Florida Film Festival Preview

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I look forward to the Florida Film Festival every year. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the festival. Twenty years ago there weren’t as many film festivals as there are today. The opening night of the Florida Film Festival 20 years ago had such heavy hitters as Paul Newman and Oliver Stone. Today the Festival will showcase 164 films picked from 1035 submissions from 25 countries. This years theme is “Fresh Squeezed Indies” implying this is a film festival with a reputation for southern hospitality.

When I arrived at the Enzian Theater (1300 South Orange Avenue, Maitland), I immediately made my way to the press table to get my credentials. Jordana Meade was there and she said, “I knight thee” as she tapped each of my shoulders. She has always been a warm and welcoming supporter of the mission of this blog. I found a table in the press area and settled in to sketch. Before I was too involved in the sketches details, Bess Auer from Central Florida Top 5 came over to say hello. We talked about the Space Shuttle Discovery Launch and the tweet-up event associated with raising public awareness about the space program. She is in the sketch with the bright orange scarf. The couple in front of me in the dark business suits held hands constantly. They were adorable. Terry Olson joined me at the table. He thought he might be late but things at the preview got started slowly. My wife, Terry had been caught in traffic but even she arrived before the trailers started. In the first trailer, a young couple asked an older couple what their secret was in keeping their relationship fresh and alive. The woman responded, “We sleep with other couples.” A strand of spaghetti dangled from the young woman’s pursed lips. Terry and I looked at each other in the semi darkness and laughed.

I of course paid close attention when the animated shorts were announced. I’m looking forward to “The Gruffalo“, a cgi animated short that looks charming. It was recently nominated for an Oscar for best animated short. One documentary called “Made in India” is about how American couples are paying Indian women to conceive their child using in vetro fertilisation. The problem is that after 9 months, it isn’t easy to give up a child. There are 43 women directors showcasing their films in the festival this year. Love is found in so many entries, like “God of Love” and “Young Goethe in Love.” Along with the many juried films, several old classics will be screened like a remastered 35mm print of, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s“, “The Yearling” and “Amarcord” by Fellini.

Find your favorite films on the Festival website. The Florida Film Festival is truly unique, a chance to meet the creators and actors first hand at the Eden Bar between screenings. You never know who you might meet or what you might learn. For me it is a vibrant artistic experience that can’t be missed.

Porch Dogs

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Sunday was Terry’s day. She decided she wanted to go to Big Fin Seafood Restaurant (8046 Via Dellagio Way) for a Cajun Brunch. She knew there was going to be a Cajun Band playing and she reserved a table right up front next to the band. She ordered eggs Benedict and I ordered an egg in a basket which is an egg nestled inside of some French toast. My egg was under cooked for my taste but hers were delicious. We both ordered mimosas as well. While we ate I continued to sketch, figuring most sets don’t last long. The Porch Dogs played their blend of Cajun Zydeco tirelessly. Terry was invited up to sing “The Battle of New Orleans” and play the washboard with some spoons. Amazingly she knew all the words. Half way into the sketch I ordered a Mojito and it was tangy, sweet and strong, just the way I like them. As I was finishing a second Mojito the sketch was nearing completion. The lead singer, Antonio Bolet shouted out, “Looks like we have a serious artist in the audience! Let me see what you been doing.” I lifted up the sketch to show the band members. He then suggested I hold the sketch up for folks at the bar, which I did. The waitress came around and offered another round of drinks saying, “It looks like you do your best work with Mojitos!” Later he asked me for my card saying he would love for me to work on a cd case cover.

During another set Terry and I danced around the bar area practicing our Cajun moves. We have been to a few Cajun concerts and picked up the basics along the way. Terry whispered to me, “Every woman in this bar is jealous right now since their husbands don’t want to dance.” A few couples in the back of the bar also started busting some moves. We ended up staying in the outdoor porch area for over five hours listening to music and relaxing. This was our first time stopping into thus new development of restaurants that cropped up on Sand Lake Road in the last year. I am glad we did and I am sure we will return again son.

Emotions Dance Fundraiser

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Terry had tickets to attend the Emotions Dance Fundraiser at Urban ReThink (625 E. Central Blvd). I got to the venue early since I drove straight over from Full Sail. Terry was having drinks with coworkers so she would arrive later. I was hoping I might catch the dancers warming up or rehearsing. As I walked through Thornton Park I recognized a couple of the dancers dressed in nice gowns as they entered a woman’s clothing store to shop. When I entered Urban ReThink, I immediately said hello to Larissa Humiston who is the founder of Emotions Dance. She was excited and nervous not having any idea how many people might show up. Tisse Mallon was helping by draping fabrics here and there. Tisse had some really sexy photos of Emotions dancers in the silent auction area. The photos were taken in Wekiva Springs and each shot featured an Emotions dancer floating semi nude in a stream with delicate fabrics flowing off of them. Dina Mack showed me around the new space. She had this wonderful fundraising idea where people could buy a piece of ribbon for $5 and that ribbon would be tied in with all the other ribbons into a continually growing mosaic symbolizing the interconnected nature of the community.

The band, The Forefathers, were setting up on the upstairs balcony. I decided to go upstairs. I stood overlooking the railing to do my first sketch. Dancers were grabbing a bite to eat before people started arriving. As people arrived, I included them in the sketch. The old Urban Think Bookstore logo was still boldly painted on the floor. Amanda Chadwick arrived and I interrupted my sketch to go downstairs and give her a hug. When Terry arrived, they talked for the longest time while I sketched. When I finished my first sketch I texted Terry to let her know I would have to wait till The Forefathers finished their set since I couldn’t get to the stairs through all the band equipment. I started sketching the band. Downstairs the Emotions Dancers improvised to the music.

Terry managed to win two raffle prize items. When I finally got back downstairs, Tod Caviness was reciting some of his poetry. Kristy Six listened from one of the couches intently. Terry and Amanda had gone for a walk outside and I suspected they would be back soon so I sat quietly and simply listened and enjoyed. The festivities were far from over, but Amanda wanted to go to SAK Comedy Lab to talk to Denna Beena who works there. Outside we briefly bumped into Brian Feldman and Sultana Ali who was going to drive him home. It seems Brian’s performance piece, “The Skill Crane Kid” has found a permanent home in the SAK Comedy Lab. In his hand, Brian held out the Florida Fellowship Grant check he had been waiting for. They had plenty to celebrate that night as they hugged to stay warm. Terry, Amanda and I went upstairs and gossiped with Denna. Amanda seems to always play the roll of peacemaker among friends who just don’t get along. Denna and Amanda were going to Bananas after SAK closed but Terry wanted to get home to our pet cockatoo so we went home.

The Skill Crane Kid

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As part of ArtsFest, Brian Feldman purchased a skill crane machine, stuffed it full of plush toys and then crawled inside where he remained for 16 hours. The machine was set up in Stardust Video and Coffee. When I arrived with Terry, Brian had already been inside for over six hours. Children especially loved the performance, often begging their parents for more change so they could try the skill crane again. Some people took pleasure in dropping the metallic skill crane claws on Brian’s head. For me the performance once again had a Kafkaesque quality reminding me of the Hunger Artist. Brian’s presence also reminded me of carnival barkers at the fair whose main objective is to keep the rubes from winning a prize. Brian acted as a sort of anti-carnie, actually placing a plush toy in the claws of the feeble skill crane to satiate each child’s greed and desire.

I seldom had an unobstructed view of the skill crane. More often than not families blocked my view as they took pictures and stuffed quarters in the machine. A friend of Brian’s named Helen Henny was shooting photos the whole time I was sketching. Sultana Ali, Brian’s girlfriend, was in the next room and she seemed to be updating Brian’s Twitter and Facebook accounts as the performance progressed. I heard the performance was streamed live. Terry and Sultana had lunch while I sketched. Several hours later when the sketch was finished, I walked up to the skill crane to say goodbye to Brian. He gestured from inside saying I had to try my hand at the skill crane. I refused, until Terry lent me the dollar to play. Several people in the room egged me on so I gave in and decided to play. I maneuvered the crane over a small teddy bear right near the exit chute of the machine figuring that if the crane didn’t grab the bear, it might just get knocked loose. I really didn’t need a teddy bear, and I didn’t want to play the game, but once the machine took the money, then the stakes were high. I had two tries and both times the poorly designed claw picked up nothing but air. With this failure I suddenly realized I was upset, not at the machine but at Brian. I had seen him coax the toys into the claw for child after child as I sketched. He even coaxed a toy out for Genevieve Bernard. Everyone was a winner but me! His passivity as I played made him just like any loud mouthed carnival barker who coaxed money from people at the fair using insults and dark sinister humor. I felt robbed.

As a child I once dreamed of getting a huge balloon that was for sale on an ice cream truck that wandered my neighborhood. Inflated, the balloon was larger than me . By the time I had convinced my mom to give me the change needed, the truck was long gone. I ran down the street for many blocks before finally giving up. I was devastated. The next day the balloon was forgotten. I had new obsessions. The night after Brian exited the skill crane, I met him in Stardust video and coffee to get my video camera back which had recorded most of his performance. Brian took me out to Sultana’s truck and presented me with the palm sized bear I had tried to win. I refused at first, but he insisted. At home my pet cockatoo was scared of the little stuffed bear at first, his crest rose in surprise, but then he ripped out its eyes and eviscerated its stomach playfully.

Spring Swing!

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I was offered an opportunity to show my sketch books at the Spring Swing Ball held in Maitland at the Bahia Shrine Ball room. I took the eighteen sketch books from the last two years and packed them in an egg crate. I also brought along my scanner, printer in case anyone wanted to order a print. When I got to the ballroom, I found that Tracy Burke who is an amazing local artist, already had some of her huge portraits set up and she had an amazing number of large abstracts lying on the table. My tables were a few yards away and I got busy setting up my make shift display. Once everything was arranged, I sat on the table and started sketching. The dancing started slowly at first with a few couples testing out their moves. Tracy told me that the dance floor had talk powder sprinkled on it which gave just the right amount of slip for the dancers shoes.

Within an hour the dance floor was packed. George Gee and his Swing Orchestra from NYC started to play and the place blew up with dancing. Terry was with me but she knew I couldn’t leave the table. I had to watch my work like a hawk because I didn’t want any work dancing away. A woman walked up to me and asked me about my work but then she got to the point, saying, “So you aren’t a dancer?” when I said, “No” she turned on her heal and within minutes was spinning wildly on the dance floor. In the sketch I focused on a blond woman with a large white flower in her hair. I sketched her a second time as she danced with a very talented dancer. Later in the evening after the sketch was done, I left the sketch book open. I was delighted when she lifted the sketch book to look at the work closely. I heard her say, “Hey that is me!” She ordered a print on the spot and I fired up the printer. Tracy Burk’s mom bought a second print of the same sketch. George Gee was awarded a painting by Tracy Burke.

I was told that this dance was just one of many being held this weekend as part of ORLX4 Lindy Exchange. These people had already been dancing all day and now they were dancing into the night. One male dancer had one of those shot sized high energy drinks. He explained to the girl he was with that she should only take a small sit. He sipped his drink all night. A large group of dancers gathered in front of the stage. Using a microphone so everyone could hear, a man asked his girlfriend for her hand in marriage. As he continued talking about how he knew she was the one from the first day they met, she shouted “yes, yes, yes!” Then everyone inside the circle started to dance. There must be a Swing dance tradition of keeping the newly engaged couple apart because different men kept stepping into dance with her and women jumped in to dance with him. It was quite the celebration! I never did get out on the dance floor, but Terry and I did do some slow dancing in front of my display.

Investiture

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The investiture of the honorable Frederic M. Schott as County Court Judge of the 18th Judicial Court of Florida was held at the Lake Mary High School Auditorium. I arrived a bit late but thankfully the many presentations and commentaries left me plenty of time to sketch all the judges lines up on the stage. From everything that was said, Frederick Schott would make a well balanced and impartial judge. Lawyers pointed to the endless research he put into his cases. He was presented with a bible, robe, desk plate and the all important gavel. His wife Deana was the one who helped him into his robe for the first time.The administration of the oath was conducted by the Honorable Mark E. Herr.

The most emotionally charged moments in the ceremony came were when Frederick Schott made remarks on his own behalf. He pointed out that he gained his moral obligation to seek out truth and justice from his father who was a survivor from a Nazi concentration camp. The camp his father was in was notorious for experimenting to find out how much pain a human could endure. His father made sure that his son grew up with a strong sense of right and wrong. I was struck by the warmth of his remarks about his father and amazed that the horrific events of the worst of mans inhumanity to man might temper and inspire good in the next generation.

1st Fridays Art Stroll of Ivanhoe Village

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Every first Friday of the month there is an art stroll in Ivanhoe Village. The exact location differs from month to month usually taking up one city block near Lake Ivanhoe. When I arrived I saw Angela Abrusci as she was setting up spot lights and folding tables. She had sent me a Facebook invite to come out to this months stroll. She was looking quite bohemian with a dark Beret perched rakishly on her head. She was very busy so I didn’t interrupt her. As Executive Director, she seems to be doing an amazing job keeping Ivanhoe Village a vibrant neighborhood. I strolled down the block as artists hustled to get their work set up for display and sale. I bumped into Brad Briggs who told me there was an empty slot if I wanted to display work. I don’t have much patience for sitting behind a table and waiting for people to view my art. Throwing it online is less nerve wracking for me. I was there to sketch. I walked across the street and sat up on a retaining wall for some railroad tracks. It was a chilly night so I sketched fast. The wind kept flapping the pages of my sketchbook.

When I finished the sketch I had to leave immediately. Jeremy Seghers was celebrating his birthday at Ethos down the street. I strolled Ivanhoe Village one more time and looked at all the new artwork that had been set up. This time I greeted Angela and she informed me that Capoera, a Brazilian art form that combines martial arts, sports and music was going to be performing soon right outside Vibe. I have wanted to sketch Capoera before, but they keep eluding me. I had to go. I thanked Angela and walked down the street to Ethos.

2:22 Devising Lab

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Aradhana Tiwari invited a core group of actors to her home to discuss continuing the experimental work they had been doing in a less focused and more playful atmosphere. 2:22 stands for two hours and twenty two minutes of time spent bi-weekly exploring themes and topics that interest the artists, actors, dancers and musicians participating. As an example of a prompt she suggested a word as arbitrary as “stain.” A dance, scene, music or image could all be created using that prompt.

Five actors arrived and sat around the dining room table discussing theater and modern day divas. When the time was right we all went into the studio space which was a room perhaps 15 feet by 20 feet. I joined the actors in doing viewpoints which began simply with everyone walking the room in a grid pattern. As we progressed I became more aware of how the people around me were moving through the space. When we were asked as a group to form either a clump or a line, we began to think as a group. Imitation and repetition had me mimicking dancers moves and at times we all moved as a flock. Two people had never done this exercise before and I had only tried it once, but we all learned fast. The important thing was to get past the notion of right or wrong. What was important, was that the six people involved became an ensemble.

The second half of the evening was more challenging for me and it involved improvising scenes. The more people involved in a scene tended to make it harder to expand and explore the possibilities. What often resulted was an individual facing a crowd. The scenes that flourished when improvised were usually between two people. The number of scenarios explored was mind boggling. We became children, Navy Seals, criminals, campers, shamans… It was fun and playful but put me way outside my usual comfort zone. I am an observer, someone who takes time to quietly sketch. Thus initiating some conflict or dramatic interpersonal exchange isn’t what I am used to. I am certain that by interacting in the experience, I learned much that might not have been gained with a simple sketch.

2:22 is an ongoing theatrical experiment. If you are interested in experiencing the fun, contact Aradhana Tiwari at Play the Moment Productions. There is no cost and you will experience an evening of childlike playful creativity.

Albin Polasek Museum

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On the final day of of Arts Fest, the Albin Polasek museum was open with free admission for a day. I was informed that some plein air panters would be on the property painting that day. The painters were there to help promote the Winter Park Paint Out which will be happening between April 23rd and April 30th. I decided that was my cue to sketch some painters at work. It was a beautiful sunny day and the gardens surrounding the historic building were in full bloom. I walked around hunting for artists at work. There was one artist set up on the large lawn behind the home but as I approached he started to dismantle his easel. Just my luck, he was finished. I walked down to the benehes which sat right on the lake then walked back to the house. When I passed the chapel, and stood in the portico, I noticed that Hal Stringer was set up in the driveway working on a small painting. An Albin Polasek sculpture titled “Mother” stood with its back to me. Something about how the warm light filled in the shadows appealed to me.

Guests of the museum often approached Hal and he was very generous with his feed back. For instance he asked a little girl if she liked to make art. When she said she did, he told her to never stop making art if she enjoyed it. I later discovered that Berto Ortega was working on a painting inside the museum. He stopped out to say hello and unfortunately was called away because of a family emergency. I never got to see the painting he was working on. When I finished my sketch I rushed over to Rollin’s College’s Annie Russel Theater hoping to get into a play that had just started. There were no Arts Fest tickets left so I abandoned the idea of sketching the play.

Fabulous Fringe Fundraiser

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The Fabulous Fringe Fundraiser took place in the Shakespeare Theater patrons room. All around the edge 0f the room tables were set up with silent auction items. More than half the auction items were framed photographs of naked men. Margaret Nolen let me know that I should have sketched the little old ladies who stared at the photos in amazement. I recognized several of the die hard rabid Fringe Fans. I remember that several of these fans try to see every Fringe show during the course of the one week festival. This is a near impossible task requiring requiring split second decisions and serious planning. Everyone attending was asked to dress as if they were going to their high school prom. Bonnie Sprung wore the actual prom dress her mom had made for her. It was light blue with a plunging neck line.

Chase Padgett was playing guitar as people lined up for food. Many people stood outside in the hallway not wanting to stand in front of Chase. Beth Marshall assured them that it was alright to come in. Then Dog Powered Robot and a small army of DPR supporters all entered the room at once. They all wore blue tee shirts with the team DPR logo on it. Chase changed the lyrics to the song he was performing and he sang about Dog Powered Robot’s return. People laughed.

After everyone ate, they began to file into the Goldman Theater to see previews and excerpts from upcoming Fringe shows. I couldn’t stay for the program since I had a hot date with Terry at Paxia.