The Abita Springs International Film Festival WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY HEIDI HEYNS
This was the inaugural year…The
is the Latina spark to the flame. Jessica’s enchant-
very first ASIFF, but you wouldn’t have
ing power and passion is filmmaking and she has
guessed it if you were there witness-
two degrees in film to show for it. In her life, Ms
ing the smooth flow of the organiza-
Montalvo always maintains a filmmaker’s eye for
tion and the film screening and panel
story and expression and is deeply involved in K-12
schedule. Everything was organized
education. She works with students in fashion-
and if it were not seamless for the orga-
ing stories/film projects, helping young children
nizers, it certainly appeared so to the
and teens to expand into who they are meant to
guests and film lovers who attended.
be…their best selves. All the while Jessica's focus
The Abita International Film Festival has a TEAM of year’s
Directors led by this
Inaugural
Festival
Director,
Sheridan Philipp, the originator of the initial idea for this particular festival.
front of the camera and behind, to growing the filmmaking community on the North Shore. Bob Krieger adds a Dad Joke humorist presence and is the self-described “oldest and ugliest” addition to the
Less than 8 months ago, Sheridan
Abita International Film Fest team. Bob’s dad was a TV
reached out to Evette Randolph, with a
reporter and Bob’s passion in film was ignited during
question about scheduling a Film Festival
the times he went to work with his father and was
in Abita. The timing couldn’t have been
immersed in all the behind-the-scenes action. After
betterEvette had just been thinking about
years in the military, Bob was led to teaching, which
how great it would be to have a film festi-
fired him up. Like his fellow board members, Bob is a
val in Abita and she had even done some
film fanatic, fascinated with the power of story.
of the leg work to see what would need to
Bob also emphasized the importance of the dif-
happen in order to make the idea a reality.
ferent ways for the local community to support
She had, in effect, softened the soil and, it
independent filmmakers. Of course, money is the
appears, spread some sort of Miracle Gro
obvious contribution, but other ways can be extreme-
special dust onto the Abita ground, for like
ly helpful! For instance, Locations! Ideas! Stories of
magic, the pieces began to fall into place.
your own! If you know of a location or a special
Evette, who dreamed of being a Rockette,
someone that can contribute to the making of film
and of winning an Oscar one day, but life
or the telling of a story, Bob urges you to reach out to
unfurled differently than planned, as it does.
the filmmaking community. We must do everything
These life challenges have forged Evette’s
we can to support these efforts. One spark, one warm
acting talent as well as her event production
flame of an idea can inspire our young people to burn
and coordination magic.
bright with the stories inside them! Make it your
A salutation of film lovers stepped into the Festival Director positions. Jessical Montalvo,
32 Sophisticated Woman | February 2024
expands her own contribution and skills, both in
mission to find the myriad of ways you can support the making of films on the north shore.
