Actors, artists, directors, filmmakers and events in the news May 15-21, 2022

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     FILM

12th Annual Fort Myers Film Festival to open with ‘Calendar Girls’ documentary

The Fort Myers Film Festival will open its 12th annual festival on May 18 with Calendar Girls, a 2022 film about a group of Southwest Florida senior volunteer dancers who are determined to prove that age is just a number. The Calendar Girls give it all they’ve got, and they have a lot to give — impressive makeup, handmade costumes, elaborate dance routines, and, most notably, their unparalleled enthusiasm and sparkling personalities. Through revealing conversations and choreographed dance scenes, the film captures the challenges of being a woman over 60 and the delicate balance of family, home and dance. With laughter and tears, relationships and identities change as new dreams are discovered. The rest of this advance is here.

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Listen to ‘Calendar Girls’ interview on WGCU

Since 2005, the Calendar Girls have danced their way into the hearts of Southwest Florida residents and vacationers. Known for their impressive make-up, handmade costumes, choreographed dance routines and bubbly, effervescent personalities, the troupe gives over 100 public and private performances each year. While they often appear at other organizations’ fundraising events, all of the money they earn from their appearances goes to support the Southeastern Guide Dogs’ mission of supporting veterans with disabilities. And one reason the Girls are especially excited about having their documentary shown locally is the spotlight it will shine on Southeastern Guide Dogs – as long-time member Lynn Hutton effuses. Go here to listen to the rest of this Spotlight on the Arts on WGCU.

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Spotlight on documentary ‘Missing Meadows: Restoring Florida’s Seagrasses’

The Fort Myers Film Festival will screen a number of environmental films this year, including three by filmmaker Sonny DePasquale. During the 3:00 p.m. Global Environmental Block 1, FMff will show Missing Meadows: Restoring Florida’s Seagrass. The subject of this 7-minute documentary is Florida’s Indian River Lagoon, one of the most biodiverse estuaries in North America. Go here for more.

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Spotlight on ‘Missing Meadows’ filmmaker Sonny DePasquale

The Fort Myers Film Festival will screen a number of environmental films this year, including three by filmmaker Sonny DePasquale: Missing Meadows: Restoring Florida’s Seagrasses, Busy in the Battery and Protecting the Monarch Butterfly. DePasquale is the founder of Emergent Productions. Named after the highest layer of the rainforest symbolizing the conservation heroes watching over us, Emergent Productions is a nonprofit organization that uses the power of storytelling to inspire environmental awareness. The rest of this Spotlight is here.

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Spotlight on short film ‘Music Box’

The Fort Myers Film Festival will play the sh0rt film Music Box on Thursday, May 19 during its “Interesting Shorts Block 1.” The short is about a man who goes on an emotional journey while writing a letter.

Music Box is directed by Kyle Cyr. Miguel Gonzalez-Floyd wrote the screenplay and stars in the film. Besides the Fort Myers Film Festival, Music Box is an official selection of the Subculture Film Festival and CenFlo Film Festival. It won 2022 Best Short Fiction Film honors from the Direct Online Monthly Film Festival and 2022 Audience Award at Film Slam.

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Spotlight on ‘Music Box’ filmmaker Kyle Cyr

The Fort Myers Film Festival will play Kyle Cyr’s sh0rt film Music Box on Thursday, May 19 during its “Interesting Shorts Block 1.” Cyr’s other films are The Vial, Tape 23 and Breakthrough.

Cyr has a passion for telling stories that touch on themes of love, loss, moving on, and the impact that people have on our lives and the nuances of it all.

The rest of this Spotlight is here.

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Spotlight on documentary ‘It’s Just Parkinson’s’

Filmmaker Diane Akam’s documentary It’s Just Parkinson’s will be shown by the Fort Myers Film Festival at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 19th. The film is an inspiring and emotional look at one man’s journey to live life to the fullest while living with a disease that has no cure. Written by Mary Dart and featuring John Cullen, Vince Lamphere and Pattie Stoffel, IJP is about life, death, brotherhood and the profound impact of mindset in the face of adversity.

John Cullen is a 62-year-old man battling Parkinson’s disease with grit, courage, grace, and a warrior mindset. Five years before, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. The rest of this Spotlight is here.

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Spotlight on ‘It’s Just Parkinson’s’ filmmaker Diane Akam

Diane Akam’s documentary It’s Just Parkinson’s will be screened at the Fort Myers Film Festival at 7:00 p.m. on May 21.

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‘Letter for My Son’ a call to action in time of uncertainty

The Fort Myers Film Festival will show Letter for My Son during the 2:30 p.m. Random & Animated Short Film Block on Friday, May 20. The film is a call to action in support of Arts for Act Gallery, a Fort Myers art gallery owned by Abuse Counseling and Treatment, Inc., a non-profit agency that provides shelter and support services for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking.

The 9-minute short was produced by Elijah Gromalski and directed by Justine Sophia. Cineastes and patrons of the Fort Myers Film Festival know Gromalski (who also goes by Elijah Green) through the theme he wrote and recorded for FMff and its first-Monday-of-the-month TGIM screenings. The rest of this Spotlight is here.

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Spotlight on ‘Letter to My Son’ producer Elijah Gromalski

A Letter to My Son producer Elijah Gromalski is a visionary artist. His works range from music, film, writing, poetry, and visual arts to political and technological sciences. His life work is to promote the 486 Covenant Merkabahedron, which is his contribution to the scientific community as a Universal Theory of Everything. All of his works revolve around a singular point, which is to bring man closer to God.

The rest of this Spotlight is here.

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Spotlight on ‘Letter to My Son’ director Justine Sophia

A Letter to My Son director Justine Sophia is a film director, producer and editor at Scheherazade Pictures. She majored in film and television production at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts on a full university grant. Prior to film school, she trained at the Stella Adler Academy of Acting in Hollywood and has competed in the United States Chess Federation. She’s the creative director of “Mondays at the Mission”, a career and life skills program for youth experiencing homelessness where she’s been volunteering on Skid Row for seven years. She currently works for the actor Benicio del Toro as well as the company, Forever Tango.

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Spotlight on animated environmental film ‘Watch the Feet’

The Fort Myers Film Festival will show the documentary short film Watch the Feet during the “Random & Animated Shorts Block” at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, May 20.

Most consumers want to do the right thing to help keep our planet healthy, but it can be confusing. Feel good words like biodegradable, natural, recyclable, sustainable, etc. may actually encourage consumers to purchase more without guilt. But everything has an environmental footprint that affects our planet, and to truly keep our environment healthy, we need to reduce the number of nonrenewable resources we extract and the number of toxins we release. You can read the rest of this preview here.

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Spotlight on ‘Watch the Feet’ screenwriter and director Laura Tufariello

The Fort Myers Film Festival will show the documentary short film Watch the Feet during the “Random & Animated Shorts Block” at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, May 20. The 6-minute animated film was written and co-directed by Laura Tufariello. Committed to education, Laura has given conferences and presentations on sustainability to many large corporations in the USA. Laura Tufariello is a long-standing advocate for sustainability and corporate responsibility. An active founding member of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition and past adjunct professor in the Packaging Department at the Fashion Institute of Technology, Laura uses education and peer-collaboration to develop new paths towards social change. Go here for more on Laura Tufariello.

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Spotlight on 1836 documentary ‘Experience the Adirondacks

The Fort Myers Film Festival will show the short documentary Experience the Adirondacks during its 3:30 p.m. “Global Environmental Block 2” on Friday, May 20. The film chronicles the epic mountain adventure into the Adirondacks made by four young adults with autism compliments of a program for neurodivergent individuals offered by Sarasota-based Adventure For All.  This short documentary follows them from their training to their wilderness excursions in the Adirondack mountains.

You will find the rest of this Spotlight here.

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Spotlight on ‘Experience the Adirondacks’ filmmaker 1836 Agency

The Fort Myers Film Festival will show the short documentary Experience the Adirondacks during its 3:30 p.m. “Global Environmental Block 2” on Friday, May 20. The film chronicles the epic mountain adventure into the Adirondacks made by four young adults with autism compliments of a program for neurodivergent individuals offered by Sarasota-based Adventure For All.  The documentary was made by the 1836 Agency, which is co-owned by Dev Walker and Morgan Alley.

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Spotlight on environmental film ‘Busy in the Battery’

The Fort Myers Film Festival will screen a number of environmental films this year, including three by filmmaker Sonny DePasquale. On Saturday, FMff will show Busy in the Battery followed by Protecting the Monarch Butterfly during the 3:30 p.m. Global Environmental Block 2. You will find the rest of this Spotlight here.

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Spotlight on environmental film ‘Protecting the Monarch Butterfly’

On Saturday, FMff will show Busy in the Battery followed by Protecting the Monarch Butterfly during the 3:30 p.m. Global Environmental Block 2.

Monarch butterflies are one of the most recognizable species on Earth due to their brightly colored wings and black-and-white markings. They also have one of the longest migrations of any insects. Each year, they travel thousands of miles from Canada to Mexico for warmth during the winter months.

The rest of this Spotlight is here.

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Spotlight on ‘Busy in the Battery’ & ‘Protecting the Monarch’ filmmaker Sonny DePasquale

The Fort Myers Film Festival will screen a number of environmental films this year, including three by filmmaker Sonny DePasquale: Missing Meadows: Restoring Florida’s Seagrasses, Protecting the Monarch Butterfly and Busy in the Battery. DePasquale is the founder of Emergent Productions. Please go here to view DePasquale’s film and other credits.

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Spotlight on ‘Tales of Sunshine: Florida Ecostories

Award-winning director Vincent Marcucci will premiere the highly-anticipated environmental documentary series Tales of Sunshine: Florida Ecostories at the Fort Myers Film Festival. The four-part documentary series navigates the serene forests and waters of Florida to uncover four powerful environmental stories that took place during the height of COVID-19. The meditative docuseries weaves together captivating histories of curiosity, resilience, and environmental justice through the personable stories of four naturalists from different regions of Florida. The rest of this Spotlight is here.

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Spotlight on ‘Tales of Sunshine’ filmmaker Vince Marcucci

Tales of Sunshine: Florida Ecostories is a four-part documentary filmed by Vincent Marcucci in collaboration with students and alumni from the University of Central Florida. Marcucci made the film as his thesis for his 2021 Bachelor’s Degree in Film and Environmental Studies from the University of Central Florida. With the film’s release, Marcucci hopes to impart a new artistic perspective on Florida ecology and conservation using stunning cinematography and immersive sound design. The rest of this Spotlight is here.

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Spotlight on short film ‘Managed’

The Fort Myers Film Festival will show Janae’ Rachel Ballot’s short film Managed during the “Awesome Fun Shorts Block” at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, May 20. The short marks Ballot’s debut as a screenwriter, director and producer.

Managed is a satirical web series pilot that follows high-strung talent manager Susanna Feinstein (Savannah Ballot). In the pilot, her 20-year-old hyper-sensitive movie star client, Albert Harris (Devin Brochu), announces his retirement and fires Susanna on Twitter. Feinstein gets her revenge on him with a young Instagram influencer, sparking a social media war with the actor.

The rest of this Spotlight is here.

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Spotlight on ‘Managed’ filmmakers

Managed represents Janaé Rachel Ballot’s debut as a screenwriter, director and producer. A proof-of-concept for a series, Managed is a biting satirical anthology that tells comedic stories through the eyes of a high-strung talent manager who is compelled to navigate her clienteles’ existential crises while trying to not lose her identity in the midst of Hollyweird.

Ballot has previously written two feature films that are currently in development, including the Anthony Perkins biopic Don’t Fence Me In. Another project, a short film titled Contract Player, is currently in post-production.

You will find the rest of this Spotlight here.

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Spotlight on ‘Managed’ short film actor Devin Brochu

The Fort Myers Film Festival will show Janae’ Rachel Ballot’s short film Managed during the “Awesome Fun Shorts Block” at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, May 20. Devin Brochu plays the part of a hyper-sensitive movie star named Albert Harris, who announces his retirement from acting at the age of 20. Go here to see what all Devin’s been in.

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Spotlight on ‘Managed’ short film actor Savannah Ballot

The Fort Myers Film Festival will show Janae’ Rachel Ballot’s short film Managed during the “Awesome Fun Shorts Block” at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, May 20. Savannah Ballot plays Hollywood talent manager Susannah Feinstein in the film, which is a proof-of-concept pilot for a six-part series. Besides Managed, Ballot’s film credits include The Narrator in the short film Contract Player (post-production), which she wrote and produced, and Lifestyle Baby (2013).

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Spotlight on Caytha Jentis short film ‘April Showers’

The Fort Myers Film Festival welcomes 2021 FMff Best Feature filmmaker Caytha Jentis back to Fort Myers. This year, FMff will show a 12-minute short romantic drama that Jentis filmed in Montclair, New Jersey and New York City’s Central Park during the pandemic. April Showers stars Bill Sage (Hap and Leonard (2016), We Are What We Are (2013), Even Hand (2002)) and Lorraine Farris (The Slap (2015), Blue Bloods (2010)). They play a man and woman who meet on a bench in an unusually stark Central Park while the city and its residents are grappling with life at the epicenter of the pandemic.

The rest of this Spotlight is here.

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Spotlight on ‘April Showers’ filmmaker Caytha Jentis

Caytha Jentis’ short romantic drama, April Showers, will be shown at 3:50 p.m. on Saturday, May 21 during the Rom-Com Hot Films Block. Her indie comedy Pooling to Paradise opened last year’s Fort Myers Film Festival and took Best Feature honors. Directed by Roxy Shih, the 85-minute feature starred Taryn Manning (Orange Is the New Black, Hustle & Flow), Jonathan Lipnicki (The Resident, Jerry Maguire), Dreama Walker (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Gran Torino), Lynn Chen (Saving Face, Go Back To China) and comedian Jordan Carlos (Broad City, Guy Code, Girl Code).

The rest of this Spotlight is here.

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Spotlight on short film ‘Gretel and Hansel: A New Musical’

The Fort Myers Film Festival will show Gretel and Hansel: A New Musical during the “Awesome Shorts Block” at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 21. In this modern rendition of the classic Brothers Grimm tale, when impoverished, 13-year-old Gretel learns her stepmom is a witch, she must join her skeptical brother Hansel on a quest to the Millhouse to uncover the mysterious truth about their family. The rest of this preview is here.

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Spotlight on ‘Gretel and Hansel’ filmmaker Alex Preston

Alex Preston is an Emmy-nominated, award-winning producer, writer and director. In addition to Gretel and Hansel: A New Musical, his filmmaking credits include the short film The Last Gift (2020, director/editor/writer), Artists Unite (2020, editor),  the short Painted (2018, director/editor/writer), Wake Up (2018, producer), the short film #Slap (2018/producer), the short film The Flipside (2018, producer/writer), the short Out (2017, director/producer/editor/writer) …. You will find the rest of this Spotlight here.

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Spotlight on short film ‘In the Driver’s Seat’

On Saturday, May 21, the Fort Myers Film Festival will show the short film In the Driver’s Seat during its 5:00 p.m. “Awesome Shorts (Fire) Block” of films. This will represent one of the final screenings of the award-winning and IMDb-recognized Chicago short film.

The drama is centered around an early morning accident between a biker, Rick Munoz (The Artifact, The History Channel) and a driver, Luke Daigle (Collide, Chicago PD) on a cold and snowy Chicago morning. An argument ensues about who was at fault, which exposes a deeper, hidden conflict between the two strong and distinct characters. You can read the rest of this preview here.

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Spotlight on ‘In the Driver’s Seat’ filmmaker Ralph Klisiewicz

On Saturday, May 21, the Fort Myers Film Festival will show the short film In the Driver’s Seat during its 5:00 p.m. “Awesome Shorts (Fire) Block” of films. The film was directed and co-written by Ralph Klisiewicz. Go here for this Spotlight.

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Spotlight on Tim Ritter short film ‘The Lost Age’

Tim Ritter wowed Fort Myers Film Festival cineastes in 2017 with his film Moment of Truth, the first locally-produced feature film to appear in the film festival’s history.  Ritter returns to this year’s FMff with his short film, The Lost Age, in which a young dinosaur enthusiast’s surprise trip to a prehistoric-themed park with his parents won’t be the biggest or last surprise the day has in store for him.

The film stars Noel Gates (Echoes, Threat Level Zero, Between the Lines) as the mom, Yago Lupi (A Single’s Guidebook to Love, Sincerely P.M. and Rap Sh*t) as Dad and Bryson JonSteele as the boy.

The rest of this Spotlight is here.

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Spotlight on ‘Lost Age’ filmmaker Tim Ritter

Tim Ritter wowed Fort Myers Film Festival cineastes in 2017 with his film Moment of Truth, the first locally-produced feature film to appear in the film festival’s history.  Ritter returns to this year’s FMff with his short film, The Lost Age.

Ritter’s directing credits include the feature films Echoes (2022), Testament (2017) and Moment of Truth (2017) as well as the short films The Lost Age (2021), The Interview (2015), Dawn (2012), Keeper of the Earth (2010) and The Long Wait (2009). He also produced Testament, Moment of Truth The Interview, Dawn, Keeper of the Earth and The Long Wait.

The rest of this Spotlight is here.

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Spotlight on ‘Lost Age’ actory Bryson JonSteele

The Lost Age will be screened in the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 21. Bryson JonSteele stars as a young dinosaur enthusiast whose surprise trip to a prehistoric-themed park with his parents won’t be the biggest or last surprise the day has in store for him.

Although only 11, JonSteele has already amassed a long and impressive filmography.

Go here to see all the films he’s already been in.

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Spotlight on Pat Michell film ‘Apples, Oranges, Lemons & Limes’

On Saturday, May 21, the Fort Myers Film Festival will show the feature film Apples, Oranges, Lemons & Limes. Filmmaker Pat Mitchell shot the film in just five days at locations in Fort Myers, Lehigh Acres and Punta Gorda.

The protagonist of the film is a timid young man who chronically suffers from social anxiety. At a house party, an unlikely encounter inspires a night of drinking, joy and romance. Incapable of driving, he accompanies his high school crush on a late night journey to her home across the neighborhood.

Go here for the rest of this preview.

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Spotlight on ‘Apples, Oranges, Lemons & Limes’ filmmaker Pat Mitchell

The Fort Myers Film Festival will play Apples, Oranges, Lemons & Limes at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, May21 in the grand atrium of the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center. The film was written, directed and produced by Pat Mitchell, who has been part of the Fort Myers Film Festival family for a number of years, and is a perennial attendee of FMff’s Thank God for Indie Monday screenings.

Go here for the rest of this Spotlight.

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Spotlight on ‘Apples, Oranges, Lemons & Limes’ actor Calvin Waldau

Calvin Waldau is an aspiring film actor. He stars in the role of Henry Boyd in Apples, Oranges, Lemons & Limes.

He has previously appeared as Jonathan in Todd (2021) and Conner in the short film Falling Apart (2020). He caught the acting bug when he was 12, appearing at Florida Repertory Theatre in A Christmas Story.

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Spotlight on ‘Apples, Oranges, Lemons & Limes’ actor Skye Marie Sena

Born and raised in Brooklyn, Skye Marie Sena caught the acting bug at age five, when her parents took her to the theater to see a performance of Beauty and the Beast. Later that same year, she watched in amazement as her sister appeared in the role of Maria in Sound of Music in a production at her school. After her family relocated to Naples when Skye was 13, she became a member of the International Thespian Society, which eventually led Skye to obtain a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from Forida Southern College in Lakeland. The role of Natalie Newman in Apples, Oranges, Lemons & Limes is her first foray into the realm of film.

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Spotlight on ‘Apples, Oranges, Lemons & Limes’ actor Valeria Di Babb0

Valeria Di Babbo is a Venezuelan actor based in Miami. She found her love for the performing arts as a child when she began her training in flamenco and, later, for singing when she joined her high school’s choir. However, she did not catch the acting bug until she participated in her first musical theater production at age 17. Since then, she has appeared as Cinderella in Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Millie Dillmount in Thoroughly Modern Millie, Holly in The Wedding Singer and Tinker Bell in Peter & Wendy. Go here for more.

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Spotlight on ‘Apples, Oranges, Lemons & Limes’ actor Jim Barbour

A native of Lexington, Kentucky and 26-year Southwest Florida resident, Jim Barbour makes his acting debut in Apples, Oranges, Lemons & Limes in the role of Mason, who is open to allowing two young strangers into his home in the middle of the night and using the opportunity to dispense advice on love and romance. Barbour is uniquely qualified for the part as his creative pursuits have heretofore included comedy writing and performing stand-up.

You will find the rest of this Spotlight here.

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Spotlight on Michael Glover Smith feature ‘Relative’

Chicago filmmaker Michael Glover Smith’s fourth feature film, Relative, starring Wendy Robie (Twin Peaks) and Cameron Scott Roberts (The Walking Dead), will screen at the 12th annual Fort Myers Film Festival on Saturday, May 21. Relative is a heartwarming dramedy about a large dysfunctional family, the Franks.

Karen Frank (Twin Peaks Wendy Robie) and her husband, David (Steppenwolf Ensemble member Francis Guinan) are retirement-age progressive activists who have lived in the same Victorian home in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood for 30 years.

Go here for the balance of this preview.

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Spotlight on ‘Relative’ filmmaker Michael Glover Smith

Michael Glover Smith’s 96-minute feature film Relative will screen at the 12th annual Fort Myers Film Festival on Saturday, May 21 at 7:00 p.m. Relative is the writer/director/producer’s fourth feature film.

Smith’s debut feature, Cool Apocalypse (2015), won multiple awards at festivals across the U.S.  Before being released on home video by Emphasis Entertainment, it screened at Chicago’s prestigious Gene Siskel Film Center and Movies in the Parks’ Onscreen Local Film Showcase.

Go here for the rest of Michael Glover Smith’s Spotlight.

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Spotlight on ‘Relative’ lead Cameron Scott Roberts

Cameron Scott Roberts stars in the role of Benji in Michael Glover Smith’s feature film Relative. Roberts is a film actor known for his appearances in The Walking Dead (Trooper Tyler Davis in New Haunts (2022)

and Splinter (2021)) and Chicago Fire (Griffin Darden in Two Hundred (2021), The Right Thing (2021), Counting Your Breaths (2021) and Head Count (2021)). Other credits include the role of Caleb Haas in the television series Don’t Look Deeper (Loophole, Reset, Panic, Alphas, all in 2020) and High Schooler #1 in The Last Shift (2020).

Relative will screen at the 12th annual Fort Myers Film Festival on Saturday, May 21 at 7:00 p.m.

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Spotlight on ‘Relative’ actor Wendy Robie

Wendy Robie plays the role of Karen Frank in the Michael Glover Smith feature film Relative.

Robie is an American actress known for playing eccentric, mentally disturbed characters in television and on film, especially the ferocious, eye-patch wearing Nadine Hurley in David Lynch’s Twin Peaks and as Mommy in Wes Craven’s The People Under the Stairs.

Other roles include Andromeda in Dreaming Grand Avenue (2020), Margaret in the short film Good People (2008), Ms. Tebbit in Were the World Mine (2008), Ms. Tebbit in Courts mais GAY: Tome 12 (2006) ….  The rest of this Spotlight is here.

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Spotlight on ‘Relative’ actor Heather Chrisler

Heather Chrisler plays Sarah in Michael Glover Smith’s fourth feature film, Relative. Her character is the “cam girl” who left Rod Frank years ago and who he’s never gotten over.

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, were on display in Collide … The rest of this Spotlight is here.

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Spotlight on ‘Relative’ actor Clare Mairead Cooney

Clare Mairéad Cooney portrays Evonne Frank in Michael Glover Smith’s feature film Relative.

Clare served as writer, director, editor, producer, and lead actor in her award-winning short film Runner, which played at 15 film festivals, winning 6 awards and garnering Cooney a “Filmmaker to Watch” nomination from the Academy-Qualifying Atlanta Film Festival. She also directed, wrote, edited, produced, and played the lead of Nina in the pandemic-era short romantic drama Pick Up (2021).

Cooney’s other directing work includes Dead Man Walking and Go Ahead, Grab Time by the Throat.

You can view the rest of Ms. Cooney’s film credits here.

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Spotlight on ‘Relative’ actor Keith D. Gallagher

Keith D. Gallagher plays the part of Rod Frank in Michael Glover Smith’s feature film Relative.

The actor is best known for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Chicago P.D. (2014) and Detroit 1-8-7 (2010). His other film credits include Alderman Liam Maguire in an episode of the TV series Power Book IV: Force (Fire Starter (2022)), two episodes of the TV series Chicago Med (Brandon Murphy in When You’re a Hammer Everything’s a Nail (2021) and James Harper in Backed Against the Wall (2018)), PFC Fagen in Orders (2017), an episode of the television series Empire (Heckler in A Furnace for Your Foe (2016)) and an episode of Chicago Fire (Gunman #2 in Shoved in My Face (2014)).

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Spotlight on short film ‘Daggers Drawn’

The short film Daggers Drawn is part of the 9 p.m. “Hottest Indie Film Block” on Saturday, May 21. The 11-minute short film from the United Kingdom is a thriller about a couple who are on a date, but neither of them are looking for love. In fact, their intentions are quite the opposite!

“I like elevated genre that is playful, and I prefer the bombastic over the subtle – twists and turns, comic-book violence and dark humor,” filmmaker James Cotton shares. “Influences are much more John Woo and Brian De Palma than straight drama.”

The rest of this Spotlight is here.

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Spotlight on ‘Daggers Drawn’ filmmaker James Cotton

James Cotton’s short film Daggers Drawn screens on Saturday night during the Fort Myers Film Festival’s coveted “Hottest Indie Film Block.” Daggers Drawn is the third film that Cotton has penned. The other two are the short Tiger Claw (2019) and Rule Number Three (2011). Cotton also directed the first two.

James is also an accomplished film producer.

You will find the rest of this Spotlight here.

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Spotlight on ‘Daggers Drawn’ actor Gley Viera

The short film Daggers Drawn is part of the 9 p.m. “Hottest Indie Film Block” on Saturday, May 21. The film stars Gley Viera as Ana and Ricky Herrera as Michael. Viera is a film actor whose credits include complex leading roles in short films produced by The New York Film Academy and Miami Dade College. Her recent project, Metanioa, was nominated for the CinenaSlam Competition in the 2020 Miami Film Festival.

Go here for the rest of this Spotlight.

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Spotlight on ‘Daggers Drawn’ actor Ricky Herrera

The short film Daggers Drawn is part of the 9 p.m. “Hottest Indie Film Block” on Saturday, May 21. The film stars Gley Viera as Ana and Ricky Herrera as Michael. Film and television actor Ricky Herrera is a first generation Cuban-American from Miami Florida. He began acting in independent films and local stage productions before relocating to London to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Go here for the rest of this Spotlight.

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Spotlight on short film ‘The Jogger’

The Fort Myers Film Festival will show Daryl Denner’s The Jogger during the “Hottest Indie Film Block” at 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 21. The film depicts a woman out for a morning job who is forced to run for her life after the appearance of a mysterious man. The 7-minute short stars Michael R. Bollentin, Rodney Reyes and Amanda Troisi as the jogger.

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Spotlight on ‘The Jogger’ Director Daryl Denner

Daryl Denner is a director and actor. As a director, his credits include the short film The Jogger (2021), Unspoken (2020), Fists of Love (2018) and the short films Licentious (2016), Diana (2014), The Morning After (2013), A Hero’s Return (2012), Loss (2012) and The Encounter (2011). He also wrote The Jogger, Unspoken, Diana, The Morning After, A Hero’s Return and Loss. Here’s the rest of this Spotlight.

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Spotlight on ‘Jogger’ actor Amanda Kristen Troisi

Amanda Kristen Troisi is an American actress, writer, editor, director, and an environmentalist known for her leading role in The Jogger (2022), for which she has received a best acting performance nomination. She is also known for her roles as Nikki (a runaway on her way to New York to follow her dreams of becoming an actress) in Ben’s Entanglement (2018), Gail (a young woman in an abusive relationship who goes on their nightly walk to discover something incomprehensible) in Run (2022) and Carly Smith (a newly engaged space cadet separated overseas by her fiancé trying to keep her calm during the outbreak) in Abducted: SCCS 2020 (2020). The rest of this Spotlight is here.

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Spotlight on ‘The Koreshans: Legends and Legacies of Estero’s Urban Pioneers

The Fort Myers Film Festival screened The Koreshans: Legends and Legacies of Estero’s Urban Pioneers outside on the lawn at the Edison Ford Winter Estates on April 22nd. Now, by popular demand, FMff will show the Ilene Safron/Main Sail Video Productions documentary a second time at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 22 as part of the closing awards ceremony in the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center.

Viewers will learn a lot about the Koreshans in this expertly-crafted documentary, which presents a series of re-enactments, 3D animations, breathtaking drone-made aerials and interviews with contemporary scholars.

The rest of this Spotlight is here.

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Spotlight on Koreshan documentary filmmaker Ilene Safron Whitesman

The Fort Myers Film Festival screened The Koreshans: Legends and Legacies of Estero’s Urban Pioneers outside on the lawn at the Edison Ford Winter Estates on April 22nd. FMff will show the documentary a second time at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 22 as part of the closing awards ceremony in the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center. The documentary is the latest film created by Ilene Safron Whitesman.  Go here to read about her.

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2      ACTORS (alphabetically)

Alex Brown plays Mal Beineke in The Addams Family Musical for Fort Myers Theatre. His other stage credits include Diary of Anne Frank, Bye Bye Birdie, Godspell and Sound of Music. Addams Family Musical in on stage through May 14 at Fort Myers Theatre.

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Paola Andrea Cifuentes is Morticia in ‘Addams Family Musical’

Paola Andrea Cifuentes stars as Morticia in The Addams Family Musical. It’s a role that plays to all of Cifuentes strengths. “Morticia is very elegant,” Paola comments. “She is the matriarch and takes family very seriously. If anything, that’s something that I can relate to. Family is very important.” And in the musical, Morticia sings and dances. In fact, not only does Cifuentes dance the tango, she collaborated with co-star Parrish Danesh to choreograph the Tango de Amor that brings the play to a close. You will find the rest of Paola’s profile here.

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Kiana Cintron performs in ensemble of ‘In the Heights’ at Broadway Palm

Kiana Cintron performs in the ensemble of In the Heights at Broadway Palm. Her other credits include Wanda in Escape to Margaritaville (Prather Entertainment), Sonia in Godspell, Dance Captain in Newsies! (Florida Repertory Theatre), Nina Zarechnaya in Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull (FSW Theatre Program), I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, (in which she portrayed seven different characters (FSW Theatre Program)), Tilly in She Kills Monsters (FSW Theatre Program), the Assistant Choreographer Lara in A Chorus Line (Florida Rep Conservancy) and Claire in This Random World (FSW Theatre Program). Go here for the rest of her theatrical credits.

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Lisa Clark plays Alice Beineke in ddams Family Musical’

In The Addams Family Musical, Lisa Clark plays the role of Alice, the sickeningly sweet, rhyming replete but deeply disturbed alliterating mother of Wednesday’s fiancée, Lucas Beineke. Lisa is an actor and musical director. Her stage credits include the roles of Rosie in Bye Bye Birdie, Ethel in Footloose and Maria Von Trapp in The Sound of Music. She served as music director for several of Fort Myers Theatre’s shows over the past year, including A Christmas Carol and Grease. 

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Erin Coleman is one of the ‘Dancestors’ in ‘Addams Family Musical’

Erin Coleman is making her SWFL theater debut as one of the ancestors in The Addams Family musical at Fort Myers Theatre. Originally from Kansas City, Missouri, Erin graduated with a vocal music education degree from William Jewell College and was very active in her musical theater community there. She then spent eight years in New York City where she was a familiar performer with the St. Jean’s Players in Manhattan and The Heights Players in Brooklyn before making the move to Fort Myers in 2021.

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Parrish Danesh plays Gomez in ‘Addams Family Musical’

Parrish Danesh is local actor. He currently stars as Gomez Addams in The Addams Family musical at Fort Myers Theatre. His previous stage credits at Fort Myers Theatre include the roles of Teen Angel & Johnny Casino in Grease (March 2022), Ghost of Christmas Past in A Christmas Carol the Musical (December 2021) and Reverend Shaw Moore in Footloose the Musical (September 2021). Go here for more.

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Rachel Drake is the Sad Bride ‘Dancestor’ in ‘Addams Family Musical’

Rachel Drake is one of the “Dancestors” (sad bride) in The Addams Family Musical at Fort Myers Theatre. This is Rachel’s first production since high school “if you don’t count the daily shows I put on in my living room with my four kiddos.” While at Fort Myers’ Evangelical Christian School, Rachel appeared as Chava in Fiddler on the Roof, Leisl in The Sound of Music, Cinderella in Cinderella and Billie in Babes in Arms.

Go here for the rest of Drake’s profile.

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Jessie Getlik is Flapper/Moon dancestor in ‘Addams Family’

Jessie Getlik is a former Royal Caribbean & Disney Cruise Line performer who has relocated from New Jersey to Fort Myers. After performing for theme parks, golf clubs and cruise ships for the past ten years Jessie can be seen in various Live at Chocs! events at Chocolattes and is thrilled to make her Fort Myers Theatre debut as one of the dancestors (Flapper/Moon) in The Addams Family Musical.

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Terry Lavy channels inner Jackie Coogan for role of Fester in ‘Addams Family Musical’

Terry Lavy came to SWFL in 2005 with no acting experience. Challenged by a friend, he auditioned for A Christmas Carol (2021) without knowing it was a musical. He became the Ghost of Christmas Present and sang in public for the first time since childhood.  Terry loved the experience and followed up by becoming the grieving killer, Wilson, in The Great Gatsby (2022) For Uncle Fester in the Addams Family musical, he is channeling his inner Jackie Coogan.

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Anna Joy Lehman is Wednesday in ‘Addams Family Musical’

Anna Joy Lehman appears next in The Addams Family Musical at for Fort Myers Theatre. She plays Wednesday. Now 20, she’s fallen in love with a normal boy and wants to introduce him and his parents to the family, an event that has disaster written all over it. An actress, dancer, and singer/songwriter, Anna graduated in 2020 from the Institute for American Musical Theatre in New York City, where she trained with Broadway professionals as a triple threat for the stage and screen. She has extensive stage credits, which you can see here.

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Tyler Reis plays Pugsley in ‘Addams Family Musical’

Tyler Reis plays the part of Pugsley in The Addams Family Musical at Fort Myers Theatre. Reis is currently a 4th Grader at North Fort Myers Academy for the Arts, where he is part of the Dance and Theater Department. He was recently Fritz in The Nutcracker and Pinocchio in My Son Pinocchio the Musical both at his school.

Go here to see where else Tyler has performed and what else he’s been in.

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Ryan Veranich is Pirate Ancestor in ‘Addams Family Musical’

Ryan Veranich is Pirate “Dancestors” (and u/s for Mal) in The Addams Family Musical at Fort Myers Theatre. Ryan stepped on stage for the first time since high school in December of 2021 in the role of Fred in Aaron Jackson’s production of A Christmas Carol and got bit by the theater bug. He has since portrayed the King of Hearts in the recent showing of Alice in Wonderland.

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Bianca Vilia Veranich is Grandma Addams

Bianca Vilia Veranich plays Grandma Addams in The Addams Family Musical at Fort Myers Theatre (although you might not know it under that wig). Bianca has previously appeared at Fort Myers Theatre in the roles of Mrs. Fezziwig, Mrs. Mops and several other ensemble roles in A Christmas Carol and Mrs. Van Daan in The Diary of Anne Frank. A long-time musical theatre lover, Bianca is the Education Director at Fort Myers Theatre, where she adores directing and inspiring the next generation of artists.

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