film fan finding:the social network

Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg is a jerk. A brilliant jerk who has fundamentally changed the way people communicate with each other, sure, but a jerk all the same. This is the lynchpin of The Social Network, a fast-paced and fascinating look into the bloody birth of the social networking site Facebook and an exploration of friendship, betrayal, ambition, creativity, loyality and capitalism.

Zuckerberg -- perfectly portrayed by Jesse Eisenberg -- was a Harvard undergrad wunderkind who knew everything about computers but almost nothing about people. Reeling from a break up, Zuckerberg created the prototype of what would eventually become Facebook late one night in a mix of drinking, blogging and programming. Just when the story's getting good, the movie switches to a legal battle at some point in the future between Zuckerberg and various others. A bit confusing at first, this back-and-forth is an effective framing device for the story. Knowing about the later legal battles between Zuckerberg and his best friend --and Facebook co-creator -- Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield) and others imbue the earlier scenes with a disturbing sense of foreboding.

The casting is perfect. In addition to Eisenberg and Garfield, there's Armie Hammer as the entitled Winklevoss twins and the surprisingly dead-on performance of Justin Timberlake as the Machivellian entrepreneur Sean Parker who charms Zuckerberg and helps edge Saverin out the door.

Despite the great performances and beautiful cinematography, The Social Network feels a little empty somehow. Almost like Facebook itself...flashy, entertaining, addictive, fun and captivating, but ultimately impersonal and slightly hollow. Hell of a lot of fun, though.

Film Fan Finding: A-

indie creep film fest is tonight

What are you doing tonight?

Start your Halloween tonight at Indie CREEP. Join us tonight at The Education Channel Studio at 7 p.m. for fun finger food catered by Whole Foods, a complimentary drink (beer, wine or soda) and 8 spooky little stories from the 2010 Independents' Film Festival.

Test your monster knowledge with our trivia game, My Favorite Fiend, and bring a Halloween limerick to scare and share. Come in costume and get an extra drink ticket plus the chance to take home a prize.
Tickets are $20 per person and include:

7 p.m. - Light supper with one complementary beverage (beer, wine, or soda)
7:45 p.m. - Film screening and discussion
9:15 p.m. - Dessert, coffee, and more conversation

Tickets are available at www.educationchannel.org. Be there or be square!

indie zombie film dead season holding pre-release screening in tampa october 28

Get your zombie on, film fans:

Indie Zombie Film Dead Season to Hold Exclusive Pre-Release Screening in Tampa

Tampa Bay movie fans invited to be the first audience in the U.S. to see this brand new, post-apocalyptic zombie thriller shot in Florida and Puerto Rico

Producers of the independent zombie film Dead Season have announced that they will hold the first U.S. pre-release screening of the film in Tampa at the Muvico Centro Ybor 20 (1600 E. 8th Avenue, Tampa, FL 33605) on Thursday, October 28, at 7:30 p.m.

Dead Season cast and crew members will be on hand at the pre-release screening for a Q and A session following the show, including producer and writer Loren Semmens, director Adam Deyoe, cinematographer Jeff Peters and star Corsica Wilson. The first trailer for the film can be viewed at www.deadseasonmovie.com.

“We chose Tampa as the ideal location for our first U.S. pre-release screening for several reasons,” said Semmens. “Tampa has one of the country’s largest zombie-fan communities, it’s a great test market for films, and several of us involved in the project have connections to the region. “
Those local connections include Peters, who attended Full Sail University in Orlando; the film’s executive producer, John Jassy, who lives in Tampa; and Wilson, who attended Florida State University.

Dead Season tells the story of two post-zombie outbreak survivors, Elvis and Tweeter, as they escape America to find a safe haven on a tropical island. Upon arriving, they are forced to deal with a newly formed community that is anything but civil. The film stars James C. Burns, Scott Peat and Marissa Merrill. Burns will be familiar to gaming fans anxiously awaiting the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops in November: he plays central character Sgt. Frank Woods.

“Dead Season is more than a zombie movie. It deals with ‘what if’ situations in a post-apocalyptic society, and the unflinching decision making necessary for survival,” said Semmens.

Shot on location in Vieques, Puerto Rico, the island that was previously home to naval test bombings for decades, Dead Season is the first feature film to shoot there since the original Lord of the Flies. During production, the crew also gained a certain amount of notoriety for being the first to shoot a feature film entirely on the Canon 7D camera.

To obtain free VIP passes for the pre-screening release, register on the event page http://tinyurl.com/22tx9x7. Seating is very limited and passes will be distributed on a first come, first served basis. Guests must print out and present the passes they are sent upon registering to gain admission to the pre release screening.

Visit www.deadseasonmovie.com for more info. See you there!

fundraiser to benefit ill local filmmaker november 6

The local film community is coming together to support one of its own through a tough time. Local filmmaker Karaly Mounce has recently undergone chemotherapy for lupus and has suffered several lupus-related strokes. As a result, she's lost her job and needs help with her medical expenses. Here are the details of the fundraiser for her being held on November 6:

Help save a life! RL Productions and Inspiration Films presents a fundraiser:

The hit play Women Want Everything! written and directed by Rod Grant

Saturday, November 6 -- one night only with two show times -- 7 p.m. and 9:15 p.m.

The L-Train, 900 Central Ave Suite 25B St. Pete 33705; 813-995-5063

FEE: $10 in advance, $12 at the door

Four clueless friends set out on a journey to discover just what it is women want. What ensues is a rocket-ride of laughter. This show sold out the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center and was a huge success.

If you missed Rod’s play at the Performing Arts Center, this is your chance to catch Women Want Everything! on the big screen. Two showings only with an after-party throughout the evening. There will be a full cash bar (credit cards accepted), billiards and dancing. Come out, meet and party with some of Florida’s celebrity talent and film industry people. The after-party will officially start at 10 p.m. and will continue until closing. Early partiers not catching the show can get in as early as 7 p.m. There will also be a raffle and auction for various film memorabilia.

All proceeds are charitable: This is a fundraiser for our very dear friend Karaly Mounce (producer/production manager, Bad Fairy Films), who has been deathly ill lately and lost her job because of it. In her early thirties she’s just been released twice from the hospital for lupus (chemotherapy) and a stroke and can’t work as she needs to recover. However, because she’s lost her job and can’t work, she has no money for her medications. We are hoping to raise enough money to cover her meds for the next six months to a year so that she has time to get well, recover, re-enter employment and continue taking care of her son. We urge you to forgo a couple of Starbucks coffees for the week, catch up with some friends and help save a life.

Can’t make the event but would like to help Karaly? Just visit the event page to make your donation. Thank you so very much for saving a life.

FEE: $10 in advance, $12 at the door. The theater only seats 43 people, so get your tickets in advance. More space is available for general admission lounge partiers at the same ticket price. Additional donations encouraged. If you pay online, please bring your ticket/receipt to the event.

The L-Train, 900 Central Ave. Suite 25B, St. Pete 33705; 813-995-5063

I saw Grant's play last December and laughed my a$$ off. This is a fun night for a very worthwhile cause. Visit www.indieartsfilmfund.com/Events.htm to purchase tickets or make a donation.

gasparilla international film festival's global lens series screening algerian film masquerades october 14

Received via email:

Gasparilla International Film Festival presents the 2010 Global Lens series at the Tampa Museum of Art:

What: Masquerades, a film from Algeria

When: October 14 at 7 p.m.

Where: Tampa Museum of Art, 120 W. Gasparilla Plaza, Tampa, FL 33602

Why: Come see a film, stroll through the museum, and enjoy food and wine at the cafe--another magnificent metropolitan experience.

How: $8 general admission; $5 students/seniors and Tampa Museum of Art members, GIFF members and anyone having a ticket stub from our October 1 fundraiser get in free

Masquerades (Mascarades)
A film by Lyes Salem
Arabic, with subtitles in English
Algeria, 2008 (92 minutes)

Synopsis: After working for much of his life as a gardener in his dusty Algerian village, Mounir dreams of improving his family's fortune and gaining a measure of respect by marrying off his narcoleptic sister, Rym, to a "real gentleman." However, Rym has other plans-she dreams of marrying Mounir's best friend, Khliffa, who has secretly courted her for years. When Mounir lashes out at village gossip with a fib that he has promised Rym to a wealthy outsider, she comes out of her sleepy stupor to embrace the rumor and press her real betrothed into action. Beautifully brought to life by a memorable cast-including director Lyes Salem as the cocky but compassionate bumbler Mounir, this heartfelt comedy suggests that when dreams become reality, it's time to wake up.

About the director: Lyes Salem was born in Alger, Algeria in 1973. After studying at the National Conservatory for Superior Dramatic Arts, he performed in some of the most respected theaters in the country. His second short film, Cousines, received France's César award for Best Short Film in 2005. As an actor, he has appeared in a number of films, including Alex, Banlieue 13 and L'Ecole de la Chair. Mascarades is his first feature film.

Visit www.gasparillafilmfestival.com for more info.

tampa bay jewish film festival announces short film contest for aspiring filmmakers

All you filmmakers out there, listen up:

The 15th annual Tampa Bay Jewish Film Festival has announced this year's short film contest for aspiring filmmakers in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties.

Middle and high school students, as well as adults ages 18 and older, are invited to participate in the contest. The contest is open to the entire community, and filmmakers do not need to be Jewish to participate.

Cash prizes will be awarded to the first-place winners in each age category and their films will be shown during the 15th annual Tampa Bay Jewish Film Festival in February 2011. 1st place winners will each receive $100.

The schools of the 1st place winners in the middle and high school categories will also each win $100.

Videos may be up to five minutes long focusing on one of these themes: Judaism, the Jewish people, being Jewish or interfaith issues.

"We are so excited to bring this contest back to the film festival for another year, which allows our community to be hands-on and show its creativity," said Alissa Fischel, director of the Tampa JCC, which is co-producing the contest with the Suncoast JCC. "We had so many amazing submissions last year, and we can't wait to receive a new crop of short films from the hidden talent of Tampa
Bay. This contest truly enhances our film festival."

Films will be accepted until December 31, 2010. They will be reviewed by a panel of judges and the winners will be announced and their films screened at the Tampa Bay Jewish Film Festival in February 2011.

For more info, visit www.tbjff.org or contact Lisa Robbins at 813-769-4723 or via email at lisa.robbins[at]jewishtampa.com.

eckerd college's international cinema series fall schedule

Fans of international films should plan on spending Friday nights at Eckerd College:

All films in the International Cinema Series are free and open to the public, and screen in the Miller Auditorium of Eckerd College, 4200 54th Ave. So., St. Petersburg. Tickets and reservations are not required.

October 15 at 7 p.m. -- Taqwacore -- directed by Omar Majeed, English and Arabic with subtitles, shot on video and presented from Blu-Ray, 80m, 2009

October 22 -- No films (fall recess)

October 29 at 7 p.m. -- Vengeance -- directed by Johnnie To, English/Cantonese/French with subtitles, 35mm film, 108m, 2009

November 5 at 7 p.m. -- A Town Called Panic -- directed by Stephane Aubier and Vincent Patar, French with English subtitles, 35mm film, 75m, 2009

November 12 at 7 p.m. -- Soul Kitchen -- directed by Faith Akin, German with English subtitles, 35mm film, 99m, 2009

November 19 at 7 p.m. -- House -- directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi, Japanese with English subtitles, 35mm film, 88m, 1977

November 26 -- No films (Thanksgiving holiday)

December 3, 4, 5 at 7 p.m. -- Rashomon -- directed by Akira Kurosawa, Japanese with English subtitles, presented from a newly restored 35mm print, 88m, 1950

For more information on the International Cinema Series visit www.eckerd.edu/ic.