Independent Streak Magazine--April/ May 2021

In d ep en d en t

St r eak

M a g a zin e Apr il/ May 20 21

Hist or ic Gat eway Theat r e To Reopen, Thank s To FLIFF A l so f eatured: - Spot light : "Sin La Habana" - "The Nor t h Wind" Scr eening - Rose War ner Awar d Pr esent at ion - Film Review : "My Fiona" - Film Review : "Asia" - Film Review : "Los Her manos"

I NDEPENDENT STREAK M AGAZI NE Apr i l / M ay 2021

Film Review : "ASIA"

By Rachel Gal vin Powerful and real, the movie ?Asia? follows the story of a young single mother and her daughter, who has a degenerative disease. The struggle is real and the tension is thick between them. The mother, Asia, is a nurse by day and lies about working the night shift in order to go out and have flings at night. Her daughter, Vika, meanwhile, is a skater chic who just wants to fit in and get a boyfriend of her own; but finds it difficult due to her lack of experience and ailment. As she becomes worse, she isolates herself and depends more and more on her mother, who finds herself overwhelmed.

This film provides both lead actresses great roles to sink their teeth into.

Alena Yiv, as the mother, Asia, manages to showcase held back anger, frustration and sexuality that sometimes spills over as she attempts to figure out how to balance her increasingly difficult life. Shira Haas (known probably best for the TV show "Unorthodox") is almost unrecognizable in this as Vika, looking young, frail and vulnerable while struggling to be just one of the pack.

The film, directed by Ruthy Pribar, was shown at this year's Miami Jewish Film Festival. The film also was picked up for distribution by Menemsha Films. www.menemshafilms.com/asia.

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I NDEPENDENT STREAK M AGAZI NE Apr i l / M ay 2021

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I NDEPENDENT STREAK M AGAZI NE Apr i l / M ay 2021

Ro se W ar n er A w ar d o f Exc e lle n c e

By Rachel Gal vin On March 24, the Arts & Entertainment Entrepreneurial Society (AEES) held a special event at Paradigm Cinemas in Tamarac, Florida. It was an event that would present the brand new Rose Warner Award for Excellence. Two locals were nominated -- local actor/ acting coach Sara Rogers and Alexandra Bello, known as being everything from a pageant queen to a filmmaker, actress and even having her own events at the Alexan dr a Bello w it h aw ar d same location (now Paradigm Cinemas) called Film Carpet.

In the end, it was Bello who won the coveted award and had the chance to give a speech at the event. She said, "We have so much talent and so much beauty here in Florida. We need to forget a little but about the big productions and focus on the original and new productions. Remember 'Moonlight.' Remember all these movies that impact people. It's about the script. It's about the acting. It's not about production value and millions of dollars. If the story is amazing and life changing, that's what we have to work on. We have to work on getting those scripts even more interesting and impact more." She added that screenwriters should not rush through scripts, but should so at least 10 versions before reaching the final product. "It's important to collaborate with each other. We're here to bring a message, to share a story."

Although she was very appreciative of the award, she said the moment was bittersweet because it meant that Rose Warner, who passed away, is no longer with us. "We commemorate her impact on all of us. She brought us all together in so many ways."

Sara Rogers, who has almost 40 years in the bix as a performer and acting coach, said she was honored just to be nominated. She has local acting classes (see ad, page 10).

In addition to the award presentation, there were performances by Persaunah Hearts and Danny Guaico, and some clips of movies that Rose Warner had been involved with (courtesy of George Monteiro).

Several filmmakers came out to the event, including the legendary William Grefe, known for his Grindhouse cinema, B movies and more, as well as Monteiro, who worked with Rose on many films, including "Infadel" and "Highway to Hell" and has a new project in the works called "Shark Whisperer." The ubiquitous Jerome Anthony Larkin was also on-hand to say a few words during interviews and about his latest project "Unsightly Gods" and the book he is working on. These were just a few of the professionals in attendance. These types of events always draw those who are up to something big in the business.

Everyone was very thankful to get together after much absence due to COVID-19, but protocols were still in place to maintain safety. After the event, everyone had the chance to go to the local Dennys to continue the fun.

When asked about why AEES put this event together in honor of Rose, Richard Sosa, one of the founders of AEES, who also worked with Rose on creating a networking event monthly called the Florida Hampton Table for many years, said,"Rose was one of those people who had a passion for the film industry."

AEES has already held a few events in the past and plans to do more in the future to help local filmmakers gain skills and network.

For more information on AEES, visit www.facebook.com/aeesfl/.

Nom in ee Sar a Roger s

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SNA PS at ev ent AEES f ounders Richard Sosa & Frank Ruf f ol o wit h Al exandra Bel l o.

Act ress Cl audine Lee and f riends in t he l obby of Paradigm Cinemas during event .

Rose Warner's daught er, Diana, wit h Al exandra Bel l o.

Al exandra Bel l o wit h perf ormers Danny Guaico & Persaunah Heart s

Act ress Brandi Rudicil & f riend.

About Rose Warner Rose Warner had most of her film industry credits as a producer, but also had been a casting director, director and actress. Rose was a woman who spoke her mind and, even if people disagreed with her opinions, they certainly respected her wide ranging and well-rounded knowledge of the film industry. In addition to her own projects, she also, along with Richard Sosa, ran the local Florida Hampton Table, which allowed local film industry professionals to network. She also held or was part of other local film events. She was asked to be a jurist for the Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival. She even went to Tallahassee to try to get film incentives for Florida. These are just a few of her accomplishments. When she attended events, she usually brought along her daughter Diana, who also is an actress, dancer and more.

Af t er part y at Dennys-- Jerome Ant hony-Larkin, Persaunah Heart s, Al exandra Bel l o, Jayson Cast a, Al exander Marant e, (f ront ) Cel ine Al va, St even Avi, Rachel Gal vin & Diana Warner

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I NDEPENDENT STREAK M AGAZI NE Apr i l / M ay 2021

F ilm R eview: The North Wind

By Rachel Gal vin Fantastical and surreal, the life lived by the clan featured in the Russian movie ?The North Wind? is anything but ordinary. The bizzare cast of characters led by the matriarch, Margarita, brilliantly played by director Renata Litvinova, is stuck in a mansion in the north where the wind whips around them with wintery snow and fierce chill.

The frigidness of the land is a perfect backdrop for the film. This jumble of souls is trapped by the elements, forced to be together whether they like it or not, clinging to their eccentricities and to the concept that an extra magical hour is available to them to ward off death and other bad things. That 13th hour marks time as they note it each passing New Year, a time marker repeated again and again as time marches on.

Everything it seems is slowly rotting away in his locale, from the treasures they bury and struggle to re-find out in the snow, to the foundation of the house gnarled through by roots, to the people themselves that continue to crumble yearly mentally and physically. Even when good things happen, it still manages to turn bad, like Lotta (Galina Tyunina) whose protruding proboscus gets a makeover along with the rest of her but the beauty is short-lived in more ways than one. She is only one of the memorable characters with an outrageous story.

Little details make the story multi-layered and interesting, like Maragrita's constant smoking of a cigarette held up by a stick and constant peering out the window with binoculars for some unknown person, or animals wandering through the house, or an Opera singer carted in on what looks like a chariot, or one of the family members always wearing his military uniform and more. And there is the story of the son whose wife dies and he marries her sister, who he ends up hating, which changes the dynamic of the whole family and Margarita's fate.

This crazy bunch has annual feasts akin to the Mad Hatter's Tea Party. The drama of it all is watchable mostly because of the elements of pop up humor. One of the biggest laughs was that entrance of ?the diva,? (Hibla Gerzmav) the aforementioned opera singer, a woman with 5

windswept hair wheeled in on a chariot of sorts to sing opera quite dramatically for the family's enjoyment and then abruptly leaving, but not without picking up a devoted fan.

What really makes this film lush is the gothic/ baroque set and costume design. Celebrated Georgian designer, Demna Gvasalia (known for Vetements and fashion house Balenciaga) created the costumes for Margarita.

The decadent tale echoes legendary makers of Russian cinematic extravaganza Rustam Khamdamov and Kira Muratova.

The ending leaves you questioning, as the leading lady looks more like a femme fatale and ends up trying to save her family in an unorthodox way... only to "meets with a mysterious stranger" in the end. There are also long musical interludes a few times in the film, adding to the madness of it all.

Special appearances to mention in this gothic fairytale include legendary Russian actress Tatyana Piletskaya and the director's daughter, Ulyana Dobrovskaya, in her film debut.

About Renat a Lit vinova The director, Renata Litvinova, is an award-winning director and actor and has been working in the film industry since 1994. Her films have been featured in international film festivals. She has starred in over 40 films. Litvinova appeared as an actress for the first time in director Kira Muratova?s movie "Passions," for which she wrote the monologue herself.

She has dedicated "The North Wind" to the filmmaker whom she has collaborated with since on films including "Three Stories," "The Tuner," "Two in One" and "Eternal Return."

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" Th e North Wi nd" screeni ng Phot os by Rachel Gal vin

On March 20, "The North Wind" was shown at Savor Cinema in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, bringing in a large crowd, who mostly were Russian. Before the screening, the director Renata Litvinova spoke to the crowd via video, along with others.

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I NDEPENDENT STREAK M AGAZI NE Apr i l / M ay 2021

Film Review : "My Fiona"

By Rachel Gal vin Everyone handles loss in a different way. For Jane (Jeanette Maus), when her best friend Fiona (Sara Amini) mysteriously kills herself, she and Fiona's wife, Gemma (Corbin Reid) and son Bailey (Elohim Nycalove) are left in shock and anguish. They say misery loves company, well, tragedy can bring people together that may have never had such a bond. This is the case for Jane and Gemma after Jane decides to help out by watching their son Bailey. But this kind of bond following grief is not always easy and they have plenty of challenges in navigating life after Fiona, both together and in their individual lives. On top of that, Jane is exploring with the possibility of being with a woman as a love interest for the first time.

This film is an easy watch, with good acting, and interesting and engaging plot and characters, but it is also a difficult watch because anyone who has handled grief can relate, maybe too much, with the varying emotions that can come seemingly out of nowhere... the lashing out, the sudden tears, the desperation, the anger, the lonlieness. The film may present a roller coaster of emotions but it is worth the ride. In addition to the actors mentioned, a special shout out to April Lang, who played Ruth, Fiona's mother, who was wonderfully natural on screen as well. All actors did a wonderful job bringing this powerful story to life.

Again, there are definitely some triggering moments in this film due to it dealing with suicide and grief, and on the website, there is a section about mental health that offers important resources if needed. The film was just shown at the OUTShine Miami Film Festival.

For more information on this film, visit https://myfionafilm.com.

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I NDEPENDENT STREAK M AGAZI NE Apr i l / M ay 2021

Fi l m Rev i ew : "L os H er m an os"

By Rachel Gal vin "Cuban identity is best defined by music. The revolution's core value was to place the human at the center. We believe that art is critical to the development of the whole person," said Guido López-Gavilán, a Cuban composer and father of two amazing musicians... brothers who would find themselves separated in two different countries due to politics. One son, Ilmar, left his homeland of Cuba to study music in Russia and move on to the United States, while the other, Aldo, although he did study in England, otherwise remained in his home country, The ocean may separate them but it is their love of music that continues to unite them, and their dream of not only playing together again, but also recording an album.

The documentary, directed by Marcia Jarmel and Ken Schneider and told half in Brot hers Il l mar & Al do perf orm t oget her.

English and half in Spanish with subtitles, talks about their individual journeys through life apart. They come from a musical family, not only their father, a composer, but also their mother, who was a pianist, and others in the family like her father before her, who played the clarinet. Aldo started out trying to play the cello, but that did not last long and ended up playing the piano instead ... so his mother's hope of creating a trio was dashed, but she remained proud just the same.

Both brothers ended up marrying musicians as well. Aldo's wife is a composer and Ilmar's wife is a cellist.

Luckily, for the whole family, after years of politically-imposed separation, they were able to get together for a visit once President Obama took office and changed things, but the visit was not long enough. However, later, they were given some amazing opportunities in America to play with celebrities and well-known musicians. Doors were opened for the duo, but, soon, with a political change of office in the United States, travel became even more complicated.

The film is told in a way that keeps the story interesting, interspersing plenty of Crew on set of "Los Hermanos" musical performances, flashback footage of their now dearly departed mother talking about how her sons got their start, interviews with all members of the family, coverage of their visit back home, and Ilmar being able to see neighbors and relatives after many years, as well as Aldo's first visit to America, and subsequent performances together.

The film not only is a human interest story filled with heart focused on this talented family, but also an inside look at what it means to be a resident of Cuba. While the government ensures their people do not go hungry, they are lacking in variety. Getting a chicken once a month does not make for an interesting menu, rather they may sustain themselves more on rice, beans and vegetables more likely. They also miss some of the big box stores they might find in America, like Home Depot. Although dilapidated, the buildings in Cuba do possess plenty of charm. Their 9 retro cars do as well.

Speaking of cars, it was interesting to watch Aldo see the birthplace of the types of cars he is used to seeing in Cuba -Detroit, which, according to Illmar, has been rundown for at least 25 years. The graffiti filled abandoned buildings and makeshift art crafted out of things that are discarded remind Aldo of home. But Illmar thinks that living in Detroit must actually be worse since those who live in poverty and ruin When t he brot hers were abl e t o t ravel around t he count ry perf orming, t hey got t he chance t o capt ure t he moment , there are taunted by Fil ming "Los Hermanos" on t he Mal econ in Cuba. those not that far away l ike at t his Heidel berg Project , an out door art environment in Det roit . who seemingly have it all. This part of the film was a stark reminder that America has its own challenges right here at home.

The film, in that sense, is more than it seems. It is thought-provoking as well as being sentimental. It showcases real families affected by the politics of their leaders.

"Los Hermanos" was just shown at the Miami Film Festival. To see where it is showing next and see more about the film, visit www.hermanosbrothersfilm.info/screenings.

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I NDEPENDENT STREAK M AGAZI NE Apr i l / M ay 2021

Spotlight: "Sin La Habana"

By Rachel Gal vin

A clear, glass marble-transparent, luminiscent, smooth and round...

In the film "Sin La Habana," the marble has other properties -- it encompasses dreams and destiny, superstition and tradition, worldly wants and spiritual yearnings. All of those symbols are included in this feature film which follows Leonardo (Yonah Acosta) and his girlfriend Sara (Evelyn O'Farrill) and their quest for a better life.

Leonardo is a dancer who keeps losing jobs seemingly because of lack of confidence or lack of the proper attitude, but he thinks it is because of racism. His frustration and anger is palpable. HIs girlfriend is an ambitious lawyer who convinces him that he should do whatever he needs to do to get them out of Cuba. Her suggeston is seduce a tourist in hopes of her being the way out. He does so successfully. He meets Nasim (Aki Yaghoubi), a divorcee from Canada and she ends up beckoning him back to her country.

Once he moves there, the lies begin as he secretly works to bring his girlfriend to his new country. The destiny they all hoped 11 for is dashed when the secrets come

out.

Beautifully shot, the film is a cultural smorgasboard, filled with all the colors and sounds of Cuba, Canada and also Iran (which is Nasim's culture).

Kaveh Nabatian filmed the project in Montreal and Havana, Cuba. He talked to IS about some of the challenges of filming in these locations. "Getting permission to shoot in Cuba took time, and there were bumps along the road, but in the end we developed a great relationship with the ICAIC (Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industria Cinematográficos), and the shoot went really well."

He originally started thinking about the film back in 2005 so the film was a long time in the making before shooting even began. "I developed the project with musician and academic Pablo Herrera from the outset. Once we finally got the financing, it was fairly quick to move into production," said Nabatian. "I took quite a few trips to Havana to find locations and cast, and we shot for a total of 25 days.

The edit took a while because it was so important to find the right balance to do justice to each of the three main characters' narratives.

The blend between the story and the expressive elements, shot on 16mm, also had to be seamless and evenly weighted. And since I

composed the music for the film, that added another layer too. So all told, from the embryo of an idea in 2005 to a finished film in 2020, 15 years!"

Asked what drew him to the topic of the film in the first place, he said, "I was fascinated with the relationships between Cubans and tourists, especially the transactional relationships where sex or friendship is traded for money or papers. I was curious ... What happens when real emotion gets tangled with the transaction? Are the tourists always naive and the jineteros always predatory? What are the backstories that lead people to these kinds of situations? Pablo and I did a lot of research and came up with this story together over the course of many years. For Pablo, it was particularly important to show Afro-Cuban culture in an authentic way, without exotifying or or relegating it to the side. That?s why Santeria, music, and dance all figure prominently."

The director had a wonderful cast in the film, which was derived from a mix of people he knew and standard casting calls he had. He explained, "I knew Julio Hong from a previous project, and since he is a dancer and choreographer himself who is very active in the Cuban dance world, he was able to put me in touch with Yonah Acosta (Leonardo). Yonah, in addition to being the nephew of ballet superstar Carlos Acosta, is the principal dancer at the Bayerische Staatsballet in Munich, so I visited him there and did a kind of "casting session" on my iphone in the hallway of the dance studio.

He had never acted in a film, but he?s an incredible dancer and I knew the story would resonate with him, so we took a chance on each other and I think he really developed into a fine actor. I met Evelyn O?Farrill (Sara) at an open casting call we did in Havana, and I knew she was right as soon as she walked into the room. And for the role of Nasim, we did casting sessions with every Iranian actress in Montreal, and many in the rest of Canada, to find Aki Yaghoubi."

Working with new actors is always a challenge and it certainly was for Nabatian. But, they had another challenge-- the language barrier.

The culmination of so many cultures was a blessing, but also proved

to have its difficulties as well. He explained, "None of the lead actors had any real film experience, and it was my first feature. Not only that, but we had a crew that was half Cuban and half Quebecois and had different approaches. So the combination of nerves, inexperience, cross-cultural confusion, and the fact that we were working in three languages (English, Spanish and French), was overwhelming at first.

We got into a groove pretty quickly, and I loved my crew and actors, but while we were editing, whenever we wanted a good laugh, we?d look at the first take of the first day, because it was so atrocious that it was actually hilarious."

The multiculturalism adds so much to this film, a zest for life. Every scene drips with passion... for life... for art... for culture... for love... for lust...

"One of my favourite memories was during an intimate scene between Leo and Sarah in Havana," said Nabatian. "Those kinds of physical love scenes can be a real challenge. We cleared the set so that it was just the DP, actors, assistant director and I. I knew that both actors are amazing dancers, so instead of blocking out a typical 'sex scene,' I approached it more as an improvised dance. They weren?t allowed to think about what was coming next, they were only allowed to respond to each other?s movements and be in the moment. It was a bit of an experiment, and I wasn?t sure it would work, to be honest, but I think we ended up with something really beautiful and special. Those moments where the actors are really present and the camera is moving intuitively are the reasons why I do this insane job. Nothing feels more alive."

"Sin La Habana" was recently screened during the Miami Film Festival, but it has also been seen at the Festival du Nouveau Cinéma in Montreal, where it won the Prix de la Distribution for Outstanding National Film, MISAFF in Ontario, where it swept the awards, and the Ashland Independent Film Festival, where it just played. "We hope for it to have a long life on the festival circuit, followed by a theatrical run and then streaming," he said.

Besides being a director, Nabatian is also a musician. When not promoting this film, he is busy playing trumpet with his band, Bell Orchestre. "We just released our third album on the Erased Tapes 12

label. I?m very proud of the record, which was also many years in the making, and I look forward to performing with some orchestras in Europe and Canada in the Fall, as long as this damn virus lets up. I?m also finishing a sensorial dance-vodou-music documentary that I shot in Haiti about the incredible spirit of creativity and transformation amongst Haitian people. And I?m working on the script for my next feature film," he said.

Nabatian likes the idea of using film to create a new world, something he first thought about back when he was a kid watching films like "Star Wars" with his brother. "The idea that there?s an actual person who could create that kind of universe just blew my mind (and still does). When I realized that the person who invents dreams for other people to experience is called a director, it became very clear that I should do that job," he said.

His advice for people looking to get into the business of filmmaking? "Make films! People can make decent looking films on their phones now, so there?s no real excuse not to do it. And my other advice is to watch good films. I don?t necessarily think film school is necessary, but what?s wonderful about film school is that it introduces you to films that you wouldn?t watch otherwise. It?s a lot easier to watch Bling Empire when you turn on the TV at night than an old classic Bergman or Hitchcock. But you learn so much more from Bergman and Hitchcock. So seek out good cinema. What?s amazing nowadays is that with streaming services like Criterion and Mubi, you can be introduced to really great cinema that might not have been accessible before."

For more information on the director, visit http://kavehnabatian.com/project/sin-la-habana-current-title/ and visit the Facebook and Instagram pages for "Sin La Habana."

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I NDEPENDENT STREAK M AGAZI NE Apr i l / M ay 2021

Court esy of Gregory Von Hausch

Hist or ic Gat eway Theat r e t o r eopen t hank s t o FLIFF

By Rachel Gal vin A piece of history is reborn in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The historic Gateway Theare, located on Sunrise Boulevard and Federal Highway, which has been shutdown for over a year due to the Coronavirus, is springing back to life thanks to the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF).

FLIFF has taken over the lease, after entering into an agreement with the property management company, Smith Moses Morris and Associates. The deal was brought to fruition thanks to FLIFF President & CEO Gregory von Hausch, as well as Managing Director Heather Gilchrist. ?This past year has been a great challenge for all of us. With the addition of the Gateway Theatre, we look forward to celebrating a 15

post-pandemic film renaissance with a wide array of offerings, special events and viewing options,? said Von Hausch.

The theatre, which was said to have been open originally in 1951, has had a long history of showcasing independent cinema, a passion for Von Hausch and so many others in the community, who already seek out indies at FLIFF's other locations -- Savor Cinema (also in Fort Lauderdale) and Cinema Paradiso-Hollywood. This new location will have both indies and mainstream films on display.

FLIFF has taken over the lease and plans to open in May (on Memorial Day) after doing some renovations to areas and gradually doing other renovations as funds allow. Some of the areas which will get some refreshing include the bathrooms, the bar and concession area, outdoor lighting, a reimagined walkway, and the neon sign out front.

He hopes to bring it into the 21st Century while retaining its historic quality. The theatre is an intimate locale with four-screens and 690 seats.

It has been home to many great films through the years, including "Where the Boys Are," which brought actress/ singer Connie Francis further into the limelight. That film, which was shown on Dec. 21, 1960, just celebrated its 60th anniversary last year, which was commemorated at a special event at the Galleria Mall, which included photos displayed from the famous film.

Perhaps, once again, celebrities will be entering the doors of this historic theatre like it did all those yeard ago. After all, Von Hausch has Court esy of Hist ory Fort Lauderdal e

brought a plethora of celebrities and internationally-known filmmakers to his other two locations through the years during the film festival, as well as at special occasions.

The big thing now is to get more funding for the theatre. There already have been some FLIFF fans who have stepped up to the plate to lend a helping hand. FLIFF Superstar member and donor Scott Bennett made a generous initial investment this year, with a commitment to provide annual donations in 2022 and 2023 through the Scott L. Bennett Charitable Fund at Our Fund Foundation. Board member and volunteer director Janet Schwartz also provided additional funding. Other Board Members have shown enthusiasm as to this newest addition.

Bennett said, ?It was important to me personally and as Board Chair of Our Fund Foundation to assist in the growth opportunity for FLIFF to provide the movie programming, which had long been presented at the Classic Gateway Theatre. The entire Fort Lauderdale community will benefit from the continuation of this iconic theatre."

FLIFF Chairman of the Board Skip Margerum added, ?After many years of presenting films at Cinema Paradiso and Savor Cinema, we are excited to take the next step in growing our festival, as well as increasing our year-round offerings of diverse films and special events."

FLIFF plans to reopen the theatre, with a return to its original name The Gateway Theatre, Memorial Day Weekend, which is just one month before the ground-breaking ceremony 71 years ago on June 30, 1950.

Interested in being a part of renovating this classic theatre? They continue to look for sponsors, including corporate sponsors. For further information, email Von Hausch at Greg@fliff.com.

Gateway History at a Glance -

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1951-- Opened March 24, 1951 with a parade down

Sunrise Boulevard and the world premiere of Bill Mauldin's comedy Up Front, starring David Wayne.

1960-- On December 21, 1960, the Fort Lauderdale Spring Break production ?Where the Boys Are? made its world premiere, with appearances by several of the film?s celebrated stars, including Paula Prentis, Tim Hutton, Maggie Pierce and producer Joe Pasternak putting Fort Lauderdale on the map as the Spring Break capital.

1976 -- theater divides the single auditorium of 1600 seats into two.

1984-- theater divides the auditorium again into four auditoriums of 690 seats each, as it is today.

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