Having attended the last Tampa Film Review & working with Dan Brienza & the Guzzo's to try & move the Tampa Film Review to another location has left me empty. I saw the press & their concerns & I saw the need for a film screening venue go unheeded by many people. I have met with quite a few people regarding getting a venue & filling the gap left by the TFR to have a screening in the Tampa area. I have to admit I was discouraged.
Then, when I attended the Pinellas Filmmaker's Society on January 13th, Pete Bradshaw had the same concern for our area but it was a very different meeting this time. In one meeting we made a new name for the film society, found a new venue, built a new film-related social networking site and created a new change of course for the entire group. Now they are called the Tampa Bay Film Society and they are meeting at Coconut's Comedy Club in Clearwater on Friday February the 13th at 8pm to start new screenings. A new determination to do more screenings & invite people to network on the internet has been a refreshing new course! The site is called FILM & I hope the group grows & remains an influential part of the film industry in the Tampa Bay area for years to come.
There is also some good growth being experienced by the former St. Pete Creative Network... now the Tampa Bay Creative Network. In fact there are rumors that Film Forum group on the page might even start their own screenings as well.
As it comes to the group in Tampa... things are not over however. There were plenty of fears that no one would be able to fill the shoes that Pete & Paul Guzzo were leaving open for someone to walk in but Dan Brienza has been working tirelessly & faithfully to effect the film industry in Tampa for some time now. Now he has decided to take up the challenge to do even more...
Amazingly, even with his Weekend Film Crew Productions, his Tampa Weekend Film School classes, his Tampa Bay Film Industry & Actors Network & his Film Crew Cafe website... he is not overburdened! The once defunct Tampa Film Network has now ok'ed a transition for Dan to take over this network & merge it with the Tampa Bay Film Industry & Actors Network & the Film Crew Cafe... calling it the Tampa Film Network. And finally the Guzzo's Tampa Film Review will also be taken over by Dan, who will attempt to keep it screening with the same name!
Dan will continue to have classes under the Tampa Weekend Film School & he will run this network in Tampa and do screenings. All he needs now is a venue in Tampa to help sponsor his efforts! If anyone has any leads-- please email me! libertynumber5@gmail.com
So to sum it up- I am amazed at the Tampa Bay area filmmakers... we are doing more & spreading like a wildfire to build the industry here! I just hope that in March the Film Office in Tallahassee sees our solid resolve & does what it can (without going in the red) to assist our film community responsibly! I guess we'll see if there is more good news to come very soon!
No comments:
Post a Comment