Independent Streak Magazine--Winter 2023

In d ep en d en t Streak W in t er

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48 Hour Film Fest FLIFF 20 23 Hollywood FL Film Fest Film Spot light : "Golden Vanit y" Subcult ur e Film Fest Swede Fest Spooky Empir e Hor r or Film Fest

I NDEPENDENT STREAK M AGAZI NE

4 8 h o u r f ilm p r o jec t

By Rachel Gal vin This year, Cathleen Dean stepped down from running the 48 Hour Film Project after at least a decade of dedication and Dana DellaCamera and her Arts Accelerator took over. This event fits in perfectly with the Dana Del l aCamera speaks. mission of Arts Accelerator. DellaCamera said, "The goal of the Arts Accelerator is to develop and showcase local talent so the 48-hour film project and South Florida FIlmmaker Showcase allow us to do that.

Our goal is to create a sustainable film industry in South Florida and build and connect the community to accomplish that goal. In addition, we provide networking events, live script readings, and masterclasses in Screenwriting and Filmmaking. All of these activities are aimed at developing, showcasing, and retaining talent."

There may be a different person in the helm but the rules of the competition Broward Count y Fil m remain the same. Those who participate Commissioner & Fil m had to create a movie in 48 hours, that Fl orida President Sandy includes writing the script, casting the film, Light erman discusses filming it and editing it. That already is a incent ives. tall order, but also each filmmaker has to make sure to include certain elements: a prop, a name and a line. And each has to pull their genre out of a hat basically. This year, they were given two genres to choose from, or 1

they could combine them. This year's prop was headphones. The name was Paul or Paula Mitchum. The line was "He said to wait right there."

Once the films were complete, they were screened at a special event on Sept. 23 at Savor Cinema. Thirty-two films were submitted. The place was packed. Some food was served courtesy of Red Chair Catering and people mingled with their peers in between taking pics on the red carpet or being interviewed by Angela Andronache or Michelle Chin.

There were also several classes taking place, including an acting workshop by Richardson Chery, a workshop on Writing a Hit TV Series with Showrunner/ Writer Cynthia Knight. In addition, there were screenings of the Florida Filmmaker Showcase films. In addition, Broward County

Film Commissioner and Film Florida President Sandy Lighterman spoke about film incentives. Hal Axler from Savor Cinema and the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival talked about what was coming up and a special Movie Lover Club that filmmakers could participate in for discounted and free films.

The overall winner was "The Sad Song of Lolita" by Stage 22, which also won Best Cinematography. Second place was "That's Not Ketchup"

by Panda Productions, which also took home the Best Editing Award and Best Actor Award, and third place was "The Mistakeout" by ChrisTL, which also won a Best Writing Award.

Team Nu Shar Le'Var also took home three awards, including Audience Award, Best Director and Best Use of Line (said by yours truly). Best "The Sad Song of Lol it a" won f irst pl ace.

Sound Design

Sharon Pf eif f er receiving one out of t hree awards f or "Lost Treasure."

PIct ured wit h Trace De La Torre, who was a judge f or t he Sout h Fl orida Fil mmaker Showcase.

was for "Tape" by Extremely Painful. Best Musical Score went to "Winner: Loaded" by Digital Gorilla. "Paula" by Scadr Film Group (Sky Bison) won a Best Acting Award as well. Best Acting in a Supporting Role went to "Agua Vida" by Burning Mango Tree (Merry Jo Cortada). Best Acting Ensemble was "# Ladyfinger" by Psychotrope. "Body Doubles" also received an Audience Award in their group. "Black Bird: won Best Special Effects and Best Poster. Best Costume Design was "Jack Some of t he cast and crew f rom t he Danger" by ActBroward. award-winning Nu Shar Le'Var t eam.

Best Use of Character was "Tye-Kwan-Paul" by Da Chop Up Hour. Best Use of Prop was "Repose, Automated"

by Celluloid Bulb.

The overall winner each year goes on to represent Miami at Filmapalooza with other cities.

This year's Filmapalooza will be in Lisbon, Spain. There are more than 100 cities that participate An act ing cl ass wit h Richardson from all over the world. Congrats Chery was just one workshop to all the participants! at t endees coul d t ake.

Some of t he cast and crew who As for the Filmmaker Showcase, here is how the winners broke down: The winning film was "Skettel," directed by Moon Lee Ferguson. Semi Finalist films were: "Dark Tides," "If You Go Astray," "June 1st," "Sock," "The Fallen," "Mr. Black," "Reverie," "Where Will You Be?" and "Align," as well as Audience Award winner "The Students," which was a very out-of-the-box and poignant film.

For more inf o., visit 48hourf il m.com/ miami.

There was a l arge spread of f ood f or t he f il mmakers, act ors and f il m f ans.

TL West gat e accept s t he award f or Best writ ing f or "The Mist akeout ."

See more pict ures soon on t he Independent St reak Magazine Facebook page.

f requent l y work in Act Broward f il ms.

Savor Cinema has a Movie Cl ub f or Fil mmakers t o wat ch discount ed and f ree f il ms. Hal Axl er expl ained t he benef it s.

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I NDEPENDENT STREAK M AGAZI NE H o lly w o o d , Flo r id a Film Fe s t iva l

By Rachel Gal vin Minh Collins and Simona Loredana Muresan brought a little glitz and glamour to Hollywood, Florida on the opening night of their Hollywood Florida Film Festival on, Nov. 11. Filmmakers and actors lined up on the red carpet at Chateau de Thierry as paparazzi snapped away while the stars were interviewed.

All attention was on a police escort bringing Simona to the party with a bottle of million dollar GDD Chapuy champagne.

It was enjoyed much later by those who still were in attendance at the very end.

Those in attendance at the beginning of the event could grab a bite to eat or a drink and wait for the program to begin.

Broward County Film Commissioner and Film Florida President Sandy Lighterman talked about incentives. After some introductions, the opening night documentary "Warriors: The Bernie Mac Disease" was shown and the producer Steve Hilfiker, who was also afflicted with the disease, sarcoidosis, Gir ls on f ilm ...st r ik in g a pose; (bot t om ): Sam m y sin gs; " Wh at which for him affected his heart Happen s Af t er M idn igh t " dir ect or Jack Wick lif f e & pr odu cer and he had to get an emergency Cat h y Cu evas. heart transplant, spoke at length about it and answered a lot of questions from the audience. After the movie, Sammy sang a few songs while Jimmy played guitar, followed by DJ Idelia Mars, who brought everyone out on the Simona Loredana Muresan, co-f ounder of t he dance floor. f est ival , shows of f t he GDD Chapuy, mil l ion The festival continued until Nov. 18 with screenings at the Regal Oakwood in Dania Beach dol l ar+ champagne.

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throughout the week and special events like parties, dance classes and more, culminating with a closing night event where awards were presented.

AWARDS: FEATURE FILM CATEGORY - Best Actor in a Feature Film - RARES ANDRICI (LIFELINELESS MAN) - Best Actress in a Feature Film - CHUTI TIU (A " War r ior s: Th e Ber n ie M ac St or y " SUMMER NIGHT) pr odu cer St eve Hilik er - Best Local Production Feature Film - JUST MY TYPE directors Jill Melody, Jerry Sommer, Mitchel Worley - Most Impactful Feature Film - FORSAKEN SON - director Derek Vitatoe - Best Director of a Feature Film - ADRIANA VASILCOV (LIFELINELESS MAN) - Best Local Production Short Film - ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE - Best Feature Film - LIFELINELESS MAN - director Adriana Vasilcov DOCUMENTARY CATEGORY - Best Local Documentary - THE VIDEO VAGABOND'S BROADWALK BIOGRAPHY - director Stephen Sarsfield - Most Impactful Documentary - WARRIORS: THE BERNIE MAC DISEASE - director Nicholas Markart - Best Documentary - JERRY'S LAST MISSION - director Louisa Merino TV PILOTS, WEB SERIES & ANIMATIONS CATEGORY - Best First Time Director Short Animation - HARRISON HAHNE-LUM (A SWAN STORY) - Best Animation Short -UP IN SMOKE - director Ernie Berger - Best TV Pilot Animation - HYBRID BRAD - director Edward Borlenghi - Best Director of a TV Pilot - HEROES - director Roberto Sanchez - Best TV Pilot - BLACK POETRY - director David Patrick Wilson SHORT FILM CATEGORY

Bet t y Boop made an appearance; many were excit ed t hat Laura Sl ade Wiggins, known in part f rom t he TV show "Shamel ess," was in at t endance; (bot t om) DJ Idel ia Mars pl ayed her heart out ; act ress Tammy Kait z f rom "Mot el Room" wit h scr een w r it er Sah an Gu r egh ian .

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Best Sci-Fi Short Film - THE CAPSULE - director Gregory M. Schroeder Best Dramatic Short Film - MOTEL ROOM - Bradford Lipson Best Actress in a Foreign Short Film - Catalina Romanet

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(NINA) - Best Actor in a Foreign Short Film - Juan-Carlos De Bock (THE DREAMROAD) - Best Cinematography in a Horror Short Film - Maxbarry Maurisset (HOMICIDIUM CRUENTUM) - Best Horror Short Film - JESS IS A CLOWN NOW director Rylan Rafferty - Best Western Short Film - WHITE DOVE: THE ORIGIN director Delilah Andre - Best Local Pr odu ct ion Sh or t Film - ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE - director Fernando Tosetti - Best Foreign Short Film - NINA - director Laura Lacher - Best First Time Director Short Film - JACK WICKLIFFE (WHAT HAPPENS AFTER MIDNIGHT) - Most Impactful Short Film - TRUE VALOR - director Juan Manuel Lama - Best Comedy Short Film - PUPPET SEIZURE: SOMETIMES THE ONLY WAY OUT IS IN - director Merissa Morin, Jennifer Plotzke - Best Ensemble Cast Short Film - LA LÍNIA (AT THE BORDER) director Ruben Morales - Best Short Film - DISTANCIA - director Melvin Audaz STUDENT CATEGORY - Most Impactful Student Film - HOLDING BACK - director Emily McKney - Best Director of a Student Film - JACOB HIGHTOWER (A KING OF CHRISTMAS) - Best Student Film - TARNISHED CLADDAGH - director Isaac Shilling MUSIC VIDEO CATEGORY - Best Director in a Music Video - THOMAS CRANE ATRIUM (ABOVE WATER) - Best Music Video - FLYING - directors Amy Barbera, Ben Bagby

(Top) Looking st yl ish on t he red carpet . (Bot t om): Amy Barbera & Rachel Gal vin enjoy t he f est ival .

Fin d m or e pics com in g soon on t h e Facebook page f or In depen den t St r eak M agazin e.

For more inf ormat ion, visit www.f l oridaf il mf est ival .com.

There was a second red carpet inside; peopl e coul d bid on t he sil ent auct ion; guest s coul d enjoy a del icious homemade cake.

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P u b lis h e r 's No t e Are you exhausted? I am. The holiday parties can be overwhelming. It can be great networking, but can leave you wondering, "What was it all for?" Will you talk to any of those people again? You meet so many new people at these parties who you never see at another party. You get all these business cards from them and they sit on your desk. Instead of just staring at them, take the time to contact the people you met -- before they forget who you are and before you forget them. It can be helpful to write a note on the business card a keyword about how you met them. Send out an email saying it was nice to meet them at least and leave it open for future correspondence and collaboration. *By the way, this issue features many stories about the parties and films at the Ft. Lauderdale Intl. Film Festival. Look for more in the next issue!

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Contact us at w ri terrach el @yah oo.com Rachel Galvin Publisher

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I NDEPENDENT STREAK M AGAZI NE

FLIFF p o s t e r p ar ty Before the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF) even began, they had a party on September 29 at Savor Cinema in Ft. Lauderdale, FL to announce everything that would be at FLIFF and to showcase the poster created by Bonnie Leigh Adams and the commercial created by Greendoor Productions. This year's event was a white party and included live entertainment, food and drinks.

President & CEO Gregory von Hausch talked about the wide array of films that were going to be shown while FLIFF Chair Steven Savor talked about the parties that would be happening all fest long. See more starting on page 9.

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SNA P S

I NDEPENDENT STREAK M AGAZI NE The Weaver Best Feat ure How to Kill Monsters Best Act or Eiichi Seike The View From the Bottom of the Lake Best Short Fil m The Weaver Fearmaker of t he Year Michael Gass Ghosted/ The Big Spook Best Pract ical Ef f ect s Charlie the Cancelled Skeleton (Above, Right ): IS f ounder Rachel Gal vin (2nd f rom Best Art Direct ion l ef t ) was t he moderat or of t he f emal e f il mmaker Ghost Town panel again t his year wit h act ress & direct or Best Cinemat ography Devanny Pinn, act ress & producer Michel l e Romano The Hanover Incident and direct or Lou Simon.

Best St udent Fil m Wormies Best Visual Ef f ect s Tell Him

By Rachel Gal vin Best Makeup This year's Horror Film Festival at Spooky Empire (held Oct. 27-29 at the Hyatt Regency La Nueva Orlando) was better than ever. Not only did Best Screenpl ay they offer some films that were scary good, Sincopat but they also had film panels, and even a Fl orida Fear filmmaker's lounge.

Save the Flea Superl at ives: AWARDS The Gut-Busting Humor Award Best Scare Act or Charlie the Cancelled Skeleton Isa Belle, The Weaver The Kick-Ass Fight Award Audience Choice Award Welcome to Candy's

Spooky Em pir e Hor ror Film Fest ival

The Best Animal Cameo Award Exercised The Monst rous Mel odies Award Smashing Pumpkins The Twist iest Twist Award Sunset Mall The Animat ed Ant ics Award LEGO Terrifier (Above): "The Pumpkin Man" and his t eam got a l ot of at t ent ion; (Bel ow): Rach el Galvin pict u r ed w it h Alea Figu er oa & Br en dan Jack son Roger s, w h o r u n t h e f est .

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I NDEPENDENT STREAK M AGAZI NE 38 t h Annual FLIFF

By Rachel Gal vin Cinefiles, filmmakers and film industry professionals flocked to Fort Lauderdale for the 38th annual Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF) November 3-16. The fest was headquartered, as usual at Savor Cinema, but also had screenings at Cinema Paradiso and Gateway Cinema in addition to Lauderhill Performing Arts Center, NSU Art Museum, IMAX Museum of Discover & Science and it opened at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The fest showcased more than 200 films from more than 40 countries. It featured eight world premieres and six U.S. premieres, including features, documentaries and short films. Their Filmed in Broward showcased 21 films made in the county by South Florida filmmakers.

The festival is more than just the films, it is also about the parties, and this year had some impressive ones. In addition to the opening night soiree, there was a Gatsby Party at Villa de Palma, an Intracoastal Elegance party and the Centerpiece Party, among others.

" The Good Hal f " producer Bret t Ryl and & Direct or Robert Schwart zman.

"7000 Mil es" direct or Amy Gl azer & producer Deborah Gl azier.

OPENING NIGHT: FLIFF kicked off on Friday, November 3rd at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Filmmakers, producers, actors and crew took to the red carpet before waiting in the next area for the opening night movie to begin. There, they could have a drink and listen to live music before grabbing a popcorn and heading into see the film.

The movie was called "The Good Half," written and produced by Brett Ryland, directed by Robert Schwartzman and starring Matt Walsh, Brittany Snow, Alexandra Shipp and David Arquette.

But before the film began, they gave out awards to Schwartzman (a Renaissance Award) and Snow (a Career Achievement Award). Other Career Achievement awards were supposed to be given to David Arquette and Matt Walsh and a Star on the Horizon Award to Alexandra Shipp but they were unable to attend, evidently due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. Broward Mayor Lamar Fisher also said a few words and so did Film Commissioner and Film Florida President Sandy Lighterman, who talked about the new film incentives in Broward.

After the film, there was a Q&A with Schwartzman and Ryland. Then, everyone could grab a drink and enjoy the party with live music.

The dance floor was packed.

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" This Time" act resses Xt acy Love & Jennif er Gibson; direct or Robert Vaughn, producer Sahar Whel an and act or Charl ie Mart in Smit h.

M OR E FROM OPENI NG NI GH T

(Top l ef t ): The band pl ayed on...; l ight bit es were avail abl e at t he part y; (Above, Lef t ) Direct or Robert Schwart zman and act ress Brit t any Snow show of f t heir awards; Gregory von Hausch speaks; Broward Fil m Comissioner & Fil m Fl orida President Sandy Light erman; St eve Savor says a f ew words.

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CENTERPIECE PARTY Those who love the gridiron were pleased with the theme of the Centerpiece Party this year. It was a street party centered around football. A stadium atmosphere was created with NFL football projected on a big screen and girls dressed as cheerleaders singing their heart out while people danced the night away.

The party, held on November 9, happened following the screening of a movie called "The Senior," starring Michael Chiklis, who received a Career Achievement Award at the event. Chiklis is know for his performances in "The Shield," "The Commish," "Fantastic Four" and more.

This was the film's world premiere. It was a true story about Mike Flynt, a man who was a college Direct or Rod Lurie; Lurie wit h Mayor Dean Trant al is . linebacker at age 59. The real Mike Flynt and his wife, Eileen (who was played by actress Mary Stuart Masterson) was in attendance along with the director and some others involved in the performance including several football players. The audience was packed and very enthusiastic about the heart-warming and inspirational film.

M ich ael Ch ik lis w it h h is Car eer Ach ievem en t Aw ar d.

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St eve Savor speak s.

M ich ael Ch ik lis & Eileen & M ik e Flyn t .

A st r eet par t y w as h eld ou t f r on t of Savor Cin em a.

SNA P S FR O M

"Th e Sen io r " even t

(Top, L t o R): Act or s f r om f ilm -- Ch r is Set t icase, M ajor Dodge & Ch r is Becer r a; NFL Foot ball; slider f r om Red Ch air Cat er in gs; (Bot t om ): act or M ich ael Ch ik lis an d f or m er FLIFF ch air Sk ip M ar ger u m ; ser vin g u p spir it s; "ch eer leader s" sin g; M ich ael Ch ik lis w it h Rach el Galvin .

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Gat sb y P ar ty

By Rachel Gal vin FLIFF Chair Steve Savor knows how to throw a party and is known for creating unforgettable themed parties at his massive Villa de Palma mansion. His latest FLIFF soiree was a Gatsby party held in collaboration with Winterfest. He last held a Gatsby party over a decade ago and this new rendition did not disappoint.

Flappers on stits, lounging in bathtubs and up in acrobatic rings enticed. Other sexy ladies stepped up to play lit-up violins to entertain. All of the above were perfect for photo ops.

A band performed throughout the night and people danced in the courtyard. Others enjoyed drinks, as well as a full buffet dinner provided by Billy G's Catering. Filmmakers and actors, as well as people from Winterfest, mingled. This was the place to be.

As usual, the party eventually migrated inside and upstairs where another band was more than willing to keep the party going and the more intimate setting became home to excited dancers ready to dance the night away.

Although Steve Savor is not going to be the FLIFF Chair next year,

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as Lisa Grigorian is stepping into that role, he is sure to continue his legacy of holding amazing parties.

(Top l ef t ): "Bar"-side bat hing in "diamonds;" (t op) direct or Amy Gl azer & producer Deborah Gl azier; direct or Craig Lobo & his wif e enjoy t he part y; (bot t om): t hese beaut ies dressed f or t he occassion.

P NA

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t a S s 0 E 2 9 1 R e h t M O o t n i

a k c m l a b a P Step Villa de

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FL IFF A W A R D S AUDIENCE AWARDS Feat ure ? GOLDEN VANITY, directed by Max Abram Document ary ? SHOW HER THE MONEY, directed by Ky Dickens Short Doc ? INTERCEPTION: JAYNE KENNEDY ? AMERICAN SPORTSCASTER, directed by Safiya Sanghai Short ? AT THE EDGE OF HOPE, directed by Sukhvir Parmar Sunshine Cel l ul oid Doc ? UNFILTERED, directed by Josh McLawhorn Fil med in Broward Feat ure ? JUST MY TYPE, directed by Jill Melody, Jerry Sommer and Mitchell Worley Fil med in Broward Doc ? VIDEO VAGABOND BROADWALK BIOGRAPHY, directed by Stephen Sarsfield Fil med in Broward Short Short (t ie) ? PRICK, directed by Alex DiBucci and SMALL PACKAGES, directed by Jenny Leser Fil med in Broward Long Short ? SISTERS OF VENGEANCE, directed by George Monteiro PRESIDENT AWARDS American Indie Feat ure ? THE SENIOR, directed by Rod Lurie Foreign Language Feat ure ? FIRST SNOW OF SUMMER, directed by Chris Raiber Document ary ? WITHOUT PRECEDENT: The Supreme Life of Rosalie Abella, directed by Barry Avrick Short Document ary (t ie) ? OUR UKRAINE SKY, directed by Bobby Roth and ASTOR PLACE: THE AMERICAN DREAM, directed by Guiseppe Malpasso American Indie Short (t ie) ? BLUE HOUR, directed J.D. Shields, and JACK & SAM, directed by Jordan Horowitz Best Act ress ? Melora Hardin GOLDEN VANITY Best Actor ? Nick Jonas THE GOOD HALF MERIT AWARDS Femal e Direct orial Debut - Brittany Snow for PARACHUTE Mal e Direct orial Debut -Andres Taboada for ALTA CALIFORNIA 15 True St ory Depict ion - Kelley Kali director of KEMBA

Breakt hrough Comedy ? Esther Povitsky (collaborating, acting) & Nicholaus Goosen (collaborating, directing) for DRUGSTORE JUNE Document ary Excel l ence ? Frank Marshall for RATHER Best Romant ic Feat ure ? Juan Zapato for WHEN IN VENICE Technical Accompl ishment Feat ure ? Jeffrey Lando (writing, directing) LISSA?S TRIP Char lie Mar t in Smit h w ins Technical Accompl ishment Animat ed Short ? Jojo Scanlon for Lifet ime Achievement Awar d BRUTUS A Lifetime Achievement Award was SPIRITS OF INDEPENDENCE: given to actor Charlie Martin Smith Amy Glazer (directing) for 7000 before the MILES; screening Cinder Chou (writing, directing) for of "This ARTIST UNKNOWN; Time," a Casey McAdams (writing, directing) movie in & Chynna Walker (acting) for HELLO which he IN HERE; was a Paul Osborne (writing, directing) for leading FLUORESCENT BEAST; actor.

Rob Margolies (writing, directing) for The film IN FIDELITY; recounts David Connelly (writing, directing, the tale of acting) for THE MAGIC HOURS; a sheltered Robert George Vaughn (directing) teen who THIS TIME; inherits her Jimi Petulla (writing, producing, estranged acting) TRUST IN LOVE; father?s journal, uncovering cryptic Ravit Markus & Dan Kazir (directing, clues to his secret life. To fulfill her producing) for AMERICAN POT father?s dying wish, she races across the STORY: Oaksterdam; country to attempt a long-shot Salvatore Z. Zannino for THE GENIUS rendezvous with her father?s longtime OF GIANNI VERSACE, friend Liza Minelli.

Denny Tedesco for IMMEDIATE (Diane Ladd also was going to receive a FAMILY; Lifetime Achievement Award, but she Randy Martin for KAREN CARPENTER: was unable to attend).

Starving for Perfection Daniel E. Cohen (directing) THE

MIDNIGHT RIDE OF JONATHAN LUNA COLLEGE AWARDS Best Short Narrat ive -- THE LAMPBOY, OR THE UNIVERSE BETWEEN US, directed by Tali Bardi of IFS Internationale Filmschule Köln, Germany; Second Pl ace -- THE HAPPIEST AND SADDEST I?VE EVER BEEN, directed

by Molly Smith of Yale University, USA; Third Pl ace -- BOXED, directed by Alam Virk of New York Film Academy, USA Best Long Narrat ive -- ISTINA (Truth), directed by Tamara Denic of Hamburg Media School, Germany; Second Pl ace -WANDERING MEMORIES, directed

by Yuta Noguchi of Digital Hollywood University Graduate

GREY AREA, directed by Jiayang Sang of ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? , China; BURNING IMAGE, directed by Christopher Matthew Martin of West Orange High School, USA; A SHOT OF EXPRESSO, directed by Michael Pruski, Roman Losa, Ryan Armenta of Klein Collins High School, USA; THE FATAL AFFAIR, directed by Carter Stoudt of Souderton High School, USA; FRESH COMPANY, directed by Sabrina Dubner of American Heritage High, USA

School, Japan Best Document ary -- ROOTED, directed by Freddy Kwak & Nishika Goel of Villanova University, USA; Second Pl ace -- LACED directed by Nico Wilcox of Florida State University, USA Best Animat ion -- BEYOND THE FARM directed Allison Fraidenburg of Ringling College of Art & Design HIGH SCHOOL Best Short -- GARAGE, directed by Daria Batylina of Kinomolodost', Russian Federation Best Document ary -- THE HIDDEN TALENT OF GILBERT GOTTFRIED, directed by Lily Gottfried of Ethical Culture Fieldston School, USA Best Animat ion -- AMIRA?S LETTERS, directed by Sarina Policastro of Ward Melville High, USA Technical Achievement -- LIFE ON MARS, directed by Shayan Habibnejad of NSU University School, USA Cert if icat e of Merit : BIRTHDAY CAKE, directed by Garvin Kim of Seoul Foreign School, South

Wil Shriner int erviews Pamel a Poit ier f ol l owing t he screening of t he movie "Sidney" about her f amous f at her.

Direct or of "7000 Mil es" Amy Gl anzer & Act ress Wendie Mal ick.

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I NDEPENDENT STREAK M AGAZI NE Subc ul t ur e Fil m Fes t ival

By Rachel Gal vin The Subculture Film Festival took over West Palm Beach October 20-22 with co-directors Noelia Solange and Jose Jesus Zaragoza at the helm.

Opening night was held at the Norton Museum, After hitting the step and repeat, people could venture into the Stiller Auditorium to catch the opening night movie "Ask Her About the Art" and the Q&A with director Karim Dakkon and Carol Strick, and then head back out to listen to the Jake Walden Band, and peruse the gallery complete with art created by inmates. In addition, there was a studio upstairs offering a quick demo on how to do animation.

There was also an open studio where people could get creative. There was also an after party at nearby Lost Weekend.

The next day, guests went to the G-Star School to continue the fun, including movie screenings and industry panels, as well as another party with plenty of live music.

Day 3 was also at Afflux Studios at GStar, where there were workshops and also an awards party with live music.

Did you miss all the festivities? Find out more at www.subcultureff.com (Top l ef t ): Rachel Gal vin on t he red carpet ; some art by prisoners was displ ayed in t he gal l ery (such art ist s were discussed in t he opening night f il m); t he f il m's direct or Karim Dakkon t al ks wit h Jose Jesus Zaragoza during t he Q&A. (Middl e): Jake Wal den Band perf orms; Rachel Gal vin t ries her hand at animat ion; (Bot t om): Guest s enjoy art in gal l ery.

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I NDEPENDENT STREAK M AGAZI NE Sw e d e Fe s t Pa l m Be a c h

By Rachel Gal vin Silly and sweet, Swedes are a bit of fun cinema that the whole family can enjoy. The concept of a Swede is based off the 2008 movie "Be Kind, Rewind," in which two bumbling clerks accidentally erase all the footage of videos at their video store, so decide to remake the films and call them "European." Well, the film kicked off a craze in Fresno, CA, which spread to Tampa, FL and then to Palm Beach County, FL. People started making films based on movies and created a festival around it called Swedefest.

This year's Swedefest took place Sept.22 as part of the Lake Worth LDub Film Festival. As always, there was a bit of entertainment. This year, it came in the form of very funny, highly energetic and creative Mary Stucchi, who sang and danced her heart out on the stage and did plenty of bits to keep the audience engaged in between short films being shown.

The audience got to vote on their winners.

The Audience Choice Award went to Titanic! by Joshua of Rager Rigged Movies.

Special "swede-iest" awards: Let t he sil l yness ensue...

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Overuse of toy

cockroaches: "Stand By Me (Hurricane Edition)"

by Danielle Provencher - Most Effective Use of a Wig: "The Little Mermaid"

by Amy Terwilliger - Most Awkward Romance: "Titanic" - Cheesiest 80's Movie Trailer: "Lethal Ghostbusters Weapon" by Jason Galotti - Most Inappropriate El izabet h Dashiel l announces t he Soundtrack: "Amityville winners.

Horror" by Jason Pueschel - Best Barnie Cameo: "The Thing That Wasn't There" by Sean Brodrick - Using a swede as a PSA: "Monty Python's Dead Parrot Sketch" by Kevin Baker - Best Use of a Toy Drumset: "Step Brothers" by Joe Ponton - Best Use of Toy Transportation:" Barbie Movie: The Prequel" by Jacek Gancarz All of these winners received special gifts thanks to their sponsors: Palm Beach County Film & Television Commission, Visit Palm Beach, Lion Country Safari and Cox Science Center and Aquarium.

For more info., visit www.swedefestpalmbeach.com.

Even a st ep and repeat ... f or swede f ans and f il mmakers

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I NDEPENDENT STREAK M AGAZI NE Fil m Spo t l ig ht : "Go l d en Vanit y" Revelry with a Touch of Madness

By Rachel Gal vin What does it take to truly examine one?s life ? the good and bad, the joy and the tragedies? And what happens when one discovers more minuses than pluses as they tally up their existence, their rise and fall? And is this kind of introspection an exercise in vanity or an essential human experience?

This is an undertaking taken on by one Mabel Montgomery-Mayflower, an actress whose has risen to the top but took a lot of blows along the way, beaten up by the Hollywood system and spit out. With a name like Mayflower, perhaps it indicates that there is something essentially American about such an experience. The fictional actress in the film "Golden Vanity" is portrayed by Melora Hardin, known for many of her roles, such as in ?The Office,? ?Monk,? ?27 Dresses.? ?The Bold Type,? among others.

The film was shown this year at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival. Hardin had been to the festival back in 2018 for the screening of another film she was in called ?Cruel Hearts.?

Hardin puts her heart and soul in this dramatic one-woman performance. The arc of Ms. Mayflower?s character takes her on an emotional journey as she drunkenly recalls her life story, dictating it into a recorder for posterity. Her tirade begins after an unfortunate incident at an awards show after which she barricades herself in her home. The film is set in 1967 and Hardin is made up in period attire complete with bouffant hair. And as many actresses of the era, she puts on a Mid Atlantic accent, sometimes more pronounced than 19 others.

Her tale uncovers her mother?s focus on her daughter?s fame, her husband?s neglect and much more. As her character becomes more frenzied, she more and more takes on the personalities of the people she describes in her tale, adding to the comedy of the performance.

But the film is not all comic, it also is heart-wrenching, as she spills her life out for the world to hear in one last swan song performance, as the film sinks more and more into tragedy.

Hardin used iconic actresses like Judy Garland as inspiration when molding her character. ?A lot of people (think) Liz Taylor. I would say there is a lot of that. When I was little, my idols were Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand,? said Hardin. ?I was a singing, dancing, acting child so looking at them and seeing them acting, singing and dancing and moving, they were just everything to me. And I watched a lot of Rosalind Russell to try and capture that Mid Atlantic accent and find that sound. All those old time movie stars, they had such strength and fragility at the same time. They were so powerful and yet so broken too, so it was quite amazing to have a character like this to embody all those things.?

Hardin started acting professionally at only 6 years old, coming from acting parents. Her mother was also an acting teacher and manager, working with well known actors like Leonardo DiCaprio, Jessica Beale, the Phoenix kids, Molly Ringwald and others.

Her mother also was her own first teacher, but later she broke away to study with others. ?I also studied with Stella Adler herself when I was 18. I felt like I needed to branch out. As a kid, I worked all the time.

I needed Stella Adler to tell me I was good. She was particularly hard on women, especially beautiful women, so it was very intense to be in her class. I also studied with a guy named Larry Moss, who was also incredible. And all the directors I worked with over the years. You learn just as much from the good ones as the bad ones.?

This character took everything she had to bring to life, something she relished. ? It was absolutely exhausting and exhilarating all at once ? a combination of both things all at once. I like to feel used up, wiped out at the end.?

Asked if portraying the character who undergoes such a wave of emotions was difficult, not to mention being the only one on the screen for the whole film, Hardin said, ?I don?t know if I would say hard

because it is such a delicious meal for an actor to have something like this, especially something that was so particularly suited to me.?

The writers Max Abram, who also directed, and Taylor Minas worked together on the script. Hardin said they wrote it for her based on the work they had seen her do. ?They never had met me. They sent it to my agent and my agent sent it to me and I read it. And I took a meeting with them. And it was kind of a perfect beautiful synergy.?

Being that she was the only person on set also meant filming and rehearsing were more on her schedule. ?We rehearsed it for two weeks at an apartment and we taped off the set and we shot the whole thing in five days, sometimes in 45 minute long takes, sometimes one take, which we would sometimes do a little pick up here and there,? said Hardin, ?It was very long and very arduous in a wonderful way because I was the only one on set and did not have to deal with anyone else?s bad attitude, so I would just say to the director, ?I need a break, and I would take a break for 15 minutes or so, to mediate, relax and rest.??

There were a lot of scenes that did not make it to the final film. The first cut, Hardin said, was three hours long.

She noted the amount of trust she had for the director and and he for her in this unique process. He let her bring in her own costume designer and person to handle her makeup and hair.

Throughout the film, her character becomes more and more inebriated, something that is not easy to portray on screen, but that she did with ease, noted one audience member during one of the screenings of the film at Cinema Paradiso during the Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival. It is not her first time playing drunk. She said, ?I did a movie with Clint Eastwood and Gene Hackman called ?Absolute Power?and that scene is also a drunk scene. And it was this moment right before with Gene Hackman and the doors shut and they roll camera and I kind of just leaned into Gene, leaned my whole body into him and he leaned into me, and it?s like that?s everything. So, I am very in my body so when I am playing drunk, I am really playing the body feeling. I am just in the feeling state of that. That?s what carries me.?

Hardin knows very well how to use physicality in her roles. After all, she has been a dancer since she was 5 years old. ?I really thought I would be a ballerina,? she said.

She was also asked during the Q&A after the film if it was difficult playing a character who was not only a victim, but a victimizer as well.

She said, ? I don?t think you can play a person ? any character ? without absolutely understanding where they are coming from. It isn?t sympathy, it?s just that I understood her. I understood her trauma. I

understood her strength. I understood her flaws. I understood where she was broken and where she was wrong and where she was right. Her reality is she?s fully imperfect, but who isn?t. And her history, of course, informs how imperfect she is. And hurt people hurt people. You still care for her in the end. You know how bad she?s been treated and also how bad she?s been and yet you feel for her. I always felt for her. I couldn?t play her like that without feeling for her, and loving her ... I love her."

She added, "I mean I play characters who people say are bitches. I used to take it Rachel Gal vin & Mel ora Hardin at personally. They are not screening of t he f il m at Cinema Paradiso in Hol l ywood, FL. bitches to me. To me, they are just women doing what they have to do. If I felt of them as bitches, I don?t think they would be quite as interesting to watch, or quite as fun to play.?

She also said that she could relate to the character in the feeling that you can feel like you are not fully enough and often overcompensate by being too much.

When asked how she gets ready for the more emotional scenes, she said, ?It takes real relaxation.? Sometimes, she added, she would even jump up and down and get worked up to prepare for the moment.

Asked about what she hopes the audience will leave with after watching the film, she said she feels that there is something in the movie that resonates with people, the feeling that we all need each other. ?[Mabel] is so isolated. After COVID, everybody understands this in a deep way. We need to hold each other up,? she said. ?I think of us being spirits having a human experience. Her spirit was crushed. That?s really sad. Protect your heart and spirit and loved ones.?

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I NDEPENDENT STREAK M AGAZI NE "Big Easy Queens" & "I Remember "

By Rachel Gal vin The final movie of this year's Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival was "Big Easy Queens," which had its initial premier at the Popcorn Frights Film Festival and was featured as the cover story for the last issue of Independent Streak Magazine.

The over-the-top drag queen horror musical, directed by Erynn Dalton, has been all over the country and continues to receive attention for its campy fun. Read more about it in the last issue. All archives are available at www.independentstreakmagazine.com.

Before the film was shown, a short film called "I Remember," directed by Peter Bisuito, was shown. The film showed the toll of grief in a poignant way.

(Top, lef t ): Dir ect or of " I Rem em ber " Pet er Bisu it o; dir ect or of " Big Easy Qu een s" Er yn n Dalt on & " Big Easy Qu een s" leadin g act or Er ic Sw an son . a.k .a. M iss Bou vee. (Top, r igh t ): som e of t h e cast & cr ew of " Big Easy Qu een s." (Righ t ): Er ic Sw an son speak s su r r ou n ded by som e cast & cr ew of t h eir f ilm an d " I Rem em ber " dir ect or Pet er Bisu it o at Savor Cin em a f ollow in g t h e scr eein gs.

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