Asthe streetsof Iran have erupted with protestorsenraged at the killing of a 22-year-old woman who dared to show alittle too much hair from beneath her head scarf,a film called ?Holy Spider?comesalong to throw focuson Iran?s societal illswrapped in a crime dramabased on a true story.
Directed by an Iranian director from Denmark named Ali Abbasi,the grisly tale followsa determined journalist who hascome from Tehran to Mashhad to uncover the truth about a serial killer who isprowling the streetsseeking to rid the city of corrupt women. The killings really happened from 2000 to 2001 but some fictional elementshave been added to the tale, including the addition of the reporter.
The journalist,Rahimi,undergoesavery dangerousjourney to try to find the killer,who thinkshe isdoing something righteous. The story followsher quest and hisand how they intersect,aswell asexamining the community around them that hasshaped their livesin one way or another.
The close-up camera work addsextrafocusto the brutality of the killingsin thisfilm.That plusthe treatment of women in the culture and the desperate conditionsof some who live there makesthe film difficult to watch, yet important.
Zar Amir-Ebrahimi,who playsRahimi,garnered a Best Actressaward at Cannesthisyear for the role. Mehdi Bajestani,who playsthe killer Saeed,also givesa nuanced performance showing love for hisfamily and disgust for corruption,aswell asanxiety at timesand ego at others.
The film hasalso been entered asan Oscar contender in the International Film category.The film istold in Persian with English subtitles.It wasshown aspart of the GEMSFilm Festival thispast November in Miami.
Formoreinformation,visit www.holyspider.com.
Can you believe it isthe end of the year?Did we accomplish anything? Thingsseem to be getting slowly back to normal after the pandemic. That is most certainly apositive. Eventsare picking up.But how many gigshave you done?Are they coming back?
Hopefully,2023 will be areal return to normal.Get ready. Make sure you are prepared.
When I worked in LosAngeles,I wastoo busy to keep ajournal.Now,I wish I had.The timesI did write thingsdown were pretty crucial to later success. What did I write down?Well,besides just noting what I did in a day or a month,I kept track of auditionsand meetings,aswell asacting classes,time with casting directors,noting what I wore and what the feedback was,and what lessonsI learned that day to improve. I also wrote down goalsand tracked how I wasdoing toward those goals.I think thiswasso important. If you have not kept ajournal like this,try it out.You may be surprised at how much it helps.
cover: Cast & crew who were in attendance to promote "Signsof
at Opening Night event for Ft. Lauderdale Intl. Film Festival. See story on page 25.
Thisyear,asin every year,the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival brought some great films from around the world from Nov. 4-13.What started out asa three-week festival has been shortened to 10 daysthisyear and each day wasjam packed with activity,including some amazing parties! That was in part due to who was chair thisyear,Mr. Steve Savor himself,who isabit of royalty when it comes to party planning. After all,hispartiesyearly at hisVillade Palma are must-attend soirees.
Thisyear,the fest began back at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino again,kicking off with a little glamour complete with can can girlsagain on the red carpet,making it aglitzy affair The featured film wasa funny and heartwarming piece called "American
Dreamer" and the director and some othersinvolved with it were in attendance to do a brief Q&Afollowing the film,which starred Peter Dinklage,Shirley MacLaine,Matt Dillon,Danny Glover and others. There was popcorn offered for the taking.
Following the film wasa party next door with horsd'oeuvres,an open bar,some dessertsand great music by the Jersey Girls. Many got up on the dance floor.
The next night wasthe big party at Villade Palma,with a Nautical Chic theme,which isa popros with Savor'shuge yacht in the background on the Intracoastal.
The Jersey Girlsreturned for another stellar performance,this time dressed asmermaids, performing music of the 70s,80s and beyond in harmony,doing seamlessly interwoven compilations.
Guestscould partake in an excellent meal provided by Bobby G'sCatering,including salad,brussel sprouts,mashed potatoes,salmon,chicken and more.There wasalso cake later. Of course,there wasan open bar and people drank and mingled
(Above): Cast of "Signs of Love" at Opening Night at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino: DP Eric Foster, Director Clarence Fuller, Actors Hopper Jack Penn and Zoe Bleu Sidel and producer David Michaels Actor Jared Harris talks about "The Ghost of Richard Harris," a movie about his father, which he stars in with his brothers, at Gateway Cinema IS's Rachel Galvin with lead actor for "Bobcat Moretti," Tim Realbuto, & its director Rob Margolies at Gateway Cinema for their screening KT Curran, director of "Bridge to the Other Side," with producers having fun on opening nightThe
throughout the mansion'sextensive courtyard.
More mermaidscould be found by the pool areasand water features,and others dressed aspiratesor in yacht attire.Another band played from the balcony aswell. More dancing ensued. Many of the filmmakersand actorsattended.
While that was happening,there was the screening of "Signs of Love" at the Gateway Theater and actorsZoë Bleu Sidel and Hopper Jack Penn received Star on the Horizon Awards. (See more pg.25).
On Nov. 5,there wasa party in the courtyard of the Museum of Discovery & Science in between two showings of "Secretsof the Sea," directed by Jonathan Bird at IMAX. The documentary wasabout the beautiful but mysteriousworld beneath the sea. It was narrated by actress Joelle Carter.
Red Chair Catering provided some delicious meatballsin the courtyard. There was also sushi
VanillaIce also brought the celebrity element on Wednesday night,Nov. 9,at the premiere of the movie about hislife called "Ice,Ice,Baby -- Vanilla Ice -- Hip Hop'sFirst Global #1," directed by local host,actor and director Frank Licari and Helen Murphy, who also isthe CEOand president of Anthem Records. (See more, pg 19)
Not only did a huge crowd attend at Savor Cinema in Ft. Lauderdale for the screening and party on the patio,but also others involved in VanillaIce'slife, including hisDJ,DJEarthquake, who flew out from Dallas.He said, "I would not missthisfor the world.I am so proud of him." Wes Kain,who workswith him on his TVshow,"The VanillaIce Project" also wasthere and talked to the crowd after the film. Other musiciansand dignitariescame out,including The Real Greatness, arapper with ahuge TikTok following in which he showshow he makespeople'sday by giving out money to unsuspecting individuals.
Thisfun event happened right as Hurricane Ian wasapproaching our shores,but that did not phase VanillaIce. He even accommodated the camerapeople by going out in the rain in hisblue velvet jacket and posing in front of the Savor Cinemasign,aswell posing with hisproductsand propsto get just the right shot. Inside,after the movie,he took the time to take selfieswith
Composer Michel Cusson, FLIFFChair Steve Savor & director Christian Duguay at the screening of their film "Ride Above" (French name "Tempête") at Gateway Cinema. Jersey Girls performed at the Villa de Palma party, as well as on opening night. Joelle Carter (narrator) with director Jonathan Bird and his wife/ producer, Christine, at "Secrets of the Sea" screening at IMAX at the Museum of Discovery & Sciencepretty much everyone in the room it seemed. Guestsin VIP also were treated to slidersand other tidbitsby Red Chair
Catering and got to spend time with him.
The very next day,on Nov. 10,wasthe Centerpiece Party, held at the Gateway Theater. The movie featured was"Ride Above," which iscalled "Tempête" in French.The film was later chosen asBest Foreign Film and wasdirected by Christian Duguay ,who wasin attendance along with his composer Michel Cusson.They conducted an informative Q&A following the film Afterward, everyone could have something to eat and listen to a Jazzy French band out front or take pics on the red carpet.
Comedienne and actressJenny Lorenzo had quite the festive event on Nov. 11 and 12 at Savor Cinema with the screening of her film "Sangsgiving," directed by Kevin Bosch, who also made an appearance in the film. Lorenzo isknown for her funny YouTube videosthat give a lighthearted and funny look at Hispanic culture. The best part isthat Lorenzo playsmost of the charactersherself.
On Nov. 12,there wasa "beach party," although it really was not on the beach.Instead,it wasnear Ft. Lauderdale beach in the LasOlasOceanside park partially below a large tent strung with lights. The Santori Show Band performed and BIlly G'sCatering provided paella and other delightsto eat.People could get adrink from the open bar and mingle at thisintimate occasion.The movie "Ground Swell:The Other Side of Fear" wasalso shown on ascreen.
The big party that got everyone talking that wasa little different thisyear wasthe closing night event. It washeld at the Bergeron Ranch for the first time out in Weston and had everyone wearing western wear. The band Shadow Creek performed and there wasa screening of the TVshow "Yellowstone's" 5th season premier. There also were girlson horseback,an open bar and some delicious BBQprovided by Billy G'scatering The event benefited the Boys& GirlsClub of Broward County. Sponsorsgot to have a VIPparty of their own in the saloon aswell. Thisisjust asample of the many eventsthat brought people back again and again throughout the fest.
The "Below Deck" premier party at Savor Cinema had a nautical theme. It was sort of a FLIFFreunion event after the fest was done. More on that party in next month's issue
IS's Rachel Galvin & actor/ writer of "Belonging," Eric Bear at Bergeron Ranch for closing night
People enjoyed FLIFFon the Beach event with a little bubbly and other fine spirits
There also were awardsgiven. Taryn Manning received the award for Career Achievement.She was unable to attend,but avideo compilation of some of her work wasshown before the screening of afilm she wasin that was shown called "Bobcat Moretti." In addition,the same night,before the film,there wasacompilation shown of Sally Kirkland'swork Sally wasalso in the film and also wasunable to attend but received the Lifetime Achievement Award. They showed avideo of her receiving the award. (To see all the awards,visit Pg. 9).
For more info. on FLIFFand the moviesshown year-round, visit www.fliff.com. See Independent Streak
Facebook page for more picturesalso.
Helen Murphy, co-director of "Ice, Ice Baby -- Vanilla Ice -- Hip Hop's First Global # 1, poses with Vanilla Ice at the screening of the movie at Savor Cinema
A crowd eagerly awaits the opening night film "American Dreamer"
Filmmaker Jack Safford and his actress Celine Alva following screening of their film "April" at Gateway Cinema
Actress Sally Kirkland is presented with her award This video was shown at the screening of "Bobcat Moretti"
Suzan Lazarus, actor Eric Bear & Raymond Brasted at Gateway Cinema
AMERICANDREAMER,directed by Paul Dektor
BOBCATMORETTI,directed by Rob Margolies
CAMINOALEXITO,directed by Sebastian Rodriguez
COMBATCLUB,directed by Mark Moorman D.O.A.,directed by Kurt St. Thomas
AMATTEROFTRUST,directed by Annette K.Olesen
(USA)
BACKSPACE,directed by Ethan Ross(UK)
WHITE,directed by Vivian Burmeister (USA)
Best College Short: DAD SHALLWESINGSOMETHING,directed by AidanaBaurjanqizy (Kazakhstan)
Best College Long Narrative: NAHRANI,directed by AngelinaAuer (Germany)
Best American Indie: CORNEROFFICE,directed by Joachim Black
Honorable Mention:
AMERICANDREAMER,directed by Paul Dektor
THEDROP,directed by Sarah Adina Smith
THEMISTRESS,directed by Greg Pritikin
TRADE,directed by Corey Stanton
THEARTISTAND THEASTRONAUT,directed by Bill Muench
FREEDOM ONOURMIND,directed by Chad Light
Special Jury Prize for Production: D.O.A.,directed by Kurt St. Thomas
Best Foreign Film: RIDEABOVE(Tempete),directed by Christian Duguay
Best Documentary:
THEGHOSTOFRICHARD HARRIS,directed by Adrian Sibley
Honorable Mention:
THELONGRIDER,directed by Sean Cisterna
TERRITORIOAFRICANO,directed by Joaquin & Julian Azulay
TIGER#24,directed by Warren Pereira
Spirits of Independents Awards: ABUELA?SFAMILY:The Sangiving Episodes, directed by Kevin Bosch
Best Florida Feature: BRIDGETOTHEOTHERSIDE,directed by KT Curran
CONNECTIONS,directed by Jennie Jarvis; and LIONESSdirected by Molly E.Smith
Best Florida Short:
Best American Indie Short: LIFT,directed by CharlesBurmeister
Best Foreign Short: VIVA,directed by Esteben Steven Petersen (Dominican Republic)
Best High School Video: THEINTERNS,directed by SabrinaDubner
Best College Animation (TIE): THEREISEXACTLYENOUGH TIME,directed by Oskar Salomonowitz and Virgil Widrich (Austria)
THEMANYBENEFITSOFHEARTBREAK, directed by Luke Schroeder (USA)
Best College Doc: RESURGENCE,directed by Krushan Naik (USA)
Best Filmed in Broward Short: UNPEQUENOCORTE,directed by Mariana Serrano
Best Filmed in Broward Doc: THEHALLSOFPOWER,co-directed by Janay Joseph,Graciel Quezada& BiancaVucetice
Lifetime Achievement: SALLYKIRKLAND
Career Achievement:JOHN GRAY
Career Achievement: TARYNMANNING
Star On The Horizon: HOPPERJACKPENN
Star On The Horizon: ZOEBLEU
When he began hiscareer in the film industry on the set of the classic Woody Allen film "Annie Hall," Eric Bear could have never known the direction hislife would take.Originally involved in theater and dance,he went on to work in film and TV,including in arecurring role in the show "1883." He also hasdelved into working in tech and creating interactive media utilized by the industry He hasover 100 patents on hardware and software related to digital mediacreation.
Hislatest venture wasto work with talented filmmakersand animators,aswell asother actors,to create aunique world on film, one that ispart animation and part live action. Thisnew project isa miniseriescalled "Belonging," and within it,he playsmany characters but asdifferent metahumans.There are 25 metahumansall together. Metahumansare basically digital humansthat were created using a program called Unreal Engine."Belonging" includes10 short four to six minute character-driven episodes,each vividly detailed. Ten different directorspitched in to direct them. Most were written by Bear or adapted.
Asked what gave him the ideato produce "Belonging," he said, "When the pandemic hit,we had to find new waysto collaborate.For actors,it wasespecially tough because our work isso interpersonal. And that?show I got into motion capture.Today?sperformance capture toolslet usteleport anywhere using relatively inexpensive hardware and software. An actor in Austin,Texascan ? in real time ? work with awriter in LA,adirector in Vancouver,and a face capture team in Australia. It?samazing. When Epic Gamesreleased "Meta Humans" for Unreal Engine ? these beautifully photo-realistic manipulable avatars
? it wasanatural fit."
Having the technology isone thing,but using these metahumansto create a believable character,putting them in alifelike setting and getting their storyline to not only be plausible, but to evoke emotion isanother,and that became their mission and query while working on this.They wondered if virtual people could effectively express authentic emotionsand could audiencesbe moved by their performancesin the same way asif they were not manufactured?
Also,again,due to the pandemic,the work on these filmshad to be done socially distanced.So they wondered if multiple artistscould direct,shoot and produce high-quality episodesfrom their home studios.In the end,it came together well and the result isa product that isnot only unique and high-tech,but also servesup some engaging and moving stories.
Originally meant to be atest only,the project wasfirst called ?MetaHuman MoCap Monologues.?He started with some scriptsfrom playshe already knew.But hisentrepreneural quality kicked in and they ended up creating unique stories.
Bear said,"I wasin the middle of filming the first five episodesof
"1883," the "Yellowstone" prequel with Taylor Sheridan and Sam Elliot,when we recorded our first passof the 10 'Belonging' episodes. I couldn? t shave my immigrant pioneer scruff,so that screwed with the facial capture data.Turned out to be a good thing,because we discovered that the pre-visualization resultswere incredibly beautiful and compelling. It wasno longer just atest,and we decided that the seriesreally deserved to land on a streaming platform to reach widest audiences."
He continued,"Some of the script adaptationshad no licensing restrictions,like those by Shakespeare,Tennessee Williamsand Eugene O?Neill. But others,we weren? t able to negotiate rights. So, with previscomplete ? meaning we had already built our environments,props,wardrobe,lighting,camerasand MetaHuman models? the challenge waswriting brand new scriptsthat flowed in line with what wasalready in the works.Ha! Nikki Levy and I mapped out the emotional ride of each vignette and then crafted new characters,new situations,new scriptsand all to fit with the work already completed.It wasacrazy cool puzzle."
They made sure to employ avariety of emotionsand charactersto utilize diversity and different pointsof view,in addition to employing different dialectsand accents. Getting awide array of directorsto tell the storiesalso added to the mix of viewpoints.
He advertised on Facebook communities, including the Motion Capture Society and Virtual Production group to get directors. "Everyone wanted to play; and we had to match directorial stylesand individual interestswith episodic goals,and make sure we ended up with reasonable representation.In season one of 'Belonging,' we have two women directors, two black directors, two Latinx directors,
two queer producers,and a disproportionate number of bald white guys.Not perfect,but it?sastart. And you can really feel the power of that diversity acrossthe 10 episodes. It?sa cool matrix of emotional characteristics,genres,dialectsand directorial approaches."
When it comesto the technical aspect of production,he said, "Demian Gordon helped me get up and running during the pandemic. He introduced me to XSENS,who makesthe full-body capture suitswe use; MANUS,who makesglovesfor tracking finger articulation; Babak Beheshti,who designed some of the industry?slightest and most comfortable face capture helmets; and FACEWARE,who also manufactureshigh-end helmetsand robust facial recognition software.He also introduced me to Terry Notary,who?sknown for choreographing creature movement for major motion pictureslike 'Planet of the Apes.'"
He added,"It wasa long-standing dream of mine to embody primates on stage and in film. But to do that,you sometimesneed prostheticsto help you get the right body proportionsfor moving around comfortably.Terry?sworkshop built me custom arm extensionsthat,in combination with all the other hardware and software,allowed me to accessthe world of realm bending into beingsthat aren? t even human But nobody had ever used thisindie filmmaker tech for quadruped locomotion,so had to figure it out on my own. And that?swhere it helpsto be simultaneously technically adept,physically fit and emotionally accessible.I got known in the motion capture society as the indie primate guy and that probably helped with recruiting
directorsto dive into 'Belonging' with me."
Mirrorsgive usvisual information that tricksusinto thinking that?s who we are.Unreal Engine isexactly the same. When we look out through our eyes,we don? t see ourselves. We feel our bodiesand identify those sensationsasourselvesfrom the inside out.But if you see your avatar on acomputer screen moving in response to your own movement,then it really feelslike you arethat form. It?samazing.And it makeswhat we see in a glassmirror lessreal,in away,because we aren? t actually our bodiesanyway. So,living in virtual skinsisa great lesson in non-attachment,and one that helpsinvite kindnessand compassion. Perfect for a serieslike 'Belonging.'"
Asked what it waslike specifically to work on adapting Shakespeare, he said,"When shooting a live action or even green screen film or TV show,actorsgenerally have aclear sense of cameraframing.We know that in wide shots,we can move our bodiesmore; while in super tight shots,we don? t even move our headsmuch at all. But in performance capture,the cameracan be anywhere. In open-world video games,it hasto be completely flexible because the cameraisbased on where the player happensto be. That?swhere performance capture islike Shakespeare.Much of Shakespeare isperformed with the audience all around,or at least on three sides.During performance,we need to be clued into that variable viewing angle ? and then forget about all that technical stuff and just be aperson in asituation dealing with the feelingsand circumstancesthat arise."
Not everything iscompletely fabricated in hisvirtual world,they do need to include propson set to get the right effect. He explained."In
performance capture,we actually need to have propsand basic set structuresthat match what will be there in final production.I?m not saying we had to build a burning castle or a city street. But,we need doorknobswhere there are doors,desksand countersat the exact right height,and a handgun,for example,of matching proportions,to the one in the show.The actorsneed to be able to move naturally and have those movementstranslate directly into the alternate universe properly.We built a car dashboard with a steering wheel,pedalsand gear shift.We built a boat structure that the crew could sway and cause the our bodiesto react naturally,asif on water. We built ahorse contraption that the motion capture director rocked in sync with a YouTube video of awalking horse to cause the actor?sbody to rock organically,asif riding an actual horse.
"Beyond those physical artifacts,there wasn? t much in the motion capture volume to go on. It?sjust a big white space with lotsof lights. Like a blank canvas.Asa realm bender,we phase shift out of one reality into another reality,so the world of the scene existsin our experience like an imaginary projected overlay. If the motion capture director putsa piece of tape on the wall and the director tellsme that?swhere I should see the tower burning,then when I settle into my body riding home on my horse I don? t see the tape anymore.Instead,I see the burning castle ? and I smell the ash ? and my eyesburn.My nostrilsflare automatically and all the emotion of despair and concern and fear arisesin the body and I?m there."
Bear found it very interesting to play multiple charactersand
often not have someone to interact with physically in ascene.He said, "It?salwaysbest to be able to make eye contact with your scene partners.So much non-verbal engagement happenswhen we let in other?spresence. But I?ll tell you that in a couple of episodes,I had to play against myself.Because of the way the project evolved,we were focused on maximizing facial animation automation using avery small dataset ? alimited number of actor faces.If we create spin-offsor a second season,we?ll definitely be using a more diverse cast.
"Anyway,in acouple of episodes,I play both father and son. And that waspretty wild. Not only wasit technically challenging,but it cracked my heart open from multiple dimensionsand catalyzed akind of empathy that we rarely get to swim in."
Right now,Bear hasbeen workinng on promoting "Belonging" and expanding their social media presence while still working on some indie filmsasan actor and auditioning regularly
"Belonging iscurrently on the film festival circuit internationally and iswinning awardsalong the way. They will be talking to various streaming providersto get the episodesavailable to the public.Tofind out moreabout theseriesanditsprogress,visit https://hyperwatt.com andfollow @hyperwatt onsocial.
By Rachel Galvin
Thisyear'sHorror Film Festival at Spooky Empire had new people at the helm: Alea Figueroa and Brendan Jackson Rogers, and their team They really went gangbusterson their inaugural stab at the event,going mad with promotional materialsand even a commercial and trailers shown in between films,in addition to the usual Q&As and panels.
They brought the former talent coordinator and moderator,Rachel Galvin (who happensto be me),back again thisyear to moderate the female filmmaker panel. Thisyear'svictimswere Barbie Castro,Robin Hofmann and DinaNajjar Barbie Castro is aproducer/ director and actor who isknown for all her movies with "killer" in the title on Lifetime (including "Boyfriend Killer," "Dream Killer," "Patient Killer," etc.).
Robin Hofmann isawriter, director,producer
"Dance for Me," "No Vacancy" and others.
Dina Najjar isan actor, writer of "Damaged," "Maya," "The Christmas Ride" and more.
The horror festival will be back next year and so will I. Keep an eye on the Spooky Empire webite to see what isup next for the convention and for the film fest: https://spookyempire.com.
L
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By Rachel Galvin
The Miami Web Fest kicked off on Nov. 17 at The Backyard at the MarseillesHotel in Miami Beach.An intimate crowd gathered to network,take photosand listen to the musical stylingsof several people in a cozy outdoor atmosphere.Thiswasjust the beginning of aweekend of parties, panels,screeningsand more. The second day had screeningsat Silverspot Cinema and an after party at Minnow Bar at Angler'sHotel. The third day had panels and aparty at Esme The final day included apool party and avery happening awards gala.Despite torrential rainsand some flooding,people still flocked to the hip event. Did you missthe festivities? There isalwaysnext year. Visit https://miamiwebfest.com.
Herearea few picsfromopening night.SeemorepicsontheIndependent StreakMagazineFacebookpagesoon.
By Rachel Galvin
Whether you classify it asdark and menacing,aggressive and powerful,or evil and engaging, metal music and horror filmsboth draw fanswho prefer a bit of the macabre.The connection between the two isobvious.They seem to alwaysgo hand in hand. So having afilm that discusses the history of both seemslike a no brainer.At least that was director Mike Schiff'sfeeling when he created "The History of Metal and Horror" and proceeded to track down asmany people that were in the genresaspossible to interview for hisdocumentary.Then,he got actor Michael Berryman to sort of play the host in a wrap-around type storyline that addsan extra dimension to the movie.
It took Schiff 6 1/2 yearsto complete the film and he managed to get most of the people on hiswish list involved,including Alice Cooper, Tom Savini,Kane Hodder,ChrisJericho,Bill Moseley,Doug Bradley, Rob Zombie,LinneaQuigley and many others.
"My favorite thing about horror isthe creation of variousmonsters and terrifying situations.It?slike putting nightmaresonto the screen. And with metal,it?sthe aggressive sound and the wild energy the artistscreate.Metal and horror are both dark and aggressive art forms, so fansof one are almost alwaysfansof the other," he said.
The processof getting them to be in the movie wasnot too difficult. Once afew were on board,it snowballed from there."Having afew interviewscompleted and a trailer produced definitely attracted others. Even still,some artists(or their managers) turned down the
project," Schiff said.
For those who did agree to be involved,he said,"They were very cool about being interviewed and seemed to trust me enough with how I would present the footage," adding,"The easiest interview to get was probably Tom Savini,because we were already friendly with each other.The toughest wasRob Zombie,just because hisschedule wasso jam packed. Even though the processwassmooth,I wasstill surprised afew interviewsactually happened.Some would include Alice Cooper, Dave Mustaine,John Carpenter and Rob Zombie."
He continued,"Getting Michael Berryman wasn? t really that tough at all.It wasjust amatter of calling hismanager and working out the details.It took about half aday to film all of hisscenes."
Schiff basically worked alone on the project,but he did have alittle help.He explained,"For the interviews,I ran two cameras,audio and lights.One other person would accompany me to sit acrossfrom the
artistsand ask them the questionsI prepared.I outsourced the music,sound mixing and some of the visual effects. Beyond that,I did everything else,including the makeup effects.My friend and producer,Rob Lucas,helped arrange abunch of the interviews."
If he were to do it again,would he change anything?He said, "Since I basically ran the whole show myself,I had to learn alot of thingson the fly,mostly when it came to marketing and crowdfunding.I probably could have raised more fundsand wasted fewer resources,had I been better with marketing."
The film hasdone very well at film festivals. He said,"I?ve won over 25 awardsfrom some festivalslike Scarefest,Shockfest,Days of the Dead,Another Hole in the Head,etc.I received awardsfor Best Documentary,Best Feature Film,Best Editing,Best Sound Design,Best Poster Art,Fearmaker of the Year and more."
Asked what isnext for the movie,where people can find it,he said,"I'm currently pushing the physical media and streaming is coming soon. The DVDsand Blu-Raysare available through all major retailersand I?m selling signed copiesdirectly through Metalhorror.com." (Update: The movie isalready starting to stream. Look for it on Vimeo,and elsewhere soon!)
Asfor what isnext for Schiff,he said,"I?m open to doing more docsafter this,but ultimately I want to do more narrative film work. Hopefully,the relationshipsI?ve built over these last few yearswill help."
Schiff livesin the Bronx in New York. He also doesalot of freelance video editing and videography to pay the bills. "Selling the film hasalso become aside gig,which isfun," he said."I think metal and horror fanswill find alot of great stuff in the doc. Lotsof people really enjoy the segment where metal artistsdiscusshow they became fansof horror aschildren. I think many of uscan relate to their stories."
Tofindout moreabout thefilm,visit www.metalhorror.com.
With energy and enthusiasm, rapper and TVhost Vanilla Ice greeted fansat Savor Cinema in Ft. Lauderdale on Nov 9 who were there to meet him and see the new documentary about his life,"Ice,Ice Baby -- VanillaIce -Hip Hop'sFirst Global #1," directed by Frank Licari and Helen Murphy,which waspart of the Ft. Lauderdale Intl. Film Festival (FLIFF).He did hisbest to take selfieswith asmany people aspossible following the film and then hung out with VIPsfor quite awhile aswell.
The rapper known asVanilla Ice,who became aphenomenon in the 1990s,wasborn Robert Van Winkle.He grew up in Texasand South Florida.The film startsat the beginning with hisupbringing,hislove for motocrossand later him delving into breakdancing and rapping. The film showcaseshisrapid rise to fame with the song "Ice,Ice Baby" and later projectslike "Teenage Mutant NinjaTurtlesII" and others.It talksabout business partnershipsthat developed and how they changed hislife.
The film talksabout the price of fame aswell. It discusseslawsuitshe faced over hissong sampling,which wassomething done all over in the industry,and even afamousaltercation with rapper Suge Knight.
It also showshiscareer slump,how it took him to dark places mentally and how he eventually pulled himself up and reinvented himself. Following additional musical projects,he went on to do some reality TV,showslike the "Surreal Life" and "Dancing with the Stars" and hisown TVshow "The Vanilla Ice Project," which shows
him doing home improvementsand flipping houses.
The movie includesinterviewswith everyone from hisfamily members and posse to managersand more,as well asVanilla Ice himself.
Many of hisfriendscame out to the premier of the movie,including hisold DJ,DJEarthquake,who flew in from Texasjust to be there,who said he "wouldn't missit for the world," and the co-host of hisshow,WesKain.
Asked how thisfilm came about, director Frank Licari said he originally met Van Winkle at an event he always participatesin,the Palm Beach Student Showcase of Films."I approached Rob after one of our film festival showsand asked him if anyone had ever thought about doing amovie on hislife. He said,yes,that many people had approached him about it but never followed through I told him that I wanted to do it and he agreed," said Licari,adding that he asked Helen Murphy,of Anthem Entertainment,if she would like to come on board asa producing partner since her expertise asa music veteran would help with the music side of the film.In
production company staffed the film and helped to shoot it.
"I thought Rob?sstory would make afascinating subject for film. I
addition,KhoaLe's
Wes Kain & DJ Earthquake
originally wanted to make the narrative film but settled on making the documentary first.I came up with an original outline which I had already had for some time and then Helen and I shaped an initial pitch deck with all of the original elementsthat we wanted to include in the film.
Asked how difficult it wasto get everyone to agree to interview for the film,he said,"It?salwaysa challenge trying to get everyone together for adocumentary,especially when we?re talking about entertainment industry typeswho are successful and busy but, thankfully,between Rob?scontacts,and our producing work,we were able to get most of the people that we wanted. We actually had Adam Sandler scheduled,but hisNetflix contract precluded him from being in any project that wasn? t Netflix produced." (Sandler isa friend and Van Winkle hasworked with him,in movieslike "That'sMy Boy" and "Sandy Wexler").
Licari said the most surprising interviewsto get were those with the family. "That wasinformation that I hadn? t really known much about. Also,the interviewswith the posse were great because it really gave an inside look at what went down at key momentsof the journey."
He added,"Rob waspretty open about most of hislife,which was terrific," adding that the only thing he did not want to share wasthe darker periodsof hislife,which wasunderstandable,but at the same time,he understood it wasnecessary for the project.
It wasnot difficult for Licari to find b-roll to accompany the interviewssince much of hiscareer had footage,so video of him dancing and performing waseasily available and added much to the overall film.
Once the film wasshot,the next step wasediting it down. Some interviewsthat did not fit within the overall frame of the film were cut and some videos,songsand pictureshad to be cut due to not being able to secure rightsfor them,or simply time constraints."[Editor] Ed Cunanan and I worked very long hoursfor almost afull year to get the major part of the film completed in the beginning. I would bring the finished timeline segmentsto Helen and Khoaand would get their initial input,then mostly Helen and I tweaked the edit from there. It wasalong process. Helen wasinstrumental in the factsand figuresof the lawsuitsand went through painstaking work to go over all the documentsto make sure that we had all of those detailsstraight However,in the past two years,I?ve done the final edit with my own editor (also named Frank) at my home production studio in order to finish the film."
Would Licari do anything differently if he were to make it all over again starting today?"I wouldn? t make it during a pandemic. Overall, I?m pretty happy with the film,but there are a few thingsthat I had to compromise personally for due to collaboration with the group and financial constraints.However,I think overall,we stayed true to the original outline and everyone seemshappy in the end," he said.
Right now,the film isgoing through the festival circuit and sales process.He ishoping it will be streamed by the second quarter of 2023.
What makesthe VanillaIce story so engaging?Licari said,"I think Rob isa pop culture icon and isa part of most of our livesif you?re 35 yearsold or older,and since becoming acable TVstar and making film appearances,the younger generation also knowshim through that. However,'Ice,Ice Baby' isan anthem that isstill played so much today that there aren? t many people who don? t know VanillaIce. Once you get to know him,you realize that he?sstill got amagnetic personality and lightsup aroom wherever he goes.That makeshim instantly interesting and people will want to know more."
Licari had just put out another documentary,"Jose Feliciano: Behind ThisGuitar," utilizing much of the same team.He noted that thisfilm differed from the last because of the time span it covers. Thisone,he said,takesplace in ashorter period of time,versusthe last one that covered 55 yearsof a career.
Besidesdirecting,Licari also isknown locally asan actor,emcee,host of the local TVshow "On the Town in the Palm Beaches" and more.
Asked what he isup to next,Licari said, "At the moment,I?m working on three projectssimultaneously. I have completed aseven part docuseriesthat I?m currently pitching to streaming platforms. It?sa
Florida centric story about the first ever eco-sustainable city that wassupposed to be built in Floridabut,due to corruption and greed,it never happened.It?sa fascinating story that I think will shock a lot of people.
"I?m also partnering with another set of producerson aproject that will be produced in Indiathat?sbased upon a novel written my MonicaBhide entitled, 'Karma Kitchen.' Thiswill involve a narrative film,a television property and more.It?sstill in development.I am currently working on solidifying a partnership with a major production company on another documentary film that may blow the roof off the franchising businessin thiscountry.I am still in the preliminary stagesof those negotiations.I have two showscoming up in the new year that I have guest starring rolesin: 'Mayor of Kingstown,' opposite Jeremy Renner on Paramount Plus,and 'The Chosen' ?Season 3 Finale,which isa Biblical dramathat hasa global audience that will be on Netflix. Lastly,I?ve almost completed the pilot of anew sitcom that I?m developing and will be filming it in the beginning of the new year.I?m very excited about thisone and will be self-producing the show."
Asfor VanillaIce,who livesin Wellington,FL,he isalso promoting several productstoo,including Joyburst energy drink and Naked Diablo Tequila,both of which were enjoyed at the screening at FLIFF,and he isworking on a new renovation project.Thisone isthe redevelopment of abuilding in Lake Worth into apop culture brewery and museum with a speakeasy in the basement. He also just did hisannual appearance at Wellington Winterfest,where he performed to a large crowd and spent along time signing autographs.This dynamic personality seemsto alwayshave something in the works,so look to hear more about what isnext for him.
For moreinformationonLicari,visit www.QuiteFranklyEntertainment.comandfor moreonthefilm, visit www.IceIceBabyMovie.com.
(Seemorepicsfromthescreeningat FLIFFontheIndependent Streak MagazineFacebookpage).
The Pacific Whale Foundation (PWF),anonprofit organization with a mission to protect the ocean through science and advocacy and inspire environmental stewardship,isinviting visual storytellerswith a passion for ocean and marine wildlife conservation to submit their filmsfor consideration in PWF?s7th Annual World Whale Film Festival (WWFF). The hybrid in-person and online festival kicks off the week of June 8, 2023 ? World Ocean Day.
Founded in 2017 by award-winning PWFDocumentary Filmmaker Selket Kaufman,WWFFreflectsthe organization?sunwavering commitment to foster awarenessof ongoing threatsfacing the world?s oceansand marine wildlife while engaging in ongoing research to help mitigate these dangersand conducting campaignsto educate the public on how they can be part of the solution.
Each year,WWFFshowcasesfilmsabout the ocean,marine wildlife conservation,indigenousecological knowledge and environmental stewardship submitted by storytellersfrom around the globe.The festival?sprimary purpose isto raise awarenessof major threatsto ocean wildlife,from climate change and unsustainable tourism to marine plastic pollution,vessel collisionswith marine animalsand bycatch (fisheriesinteractions),while raising vital fundsfor PWF?s Research,Education and Conservation programs.
Filmmakersare encouraged to submit filmsof any length for
Dec. 2022/ Jan 2023
possible inclusion in the 2023 WWFF. Entrieswill be selected based on the following criteria: originality,storytelling and technical excellence,message,overall impact and artistic merit. PWFonly recognizesethical visual storytelling that accurately represents cultures,ecosystemsand wildlife.Filmmakersmust guarantee the welfare of all marine wildlife and that any/all involved marine environmentswere respected and remained undisturbed during filming while abiding by all federal,state and regional regulations during location shoots.
By entering WWFF2023,each filmmaker acknowledgesthe visual content submitted isan original creative work that doesnot infringe on the rightsof any other person or businessto their knowledge. Information regarding venue location,film schedule and filmmaker panelswill be available upon acceptance of submitted works.
For moreinformationabout WWFF,submittingfilmsfor consideration andfull submissionguidelines,visit https://filmfreeway.com/WorldWhaleFilmFestival.
The Miami Film Festival will be here before we know it. Held March 3-12 thisyear in variouslocalesaround town,the event isin its40th year. For moreinfo.,visit https://miamifilmfestival.com.
The Flagler Film Festival iscoming up January 20-23.The event will take place at the Best Western Inn PlusFlagler Beach Inn & Suites, located at 200 Flagler PlazaDr.,in Palm Coast,FL.Formore information,visit www.flaglerfilmfestival.com.
Offering plenty of filmsabout the Jewish experience,the Miami Jewish Film Festival takesplace thisyear from January 12-26 in variousvenuesaround Miami Beach,Coral Gablesand beyond.For moreinformation,visit https://miamijewishfilmfestival.org
By Rachel Galvin
With an entourage of fansin tow,Ben Mankiewicz went room by room through the Art of the Hollywood Backdrop exhibit still on display at the BocaRaton Museum of Art on December 10 enjoying the oversized backdropsthat told the storiesof the golden age of Hollywood.Thisbeloved Turner Classic Movies(TCM) host had plenty to say about the exhibit, saying it exceeded hisexpectationsafter hearing all the hype about it. He wasat the museum for a special meet and greet event in which fanscould have achance to talk to him and he could see the displays before going on to do a talk at the nearby The BocaRaton (formerly the BocaRaton Resort & Club).
?It?sdazzling,?he said of the exhibit,adding that the turnout wasalso impressive. It made him realize that there were fansof thisart form all over the country,and that such an exhibit could do well in placesother than just New York or LosAngeles. He also said the exhibit isfor everyone from the dedicated cinephile to people who just like movies, who will be left ?slackjawed?after seeing an inside peek into what it takesto make the movies
ThomasA. Walsh,who also attended the exhibit event that
brought Mankiewicz to the museum,wasthe co-curator of the exhibit, along with Karen Maness. ?It?sgreat to get Ben here asan endorser of our efforts,?he said.?He?sgot arich legacy in film and hasthe DNAof Herman Mankiewicz.?(Herman Mankiekwicz,known asthe co-screenwriter for ?Citizen Kane,?wasBen Mankiewicz?sgrandfather. And that isjust one well-known name in the film industry in hisfamily tree).
Walsh went on to say,?Thisisjust terrific exposure for the museum,? adding,?Thisisaculmination of a long successful run.?
He said before bringing the exhibit here,he shopped the ideaaround to many museums. ?They thought it wasa lovely idea,but couldn? t figure out how to do it?(since the backdropswere so large).?Bocalent itself to it well.?
The crowd who assembled for thisparticular event were of all ages
Photo above: Jody Harrison Grass, chair of the Boca Raton Museum of Art?s board of trustees; Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer; TCM host Ben Mankiewicz; Boca Raton Museum of Art Executive Director Irvin Lippman and exhibit curator Thomas A. Walshand most were avid fansof Turner Classic Movies.?I have never been here before,?said a very excited DianaHubert. ?I saw thison Facebook and (TCM) isthe only channel I watch.?
Also in attendance were museum members,sponsorsand dignitaries,including Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer,who said in a video produced by NewsTravelsFast,who orchestrated bringing Mankiewicz to the museum,?These backdropsare worksof art in themselves,and it isso wonderful that they are here at the Boca Raton Museum of Art.?
The golden age of moviemaking could not have been possible without backdropssuch asthese large-scale wondersand the many dedicated creatorsthat brought them to life. Who could imagine movieslike ?Wizard of Oz,?for example,without using backdropsat the time?
Many of such masterpieceswere ready for the trash heap,only to be rescued.Two hundred and seven backdropswere saved from being put in the garbage after Lynne Coakley,the president of JCBackings, one of the largest companiesto rent out such backdrops,decided to donate them to the Art DirectorsGuild instead of tossing them. The guild,under the direction of Walsh,who isalso the Art Guild President,hasbeen working to preserve these preciousitemssince. One of the recipientsof some of the backdropswasthe University of TexasAustin.
The collection of backdropsthat ison display in BocaRaton is accompanied by videosshowing how they were used and other written information.The videosalso talk about the creatorsbehind them and the processof making them.The artistsof these backdrops were usually not listed in the creditsat the time.Much like the workerswho helped craft the greatest piecesof the Renaissance masters,these artisanswould be lost to history ? until now.
Twenty of the backdropsare courtesy of the TexasPerforming Arts Hollywood Backdrop Collection at the University of Texas. The Motion Picture Academy in LosAngeleshasalso loaned two works:the 1952 backdrop for ?Singin?in the Rain,?made famousby Donald O?Connor?s comic performance of ?Make ?Em Laugh;?and the tapestry backdrop for ?Marie Antoinette?(1938),which wasreused in ?North by Northwest?(1959) in the auction house scene
There are so many iconic backdropson display that serve asperfect photo ops. Here,you can see large-scale the grandiosity of Rome as seen in movieslike ?Ben Hur;?the Austrian Alpsused in ?The Sound of Music;?the majestic Mount Rushmore,which once served asa location in ?North by Northwest;?and more. The backdropsall were used from
TheArt of theHollywood Backdropwill beondisplay until Jan.22,2023.Formore information,visit https://bocamuseum.org.
Thom as A. Walsh & Irvin Lippm anDec. 2022/ Jan 2023
upcoming talent isimpressive. Hopper and Dylan are brother and sister in real life,the children of well-known actorsSean Penn and Robin Wright. Zoë Bleu isthe daughter of well-known actressRosanna Arquette,who also isin the film. Asked how he decided on these actors,he said,"David Michaels(producer) came on board and suggested Hopper Jack Penn for Frankie. Once I saw hiswork in 'Puppy Love,' I knew he wasthe one.David wasalso instrumental in casting Dylan Penn,Zoë Bleu and Rosanna Arquette."
He added,"I think the first day wasmy favorite moment. Showing up seeing Hopper,Cree,Zoe,the crew and the team ...It became real at that moment and everyone wassuper excited."
Portrayed with gritty realism in amulticutural urban setting within Philadelphia,the movie "Signsof Love" uncoversthe life of ayoung drug dealer,Frankie (played by Hopper Jack Penn),who findshimself born into adifficult circumstance.With a father who isinto drugsand a sister (Dylan Penn) into alcohol,he just hopesto save hisnephew from asimilar fate or from the brutality of the street life. When he findsa young deaf girl,Jane (played by Zoë Bleu Sidel),he seesa glimmer of hope for hislife.But their station in life being very different economically causesproblems,and it won't be the only one he will face.
Providing aclose-up to a side of life many may not see,thisdrama beautifully illustratesheartwarming romance and everyday tragedy.
Thiswas the first feature film for director Clarence Fuller,who said they filmed the movie in 24 days,mostly in the Kensington and Port Richmond areas.
Besidesthe storyline itself being engaging,the acting iscompelling, and the fact that in hisfirst film he wasable to get such top notch
Fuller considershimself avery hands-on director,very supportive."I do want my actorsto come to set the same way the production designer comesto set,ready to work. I'm not there to teach them how to dressa set and I'm not there to teach acting. If they are having a bad day,I support them.If they question the motive behind certain dialogue or a character'saction,I help them connect with the scenario I definitely like to create a stress-free set," he said.
The most challenging part about making the film,he added,wasthe budget. "It limited the amount of time we could spend on exterior shotsand limited our crew size. All of uswere wearing multiple hats on set," he said.
Hopper Jack Penn as FrankieThe movie had itsWorld Premiere at Brooklyn Film Festival where they won several awards,including Best Actress(Sidel) and Best New Director for Fuller.It screened at Breckenridge Film Festival where it won Best Drama,Best Writer and Best Actor (Hopper Jack Penn). It screened at Alice NellaCitta' section of the Rome Film Festival and won the Corbucci Award,which he said wasa big win and it gave them Italian distribution. At the Ft. Lauderdale Intl. Film Festival,Sidel and Penn picked up Star on the Horizon Awards. (See more about that fest starting on page 3.Also see pic of crew and cast who were in attendance on the cover!)
"Signsof Love" wasin theatersfrom the end of October to the beginning of November.Currently,you can rent on demand on all platforms,including Prime and Apple. It will be streaming on Starz soon.
Fuller said he isworking on hissecond film now,currently in the early stagesof casting.
For moreinformationonthefilm,visit www.bluefoxentertainment.com/films/signs-of-love.