Independent Streak Magazine--November 2020 by Rachel Galvin

In d ep en d en t

St r eak

M a g a zin e November 20 20

FLIFF celebr at es 35t h year Sin Film Fest ival br ings t he scar e t o Ft . Lauder dale OUTShine Film Fest Spot light : "The Good Things Devils Do" SXSW Ticket s on Sale When AFM went vir t ual Filmgat e Int er act ive Red Rocket Films Shor t Film Fest Cover Phot o: FLIFF Chair Skip Margerum, St ar on t he Horizon honoree Kat e Kat zman & FLIFF President & CEO Gregory von Hausch

I NDEPENDENT STREAK M AGAZI NE Novem ber 2020

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Visit Independent St r eak Magazine.com As we enter into the holiday season, it has been especially hard for all of us. This OR pandemic continues to take a toll. Everything around us has changed. As life seems to spin Get Bonus Cont ent at : out of control, find your center of gravity to stay centered in a world of chaos. Remember, www.facebook .com/independent st r eak magazine/ no matter what is happening around you, you have control of your thoughts and actions... so turn off the news, which always focuses on the negative, and take this time to reconnect with loved ones via Zoom, Skype, or the phone... or take up the ancient practice of snail mail. Want to adv erti se? Take time to brainstorm new ideas, create in new ways. Take out your stress by doing interpretive dance, craft a new cocktail, share your stories on the Internet, capture a beautiful scene near Get an ad as l ow as $ 25! your house through a photograph and post it on Instagram for the world to see. There is so much beauty all around us. Now that we are not spending all of our times out and about, maybe we can really see it, and see the Contact us at w ri terrach el @yah oo.com family and friends around us that maybe we have neglected in our daily hustle bustle. Remember most of all to love yourself. With this high stress situation, self-care is more important than ever, so have a spa day at home, buy yourself a gift, eat that piece of chocolate and remember how valuable you really are. There is no one in the universe like you. Relish your individuality, embrace it and share it! The world needs you. Have a new f ilm about t o launch? Stay safe! Rachel Galvin Publisher 1

A new f ilm fest ival in t he wor k s? Want t o be in t he spot light ? Email w r it er r achel@yahoo.com

I NDEPENDENT STREAK M AGAZI NE Novem ber 2020

Sinist er Night s Sin Film Fest ival Something spooky was brewing at Savor Cinema in Ft. Lauderdale, FL during Halloween weekend, Thursday, Oct. 29 to Sunday, Nov. 1. The scare came in the form of Sin Film Festival, presented by Sinister Nights. COVID-19 could not cancel the fun. There was plenty of scream-worthy cinema to see, including feature films and even international shorts. The team of Jason Hignite and David Chapman worked to bring the festival to life. On Thursday night, they showed several shorts, including "Lillies are Red", and its director, Lou Simon, and actor Todd Bruno, were in attendance and could say a few words. Director Jess Novisgaard and actresses Kelley Wilson Robinson and Veronika Stoykova attended during the fest too. Their film, "The Good Things Devils Do", was shown Saturday night, and they won the Wrath award during the award ceremony on Sunday (See more, pg. 7). Directors who were unable to attend did a video thank you, which was included in the slideshow that was shown during the awards presentation. In addition, there was a costume contest on Halloween night and Kelley Wilson Robinson, who dressed as a circus ringmaster, won the prize, which included a Jason mask from "Friday the 13th" signed by "first Jason" Ari Lehman, donated by Way Back When. Saturday night also brought out some vendors selling jewelry and reading Tarot... spooky stuff. This crew has something else in store... They are planning to have a horror convention next September in Miami, including plenty of films, Q&As with celebs, and more fun activities. Get all the details as they become available by visiting https://sinisternights.com.

AWARD WINNERS Pr ide (Best Film ) - Bu f f alo & Tr ou t En vy (Au dien ce Ch oice) - Wit n ess In f ect ion Gr eed (Per f or m an ce) - Jef f Ben t le (Weigh t ) Slot h (Dir ect or ) - Jason Wilk in son (Killin g Tim e) Glu t t on y (Excess) - Bu llet s of Ju st ice Wr at h (Rage ) - Th e Good Th in gs Devils Do Lu st (Obsession ) - St eve an d t h e Dead Gir l

Sinist er Snaps

"Lil ies in Red" act or Todd Bruno & direct or Lou Simon. Rachel Gal vin wit h act ress Kel l ey Wil son Robinson.

Act ress Brigid Macaul ey ready f or Hal l oween.

Kat shows of f some merch.

Havin g f u n at Sin Film Fest .

Taking a break t o have dinner at nearby Downt owner.

Jason HIgnit e & Dave Chapman .

Have a t arot reading?

"The Good Things Devil s Do" act resses Veronika St oykova & Kel l ey Wil son Robinson show of f t he Wrat h Award t heir f il m won.

Dave Chapman & Jason Hignit e in f ront of Savor Cinema.

Honoring Sean Connery's passing t hrough f ashion.

Jewel ry, anyone?

"The Good Things Devil s Do" act ress Kel l ey Wil son Robinson & direct or Jess Norvisgaard wit h part of t he prize Kel l ey won f or Best Cost ume f or cost ume cont est -- a hockey mask signed by "First Jason" Ari Lehman.

Kel l ey signs her aut ograph as Jason Hignit e l ooks on.

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OUTSHINE LGBTQ+ FILM FESTIVAL FT. LAUDERDALE GOES VIRTUAL DECEMBER 3 - 6

The cast of "Bear City" (L to R): Gregory Gunter, Gerald McCullouch, Doug Langway, Sebastian La Cause and Blake Evan Sherman. Look for them in virtual Q&A on Dec. 5.

The 12th edition of the OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival Ft. Lauderdale, a trying to get by via bi-annual film laughing, loving festival , is going and sex-ing in New virtual Dec. 3-6 with York City. A virtual 21 films from 11 cast reunion and countries, as well as interactive Q & A Q&As, cocktail happy will follow the film. hours and more! There are also a few live events! Other highlights include the U.S. premiere of the romantic drama "This year?s Ft. Lauderdale edition of the OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film "Walking with Shadows" (Nigeria), the award-winning international Festival will follow in the footsteps of our successful Miami virtual comedy-drama "Goodbye Mother" (Th?am?con?i) (Vietnam), the edition which simultaneously opened-up the dialogue for equality in award-winning international drama "No Hard Feelings" (Germany) and film throughout the state of Florida, for the first time,? said Victor the feature thriller "Through A Glass Darkly" (USA). Gimenez, executive director of OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival. A virtual closing awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, Dec. 6, ?Despite the current health pandemic climate, interest in diverse arts at 8 p.m. via Zoom. and film has continued to grow and we?re thrilled to share these culturally significant U.S. debuts and internationally award-winning For tickets, more info., including a full list of films and descriptions, stories championing unity and acceptance with a much broader visit www.outshinefilm.com. audience.? In keeping with social distancing guidelines, this year?s festival will feature the OUTshine Drive-OUT film "Cowboys" (USA), a critically acclaimed drama, on Thursday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m. at Pier 66 Marina (2150 SE 17 St. in Ft. Lauderdale). The award-winnning film, directed by Anna Kerrigan, stars Steve Zahn as Troy, a father who tries to liberate his young transgender son by taking him to Canada; but, as a frustrated female detective spearheads an investigation, she This year?s social l y discovers that the child?s family situation is more complicated than dist anced Drive-OUT she thought. event on Dec. 5 at Pier 66 Marina wil l f eat ure Also, on Saturday, Dec. 5, 7 p.m. there will be a free 10th t he gripping drama anniversary screening of "Bear City" (USA), an outrageous, "Cowboys" st arring hilarious and authentic touching portrait of a group of friends St eve Zahn (right ).

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Am er ican Film M ar k et goes vir t u al Usually held in Santa Monica, the American Film Market decided to go virtual this year due to the Coronavirus. They had 562 exhibitors. The participants were from all over the world. They had over 200 speakers from 20 different countries talking about everything from budget to distribution during this trying time. It kicked off with The Future of Film Conference featuring Keynote Conversations with Mark Gill, president and CEO of Solstice Studios, and Deadline?s Anthony D?Alessandro, along with Elissa Federoff, president of Distribution of NEON, and Variety?s Brent Lang. There were plenty of panels and presentations throughout. People had the opportunity to "meet" in the Networking Pavilion with 180 online tables for video discussions on certain topics, or just to participate in "meet-ups". There also was an On Demand Theatre, and more. Jonathan Wolf, AFM managing director, said, ?The global film industry has set aside this week to connect for deal making, presentations, and education, and to gather marketplace intel from one another. AFM?s engaging online experience, with the types of serendipitous meetings that happen organically in the halls, hotels and parties each year in Santa Monica will keep everyone in touch and ensure that independent film continues to reach audiences around the world.? Missed this year? Keep visiting their website for details on next year. For more information, visit AmericanFilmMarket.com.

About t he American Film Market ®(AFM®) The AFM is the most efficient film acquisition, development and networking event in the world. More than $1 billion in production and distribution deals are closed every year ? on both completed films and those in every stage of development and production. Over five days in November, 7,000+ professionals from 70+ countries access the entire global catalogue of available films and projects, attend world class conferences, and connect with decision makers. The AFM is produced by the Independent Film & Television Alliance® . SX SW Ti ck et s n ow on sal e Ev en t w i l l be v i r t u al M ar ch 16-20 Tickets for SXSW Online, South by Southwest's new virtual experience taking place March 16-20, 2021, went on sale Nov. 10.

The festival will have keynotes, conference sessions, musical showcases, film screenings, and more, all in a digital setting; a $149 ticket covers the entire event. SXSW is also hoping to host a physical component to the 2021 event, with details to be announced at a later date. For more information, visit www.sxsw.com.

I NDEPENDENT STREAK M AGAZI NE Novem ber 2020

Sp o t l i gh t : The Good Things Devils Do By Rachel Gal vin

Director Jess Norvisgaard delivers the gore in his film "The Good Things Devils Do." The new film, which just won the Wrath Award at the Sin Film Festival in Ft. Lauderdale, follows a mild-mannered teacher named Melvin (David Rucker III) whose hobby seems to be collecting spooky things for his museum of the macabre. His latest prize is some old bones he found, bones of a cursed woman, whose soul is trapped in hell. He calls her Masquerade (played by Veronika Stoykova), much to the delight of his anxious students who can't wait to see what he has in store for Halloween night. At home, his wife (Linnea Quigley) is rolling her eyes at the antics of her overly sexed and immature stay-at-home 40-year-old daughter Caroline, who shamelessly flirts with the delivery driver who has delivered her stepfather's newest addition to his collection. Meanwhile, little does Melvin know that a plot is being hatched against him by a man named Finn (Ian Patrick Mendes), who has hired Richard (Bill Oberst Jr.) and his partner/ daughter Mouse (Mary Katherine O'Donnell) to break into Melvin's house to steal something. This is Richard's "last job" as he hopes to retire. Finn asks, much to 7

Richard's chagrin, that Percy (Kane Hodder) come along as the muscle on this adventure. Soon, all of this cast of characters will be battling against Masquerade, who will suddenly regenerate and cause much havoc. As before mentioned, this film has plenty of gore. The blood and other effects are top notch and the lighting definitely sets the tone. The blood-drenched look of Masquerade and others who fall under her spell is also high quality. The film is a fun watch if you don't take it too seriously. Seeing horror legends work together is certainly a treat. Expect kills, stabs, plenty of squirting blood, characters who should be dead still being alive to fight some more and even some shooting... yes, plenty of fun is had by all... When asked what inspired him to do the movie, Norvisgaard said, "I just wanted to make something fun, an ode to the films of old, and something we can watch many times and still have a blast. I was frustrated with the new kind of horror film where lazy storytelling would rule an otherwise dull hour and a half, where the audience would be insulted and fed the same old shit. I just wanted to make something fresh with the names I loved watching. " He has been inspired by many directors through the years, his top three more recently include Gaspar Noe', Michael Haneke and Park Chan-wook, but, growing up, he was inspired by the likes of John Carpenter and George Romero. "Being a young kid, after watching 'Dawn of the Dead' on VHS, I would fantasize about being in a world controlled by zombies, and truly long to try and survive in that kind of world. And, late at night, watching 'The Thing', I would daydream and play with my G.I. Joes pretending they were fighting similar creatures. My toy battles always had production names attached, and I pretended they were movies. I loved most of their movies. " Norvisgaard has made a few shorts before making this, his first feature. He also worked in reality TV in New York and Los Angeles, as well as helping on other people's films. He decided that just because

Kel l ey Wil son Robinson l ooks over her l ines whil e t hey prepare f or t he scene.

he lived in the mountains of North Carolina, that should not prevent him from making movies. "I was fortunate enough to work alongside a great producer, in James

Suttles," added Norvisgaard. The biggest issue he faced was budget and time constraints, he said, adding that he was able to get the movie shot in 14 days and at around 100K. "I was insistent on not having the day player routine. I wanted to treat my audience with respect," he said. He added, "I remember going to the movie rentals growing up, and when I browsed the flicks, I never had to worry whether the actor would truly be in the film or not. So the money had to be very well spent elsewhere, and that includes fx, wardrobe, which we made from scratch mostly, and set decoration. Thank God I had some fantastic crew members, most of whom were willing to work way cheaper than what they were worth. My producer [James Suttles] was the ringmaster here, and allowed me to just concentrate on the film and the actors, but we were shooting eight pages or more a day. We didn?t have the luxury of extending days and getting pick-ups on the next go. That was definitely the most challenging aspect, along with gaining the respect of crew members who I?d never worked with before, and this being my first film. There wasn?t a lot of time to be cordial. I had to move fast, and be relentless, without much room for questions. Ultimately, we got it done. " Getting it done also meant dealing with plenty of makeup, blood and gore. Quigley, a scream queen known for countless films, including "Return of the Living Dead", "Night of the Demons", "Silent Night,

Deadly Night" and many others, said, "I was on set two or three days drenched in blood, cold blood ... but the make up fx was done fairly quick and well. The bad thing was I had a lot of red in my hair from blood for a month or so." She added that she did not get to build too much of a relationship with her onscreen daughter [Robinson] before the shoot, but she did get to build a relationship afterward. She also said she enjoyed her time talking with the director and listening to a lot of his "good stories", in addition to playing her character. She said, "I think playing a mom and then changing was fun ... and filming in 'Transylvania in the Carolinas'." Bill Oberst, Jr., another award-winning actor known for countless cult movies, including the Emmy Award-winning "Take This Lollypop", was thrilled to hear about this film and participate in it. When asked how he heard about it, he said, "James Suttles, the producer of the movie, called me and said 'Jess and I are making an '80s slasher homage. How'd you like to come to the North Carolina mountains in the middle of winter and get drenched in freezing blood?' Well, for a guy like me, that's like saying 'Who wants cake?' I trusted James from working with him on a previous film, and once Jess and I started talking on the phone, I was packing my long johns. For me, this business is about relationships more than anything." His relationship with Act or Bil l Oberst , Jr. l oves get t ing bl oody. his on-screen daughter was a big focus in the film and certainly came across as very genuine, something he says they did work on ahead of time. "Mary Katherine O'Donnell (Mouse) and I sat on a couch in a corner of the makeup room for many hours, usually with David Rucker III (Melvin) between us. They made me laugh more in two weeks than I usually do in a year. We were friends early on. I loved working with her, and David, too. That bond helps," he said. One of the more interesting parts of the film is when Mouse has a unique set of 'weapons attached to her' (not to give anything 8

away). About that, Oberst said, "When I read that in Jess' script I grinned and thought 'Man, I hope that doesn't get dropped.' It was one of those outrageous, ridiculous, awesome touches that only horror can get away with. And the great thing is that to these characters in the moment, it seemed Act or Kane Hodder enjoyed doing more like a good idea. This is dial ogue in t his f il m. why I love horror!" He added, "Jess loves horror the way a thirsty man loves water. He seems to need it. So do I. Working with a director who is bursting at the seams with the desire to do horror proud is something you don't forget. It makes you want to work with that director again. And I do." He did find the fight scenes with Kane Hodder (Percy) and Veronika Stoykova (Masquerade) to be quite challenging. "I learn language rapidly but for physical moves, my methodical brain wants to break it down into beats, and to practice those beats ad nauseum until I'm sure of it. There is never enough time for that on an indie set. Kane and Veronika made those fights work and covered my flaws. Kane's stunt work is so smooth that it makes you think 'Hey, I could do that!' No, you couldn't." Hodder is well-known for being Jason in some of the "Friday the 13th" films, but has made quite a name for himself overall in the horror genre. He found it wasn't the fight scenes that were challenging, but the extensive dialogue. "My favorite part of doing the film was also the most challenging part. The main scene I'm in consists of a three minute scene that never cuts from me talking. Never. When you think about it, it is almost unheard of to do that. I also really enjoy when I work with a director who is secure enough in his abilities to allow a decent bit of improvised dialogue. Jess is that kind of director," he said. He added, "Jess contacted me through my manager, I believe, and he told me about the story and character, and I was intrigued by both. Since it was a character that was a terrible, violent, crazy person, it wasn't too different from characters that I have played in the past. 9

Sounds like a joke, but I'm actually serious. Percy talks much more than those other characters, but his ultimate desire is the same, Death." Probably the most difficult part for the "monster" in this film, played by Stoykova, was the extensive makeup. "The first day I was on set I stayed in the SFX/ Hair and makeup chair for three hours. Later on, they were able to get me out of there in a couple of hours. I stayed covered in blood throughout the entire day. Sometimes, I only had to shoot a few hours, but sometimes I had to be in that costume and dripping in blood for the whole day. We filmed in January/ February outside in the cold and it was freeeeezing. Sometimes, I thought, 'I won't be able to do it' and I won't be able to go back to set and I did everytime, but, oh, man, it was so cold!" But, she said she didn't mind the cold so much because she got the opportunity to do what she loves to do and get together with people with the same frame of mind to create. She said she loved "the opportunity to be in a place I've never been to and meet amazing people who love this craft as much as me and even more than I do." Stoykova found out about the film through a Facebook acting group and sent out her headshot and Act or Kane Hodder get s physical wit h act ress Mary Kat herine O'Donnel l . resume never expecting to hear back from them. "Time had passed by and I was in LA for a workshop when I received an email stating that I was chosen to attend a live callback. There was no way I could make the callback, because it was in a few days, so I asked if I could do an online callback, again thinking 'They are probably rolling their eyes right now and they'll move on with another actor.' But I was surprised when I got an email back and they said 'Sure!' I remember it was an early audition via Skype, I was in my Airbnb in LA, I was extremely tired from the intensive one-week workshop I was attending, I woke up super early and didn't even put makeup on. I told myself ''I'm playing a monster. Why even bother?'

And the rest is history. "A funny fact is that I almost didn't respond back to the callback email, because I knew I wouldn't make it to North Carolina, and, at the time, there was no COVID and most of the casting directors wanted to see actors in person, so I thought they'd say 'No, you can't do online callback'. Luckily, I decided to listen to my acting coach and sent that email." She added, "Preparing for the part was an interesting experience, because I had to be able to portray this evil monstrous vampire and make her look real without saying a word. I had to rely and work a lot on my body language, growl, moving and walking like a medieval creature. I worked with a local North Carolina voice coach named Cindy Sealy to help me not hurt my voice, because of all the growling I did. Act ress Linnea Quigl ey wit h on-screen Masquerade was so different from hubby pl ayed by David Rucker III. anything I'd done," she said. For Kelley Wilson Robinson, her character, Caroline, took her back to a more carefree time. "I mentally took myself back to my high school days where I didn't have to pay bills or worry about anything but cheerleading and student government. I had my Letterman jacket and five state championship medals hanging in Caroline's room." Although she did not have to get physical so much for big fight scenes, she did have to get in shape for some scenes of her toned buttocks, seen in the beginning of the film, sort of in an homage to Quigley's similar look in "Night of the Demons". "To physically prepare, I would do lunges around the perimeter of the studio while running my lines for each scene." She said to make the final scene with her on-set mom seem the most realistic, they did not rehearse to "make it as emotionally raw as possible." She added, "Linnea is an absolute sweetheart. She and I connected immediately and I see her as a mother figure so the scenes with her felt very real to me. She and I have kept in touch, and she still gives me great advice on how to make it in this industry." Regarding working with Novisgaard, she said, "Jess is great at allowing actors to share their input on character development. I knew I could go to him

What 's next f or t hese act ors? Kel l ey Wil son Robinson: In addition to joining the cast of two features, she continues to model and just wrote a children's book. Veronika St oykova: She is currently working in casting for the first time for a feature film called "Remains" and is co-producing and starring in a pilot named "Hotel Beverly". Kane Hodder: Along with being in a couple of films early next year, he is starring in a motion capture of another video game next month. He said he also did all the motion capture for the Jason character in the "Friday the 13th" video game. Bil l Oberst , Jr.: He is a vampire elder in the new season of "Age of the Living Dead" on Amazon Prime. He has another film currently out called "Greatland", just wrapped a role in a "homage Texas slasher" called "Butchers Bluff" and is in "Painkiller", which is in distribution talks. He is also talking with Billy Pon about a "Circus of the Dead" sequel and with Adrian Corona about a follow-up to his film 'Dis". In addition, he just signed an attachment to play Adolf Hitler in a WWII film set to be shot in Romania. And the first season of his podcast "Gothic Goodnight" will soon be available with bonus material on Audible.com as a special collection. Linnea Quigl ey: Linnea has been busy working on several films, including "Lake Twillight", "The Last Thanksgiving", "Appetite for Sin" and 'a movie with a dinosaur' too'. She also has her own episodic TV show "Hunger Games" and her own channel www.dragonflix.biz. And her documentary, "Extras", is finally being edited. David Rucker III: He is working on some "small film roles" and hoping to line up a leading role next year. In the meantime, he is coaching high school theatre students for the August Wilson Monologue Competition. 10

M asqu er ade, played by Ver on ik a St oykova.

with questions about anything, including the length of Caroline's skirt. He was very hands-on while on set and knew just how far to push us to bring out the best performance from each actor." "My most challenging day was my last shooting day because we were running behind schedule. I was in the last scene to be filmed that day and that meant I had one [take] to nail the most complex scene for my character. Luckily, it went well and we pulled it off!" She added, "My favorite part was being on set to watch my son Maddox nail his role as Danny." David Rucker III, said he saw the audition notice for the film on Facebook. "What drew me to the character was that I had a sense it was a character that could provide some comic relief and quirkiness. Thankfully, Jess saw it that way too," he said, adding, "My favorite part was working with the entire cast, including our A-listers. Also, the physicality in the role was great as I?m a physical actor." He added, "What was challenging -- in a good way -was Jess getting the most energy from every take.

But, again, getting a good film means being challenged by a director." Wondering what is next for this director? Now that he has "The Good Things Devils Do" under his belt, Norvisgaard is writing and directing another feature. He is also in the process of finding an Executive Producer ... and financing. He keeps himself busy. He also was hired to direct someone else's feature as well. This is all in addition, of course, to continuing to promote "The Good Things Devils Do." "The Good Things Devils Do" is now available to rent on Amazon Prime, iTunes, Apple TV, XBOX, Google Play, You Tube, at Walmart, Target, Best Buy and elsewhere! For more information, visit www.facebook.com/ TheGoodThingsDevilsDo.

Direct or Jess Norvisgaard (cent er) on set wit h Linnea Quigl ey & Bil l Oberst , Jr.

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Red Ro c k et Fi l m s Fr ee V i r t u a l Fi l m Fes t i v a l On Dec. 18, director Ram Hernandez and his Red Rocket Films will be putting on a free virtual film festival featuring several short films. This high-tech fest will feature films by this Telly and Remi award-winning filmmaker, as well as a few films or trailers from some of his friends, including a film produced & directed by, and starring Chase Gutzmore called "Standing Ovation." Hernandez' films will include "Prowler", featuring a voice over by IS founder Rachel Galvin, "Wanted Dead or Abducted", "Shotgun". This is the first time Hernandez says they are doing something like this, but it probably won't be the last. He is also the co-founder of Rocketeer Films, which offers virtual event solutions to companies, and which is sponsoring this festival. Hernandez partnered with Claudio Bory for that venture, who will be the technical director for this festival. He will be working behind the scenes to make the festival happen, utilizing some proprietary software they licensed from a country in eastern Europe. The unique format offers a 3-D component to this festival. For more information on Red Rocket Films, visit www.redrocketfilms.net. For more about Rocketeer Productions, visit www.rocketeerproductions.com. Find Ram Hernandez also on Facebook. Making t he magic happen...

Ram using green screen.

Wit h green screen, you can put yoursel f virt ual l y anywhere!

I NDEPENDENT STREAK M AGAZI NE Novem ber 2020

FLI FF 2020 Persev eri ng th rough COV I D By Rachel Gal vin This Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF) was a little different this year due to the Coronavirus pandemic. President & CEO Gregory von Hausch managed to still shine despite the obstacles. The changes began with Opening Night , which was stretched out over two days, with the first night (Thursday, Nov. 5) being held at Savor Cinema in Ft. Lauderdale and the second (Friday, Nov. 6) at Cinema Act ress Kat e Kat zman Paradiso in Hollywood, FL. at t he opening night part y. Both nights included the opening night film, "The Comeback Trail", starring Robert DeNiro, Morgan Freeman, Tommy Lee Jones, and local actress Kate Katzman, who won the Star on the Horizon award before the movie on Thursday night. Katzman also revealed she has a new movie coming soon with Mel Gibson called "Panama". Also in attendance on the red carpet was actor Juan Pablo Gamboa and his wife, who is also an actress, Juliana Ortega; local FLIFF boardmember and director of "Viper Virus: History in the Making" Celeste Locante Thorson, her husband and associate producer John A. Thorson, her editor and Technical Advisor Doug Barkley and Susan Clifton, creative consultant and artistic director on the film; Joey Fatone, known best for being a member of the boyband NSYNC, as 13

well as the film "My Big Fat Wedding" and its sequel, in addition to being on "Dancing with the Stars". In addition, Katzman's fellow actor and executive producer Joel Michaely (known for "Can't Hardly Wait" and "But I'm a Cheerleader") showed plenty of energy on the red carpet. The film's producer Andrea Chung, who also produced "Heartbeats", which was shown at the fest, was also there. FLIFF followed COVID-19 protocols, including taking everyone's temperatures before entry, reinforcing mask wearing and social distancing. They also had hand sanitizer available. In addition, the seating was limited. They blocked off every other seat. Following the Savor Cinema event, some people headed over on the Water Taxi down the water to the Riverhouse, a historic home that now serves up vegan food and caters to special occasions as well. They had some passed hors d'oeuvres, wine and beer available. A tour through the home reveals plenty of secret spaces perfect for intimate parties. There also was a room chockful of old albums. A turn around the corner and there was Valentino, playing his ukelele in the corner, selling jewelry and blankets and other items he had

(Above): Act or and Execut ive Producer f or "The Comeback Trail " Joel Michael y. (Bel ow): Andrea Chung, execut ive producer of "The Comeback Trail " and producer of "Heart beat s".

Act or Juan Pabl o Gamboa & his wif e act ress Jul iana Ort ega.

Direct or Evgeny Af ineevsky t al ked during screening of his f il m "Francesco".

brought from India. Walking up the stairs, Isabel Clavier has her artwork on display as well. She has moved at this time from California to Florida for the time being. These were two resident artists on property. But the party really took place outside on the patio where people could sit and chitchat and get to know each other. As the festival continued, there were plenty of activities slated, including live and virtual events, drive-ins, boat-ins, dinner and a movie, and more. The Cent erpiece Fil m & Part y, on Friday, Nov. 13, featured the poignant documentary "Francesco" looking at the world's ills as seen through the eyes of Pope Francis. It was directed by Oscar and Emmy nominated Evgeny Afineevsky, who was at the event and did a Q&A. He also

attended another screening on Saturday and Sunday. (More about the film in the next issue!) At the screening, Lynn Blumberg received a Volunteer of the Year Award and Heather Gilchrist, FLIFF managing director, received an award for being "Staffer of the Year". Following the screening, there was a party out in the John Mager courtyard, including a boxed dinner and Italian ices, as well as drinks. There was an accordion player playing some tunes, and some even did a little dancing to Hava Ent ert ainer Joey Fat one & act ress Kat e Kat zman. Nagila, in honor of the director growing up in Israel. Ariel Roman-Harris, director of Media & Cultural Affairs at the Israeli Consulate in Miami, also was in attendance. One of the highlights to the film festival is always any party that happens at sponsor Steve Savor's huge mansion home, Villa de Palma. On Nov. 21, they had this year's t ropical -t hemed part y at Vil l a de Pal ma. It was supposed to be preceded by a party on boats, including his, with a showing of the 2004 film "After the Sunset", but

Act or Juan Pabl o Gamboa & his wif e act ress Jul iana Ort ega.

windy weather was one reason that the boat outing did not end up occuring.

Books make gr eat hol iday gif t s!

But that did not stop the party outside of the home. People enjoyed tropical foods, including crab, shrimp, coconut rice, and fried pork. There was also a delicious sheet cake served. Music came in the form of a steel Aut hor / scr eenwr it er Fr ank drum band with Junkanoo dancers causing quite the stir every time they Ruf f ol o Has books & Masks paraded through the party, playing their instruments as they danced Avail abl e f or t he per f ect throughout the outdoor patio. per sonal ized gif t . Wrap Part y: The event wrapped the next day. Guests had a choice of two different screenings of the closing night film "Ancient Caves 3D," a beautifully-shot documentary in 3-D (See more in next issue) at IMAX at the Email : f r ankar uf f ol o@gmail .com Museum of Discovery & Science in Ft. Lauderdale. They could watch the movie at 3 p.m. or 5 p.m. and the theater was at 50% capacity with masks being worn. Afterward the director/ Emmy Award-winning cinematographer, Jonathan Bird, and cinematographer Zach Peterson did a Q&A. The film won the FLIFF Intrepid Award. The reception afterward was in the courtyard outside. Guests could have a drink and eat from two different types of box lunches. For dessert, they had mini cream puffs and eclairs. People could grab a picture on the red carpet as well. This year's festival surely was different than usual, but the fact that, FC Lit erary Publ ishing despite everything, Gregory von Hausch and the whole FLIFF team was able www.f rankaruf f ol o.com to put it together was amazing and this reporter is grateful. The virtual films were such a success that they decided to continue to do films online in this way year-long, in addition to continuing to show films live at their hub of Savor Cinema in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, as well as Cinema Paradiso in Hollywood, FL. For more information on the film festival, visit www.fliff.com.

Tropical -t hemed part y at Vil l a de Pal ma

St eel dr u m ban d. 15

Ju n k an oo dan cer s.

Gr eg is r eady t o eat !

Sk ip & An n et t e dr essed f or t h e ocassion .

M an n y & Rach el en joyin g t h e even t

OPENI NG NI GHT SNA PS

Co-st ars Kat e & Joel have f un on red carpet

Act ress Kat e Kat zman.

Rachel Gal vin & Joey Fat one.

John A. Thorson, associat e producer of "Viper Virus: Hist ory in t he Making"; direct or Cel est e Thorson; edit or & t echnical advisor Doug Barkl ey and creat ive consul t ant / art ist ic direct or Susan Cl if t on.

St eve Savor & Kat e Kat zman at Riverhouse.

Rachel Gal vin & act or/ execut ive producer Joel Michael y.

Former Chairman Jim Nort on wit h wif e Candy.

Cent er p i ece SNA PS Lynn Bl umberg was awarded as Vol unt eer of t he Year.

"Gl it ches" direct or Annie Chen.

Gregory von Hausch int roduces t he f il m.

"Francesco" producer Den Tol mor & direct or Evgeny Af ineevsky

Heat her Gil christ honored as St af f er of t he Year by Gregory von Hausch.

FLIFF Exec. Dir. MIchel l e Fil ippi; Ariel Roman-Harris, direct or of Media & Cul t ural Af f airs at t he Israel i Consul at e in Miami; Rachel Gal vin; Annet t e W. & FLIFF Chair Skip Margerum.

The f il m's sponsors, Sharon Kerst en (Kerst en PR) & Est el l e Finesberg (Est el l e Finesburg Counsel ing) posed wit h direct or Evgeny Af ineevsky.

Emanuel Bori, who int erviewed most of t he f il mmakers at FLIFF, wit h direct or Evgeny Af ineevsky.

Wr ap SNA PS

"Ancient Caves 3D" direct or Jonat han Bird, on right , wit h Zach Pet erson, who hel ped wit h aerial camera shot s and made a cameo in t he f il m, and FLIFF president & CEO Gregory von Hausch.

Boxed l unches avail abl e at af t er part y.

"Ancient Caves 3D" direct or Jonat han Bird t al ks about his movie, f il med by Emanuel Bori at af t er part y.

FLIFF st af f member Joseph Al manazar is ready t o pour.

Jonat han Bird, on right , wit h Zach Pet erson, doing Q&A f ol l owing screening of "Ancient Caves 3D" on IMAX screen at t he Museum of Discover & Science f or t he FLIFF wrap part y.

Emanuel Bori t akes a break f rom f il ming and int erviewing t o sit a moment wit h Jan Mit chel l , who is t he publ icist f or FLIFF.

Rachel Gal vin & "Cinema" Dave.

Have you been t o River house? Located at 301 SW 3rd Ave., in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, this historic home now serves as a vegan restaurant. A great place for special occassions, this locale, officially called Old Riverhouse Vegan Village, served as the perfect af t er part y spot f or t he opening night of t he Ft . Lauderdal e Int ernat ional Fil m Fest ival this year. There is a patio outside and unique rooms located throughout, as well as a vintage bar. Browse around and uncover interesting discoveries, including resident artists and a vintage record store! For more information, visit www.riverhouseveganvillage.com.

Greet ing guest s upon arrival at FLIFF af t er part y.

Val ent ino pl ays ukel e whil e sel l ing his jewel ry and merchandise he got in India. (See his sit e: GuruCat FL.com)

Bel l y up t o t he bar!

Art ist Isabel Cl avier shows of f her work upst airs.

St af f serving up vegan hors d' oeuvres t o hungry FLIFF guest s.

Are you a vinyl voyeur?

Enjoying cockt ail s and hors d' oeuvres on t he pat io.

I NDEPENDENT STREAK M AGAZI NE Novem ber 2020

M ia m i g et s in t er a c t iv e w it h Fil m g a t e Dec . 4 - 6 By Rachel Gal vin In art, there is more than just acrylics, or watercolors, or pottery, or found art.... Sometimes, an artwork includes a little bit of everything. Shouldn't it be the same for film? With high tech changing our lives on the daily, shouldn't art imitate life and include tech into art? Artists like Laurence Gartel embraced the digital realm to create art. Of course, digital technologies are employed in film as well. But, these days, AR and VR are becoming more in the mainstream, and have you heard of XR? What about utilizing these types of technologies in film? What about making films more interactive? Exploring these concepts and more is what Filmgate Interactive is all about. For the 7th year, Filmgate Interactive says it "will bring together storytelling, entertainment and new immersive technology"; this one-of-a-kind international event invites all curious and tech-savvy audiences to explore what they have to offer this year from Dec. 4 to 6. Like many other festivals, this one decided to keep some in-person events, but also have an online component due to the pandemic. There are so many components to this unique festival. You really need to spend a good chunk of time interpreting everything they are doing by perusing their website. The festival kicks off in Miami, FL with the Award Ceremony at the North Beach Bandshell and wraps up with an Interactive Day at the Sagamore Hotel Beach. So, how much does all this fun cost? Well, the $60 pass includes

immersive experiences, virtual screenings, poolside talks with NY Times' T Brand Studio, Washington Post, Vice, Magic Leap, Netflix and the "closing cocktail". The program for the public at the Downtown Media Center will be free. Again, make sure to look online. ?As the world continues to face momentous challenges, Filmgate Miami remains firmly committed to supporting visual storytellers, creative and tech communities in the best way possible. Even though Art Basel has been canceled, Art Week Miami is going forward. We are thankful to all our partners ? The Sagamore Hotel, The Rhythm Foundation and North Beach Bandshell, Mana Contemporary, the Consulate General of France in Miami, the Consulate General of Canada in Miami, who empower us to host our interactive projects, screen talks, and our award ceremony,? said Diliana Alexander, Executive Director of Filmgate Miami. ?Through our hybrid program, we want to remind that there are more opportunities to unite us than to divide us. Immersive storytelling redefines the way we conceive and share our stories to better address social injustice and empower bold, distinctive and innovative regional voices. "Filmgate Interactive Media Festival offers an exceptional diversity of genres and formats in terms of immersive and interactive creation -horror, drama, fantasy, video games, documentaries, VR, AR and interactive installations. 17 innovative projects from around the world will be presented in person at the Sagamore Hotel, the Downtown Media Center and the North Beach Bandshell as well as online, on the Eventive platform. All ensure that the audience is at the center of presentation. " For more information, visit www.filmgate.miami.