Vero Beach Film Festival to begin Film Review: "Midas Man"
Savoir-Faire Film Festival
FLOW Film Festival
Miami Intl Film Festival Begins April 3
Spotlight: Sebastian Stan
INDEPENDENT STREAK MAGAZINE
Miami Film Festival -April 3-13
The Miami Dade College'sMiami Film Festival held itsprogram reveal party on March 5 at the Mayfair House Hotel & Garden ?Rooftop in Coconut Grove. The place waspacked despite the on again off again rain storms. Director of programming Lauren Cohen unveiled the schedule to an energetic crowd. The film festival runsApril 3-13 and includesmany eventswith filmmakersand celebsmaking an appearance.
There will be atotal of 198 filmsfrom over 45 countries. Opening Night on April 3 will include the film "Meet the Barbarians" and director Julie Delpy wasslated to receive the festival'sImpact Award. [But she actually isunable to attend at thistime].Thiswill take place at OlympiaTheater.Closing Night,on April 12,will be the film "On Swift Horses," directed by Daniel Minahan,at the same location. Several other people will be honored during the festival. Paul Feig will receive the PreciousGem Award and hisnew film "Another Simple Favor" will be shown followed by alive recording of the Happy Sad Confused podcast hosted by Josh Horowitz. Mark Duplasswill be given the Impact Award following ascreening of hisshow "Good
American Family." Roger RossWilliamswill receive the Impact Award following ascreening of hisacclaimed 2023 documentary "Stamped from the Beginning." Billy Zane will receive the Art of Light Award following ascreening of hislatest film,"Waltzing with Brando." Melanie Lynskey will receive the PreciousGem Award and participate in an in-depth conversation about her career.
The festival will showcase some filmsexperiencing anniversaries, including the following:
- "Before Sunrise," Friday,April 4
- "Center Stage," Sunday,April 6,with Q&Awith lead actress AmandaSchull
- "Picnic at Hanging Rock," Sunday,April 13 in 4Krestoration
- "Pride & Prejudice," April 8 at VizcayaMuseum and Gardensas part of the celebration of Jane Austen?s250th birthday. In partnership with the Miami Book Fair
Manyother filmswill havefilmmakersandcelebritiesinattendance.
For more information,visit miamifilmfestival.com or call 305-237-FILM (3456). All subject to change.
Lauren Cohen, MIFF direct or of program m ing
Director of "Ethan Bloom," Herschel Faber, and DP Darmon Moore
ISfounder Rachel Galvin, Coco Valencia & Dana DellaCamera
More Pics
INDEPENDENT STREAK MAGAZINE
FLOW Film Festival
By Rachel Galvin
Photos provided
The FLOW Film Festival celebrated its6th year Feb.27 through March 3.Thisyear was better than ever,with plenty of eventsand filmsfrom all over the world.
The festival kicked off with a networking event on February 26 at Rhythm & Vine, which also wasa birthday celebration
for one of the judgesof the festival, Rachel Galvin, who also isthe founder of this magazine. Then,it started in earnest with an opening night at The Easton Rooftop at Courtyard Marriott in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.
Many people
have had positive responsesof the festival:
"It wasthe best experience; all the staff did an amazing job.It was such a fun and engaging film festival.I learned so much from their team.It wasreally empowering,and atrue honor to be apart of. Definitely recommend!" said Esther Farin,award-winning director.
"Great festival for female filmmakers,and in general for indie filmmakers.Atruly international mix of great projectsfrom around the world," shared EhaUrbsalu,filmmaker and beauty queen.
"You are amazing,Kimberly Douglasfrom FLOW Film Festival and Market ...Thank you from my heart for putting on such an awesome and life changing event! I am so thankful to God for you," said Amy Barbera,award-winning singer.
"We had such agood time at thisfestival! It issmall but growing quickly due to their enthusiasm and ambition.Kimberly and her team were amazing hostsand made the whole event very special.It wasa close,intimate event and agreat opportunity to meet with other filmmakers Put thisone on your list!" added Malcolm Ellis,Cayman
Opening Night at The Easton Rooftop
Islandsexecutive producer
Additional sponsorsincluded Red Carpet Sponsor- SCLEvents,Gala Fashion Show Sponsor- BellaFashion Designs,Film Screening SponsorCinemaParadiso Hollywood,Community MasterclassSponsor- The World AidsMuseum at ArtServ and AwardsGalaSponsor- Alma'sSteakhouse at Gulfstream Racetrack
For moreinformation,visit flowffm.com.
AWARDS
World Premiere- Jupiter
Best Screenplay- Jupiter
Biggest Impact- Jupiter
Best Foreign Short Film- Igol
Best Foreign First-Time Filmmaker- Claimant
Best First-Time Filmmaker- Best Kept Shut
Best Student Short Film- Funnel Cake
Best low/no Budget Short Film- Best Kept Shut
Best Music Video- ARMIDA
Best Experimental Film- Orange Blues24
Best Animated Film- Tormented
Best Short Documentary- The Fire In Me
Best Documentary- Fuck It,It'sOver
Best Short Film- Back To Me
Best Sound Design-Gabriel Lopez,Best Kept Shut
Best Editor- SheidaGorgi,Brother'sHorn
Best Director- Lekshmi Pushpa,Clan Woman
Best Supporting Actress- Kudashanad Kanakam
Best Supporting Actor-José Andrew Fuenmayor
Best Actress- Ari Belleville- Funnel Cake
Best Actor- Iman Sayad Borhani-Brother'sHorn
Best Picture- Clan Woman
Hope Award- Art AsHope
Syble G.Award for AWomen'sDocumentary- Singing for Justice
INDEPENDENT STREAK MAGAZINE
Savoir-Faire Film Festival
By Rachel Galvin
Abrand new film festival washeld recently at Savor Cinema in Ft Lauderdale.
The Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival,held in November, normally includesfeaturesand short films.But with Gregory von Hausch leaving hisposition aspresident & CEO,there were some changesthisyear.One of which wastaking the short filmsout of that festival and starting a new festival,called Savoir-Faire.
The new film fest washeld Feb.14-17. The opening night wasfilled with romantic moviesand filmsfor those who are not askeen on love too.On the patio,there wasa party,including dessertslike a chocolate fountain and plenty of candles.The event waspacked.
On Saturday,they had plenty of LGBTQfilms,with a special party for the sizzle reel for "Our Family Pride."
Sunday washosted by renowned comedian Wil Shriner and
included family films,documentariesand more.
Monday wasthe day for Broward filmmakers. They showed many short filmsand ended the evening with a panel discussing film incentives. It wasmoderated by Dana DellaCameraand included filmmaker Moon Lee Ferguson,Janet Ellison from Broward Cultural Division,Sabine Krausch of Film Floridaand Christy Andreoni of Film Lauderdale.
Judgesfor the fest included thisreporter,aswell asShane Eason from FloridaAtlantic University,Mike Huet from Lime Digital, documentary filmmaker Mark Moorman,Pezhman Jatalafrom Broward College,Jose Vasquez,from VPM Consulting and Chris LeClere from NBC,who took on keeping the group organized in their deliberations.
Pictured L to R: Jose Vasquez, Mark Moorman & Rachel Galvin, Galvin, Galvin & Chris LeClere
P E N I N G N I G H
"OURFAMILYPRIDE" PARTY
INDEPENDENT STREAK MAGAZINE
Spotlight: Sebastian Stan
By Rachel Galvin
Actor Sebastian Stan hasbeen under the spotlight alot lately. After all,he wasnominated for two Golden Globes,winning one of them and nominated for an Oscar, among hisaccolades.Thisactor is known for being Bucky Barnesin "Captain America" asCarter Baizen in "Gossip Girl" and also wasin "I, Tonya," "The Martian" and "Fresh,"among others.He was nominated for the TVminiseries "Pam & Tommy." Hislatest awards came from being in movies "Different Man" and "The Apprentice."
Stan wasgiven the PreciousGem award at Miami GEMSevent on November 3 During the presentation,he wasinterviewed by Hollywood Reporter'sown Scott Feinberg aspart of alive AwardsChatter podcast.
Within the interview,he talked about hisupbringing and life in the film industry.He shared about being born in Romania.Hismother wasapiano teacher and hisfather "did alot of things," including helping alot of people leave the communist country. Hismother left the country before the revolution that took place there and Stan wasleft for awhile with a grandparent.Hismother went to Viennaeventually to be with him,and they moved to New York in 1995.
"My mom wasalwaystrying to get me to act ...She wastaking me to these cattle call auditions," he said.
When he wasakid,he wasnot fond of being an actor. And hismom
backed off eventually trying to get him to act,and she married hisstep dad, who wasAmerican."Whether it'sfate or luck ... he wasabig part of my life coming to Americaand bringing usto New York and learning English, managing to do it before I was... like 12," he said.
He wanted to be many thingswhen he wasakid,like any kid would,but eventually,he found himself getting back into acting.He did work in a production called "71 Fragmentsof Chronology of Chance" by Michael Haneke.They were looking for Romaniaorphans,so he wasperfect.When he wasateenager,he started being in school playsand also went to acting camp
He met hismanager when he wasin "Grease" and he slowly started going on auditions. Hismanager wasthe one who really wasadamant he go to college,something he wasnot keen to do; but he did. He went to Rutgers University.
Hismanager also advised he get an "almanac" that listed every single best movie made in the last 100 years. She wanted him to watch every single best picture movie and then watch every best actor,etc."That wasareal education for me," he said "But,I also wasn't getting jobs My first job wasin 'Law & Order '"
Hisfirst real big break wasin "Gossip Girl." About that experience,he said, "It wastotally ahuge opportunity ...It waseducation for me,really.That show wasreally massive. I mean,it still hasalot of fans.And I think,for me, the biggest lessonsI took there were just seeing,for the first time,what can happen when we become famous"
He wasnot sure he wasready for fame,so he went back to school.He said, "So I go back to college. I went to aBFAprogram. We had ayear in London,my junior year at Rutgers.We were at the Globe Theater,which wasexciting." He hashad many interesting experiencesin the film business.
While he wasbackstage doing aplay,and he got to meet many starslike Paul Newman,he met director Jonathan Demme,who came and told him he had something for him ["Rachel Getting Married"]. "He came backstage and just said,"Look,I'm doing thismovie,I don't have apart for you,but there'sthis thing at the beginning. It'slike acrazy guy when she'sleaving rehab ...maybe you can do that.And then he put me in the movie," he said.
Asany actor,he had alot of auditions.He tried out to be Captain Kirk for "Star Trek" back in 2009 and also to play Hal Jordan akaThe Green Lantern. Stan explained more about that,saying, "I had my manager,who wasin New York,and so I didn't really have to move to [LosAngeles.] I never really wanted to move to LA,and so back then,we didn't have the technology now,so you'd have to send actual VHStapes, that I would do with acamcorder,transfer it
Sebastian Stan holds his Precious Gem Award
and FedEx the whole thing. But it waskind of like if you could get them to watch it,you could get further than the 20 guysthat they were seeing one after the other in the room in LA.[So,they liked me in the tape I did for 'Star Trek,'] and then I flew out to LA,and I wasgoing to have thisscreen test.
"I went out to Paramount Studios,and I thought I wasgoing to get on the stage,and you know,it'sgoing to be aspaceship ...and it wasactually just like an office with computers,and just me and him,and atiny camera,and I'm like,is thisreally what it'sgoing to be?I don't have apartner I don't have any lines He'snarrating to me,like,'Okay,now you're going up,and you're coming up to thiscliff,and you see thisbig sunrise,and you think you've gotten away,but you hear anoise, and you turn around,and there'sthisbig,massive thing,kind of lookslike King Kong,but not really, ' and I'm like,'I'm not getting thisjob,I'm already over-acting."
After that,hismanager suggested aphoto shoot to show that he looked like William Shatner. But he still did not get the part.
For Green Lantern,in contrast,he had costumes, mask,etc. to work with,but he still did not get the role.
When he worked on amovie called "The Apparition," that led to Marvel and Captain America. That wasabizarre chain of eventsagain. He explained,"We were in Berlin shooting that film.I had gotten anotice to make atape for Steve Rogers(Captain Americarole). I didn't even know who that was,because I'd never read any comics.I made atape,and basically,I wasn't going to go to LA,but then they said,they liked the tape They gave me notesto make another tape.I made another tape and they moved the production to LA When I wasin LA,they had me come in,and then I did it with the casting director the third time,and then they said,'Okay,we'll screen test you '
right for Captain America,but I think he'sperfect for Bucky because he can have alittle bit of that dark side.'"
So,Stan became Bucky and went on to be in many additional Marvel films. These were just afew of the many projectshe worked on through the years, but the film that gave him the Golden Globe again wascalled "ADifferent Man," about an aspiring actor who undergoesaradical procedure to transform his performance but thingsgo radically wrong and hisdream turnsinto a nightmare.
Asked how he became apart of the project,he said,"My agent sent me this script,and I read it,and ...I could not see what was coming It wasso complex,and it had so many things going on,I had to go back and reread it,but it was also so unpredictable."
"And again,I went in there,and I did the whole screen test for Evans' part basically,like with ashield and an outfit,and there were other actorsthere,and anyway,I didn't get it "
"Then,aweek later," he added,"I get aphone call to come in to Marvel offices and they're sitting there talking about thisother character.
"It waskind of insinuated that,in the screen test for Steve Rogers,they realized,well,I wasnot right for Steve Rogers,that there wassomething not 100% with me.There wassomething off about me -- that maybe I could play something darker,you know?So,the original "Captain America:The First Avenger" wasdirected by Joe Johnston,who said in 2011,'Sebastian hasalittle bit of the bad boy,he'salittle bit of the JamesDean type,and that goes somewhat counter to the general perception of Steve Rogers.He wasn't quite
The director,Aaron Schimberg waswanting an actor who wasable to be in extensive prosthetics. He had a different approach.
Stan explained,"Not only wasthere something really significantly unique that he wastrying to say about disability and disfigurement,but there was also thisother piece to it that wasway more relatable for everybody.And in the timesthat we're in,and how much we have to fight for our own originality now,we have to protect our own truth and our own identity because we're being handed things left and right of how to be,and how to think,and what you should feel,what you shouldn't say,and your success,you know?And look at how many followersthat person has,or maybe you should use that filter. By the way,we have anew thing for you to lose weight It'sjust like,you're just beaten down, like forget that little kid in all of us,that'sjust sitting there going like,'What about me,' right?And so here'sthismovie that I've found that isso original, and immediately I wanted to be apart of it,and I just said,please tell me what I can do,how I can be,how I serve this?"
He wasable to work with Adam Pearson in the film,an actor who actually has acondition called neurofibromatosis,which causesnon-canceroustumorson the skin.He wasin several films,including "Under the Skin." Stan had the opportunity to get to know more about the condition in avery personal way through hischaracter
Stan had what he called a"paralyzing fear" that he would not do it right,that he would not do right by Pearson and those dealing with the condition. So,he turned to Pearson for guidance "I said,'Please guide me asyou will here,and let me know what I need to know about thisexperience,and how can I understand what thisislike,'" he said "[The director] wanted me to sort of lean into what it'slike to be a
Being interviewed by Hollywood Reporter's Scott Feinberg
recognizable person,and to kind of try to think about the invasion of privacy that I experience,and sort of thisideathat,in asense,weirdly,both of us are thistype of public property,I mean,I get filmed all the time,and people write all kindsof horrible thingsabout me ...There'san entitlement.There'sa possessiveness[like people can do whatever they want.] I guessthat'swhat sometimesbeing a recognizable person islike.But then,what was really helpful [to get into character] wasgoing out into the world with these prosthetics,and not being recognized,and having me feel what he had felt," he said
Stan added that they had to get the movie done in 22 days. The makeup artist,Mike Marino,was already working on another project and said he would still do thisfilm,but Stan would have to come to hisoffice at about 5 a.m.before Marino went to the other job.
"Some days,I would have three or four hours before I would have to go to set fully asEdward, and I would just go walking around the city,and it informed everything," said Stan,"but the feeling wasextremely isolating It waspowerless I could only see out of one eye.I could only hear out of one ear."
MIFFDirector of Programming Lauren Cohen, Sebastian Stan and MIFFExecutive Director David Wololey
He found himself distancing himself from other people and saw that people were afraid to approach him. One young girl wascourageous enough to sit near
him and just simply be curiousasto hisappearance. Curiosity isOK,he said,just not judgment
That film wasnot the only one Stan hasdone thisyear that hasgotten alot of attention.He also wasnominated for an Oscar and aGolden Globe for hisrole asDonald Trump in "The Apprentice."
He first started talking with the director,Ali Abbasi, about thisfilm back in 2019 Of course,Stan knew alot about businessman,mediapersonality and later president -- Donald Trump.After all,who doesn't?But in working asthe character he discovered more about him asthe man and what he wasall about,and he realized the ideaof the man wasbigger than the man himself.It signaled something about society.
He explained,"What essentially started with my sort of dismissive,judgmental attitude of thisguy started to shape into something bigger,which wasnot just about thisguy,but also about acertain mindset,and thisidea of the American Dream aswe know it -- what isit really?"
The ideaof the American Dream had been with him most of hislife
"I've been obsessing about it since my mom in New York City pointed at the Twin Towers,and all around us, and said,'You know,thisisthe promise land Thisisthe land of the free Thisis the land of opportunity. Thisiswhere you can become someone,and I sacrifice my life for you to get here.,'" he said. "I've alwaysbeen in love with thisidea.I am sort of an example of the American Dream.I lucked out.I wasable to work. I had the opportunity coming here."
Although pursuing the American Dream isnot alwayseasy and that idea hasto do with the film..
He explained,"So the movie wasasking the question of what isthe cost [to pursuing the dream?] And thisman [Trump] wassort of areally good example of what can happen asaresult when you lose who you are, because you are so focused on one thing that nothing else matters,not even your humanity "
Because the director isIranian,he had afresh perspective. He wasnot caught up in blue and red and picking sides,but rather wasable to look in on Americaand Trump from an outside perspective He could try to get an idea of who the man wasand why he held so much influence.People then could watch the film and gauge for themselveswhat he isall about.
TheaudiencewatchingtheQ&Aof Standefinitelygot a chancetoseewhat heisall about.Hiscandidconversationkept theaudienceengaged.Footage fromtheevent will beavailablesoonontheIndependent StreakFacebook page.
INDEPENDENT STREAK MAGAZINE
Film Review: "MidasMan"
By Rachel Galvin
You say you want a revolution?Well,you know,we all want to change the world?
And in 1962,an elegant and refined businessman did just that.He took alook at some ragtag hoodlumstrying to be musicians,snatched them up from the cavernswhere they were causing musical mischief and took them on a trip they could never expect.Those four talented upstartswere called The Beatlesand the man who shaped them into the phenomenon they would become wasBrian Epstein,also known by some as?the fifth Beatle.?
The movie ?MidasMan,?directed by Joe Stephenson,tellsthe story of how Epstein went from window dressing in hisfather?sfurniture store to becoming a manager of aband that changed music forever. It washislove of music that led him to add recordsto hisdad?sstore, which became aconcept unto itself and later would lead to hiscareer in management.Unsure of the businessat first,Epstein had the confidence and insight to persevere. Hisinstinctshelped to mold the four irreverent ruffiansinto a more sophisticated brand for a mainstream audience.
The movie startswith the beginning of hisyearning for more in his life and buildsfrom there,showing the challengesalong the way as he takeson new clients,and Liverpool lads' wry sense of humor. The actorswho play the boy band members-- Jonah Lees(John),Blake Richardson (Paul),Leo Harvey-Elledge (George),1st drummer Adam Lawrence (Paul Best) and hisreplacement,Ringo (Campbell Wallace) -- resemble them in physicality and action quite completely. Jay Leno hasasurprising role asEd Sullivan. Although he hasa similar stature, he doesnot look like Sullivan,but it isnice to see him in thiscameo.
Eddie Izzard also makesa cameo.
Jacob Fortune Lloyd,who playsEpstein,isfun to watch,a perfect lead.He narratesin addition to being within the scenes,breaking the fourth wall. They also use green screen with segmented portionsof the screen to show different activitiesall going on at once behind him ashe movesforward,to showcase the passage of time while The Beatlesare on tour.Thisand other interesting cinematic devicesmake the film more engaging.The approach feelsmodern.
Epstein isamulti-layered character,with hisJewish mother (Emily Watson) worrying about him and hisstrict father (Eddie Marsan) seeming to disapprove of hislife choices.He also isgay,which proves very difficult for him,since,at that time,it wasillegal,causing him to live in the shadows. He not only triesto hide hisproclivitiesfrom the world,but hissecret shame isburied under handfulsof pills,which ultimately leadsto hisdownfall.
For those who don? t know the story,it provesquite eye-opening, and for those who do,they are sure to be engaged by the way in which it istold.
For moreinformation,visit www.MenemshaFilms.com/Midas-Man.
Down in the dumps?Time for change.If you have writer'sblock, paint.If you can't put a paint brush to canvas,sing asong. If you can't seem to hum anote in tune,dance.There isalwaysan outlet to creativity. If you are stuck in one area,don't let that stop you.Instead,express yourself in anew way.Your other way of expressing will come back. Don't worry.Sometimes,you just need a break and to get yourself out of your rut,out of the box,and learn something new in the process. Did you know you could dance?You do now.Have some fun.Jump on the bed,do karaoke,get bold and who knowswhat adventure will come your way on your way back to your choice of creative outlet. Burn out isreal.
Breaka leg!
Rachel Galvin Publisher
INDEPENDENT STREAK MAGAZINE
VeroBeach Film Festival--April 10-13
Scheduled for April 10 through April 13,the Vero Beach Film Festival is bringing together film loversfrom acrossthe nation alongside celebrity icons,film industry leaders,and the next generation of filmmakers.
?Since itsfounding in 2016,the Vero Beach Film Festival hashonored the independent film industry by embracing the importance of community,?stated Executive Director David Yakir.?Each year,we receive hundredsof film submissions,all created with love and care. The film gemsselected for the festival,aswell astheir creators,receive much-needed recognition,exposure,audience support,and even network dealsfrom those in the industry.We are looking forward to sharing our selectionswith film loversthisyear,aswell ashighlighting the mindsbehind each.?
Ahead of the festival?slaunch,Premier Passholderswill gain access to an exclusive April 7th Pre-Festival Friendsand Family Dinner hosted at the Grand Harbor Beach Club,which will include gourmet food,wine, and entertainment.
The full event kicksoff April 10 with a collection of short films curated by CriticsChoice Association member and Program Director Herb Stratford.Later in the day will see the first showing of "Breakup Season," afeature romance film starring Chandler Riggs("The Walking Dead") and SamanthaIsler ("Molly?sGame") that hasscored 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. Also showing on day 1 are "Capturing Kennedy," the story of untold chaptersof the Kennedy Presidency,redemption drama "Lenaand Vladimir," and "Sally," adocumentary surrounding the life and secretsof the first woman in space Sally Ride.The night will conclude with alively DJDance Party,celebrating the event?sstart,and welcoming the filmmakersof the 2025 festival.
Throughout the festival,variousfilm labsand panelswill be conducted,immersing attendeesinto the realitiesof the world behind the cameraand educating aspiring filmmakerson knowledge for the future. Young filmmakerswill even have their moment in the spotlight on April 12 with the NextUP! Student Films& Awardsshow.
Additionally,attendeeswill have the opportunity to attend at select timesthe FilmmakersHidden Lounge (an intimate retreat full of food, wine,intimate film discussions),the Grand Wine Tasting,and even an invite-only cocktail night with filmmakers.
?After monthsof preparation,the moment istruly here to showcase all our team membersand contributorshave worked towards,?stated Yakir.?Our schedule thisyear ispacked with films,documentaries,and shortsthat will have you laughing,crying,and even at timesa bit of both. We can? t wait to see everyone there.?
(Thisreporter washonored to be one of the juristsfor thisfestival)!
For moreinformation,visit vbfilmfest.org/festival-schedule-2/.Passes canbepurchasedat vbfilmfest.org/purchase-passes/
OUTshine Film
Festival Begins
Get ready for OUTshine Film Festival.ThisLGBTQ+ Film Fest bringsin the fun. It startsin Miami Beach April 17-24 and then continuesin Ft.Lauderdale April 25-27.And you can also watch filmsfrom home virtually April 28-May 4.Ready to party and meet some filmmakers?Checkout detailsat outshinefilm.com.
