Independent Streak Magazine-June/ July 2022

In d ep en d en t

St r eak

M a g a zin e June/ July 20 22

Film Review : "Tiger 24" FLOW Film Fest ival Film Spot light : "iPossessed" Focus On: Feeling Good Films Jack sonville 48 Hour Film Popcor n Fr ight s Par t ner s Wit h ALTER BRJFF Announces Awar ds LOL Jack sonville Film Fest & mor e

I NDEPENDENT STREAK M AGAZI NE

Carl Rimi, as Tad Vol o, and Sanf a L. Johnson as his l ieut enant .

Film Spot light : "iPossessed"

By Rachel Gal vin When a group of friends gathers at Tad Volo's house, they don't quite know what they have in store. Instead of celebrating, they end up battling with demons, the one in front of them and their own.

Although this film is considered a psychological horror film, it really also is more a deep character study, definitely an actor's film. As each character is forced to face their deep dark secrets, powerful heart-wrenching emotions are unleashed, making for a unique and powerful film that can be difficult to watch at times due to the emotion and suspense.

There are twists and turns in the film that also keep the audience on their toes.

Filming it was challenging. There were also a lot of last minute changes before the film even was shot, including cast and script changes. They are in the process of making some tweaks now before the final version.

Carl Rimi, who is known more for comic roles as an actor and a stand up comedian, took on the leading dramatic role with gusto, delving 1

into the depths of his multi-layered character. He also said he was the main writer on the film.

Javier Mayol, who wrote it with him and edited, explained, "The idea was originally conceived by Maurice Jovan Billingston, who Carl knew from working with him in the past. But, the first iteration of the script was a full-on horror comedy. Carl and I became friends during the production of 'Love and Hostages' and he has always admired my talents as a screenwriter, so he asked me if I wanted to help re-writing the script. So, in 2019, Carl and I sat down and we flushed out the characters and scenes and reworked the film."

Rimi also worked on finding the locations, including Paso Fino Farm, where 90% of the film took place, located in Lake Placid, FL. Tina Pfeiffer, who played the role of Tad's mom in the film, found an antique store located in Ft. Pierce for one of the scenes as well.

"I've been involved in every aspect of the film and now through post production. It's all challenging and I'm learning new and valuable things every day," said Rimi.

Rimi's character has many aspects to his personality. Asked how he prepared for the role, Rimi said, "I developed my character in the writing process. He was a military veteran suffering form PTSD. I watched a lot of documentaries that helped develop the

mindset and trauma that some of our military experience coming home from war. Then, to prepare further for the film, I consulted with Sanfa L. Johnson (who actually plays a role in the film as my dead lieutenant), an army ranger sniper veteran. He helped me with mannerisms, jargon, etc., also how a Ranger carries themselves in regular life. They have a different presence about them, a confidence if you will, and I wanted it to be as authentic as possible."

Rimi brought his friend Jerry Sommer on board as director. Sommer had known Rimi for about eight years, having worked with various projects with him through the years. Sommer had left South Florida and moved to Los Angeles, where he started a production company. He moved back in August 2020.

Originally, Rimi was going to film the movie in April 2020, but it got pushed back due to COVID-19 to April 2021.

"When I moved back," Sommer said, "Carl called me one day and asked if I could read his script for iPossessed. I read the script, which was approximately 124 pages at the time. The following week, Carl called me and asked what I thought about the script. I told him as an honest friend, his script needed some rewriting and it wasn?t ready to be filmed. At this point, I had no involvement with the movie and I was just giving my opinion."

He told Rimi that the genre needed to be clarified. Next, Sommer sat down with Rimi and his girlfriend Tami Boothby, who played Tara in the film, to hammer out a new script. It took about a month but they were able to tighten it down to 85 pages. They ended up taking out a lot of the comedy, but left in some laughable moments. At that point, Sommer was going to be the camera operator.

Also, since he also does some coaching, Rimi asked Sommer to work with the actors to hone their characters.

"Tami had never acted, and this was her first role in a movie. I gave Tami a crash course, a 101 on some acting techniques. We only had a couple months for Tami to be as fully prepared before yelling the first "Action!" After a couple rehearsals and coaching, Carl asked me if I would want to direct the film. I was honored that he asked me and I said 'Of course.'"

Boothby did a lot of preparation for her role. "I actually did a ton of research for my role as Tara. Tara is a Christian girl so I had some reservations about the whole idea of demon possession. What I found helped me embrace the character. Back in the dark ages, anyone who society deemed as different was considered demon possessed. For example, if someone had a stutter, or a birthmark, or if they had a disability, or even if a woman had a miscarriage, she

was considered demon possessed. The so-called witches were the women who took care of the outcasts of society. I would certainly have been considered a witch in those days too because I would have been helping the underdogs. Demon possessed is basically a term that was used to label people society couldn't understand.

"In our film, someone becomes possessed but it's really a metaphor.

The person possessed is the one provoking everyone else to look inside themselves, and face their past regrets and secrets in order to forgive themselves. So often our past mistakes become our identity and we are not able to live a full life. We have to forgive in order to live. We all have secrets, we have all made mistakes. It's been my honor to portray someone dealing with deep emotional trauma that audiences, so far, have really been affected by."

By the time Sommer joined the group, the cast was almost complete.

But they were still looking for a Zoe. The original Zoe did not work out so they had to re-cast. They saw thousands of auditions but whittled it down to three, said Sommer. They ended up casting a very formidable actress, Meghan Carrasquillo , who came in from LA. At first, Sommer

Some cast & crew ready t o f il m.

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Tami Boot hby, as Tara, & Chuck Moss, as Buckl ey.

did not think had the range to play the part, but, boy, was he surprised.

"After we had the cast in place, we did a table read and flew the actors in from LA. During the table read I was blown away by Meghan and her range. I was totally wrong about [doubting her] and she brings it up all the time whenever we get a chance to talk. The table read was great and we were set with the cast and ready to shoot," said Sommer.

Troy Thirdgill was originally cast as Buckley, said Sommer, but got COVID a few days before the shoot. They had to recast and picked Chris Moss, the assistant director, who was also playing Sebastian.

After not being able to find an actor to then play Sebastian, which was now open, Sommer played it himself since he spoke English and Spanish. But Sommer originally was going to play the lieutenant, since it was a small role... Now that was open too!

The role ended up going to Sanfa Johnson, who Rimi had met at a comedy show where he was performing. Johnson, as before mentioned, was a real Army Special Forces Ranger Sniper, so added a level of authenticity to the part. He was an actor that Rimi had in mind to play the part if ever needed. Unbelievably, he had never acted before, but he nailed the role.

With the cast in place, they could take the next step: rehearsals. "We had a lot of rehearsals! We rehearsed for months individually, and then together 6 weeks before filming, and again at the location 4 weeks before filming. Rehearsals in the actual space helped us all picture the scenes. It was also really fun to get to know each other before living together on set for a month as well," said Boothby.

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She added, "My toughest scene was having to slap another girl. I didn't have nerves the entire shoot except for that scene. I had no idea how to fake a slap. I practiced on one of our crew members and literally clocked him! That made me even more nervous because I really thought I was going to hurt the other actress. We had to get it in one take and I felt so much pressure! I think it was more of a slug than a slap, right in the jaw, but we pulled it off!"

This was Sommer's first feature film and now he was doing double duty as an actor and director. Asked how that experience was, he said, "Well, I love to do both, but I really wanted to focus on directing since this was my first feature film. Since we didn't really have an Assistant Director anymore because Chris Moss was now playing Buckley, it was challenging. When I was in the scene, I didn't have anyone giving me any direction or to the other actors because we were all in the same scene together. So, I would frame and block the scene with a stand in for me -- thanks, Ely Godsey. So, acting and directing is difficult if you don't have an experienced AD or Co-Director to direct when you're acting. As an actor, you always just want to focus on the acting.

He added, "I dissect my character every time I'm cast in a project.

With Sebastian, it was last minute and I had to practice my Spanish lines because the majority of my dialogue was in Spanish. Which is not easy because, even though I speak Spanish, it's very Gringo/ American.

So I was trying my best to not sound like a Gringo. I had never done that before so that was fun and maybe a little stressful."

"Everything about making a movie is challenging," said Boothby. "I believe that's why so few people actually do it! We initially put our faith in the wrong people. We had someone we trusted steal $7000 from us right off the bat. We had to start over again and again. We were shut down by the pandemic. We rewrote the entire script, hired new people and kept learning! We have taken on all the risk and that is absolutely terrifying when dealing with something that has taken such a huge part of our lives and resources, and at the same time, it is exhilarating to know, whatever we have, it's ours forever."

It took them 24 days to shoot with five or six pick-up shots after, said Sommer.

Next was editing, which took about four months, he said. "It was 20 Terabytes of footage, which was a lot of footage to comb through. I edited a super clean rough cut. Then, from me it went to Javier Mayol, who cleaned and edited my cut. From there, it went to Nicolas Jullian for color correction and sound. Nico also edited and cleaned up the movie after our test screenings. Erick Shroder did the score."

They had private screenings to help them get feedback and tweak

A rel axing night in t he count ry l ike t his among f riends soon woul d have an unexpect ed t urn...

the film before going on to the film festival circuit. They are aiming for top tier fests.

When asked what he hopes audience come away with after watching the film, Mayol said, "I hope they leave the theater and they can't stop talking about the film and about the characters, the twists and turns and revelations of the inner struggle (demon) each of them carried.

Those are the films that I love most, the ones that are layered that you can't stop thinking about even after the audience has finished watching. We have gotten some people in our screenings who message us days later talking about how some scenes affected them and how they couldn't stop thinking about the film."

Mayol added, "I have loved every moment of this project and all my previous projects. Sometimes production life is not easy, hard days are part of the process, but every day is a gift if I am doing what I love."

Boothby added, " I believe through the medium of film you can cause someone to walk in another person's shoes and create a deeper understanding and empathy for those they may have never otherwise understood. I love this about acting! I want to make people feel something since we know people don't remember much of what is said, but they will never forget how you make them feel."

There are more scripts in the works that some of this group will be working on soon.

Mayol also mentioned he has an animated film he wrote in production called "Adopted by Aliens" and other projects. For more about Mayol, visit www.phoenixfirefilms.com or find him on Instagram under @jjmfilm.

Sommer added that he is directing two feature films and they are currently in pre-production. One film is shooting in South Florida early September and the second is filming in Atlanta in October. They are through his production company, Twelve36 Films (Twelve36Films.com), in partnership with Monkey Films (MonkeyFilmsMiami.com). "We just filmed some commercials this past month for KFC, Sketchers and Hornitos Tequilla."

He added, "I also started up an on-going acting class in Davie and I'm shooting Acting Reels for actors/ actresses who need to update their reel or for those who don't have a reel."

Rimi said, although he is working on several scripts, "Ultimately, I want to see which direction 'iPossessed' takes us.

It's already been a wild ride to get to where we are now. I can only imagine what the future has in store for us and it."

You can find out more about Rimi by visiting CarlRimi.com.

Boothby does not have a website... yet, but says she is on Facebook as well as Instagram under @healthytamilee.

Some cast & crew t ook phot os wit h new f ans, incl uding IS f ounder Rachel Gal vin, at screening at Movies of Del ray.

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I NDEPENDENT STREAK M AGAZI NE Ju n e/ Ju l y 2022

BRJFF Announces Awar ds The Judy Levis Krug Boca Raton Jewish Film Festival (BRJFF), presented by the Adolph & Rose Levis JCC Sandler Center (Levis JCC Sandler Center) from Feb. 20 through April 30, announced this year?s winners for best feature film, best documentary film and best short film. Viewed by over 3,000 people, audiences consider the hybrid film festival a premiere destination for Jewish and Israeli films and is now considered one of the country?s largest film festivals of its kind.

All 80 films were judged based on the overall quality of the film, effectiveness of the message, entertainment value and audience popularity, among other criteria. ?Over the past six years we have gained the trust and respect of our audiences by hand-selecting a wide variety of films that we believe best represent the unique perspectives of the Jewish experience,?said Lesley Rich, BRJFF program director. ?We are grateful for our partnerships with filmmakers all over the world for sharing their experiences and vision with our community.?

Winners of BRJFF 2022 Best Feat ure Fil m? ?Carol of t he Bel l s?

The Ukrainian film directed by Olesya Morgunets-Isaenko and produced by Maksim Leshchanka tells the story of how the famed Christmas song, ?Carol of the Bells,? adapted from a popular Ukrainian folk melody, came to represent the spirit of brotherhood and unity all over the world.

"It's very important for us and the whole team in these hard times for Ukraine,? said Morgunets-Isaenko. ?Our film was meant to remind the world about the tragedies caused by the war. Now, we witness the same tragedies in our country. Thank you for this opportunity to communicate our message to the audience of the BRJFF." 5

Best Document ary Fil m? ?Fiddl er?s Journey t o t he Big Screen?

Commemorating the 50th anniversary of "Fiddler on the Roof," the film ?Fiddler?s Journey to the Big Screen? captures the humor and drama of director Norman Jewison's quest to recreate the lost world of Jewish life in Tsarist Russia and re-envision the beloved stage hit as a wide-screen epic.

Best Short Fil m??Pops?

Director Lewis Rose and producers Chris Hees, François Morisset and Laura Jumel lead audiences on an adventure as siblings Roz and Elli battle about who will determine their pop's final journey. ?It is not without the community?s support that our festival is able to come to life each year,?said Stephanie Owitz, Levis JCC Sandler Center director of Arts, Culture and Learning. ?We are thankful to our grand benefactor Judy Levis Krug for her steadfast commitment to this organization. Her dedication remains an integral part of presenting this festival.?

For audiences that desire year-round film programming, the Levis JCC Billi & Bernie, Marcus Year-Round Film Programs is proud to present its Summer Series, which runs one Wednesday per month from June through September. Tickets are $10. Visit bocajff.orgfor the full schedule of films, synopses, screening locations and to purchase tickets.

The 7th annual BRJFF is slated to run March 5 through March 26, 2023.

For more information, contact Lisa Barash at lisab@bocafed.org or call 561-558-2514. The Levis JCC Sandler Center is located at 21050 95 Ave. S. in Boca Raton.

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Film Review : "Tiger 24"

By Rachel Gal vin

It may not be officially the king of the jungle, but being bigger than lions, with its bright orange fur with white and black stripes, the stately tiger certainly makes his presence known in the forest. The question is, is the solitary hunter a friend or foe to humans? William Blake?s poem ?Tyger Tyger, burning bright? may fit the way many see the carnivore, as a fearful creature. Others find pride in having a thing of beauty such as this in the world living its own life. The question of the intention of a tiger is at the forefront of a new documentary called ?Tiger 24,? which follows the story of one such predator named Tiger 24, who ends up being put away essentially after being accused of murdering a fourth victim. But is his conviction so cut and dried?

Filmed over eight years in and around Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in India, the movie shows the beauty and compassion of T24, otherwise known as Ustad by locals, as he spends time with his family, his mating partner, Noor, and two cubs. It includes statements by those who say Ustad did nothing wrong. It was the men who ventured into its territory who were in the wrong and the big cat should not be punished. There are others who claim that it was not even T24 who did

the killing. But it also provides statements from officials who claim T24 was not only the killer of these men, but also did it deliberately.

Despite pleas from the community to give T24 leniency and let him live in the huge landscape he has always enjoyed, he was taken away to a zoo, away from the public, and made to live in a small area offering nothing more than a little walking space, apart from his home and family, and unable to live like a tiger should. The fight to save him has gone to the Supreme Court, and has exposed the failings and limitations of the systems in place designed to protect these endangered animals. To the locals, T24 is the ?King of Kings? and beloved. They are proud to have him in their backyard.

Director Warren Pereira does a great job at showing all aspects and showing the people?s emotions on all sides of the argument. He also brilliantly captures the solitude and majesty of the tiger?s daily routine ? hunting, swimming, spending time with family, peacefully walking and more. For those who are animal lovers, this film will tug at your heart strings. Be aware, there are graphic images of the victims who were mauled by a tiger.

The film had its east coast premier at Living Room Theater in Boca Raton, FL recently.

Pereira hopes Tiger 24 will bring focus to issues he encountered while making the film. Pereira says, ?I believe that this film can start a discussion on the boundaries between the little remaining space large carnivores occupy, and desperately need, as they get squeezed by a growing concrete jungle.?

Warren Pereira is a creatively driven, award-winning filmmaker whose work has garnered the industry?s top accolades, including the Cannes Gold Lion. His work has been showcased at top international film festivals. Additionally, Pereira founded The Tiger Fund LLC, which produces content relating to tiger conservation including films for the government of India.

For more information, visit https://t24movie.com.

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I NDEPENDENT STREAK M AGAZI NE Miss an issue?

P u b lis h e r 's No t e We are smack dab in Summer and it is not over yet. The heat is on. It is sweltering outside, making us feel sluggish and wanting to stay indoors. So how do we stay productive? Now is the time to go through what hasn't worked in the beginning of the year, throw it out and start a new. After all, there is still another half of 2022 to go.

What will you accomplish? Start thinking about what you would like to achieve by the end of 2022.

I was happy to be asked to judge for the 48 Hour Film Project in Jacksonville for the first time. You will find more about that within these pages as well!

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I NDEPENDENT STREAK M AGAZI NE Ju n e/ Ju l y 2022

Jack sonville 48 Hour Film Pr oject

JUDGES

The 15th Annual Jacksonville 48 Hour Film Project kicked off at The Jessie on Friday, April 29 and they had screenings at WJCT Studios on May 19-21 with a awards show on May 31.

Congratulations to Team Jartoman for their film "Threshold" as they took home Best Film. They received $500 and a roundtrip plane trip for two to Los Angeles to see their film go against the world at Filmapalooza. They will be flying out from JAX to LAX. See more winners below.

For more information on the fest, visit www.48hourfilm.com/en/jacksonville-fl

Michael Howell is an Actor/ Activist, originally from the midwest. Michael came to New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina to volunteer for two weeks. He quickly fell in love with the city, and after nearly 10 years of full-time volunteer work where he did everything from jumping in front of bulldozers, to helping start several shelters in the city, he decided to pursue his lifelong dream of acting.

Michael has acted in several well-known Television shows, such as "N.C.I.S. New Orleans," "Claws," and "The First," where he acted opposite of Sean Penn as the virtual reality of Sean Penn's character. Michael's biggest project, and the one closest to his heart, was the movie "Deepwater Horizon," where he played the role of Roy Wyatt Kemp. Michael had the honor of meeting the family of the man that he played in "Deepwater Horizon," and to this day feels like he gained a new family from his time on the project.

WINNERS Best Set Design - Dooley Noted Best Musical Score - Threshold - Yehezkel Raz Best Sound Design - Threshold - Gordon Richards Best Makeup - Holidaze Best Use of Character - Threshold Best Use of Prop - Threshold Best Line Of Dialogue - Dee?s Notes Best Use Of Genre - Broken Record Best Graphics - Games - David Lu Best Special Effects / Visual Effects - Threshold - Synthia Roy & Gwyn Whiteman Best Costumes - Holidaze Best Sound - Dooley Noted Best Cinematography - Threshold - Justen Mann Best Ensemble Acting - Dooley Noted Best Supporting Actor - Dooley Noted - Johnny C. Thomas, Jr. Best Supporting Actress - Dooley Noted - Olivia Lynch Best Actor - Threshold - Jaron Wallace Best Actress - Threshold - Brooks Anne Meierdierks Best Editor - Threshold- C. Brent Mooney Best Writer - Dooley Noted-Jay Palmer Best Director - Threshold-Tom Siedle Audience Choice Winner (Group A) - Smash & Grab Audience Choice Winner (Group B) - Threshold Audience Choice Winner (Group C) - Dee?s Notes Best Film - Threshold

MICHAEL HOWELL

ISRAEL GARCIA Israel Garcia is an Ecuadorian filmmaker with 20 years of experience in the industry. He graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in the Video and Film Production Program. He is an owner of Bad Iguana Productions, based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and a film

professor at Middle Tennessee State University.

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RACHEL GALVIN Rachel Galvin has been a jurist for multiple festivals through the years in South Florida. She has helped to run the Super Geek Film Festival at Supercon and Spooky Empire's Horror Film Festival. She has been an actress and award-winning writer for over 20 years and has her own magazine about the film industry called Independent Streak Magazine (which you are now reading!)

In addition, she has written a book about the industry called "Basics of the Biz."

SIMON KING Simon King made his first claymation films at the age of 8 using his father?s 8mm Bolex camera, and by the age of 12 he had written and produced his first stage play for an audience. After years of shooting horrid commercials for carpet companies and car dealerships, he transitioned to executive positions in high tech and the music industry, but always kept active in the film industry with writing screenplays and directing projects. He is an award-winning screenwriter, producer and director. His recent film, "The Rise of Whore Betsy," qualified for the 92nd Academy Awards.

King is currently in post-production on a film and pre-production on a feature set to shoot in Greece in late 2022. Simon King's first novel was published by Ingram in spring 2022.

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NEW ART FILM SERIES At MDC's Tower Theat er Miami Dade College?s (MDC) Tower Theater Miami will bring seven art films to the big screen, starting Tuesday, Jul. 19, 2022 through Tuesday, Apr. 18, 2023. The following films are slated to be shown: SCHEDULE ·Tuesday, July 19, at 7 p.m. - ?Frida Kahlo? ·Tuesday, Aug. 16 , at 7 p.m. - ?Canaletto and the Art Of Venice? ·Tuesday, Sept. 20, at 7 p.m. - ?Goya Visions of Flesh and Blood? ·Tuesday, Oct. 18, at 7 p.m. - ?Hopper? ·Tuesday, Nov. 29, at 7 p.m. - ?Cezanne: Portraits of a Life? ·Tuesday, Dec. 13, at 7 p.m. - ?Renoir: Revered and Reviled? ·Tuesday, Apr. 18, at 7 p.m. - ?Vermeer: The Blockbuster Exhibition Tower Theater Miami is located in the heart of Little Havana at 1508 SW 8 Street. Tickets for the art film series are $15 per person, per movie, and $13 for Miami Film Society members. To purchase tickets, learn about upcoming events or to inquire about event rentals, visit www.towertheatermiami.com.

I NDEPENDENT STREAK M AGAZI NE

FLOW FILM FESTIVAL 20 22 The FLOW FIlm Festival took place May 22-29 at Cinema Paradiso in Hollywood, FL bringing in filmmakers from all over. The festival focuses on films that include women within their crew/ cast.

They had plenty of fun events at the fest, including giving out awards. They even had master classes, fun with Virtual Reality and more.

See additional details about the festival schedule in the previous issue. Here are some photos from the festival, provided by co-founder Kimberly Douglas, and the list of award-winners.

For more information, visit www.flowffm.org.

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FUN at FLOW

The band Mat ure Musical Pict ures won Best Music Video.

Sybil G. Award For Lif et ime Document ary goes t o "Daisy." Pict ured: Jennif er East, Anna East , Mary Brot hert on.

Awar ds 20 22 Honorabl e Ment ion- "Lagrimas Negras" -Jessica Alvarez Best St udent Short - "Pass"- Elika Abdollahi Best Foreign Music Video- "Tik Tok Rolle" Suzanna Ngoc Lam Best Foreign Fil m- "Sugar Crush" - Aida Tebianian Best Lo/ No Budget Short -"Naji"-Shima Esmaeeli, Sara Diyaripoor, Parisa Amini Best Screenpl ay- "Amy and Angel" Julia Verdin, Deedee Benkovich Best Horror - "Birthday Boy"- Esmeelda Hernandez Best Experiment al Short - "The Escape"Liudmila Komrakova Best Dramat ic Short - "Counting"Sarah Young, Toni Ernst Best Document ary ? "Pantanal: A Charred Wetland" Laura Pennafort Best Act or- Evan Malouf - "Sun Tea" Best Act ress- Meredith Vivian- "Quakeproofing" Best Direct or- Charise Sowells- "Sun Tea" Best Cinemat ography - Deoch Dance Best Pict ure - "Lilian"- Cathy Elizabeth Tyson, Natasha Marburger Best Short Fil m - "Sophia"- Janelle Christa, Michele Ly Best of Fest - "Sophia" Best Perf ormance Fil m- "Between Two Worlds" Jax Weiner Best Comedic Short ? "Open House"- Tiffany Walker The Hope Award f or Excel l ence- "The Truth About Happiness and Wellbeing" - Olesya Holker, Sophie Vlasova Best Music Video- "Drones"- Mature Musical Pictures Sybl e G. Award f or l if et ime Document aryJennifer East, Lori Turchin Best Animat ed Short - "The Unknown" FLOW Lif et ime Awards- Khara Keyes, Kyle Ziton and Juan Alonso Biggest Social Impact - Black Voices|Black Stories - Joy Satterlee

Open Voices: Bl ack Voices| Bl ack St ories won f or Biggest Social Impact .

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I NDEPENDENT STREAK M AGAZI NE Focus On Feeling Good Films!

Fi l m Rev i ew : " How to Pl ease a Woman"

By Rachel Gal vin

In the new Australian film ?How to Please a Woman,? directed by Renee Webster, Gina (Sally Phillips) is a MIAMI short FILM FESTIVAL frustrated woman in her 50s in an unsatisfying marriage and unappreciated at work. She has lost her voice and (MIAMIsFF), with the support from feels jealous of her friends' relationships. Then, she loses Deering Estate, presents Focus On: her job to a younger and more? ahem? robust woman.

Feeling Good Films. Join them on Unsure where to turn, she redoes her resume and gets ready to send it out but an unexpected birthday gift gives Sunday, July 24 to enjoy some her a novel idea for a business venture that will eventually positive vibes of short films that change her life. will help you feel good and have a The business is converting a moving business into good time! household cleaning, but the catch is that the ones doing the cleaning are young men, who do it topless. When the women demand more than just cleaning, Gina is horrified? at first? but eventually is convinced that They will be featuring seven letting women have the pleasure they demand may be just the right business model. short films that have previously In the process, she not only finds business success but also is able to find her voice, stand up for herself and participated in the festival, along pave a new path. with a fun pre-screening cocktail This is a film that women, especially, will appreciate. It features actors who have not only been in many Australian productions, but also in the United States. Phillips was in ?Veep? and the Bridget Jones movies. hour and music.

Alexander England, who played Tom, one of the housecleaners, was in ?Alien Covenant.? Erik Thomson, who Showtime is at 7 p.m. with a played Steve, who ran the moving business initially, was in ?Somersault,? and the Amazon series ?Back to the cocktail hour preceding it starting Rafters.? These are just a few examples.

If you are looking for a light but thoughtful comedy that at 6 p.m. you can watch with the girls, this is a great bet.

For more information, visit There will be a special screening on July 21 at Movies of www.miamishortfilmfestival.com. Delray, at 7421 W Atlantic Ave. in Delray Beach. It is Ladies Night. The party starts at 6:30 p.m. They promise a sexy night with Dr. Stacy Friedman, a Clinical Sexologist and Certified Sex/Intimacy Coach doing a Q&A following the film, as well as a party before with Angel's Secrets, specializing in lingerie and adult novelties, and an all male burlesque revue too! And there will be a sexy drink special.

Who knows what the night will bring! For info. on the theater, visit www.moviesofdelray.com.

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I NDEPENDENT STREAK M AGAZI NE Ju n e/ Ju l y 2022

Popcor n Fr ight s Par t ner s Wit h ALTER South Florida's own Popcorn Frights, which is known for its sci-fi, fantasy and horror films, has announced a partnership with the genre streaming platform ALTER to host a free theatrical experience for film fans, in-keeping with the streamers?mission to help cinema-lovers discover and watch beautiful, interesting and incredible films.

From August 19-21, the ?ALTER Screening Room,? located at the O Cinema South Beach, located at 1130 Washington Ave. in Miami Beach, will feature brand new film premieres selected from across the world, as well as Popcorn Frights?shorts blocks celebrating up-and-coming filmmakers. Additionally, ALTER representatives will be in attendance during the festival and will host and moderate panel discussions and industry sessions.

Entry to all screenings will be free, but registration will be required in advance on a first come, first served basis. Festival badge holders will be given priority access to register for all ?ALTER Screening Room? events.

ALTER will also build on its partnership with Popcorn Frights by considering all the short films premiering at the festival for distribution on the online platform. Together, Popcorn Frights and ALTER seek to discover and develop independent and emerging artists, and to provide a platform for them to showcase their works to a global audience.

Celebrated as one of ?The World?s 50 Best Genre Festivals? by MovieMaker

Magazine, Popcorn Frights?eighth edition kicks off August 11-21, 2022, with more than 8,000 filmgoers and industry professionals expected to attend its summer week of wicked films, events and parties. In addition to the ?ALTER Screening Room? at the O Cinema South Beach, this year Popcorn Frights also returns to the landmark Savor Cinema in downtown Fort Lauderdale, a state-of-the-art theater which was originally built as a Methodist Church in the 1940s. All screenings at the Savor Cinema will take place from August 11-14 and will be ticketed events.

Popcorn Frights showcases features and shorts by filmmakers from around the world to an audience of horror lovers and filmmakers, industry and journalists. Amongst others, Lucile Hadzihalilovic, Scott Beck & Bryan Woods, Issa Lopez, Jenn Wexler, Leigh Whannel, Justin Long, Jennifer Reeder, Adam Egypt Mortimer, Natasha Kermani, Joe Lynch and horror legend Chuck Russell have attended, participated and premiered their films at the Popcorn Frights Film Festival. ?We live and breathe genre filmmaking at Popcorn Frights. For the past eight years, we have had the opportunity to amplify the work of so many stellar emerging filmmakers, and our new partnership with ALTER will only expand our ability to enrich the next generation of storytellers and create a more inclusive filmgoing experience for our Greater Miami community. In a time when we need movies more than ever, we look forward to having all our fans being inspired by the most bloody international badassery & terror that will premiere at the ALTER Screening Room during this year?s Popcorn Frights Film Festival,? said Igor Shteyrenberg & Marc Ferman, Co-Founders & Co-Directors of Popcorn Frights. ?ALTER is committed to bringing viewers the best quality horror content in the world, from the freshest voices in the genre,? said Sophie Carroll, ALTER?s senior manager of acquisitions. ?I am excited to scout out the best new films for possible distribution and bring more attention to ALTER?s extensive catalogue. As a horror fan, this is a festival you can?t miss.?

For more details, visit www.popcornfrights.com

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I NDEPENDENT STREAK M AGAZI NE Faded Facts of JAX Guts Hopeless Loose Mr. Sunshine's Big Boiga Joint - Patty Heist Nurse Janet One For The Books Son Of Man Returns Speedwalker The Omen Show

LOL JAX Fil m Fest ival Par t VI Ready to laugh? Check out the LOL Jax Film Festival Aug. 6-7 located in a new venue at the WJCT Soundstage at 100 Festival Park Ave. in Jacksonville, FL. The comedy film festival highlights local filmmakers, stand-up comedians, musicians and businesses. This show was started back in 2017 and has been bringing laughs ever since.

This year's event is hosted by Jenn Weeks, with comedy by Bobby Brown Jr. and Leroy Gordon, and live music at the Saturday after party with local musician Jeremy Ryan. Don't miss the Awards Show on Sunday after the screenings where the winner will receive $1000.

They also will have Wildcrafters, Manifest Distilling, The Family Nut Hut, Popcorn, Cotton Candy and much more.

Sunday, August 7 A Kiss A Part Of The Art Airborne!

Amen Eddie & Willie Fiasco Nobody?s Hurt Quiet On The Set Smash and Grab The Cure Thymelines

Fil ms/ skit s t o be screened: Sat urday, August 6 Buenas Noches Cold Shower Epitaph 13

Time To Buy Ted Gets Laid Off Who?s Dating David?

For more information and tickets, visit https://loljax.com.

I NDEPENDENT STREAK M AGAZI NE Miami/ Ft .

Lauder dale 48 Hour Film Pr oject Filmmakers, are you ready for a challenge? The Miami/ Ft. Lauderdale 48 Hour Film Project is upon us. It is July 29-31 but registration ends July 19!

As the name suggests, the goal is to make a film in 48 hours... that means cast, write, create, edit and deliver during that time. Filmmakers get the genre and a few other items they have to include in their film. The rest is up to their creative genius.

The competition is open to newbies to pros and the winner goes on to Filmapalooze 2023 in LA for a chance to go to the Cannes Film Festival's Short Film Corner. The top three teams this year will also go to the soon-to-be-announced 48HFP "Yes We Cannes" challenge in December.

If you have never made a film before but think you can take it on, this is a good start. If you have made a ton of films and are up for the challenge, this will be fun for you too.

The films are shown August 4 at the Victory Black Box Theatre at the L.A. Lee YMCA/ Mizell Community Center.

So, when does the fun start? The official kickoff is July 29 from 6-7 p.m. where everyone gets the info. on what they need to do. Then, films must be dropped off no later than 7:30 p.m. on July 31.

To get more info., including on registration fees and how to register, visit https://48hourfilm.com/miami.

Spooky Empir e Hor r or Film Fest ival Spooky Empire's Horror Film Festival comes to the Orange County Convention Center this October 21-23, 2022!

Spooky Empire brings you the goriest, spookiest, and most frightening short and feature-length horror films for your viewing pleasure. With 15,000+ guests attending annually, this film festival continues to be the premier destination to immerse yourself in horror culture. With massive amounts of genre fans, celebrity guests and other special attendees, get your film noticed by all the right people!

This year, IS founder Rachel Galvin and Kurt Donath will not be running the fest, but their good friends Alea Figueroa and Brendan Jackson Rogers will, so it is in good hands!

Awards & Prizes Fearmaker of the Year Best Short Film Best Feature Best International Film Best Special Effects Audience Choice Florida Spotlight Rul es & Terms GENRE ELIGIBILITY: Spooky Empire seeks independent short and feature-length films from around the world in any of the following genre groups: - Horror, Supernatural - Sci-Fi Want all the details? Visit https://filmfreeway.com and look under the Film Festival.

Ready to submit your film? Visit https://filmfreeway.com/ SpookyEmpireFilmFest

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