sunday, January 2 & 3, 2021.

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5 PUBLIC ART

Almonicid, Schlake to join forces on ‘Buck’s Backyard’ mural

Fort Myers’ Public Art Committee has approved a plan by the Fort Myers Mural Society to have finalists JP Almonicid and Erik Schlake join forces on the Buck’s Backyard mural project that is to be installed on the block wall separating historic McCollum Hall from the adjoining residential neighborhood to the north. The ambitious 2,440-square-foot project will cover seventeen concrete panels, each measuring eight feet high by eighteen feet wide. Although the artists’ mural styles are radically different, Fort Myers Mural Society Director Shari Shifrin assured the Committee that the size and scope of the project will benefit from a blend of the design concepts that Almonacid and Schlake presented to the Public Art Committee on September 15.

Go here for the rest of this report.

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6 THEATER

Alliance to perform ‘Duck Variations’ outdoors on cozy new GreenMarket stage

The Alliance for the Arts presents The Duck Variations by David Mamet on eight dates in October outdoors and with social distancing on the Alliance’s new, small and cozy stage in the GreenMarket area.

“We’ve been hard at work to create an intimate, open-air venue where our neighbors can safely enjoy live theatre,” says producing artistic director Bill Taylor, “and what better backdrop for a performance than the Florida night sky?”

The Duck Variations dramatizes the old adage that people who talk the most with authority about something are the ones most likely to know the least about it. In the play, two old men discuss the ways of ducks and life, making observations that are profoundly hilarious. The production is directed by Bill Taylor and stars Jim Yarnes and Scott Thomson. The length of the show is 50 minutes.

Go here for the rest of this advance, which includes play dates, times and ticket information.

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‘Duck Variations’ two men on a park bench perfect choice for Alliance’s first outdoor show

Theatre Conspiracy at the Alliance for the Arts is opening its 2020-2021 season outdoors with David Mamet’s Duck Variations, opening October 8. The play dramatizes the old adage that people who talk the most with authority about something are the ones most likely to know the least about it.

Duck Variations is the perfect choice for Theatre Conspiracy’s first-ever outdoor show. In the play, two old men, George and Emil, sit on a park bench reading newspapers, eating sandwiches, slurping coffee and opining on the ways of ducks and other subjects about which George fashions himself an expert.

Go here for more.

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Spotlight on ‘Duck Variations’ actor Scott Thomson

Scott Thomson is a veteran Southwest Florida actor. He appears in the Alliance for the Arts’ outdoor production of David Mamet’s The Duck Variations. Other recent roles include that of Dr. Chumley in the Alliance’s production of Mary Chase’s Harvey and Players Circle Theatre’s production of Laughter on the 23rd Floor.

Go here for the rest of Scott’s profile.

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Spotlight on ‘Duck Variations’ actor Jim Yarnes

Like Johnny Depp in the genre of film, local actor Jim Yarnes has built a reputation for playing off-kilter and larger-than-life characters. Among his acting credits are the world’s second greatest classical composer, Ludwig van Beethoven, in Moises Kaufman’s 33 Variations and Pinchwife (an abusively possessive husband who locks his young bride in a room rather than risk her seduction by a London rascal) in The Country Wife.

Go here for the rest of Jim’s stage credits.

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Dean Martin Variety Hour closes September 26

Time is running out to see Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre’s production of the Dean Martin Variety Hour. The fun-filled throwback to the old Dean Martin Variety Show runs through September 26, and Broadway Palm is offering a welcome-back special – all tickets are just $50 for dinner and the show.

Dean Martin Variety Hour will take you for a trip down memory lane with Dean and friends. Direct from Las Vegas, Broadway Palm is proud to bring Dean Martin Impersonator Seth Abrahms to host an entertaining variety show that features great music, hilarious comedic skits and more… You never know who is going to knock on the front door of Dino’s place next. This production is sure to have you singing and laughing the night away.

The writer, director and choreographer for the Dean Martin Variety Hour is the ever-popular Victor Legarreta. Legarreta has appeared in numerous Broadway Palm productions, but two recent highlights were as Oliver Warbucks in Annie and his role of the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz. In addition, he created and directed Yesterday’s: The 50s and 60s Musical, Groovin’: The 60s and 70s Musical as well as Let’s Go To The Movies.

Broadway Palm is not only committed to providing its patrons with quality entertainment, it is committed to the health and safety of staff, performers and guests. In this regard, the theater has made numerous adjustments and taken several measures to assure the health and safety of their cast members, employees, and customers. For example, the theater will be operating at 50% capacity, with social distancing being encouraged throughout the theater. Toward this end, the seating arrangement has been altered to appropriately space the tables and all tables will be private. In addition, guests will be required to wear masks while not eating or drinking. Finally, a choice of salad and soup will be served to the tables and attendants will be serving guests at the hot buffets. On Friday and Saturday evenings, there is a plated dinner option as well as the traditional buffet.

Broadway Palm has always had a rigorous sanitation process in place, but they have implemented new cleaning and sanitizing procedures including utilizing UV lights before and after performances; the entire building was treated with Vibrant’s PermaSafe Process which included a cleaning and shield application that kills up to 99.99% of germs, bacteria, viruses, other harmful microbes; and they added a bipolar ionization system into their air conditioning units which is a technology that deactivates harmful substances such as bacteria, viruses and more. In addition, temperature checks will be performed on everyone that enters the building and admittance will not be allowed to anyone with a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher.

Employees and cast members went through an extensive evaluation before being able to return to work and employees are required to wear protective gear and practice frequent hand washing.

Performances are Wednesday through Sunday evenings with selected matinees. Broadway Palm is offering a “Season Opener Special” and all tickets are just $50 for dinner and the show. Tickets are now on sale and can be reserved by calling (239) 278-4422, visiting BroadwayPalm.com or in person at 1380 Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers.

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Creative Theater Workshop bringing ‘Drowsy Chaperone’ to the stage October 22

Creative Theater Workshop is bringing The Drowsy Chaperone to the stage. Hailed by New York Magazine as “The Perfect Broadway Musical,” The Drowsy Chaperone is a masterful meta-musical, poking fun at all the tropes that characterize the musical theatre genre. Winner of five Tony Awards, including Best Book and Best Original Score, The Drowsy Chaperone is a loving send-up of the Jazz Age musical, featuring one show-stopping song and dance number after another.

Directed and choreographed by Robin Dawn and Kim Suskind, the cast includes Sam Pucin as the Man in the Chair, Tricia Hennessy as the Drowsy Chaperone, Kristen Wilson as Mrs. Tottendale, Jesse Massari as Janet Van de Graff, AJ Ford as Robert Martin, Robert Rosso as George, Kristen Noble as Kitty and Cantrella Canady as Trix, the Aviatrix.

The action starts when a man appears on stage in a chair and proceeds to put on his favorite record: the cast recording of a fictitious 1928 musical called The Drowsy Chaperone. As the man in the chair looks on, the musical comes to life. Mix in two lovers on the eve of their wedding, a bumbling best man, a desperate theatre producer, a not-so-bright hostess, two gangsters posing as pastry chefs, a misguided Don Juan and an intoxicated chaperone, and you have the ingredients for an evening of madcap delight.

The Drowsy Chaperone will run October 22 through November 1.

CTW is a community-based non-profit theater organization that encourages and promotes an interest in the theatrical arts by providing workshops and producing full-length musical productions in order to educate, entertain, and enrich the community.

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‘Disenchanted!’ princesses just want to be taken seriously and seen for who they really are

LabTV made its debut on Friday with a filmed theater production of Dennis T. Giacino’s Disenchanted! Stay-At-Home Version. Although the characters involved in the show are eight Disney princesses, the message that emerges from the sanguine musical is unexpectedly timely in 2020.

The Elite Eight of Disenchanted! are Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Hua Mulan, The Little Mermaid, Pocahontas and The Princess Who Kissed the Frog. “Forget the princesses you think you know,” states the tag line promoting the show, “the original storybook heroines have come back to life years and years after their supposed “happily ever after,” and they’re not too thrilled with how things turned out.” But that’s more than a bit misleading. This ain’t no girls’-night-out bitch session. The girls have a bone to pick with their old buddy Walt and the Brothers Grimm. With some exceptional vibrato and a whole lot of angst and gravitas, they bippity boppity bust out a little princess show of their own to tell you that what they really want in life is to be taken seriously and be seen for the strong capable people they actually are.

Isn’t that what every modern woman wants in today’s male-dominated work-and-play world?

Go here for the rest of this post.

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The Naples Players hosting Drive-In Movie Nights off 5th Avenue

The Naples Players (TNP) is hosting bi-monthly TNP Drive-In Movie Nights. Sponsored by The Inn on 5th, these events are held in the newly refinished 50-car lot located at 300 8th Street South, just one block north of the iconic 5th Avenue South home of The Naples Players Community Theatre.

Drive-In Movie Nights are part of Discover Culture in Collier, an alternative season of outdoor arts and culture events recently announced by The Naples Players. Each month, two different films will featured. The scheduled films will be projected onto a 33-foot screen using a state-of-the-art projection system. The movie soundtracks will be broadcast over short-range FM radio to the cars in attendance.

The series continues with Jurassic Park on September 22nd and 23rd. The rest of the schedule through April 2021 is as follows:

October 20-21: Little Shop of Horrors
October 27-28: Hocus Pocus
November 10-11: The Wizard of OZ
November 24-25: The Goonies
December 15-16: A Christmas Story
December 29-30: Frozen II
January 12-13: Singin’ In the Rain
January 26-27: Ghostbusters
February 2-3: Twister
February 16-17: Hairspray
March 9-10: Breakfast at Tiffany’s
March 23-24: Beauty & The Beast
April 6-7 :Dirty Dancing

The lot opens for parking at 7:00 p.m. and movies begin promptly at 8:00 p.m. Concessions and non-alcoholic refreshments are available for purchase. Due to space, ticketing is required in advance.

General admission is $45 per vehicle, but current TNP Season Ticket Subscribers receive free admission on select “Season Ticket Holder Nights.” Tickets are available for purchase now at NaplesPlayers.org or by calling the TNP Box Office at (239) 263-7990.

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‘Walter Cronkite Is Dead’ opening at Studio Players on September 25

The Studio Players’ production of Walter Cronkite Is Dead opens September 25 at The Joan Jenks Auditorium in the Golden Gate Community Center. Directed by Hollis Galman, this timely show by playwright Joe Caraco stars Kathleen Barney as Patty and Cindy Hile as Margaret.

The setting is Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., where Patty and Margaret have been marooned in a waiting area after an outbreak of fierce thunderstorms have shut down airports up and down the East Coast. It quickly becomes clear that the two have nothing in common. Patty’s a chatty southerner—a blue-collar woman from a red state who is seemingly unable to tolerate silence. Margaret is a reserved, educated and liberal Washingtonian who is not the least bit interested in sharing her thoughts, or her table, with Patty. Thrown together for a long night in a public place, the two strangers have no choice but to share a bottle of wine and begin to talk … and to listen.

The rest of this advance is here.

And you can access play dates, times and ticket information here.

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‘Walter Cronkite Is Dead’ perfect play for these times

On stage in the Joan Jenks Auditorium at the Golden Gate Community Center for two more weekends is The Studio Players’ production of Joe Calarco’s Walter Cronkite Is Dead. In the midst of yet another rancorous political season, the play provides a much-needed reminder that our dreams and disappointments unite us more than our political affiliations pull us apart. The only problem is that between COVID-19 and social media, we’re less and less likely to spend personal time with each other under circumstances that encourage us to stop, listen and understand.

But in Walter Cronkite Is Dead, Calarco gives his Margaret and Patty no easy way out. Thunderstorms up and down the east coast have grounded all flights in and out of Ronald Reagan National Airport, and Margaret has the last open table in the concourse bar. When Patty politely asks if she can join her, Margaret’s first inclination is to put her purse and reading material in the empty seat.

Go here for the balance of this review.

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‘Circle Mirror Transformation’ has feel of sitcom but delivers murder mystery intrigue

Up next in the Joan Jenks Auditorium at Golden Gate Community Center is The Studio Players’ production of Annie Baker’s Circle Mirror Transformation. It’s the third in a trilogy of plays set in the fictional town of Shirley, Vermont. [The other two are Body Awareness and The Aliens.] This one places the audience in a windowless community center room where a woman by the name of Marty is finally getting the chance to teach an adult acting class.

Circle Mirror Transformation takes its name from a common acting exercise, and as Marty leads her four students through word games, trust and role playing exercises over the course of the six-week class, their stories slowly emerge. But they’re not distilled so much from the dialogue that Baker provides, but rather from the tone and silences that have become associated with the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright. “It’s an unpretentiously sophisticated format that demands brilliant acting, sensitive direction and the utmost simplicity,” notes San Francisco theater critic Robert Hurwitt. With Scott Lilly at the helm and a cast anchored by Hollis Galman and Gerri Benzing, the show is in proven, capable hands.

Go here for the rest of this advance.

And go here for play dates, times and ticket information.

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7 FILM & FILM FESTIVALS

Fort Myers Beach International Film Festival opens September 22

The first-ever virtual Fort Myers Beach International Film Festival begins streaming September 22 at 6:00 p.m. The virtual opening reception and nominations, masterclasses and closing awards ceremony can be streamed for free; there is a charge to stream features and short film packages, which have been curated to celebrate globally selected indie films.

The festival features over 100 independent filmmakers. To register, get tickets for streaming or for more information, you can go online to the film festival’s website or, call 239-980-4381. Organizers encourage participants to use the hashtag #STREAMFMBFILM.

The last day of the festival is Saturday, September 26.

The festival normally takes place at the Beach Theater on Fort Myers Beach and organizers hope to see you there April 13 -18, 2021 for the 15th rendition of the festival.

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10th Anniversary Fort Myers Film Festival to open October 21

The 10^th Annual Fort Myers Film Festival returns to sunny Southwest Florida October 21-25, 2020. As in years past, screenings will take place at the historic Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center and other select venues in Fort Myers.

Originally scheduled for May 6-10, the festival has been on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While this year’s festival will feature in-person screenings, talkbacks and filmmaker panels, it will also offer a number of virtual opportunities. However, all events conducted at the Davis Art Center, other venues and affiliated restaurants will optimize the safety of attendees. Toward that end, the Davis Art Center’s grand atrium and off-site venues will limit capacity and incorporate spaced seating and extra sanitization measures. In addition, both participants and attendees will be strongly urged to wear masks, make liberal use of hand sanitizers and strictly adhere to social distancing guidelines. A number of events will be moved outdoors, weather permitting, as well.

Go here for the rest of this advance.

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FMFF to open 10th anniversary film fest with Tony Rammos bull riding feature

The Fort Myers Film Festival is kicking off its 10th annual with a local bull riding feature documentary by Tony Rammos. Ride Till I Die follows three bull riders chasing the dream of winning a championship and one man’s race against time for that elusive title. That man is Ricky Ringer, and in spite of warnings from his wife, his mother and a body that’s breaking down after 25 years of bullriding competition, Ricky is more determined than ever to chase that elusive title … or die trying. [See official trailer here.]

The screening will be held in style at a scaled back Red Carpet Opening Night at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center. The evening begins at 6:00 p.m., when the proverbial red carpet is rolled out to usher guests inside for drinks, musical entertainment and socially distant mixing and mingling with local and international filmmakers prior to the screening of the featured movie.

Go here for the rest of this advance.

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Ride Till I Die filmmaker Tony Rammos in the frame

The Fort Myers Film Festival is kicking off its 10th annual with a local bull riding feature documentary by Tony Rammos. Ride Till I Die follows three bull riders chasing the dream of winning a championship and one man’s race against time for that elusive title. That man is Ricky Ringer, and in spite of warnings from his wife, his mother and a body that’s breaking down after 25 years of competition, Ricky is more determined than ever to chase that elusive title … or die trying.

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‘After Selma,’ the fight for the right to vote shifts to voter suppression arena

On March 7, 1965, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. marched out from Selma, Alabama with John Lewis and a group of 600 people to protest the killing of Jimmie Lee Jackson, a young African American protestor who was fatally shot by an Alabama state trooper at a peaceful demonstration for black voter registration. As they attempted to cross the Edmund Pettis Bridge, state troopers, some on horseback, rushed the protesters and beat them back using whips, nightsticks and tear gas. Struck repeatedly in the head, Lewis nearly died, but the march led to passage that August of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which banned literacy tests as a requirement for voting and required the U.S. Attorney General to challenge the use of poll taxes in state and local elections. As Emmy-winning filmmaker Loki Mulholland details in his timely new documentary After Selma, the fight for voting rights continues in the face of insidious new tools that have been developed to suppress the vote and disenfranchise black voters across the nation.

Go here for the balance of this preview.

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‘After Selma’ filmmaker Loki Mulholland in the frame

Loki Mulholland is an Emmy-winning filmmaker, author and civil rights activist. He has written, directed, edited and produced four documentaries, After Selma (2019), Black, White & US (2019), The Uncomfortable Truth (2017) (the Best Documentary Feature winner at the 2018 Denton Black Film Festival), and An Ordinary Hero: The True Story of Joan Trumpauer Mulholland (2013), wrote, directed and produced the television series Project Time with Discovery Dan (2015), and wrote the screenplay for Believe (2007). His films have garnered more than 40 Telly Awards. His documentaries on race and social justice issues have earned sixteen Best Documentary awards at the film festivals in which they’ve been screened. Mulholland is also the recipient of Best of State and the Filmed in Utah Award.

Go here for the rest of Loki Mulholland’s profile.

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‘Queen without Land’ personalizes threat posed by melting Arctic ice to polar bear survival

Among the documentaries that will be screened this year by the Fort Myers Film Festival is Queen Without Land. Based on a true story, the film chronicles the meeting between Frost, a beautiful polar bear mother, and Asgeir Helgestad, a Norwegian wildlife filmmaker. Spanning four years, the film depicts the ways in which rising temperatures and melting ice are dramatically changing Frost’s Arctic home on the Svalbard, not only placing Frost at risk, but the cubs she struggles to raise.

Go here for the rest of this preview.

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‘Queen without Land’ filmmaker Asgeir Helgstad in the frame

Asgeir Helgestad is perhaps one of the world’s foremost photographers of polar bears and wildlife in the Arctic. He has a passion for capturing the perfect image and his love for his subjects shines through his work. His new documentary, Queen without Land, will be screened by the Fort Myers Film Festival at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, October 25.

The rest of this profile is here.

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Truth versus lies, settling for safe versus going for it all ‘Collide’ in short film

Among the short films that will be screened at this year’s Fort Myers Film Festival is Niche Visual’s Collide, directed by filmmaker Ralph Klisiewicz. It’s a character-driven piece written for and starring Chicago’s Jeff Award-nominator actor Heather Chrisler.

Chrisler plays a character named Sally, who comes home from a run and starts talking with her boyfriend, Tim. Initially she raises the subject of having a baby. But the conversation takes a sudden turn when Sally mentions having witnessed a car accident as she was jogging. She reveals to Tim what an emotional impact the accident had on her. She saw a man “under the sheet, they were carrying him away”. However, there was no accident. The man under the sheet was actually a young, athletic, and charming artist named Kevin. [View trailer here.]

The rest of this preview is here.

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‘Collide’ filmmaker Ralph Klisiewicz in the frame

Klisiewicz’s entrance into filmmaking was rather unorthodox. About seven years ago, Ralph was a musician in need of a musical video. Although several people with a film background helped him get the project a started, much of the work fell upon his own shoulders. In order to complete the project, Ralph was forced to learn and perform many of the filmmaking tasks. Since that initial project, he has fallen in love with the entire process of filmmaking and has now produced a number of music videos along with five short films, vis: Perception (in post-production), The Artifact (completed), A Survivor’s Guide to Writing in the Quarantine (2020), In the Driver’s Seat (completed, 2018) and Collide (2018). He also directed the last four films, served as cinematographer on Perception, In the Driver’s Seat, A Survivor’s Guide and Moving-in-Law (2020), and wrote The Artifact and In the Driver’s Seat.

Go here for the rest of Ralph’s profile.

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In ‘Collide,’ Heather Chrisler delivers performance that will stay with you long

Chris Jones of The Chicago Tribune once called Chrisler “an utterly fearless Chicago actress capable of extraordinarily deep dives into driven characters” and “at once the strongest Young Woman I’ve seen and the most vulnerable.” All of these attributes, and more, are on display in Collide, where Chrisler delivers a performance that will stay with you long beyond the final frame.

Go here for the rest of this story.

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Short film ‘Eat the Rainbow’ a musical fable big on humor and heart

Brian Benson’s Eat the Rainbow screens at this year’s Fort Myers Film Festival. The 19-minute short is a musical comedy about a blue stranger who moves into a neighborhood and causes panic.

To amplify, Eat the Rainbow is a musical fable about an odd yet kind man named Bayani who moves into a conservative suburban neighborhood and disrupts the otherwise comfortable homogeny. He doesn’t look or act like anyone else, and that causes fear, panic and eventually a demand for him to leave the neighborhood. Cousin Wonderlette befriends Bayani and together they take on the opposition led by manipulative and unscrupulous realtor Lobelia Gerber.

You will find the rest of this preview here.

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‘Eat the Rainbow’ filmmaker Brian Benson in the frame

Brian Benson is a filmmaker with a lengthy film resume. He most recently directed the short film Eat the Rainbow, which screens in the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center during Shorts Block Ten on Saturday, October 24. He also just produced a film with RuPaul’s Drag Race stars BeDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon.

His previous two directorial projects were My Life Is a Dream (2015) and Love and Anger (2012). However, he has also served as either an assistant director or second unit director on twenty-one other films, including …

Go here for the rest of Brian’s profile.

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‘Roses Are Blind’ personifies brave woman’s struggle to overcome adversity

The Fort Myers Film Festival returns to the downtown Fort Myers River District October 21-25 and among the films it will screen during its 10^th anniversary is Roses Are Blind. The psychological thriller was co-written and produced by Wendy White and Gui Agustini, who also directs and appears in the film.

The story revolves around a pre‑med junior at Columbia University by the name of Julie Janson. After Julie rescues a homeless woman’s dog from a train track, her roommate recommends she see famous psychic Addison Spellings for guidance. Their encounter reveals a family secret that changes Julie’s life forever. But when she goes home to confront her parents about it, they make sure their secret stays with her.

The rest of this preview is here.

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‘Roses Are Blind’ filmmaker Gui Agustini in the frame

Gui Agustini is a New York-based filmmaker whose directorial credits include seven short films: an Underwear Ordeal (2019), Iara (2019), The Therapist (2019), Roses Are Blind (2018), The Instructor (2018), Coming to Terms (2018) and The Perfect Stroke (2013). He also produced these films as well as 502 Taber Rd. (in post-production), Escape (2018) and the television series Checking Out (2016). His filmography also includes screenwriting (including co-writing Roses Are Blind and writing An Underwear Ordeal, Iara, The Instructor, The Perfect Stroke and the TV series La Neta De Los Sexos (2013) and editing.

You can access the rest of this profile here.

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‘Thoughts and Prayers’ satirizes trite phrase that’s trotted out after mass shootings

Imagine a world where gun violence is such a fact of life that the victims know when they wake up in the morning that they’ll be killed in a shooting before the day ends. On the bright side, the people in their lives can extend their thoughts and prayers as they head inextricably toward their date with destiny. This is the macabre premise of a new short film by Lisa Gold (2nd photo). It’s called Thoughts and Prayers, and it screens at this year’s Fort Myers Film Festival in October.

Actually, it’s not at all difficult to image a world in which gun violence is a fact of life. We’re already there. In 2019, there were 38,730 gun deaths in the U.S. (and just under 40,000 in both 2017 and 2018). Of this total, 23,760 were suicides and 14,970 were victims of homicide. There were 409 mass shootings and 30 mass murders in 2019, as well. [Stats: Gun Violence Archive.]

Go here for the balance of this advance.

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‘Thoughts and Prayers’ filmmaker Lisa Gold in the frame

Lisa Gold is a filmmaker, screenwriter and novelist.

She has written, directed and/or produced seven award-winning short films, Thoughts and Prayers (D, 2019), The Death of Toys (W/D, 2010), The Boardwalk Spy and Other Stories (W/D/P, 2005), I Hate Alina (W/P, 2004), An Inconvenient Affair (D/P, 2004), Realities of Love (W/D/P, 2003) and The Power (W/P, 2002). Thoughts and Prayers has been made an official selection of 19 film festivals to date; The Death of Toys was an official selection of 39. Made while Lisa was Gold was a Fellow in the AFI Conservatory Directing Workshop for Women, The Death of Toys won Best Director at the Toronto International Film and Video Awards; Best Narrative Short at the Winnipeg Real to Reel Film Festival; Best Actress (Kim Rhodes) at the Winter Film Awards; and Groundbreaking Filmmaker at HATCH Asheville.

You can access the rest of Lisa’s profile here.

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Let ‘El Cavil’ put a melody in your heart

Filmmaker Evgeniya Radilova made her Fort Myers Film Festival debut last year with Patrik, an award-winning short film that was accepted into nearly two dozen film festivals. She returns for the 10th anniversary of the Fort Myers Film Festival with another groundbreaking short titled El Cavil, which she co-wrote, directed and co-produced.

The film follows a man who loves his work more than anything in this world. A shoeshine boy, El Cavil subscribes to the old tradition that if you have a shine on your shoes there is a melody in your heart. But the once-ubiquitous shoeshine boy has nearly vanished from street corners, railroad stations, barbershops and American popular culture and El Cavil isn’t one of the fortunate few to land in the lobby of a ritzy hotel where the bootblack business still strives. On the street, people are just too busy to acknowledge El Cavil or their shoes. At $7 a shine, he’s lucky to earn $700 a month. Not enough to put a roof over his head. Barely enough for food.

Go here for the rest of this preview.

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‘Kiwi Driver’ Foster and McFadzien’s best short film yet

Bad Kiwis by Deb Foster and Rebecca McFadzien was named Best Short Short Film at the 8th Annual Fort Myers Film Festival in 2018. Foster and McFadzien are back for more mischief and mayhem in an action-packed sequel titled Bad Kiwis 2: Kiwi Driver. And from the standpoint of production value, Kiwi Driver is even better, showing remarkable improvement in every category.

Go here for preview.

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No Australians were harmed in the making of ‘Bad Kiwis 2’

Bad Kiwis by Deb Foster and Rebecca McFadzien was named Best Short Short Film at the 8th Annual Fort Myers Film Festival in 2018. Foster and McFadzien are back for more mischief and mayhem in an action-packed sequel titled Bad Kiwis 2: Kiwi Driver. This time around, Summer and Olivia head to the DMV to get their California driver’s licenses. But will they be thwarted not just by unfamiliar American customs, but an ever-present Australian rival?

“Australians almost always pip us to the post,” Foster maintains. “It’s a true-to-life good-natured competition, like in sport and things like that there’s rivalry for sure, but at the end of the day we will all sit down and have a few beers together. It’s all in good fun.”

“We’ve definitely got the little brother syndrome,” McFadzien agrees. “Australians aren’t really as cognizant of it as we are. In fact, they’re usually surprised when it comes up. Like, ‘Really? Do you feel threatened by us?’”

Go here for the rest of this story.

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‘Bad Kiwis 2: Kiwi Driver’ filmmaker Rebecca McFadden in the frame

Bad Kiwis by Deb Foster and Rebecca McFadzien was named Best Short Film at the 8th Annual Fort Myers Film Festival in 2018. The filmmakers are back again this year. With Bad Kiwis 2: Kiwi Driver, an eight minute comedy in which the duo visit the California DMV for purposes of getting their U.S. driver’s licenses. The acting is crisp. The wit is as quick as Rebecca’s driving. The yarn is as good as gold. And the production value (cinematography, sound, music) will impress even the most discerning filmmaker.

Rebecca plays the part of Summer, a Skux Kiwi who’s not about to be fobbed off by bureaucratic red tape or a DMV examiner who not only lacks a sense of humor but has the poor judgment to mistake Rebecca for (I’m loathe to even say it) an Australian eh!

Go here for Rebecca’s acting and filmmaking credits.

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‘Bad Kiwis 2: Kiwi Driver’ filmmaker Deb Foster in the frame

Bad Kiwis by Deb Foster and Rebecca McFadzien was named Best Short Film at the 8th Annual Fort Myers Film Festival in 2018. The filmmakers are back again this year. With Bad Kiwis 2: Kiwi Driver, an eight minute comedy in which the duo visit the California DMV for purposes of getting their U.S. driver’s licenses. The acting is crisp. The wit is dry. The yarn is as good as gold. And the production value (cinematography, sound, music) will impress even the most discerning filmmaker. Foster plays the part of Olivia.

Foster has appeared in numerous commercials in New Zealand, performed in Off Broadway productions in New York City and written, produced and starred in four award-winning short films in Los Angeles. In addition to writing, directing and starring in Bad Kiwis and Bad Kiwis 2 with Rebecca McFadzien, she played the lead in Leap (2016) and Angela in the feature film Compound (2014).

Deb’s television work includes the roles of Lindsay Nichols in Murdered by Morning (Oxygen Network, 2019), Joan Noble in Murder Loves Company (Investigation Discovery Channel, 2018), and a guest appearance in Aquarius (2015).

Go here for the rest of Deb’s acting and filmmaking credits.

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‘Lamentations’ a love story between Louisiana marshes and Antarctic ice

Lamentations is one of the short films curated into the 10^th Annual Fort Myers Film Festival, which returns to the downtown Fort Myers River District October 21-25. Featuring interviews with New Orleans photographer Tina Freeman as well as Curator Russell Lord, Climate Activist Colette Pichon Battle, and Environmentalist David Muth, Lamentations demonstrates how the rising waters along the coast of Louisiana are connected visually and physically to the melting glaciers at the poles despite the separation of vast distances. At its essence, it is a love story between two disparate places and the ecosystems they support.

Go here for the balance of this preview.

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About the Author

Tom Hall is both an amateur artist and aspiring novelist who writes art quest thrillers. He is in the final stages of completing his debut novel titled "Art Detective," a story that fictionalizes the discovery of the fabled billion-dollar Impressionist collection of Parisian art dealer Josse Bernheim-Jeune, thought by many to have perished during World War II when the collection's hiding place, Castle de Rastignac in southern France, was destroyed by the Wehrmacht in reprisal for attacks made by members of the Resistance operating in the area. A former tax attorney, Tom holds a bachelor's degree as well as both a juris doctorate and masters of laws in taxation from the University of Florida. Tom lives in Estero, Florida with his fiancee, Connie, and their four cats.

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Actors, artists, filmmakers and events in the news September 22-30, 2020

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