Gasparilla International Film Festival (GIFF)

First launched in the summer of 2006, the Gasparilla International Film Festival (GIFF) has grown into an entertaining and educational year-round entity in Tampa Bay. Well-known for its annual film festival, GIFF is operated by Tampa Film Institute and continually upholds its mission to provide year-long support for film screening, production, and education throughout the Tampa Bay region.

Gasparilla International Film Festival (GIFF) started in 2006 and takes place in Tampa, Florida

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Gasparilla International Film Festival Unveils 2019 Feature Film Competition Lineup

The Hummingbird Project

The 2019 Suncoast Credit Union Gasparilla Int’l Film Festival taking place from March 19th – 24th in Tampa Bay, Florida, announced the 31 films on the Feature Film Competition Lineup. The festival will kick-off its 13th year with The Hummingbird Project starring Alexander Skarsgård, Jesse Eisenberg, Salma Hayek; and close with Family starring Taylor Schilling, Bryn Vale, Brian Tyree Henry.

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“St Pete Unfiltered” Documentary Examines St. Petersburg, Florida Sewage Cover-up | Trailer

The documentary St Pete Unfiltered examines the city of St. Petersburg’s chronic and continued dumping and spilling of raw and partially treated wastewater into Tampa Bay, its surrounding surface waters, and the Florida Aquifer. The film makes its world premiere at the Gasparilla International Film Festival at the AMC Centro Ybor March 24, 2018 at 1p.m. “Most shocking to me is the city’s negligence and the fact that citizens either aren’t aware of the dumps or they believe that they have been resolved,” says executive producer Caroline Smith. “Not only does the city continue spilling wastewater, our beaches regularly fail routine water tests and this administration focuses its energy and its resources perpetuating a cover up.” In April 2015 St. Petersburg shuttered one of its four water reclamation facilities, decreasing sewage treatment capacity by 25%. Over the next two years, a series of rain events caused the city to illegally and willfully dump 200-million gallons of raw sewage into Tampa Bay. In addition, the city continued pumping over 800-million gallons of partially treated sewage into the bay, the aquifer, and the area’s surrounding surface waters. “For a city that claims to be the greenest in the state, St. Petersburg has a problem actually living up to that moniker,” says producer and writer Brandon D. Shuler. “St. Pete has a greenwashing habit where they like to brush over the real issues that they are polluting our environment and threatening our drinking waters with its weak solutions. The current administration is covering up the threats they are exposing their citizens to.” Under a self-defined consent order with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, St. Petersburg has adopted the use of underground injection wells to pump its partially treated waste water into the Florida Aquifer. Following the idea that all waters are connected through the significant nexus, the use of injection wells merely gets waste pollution out of sight and mind while threating the integrity of the region’s drinking waters. St Pete Unfiltered exposes the city’s perpetration of the worst sewage spill in Florida’s history. The documentary premieres March 24, 2018 at 1p.m. at the AMC Centro Ybor. https://vimeo.com/254616947 https://vimeo.com/259796484
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Gasparilla International Film Festival Announces 2017 Lineup, and World Premiere of ALL NIGHTER Starring J.K. Simmons

[caption id="attachment_21069" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] All Nighter[/caption] The 2017 Gasparilla International Film Festival (GIFF) taking place March 2 to March 9, at the Tampa Theater and AMC Centro Ybor in Tampa, Florida, announced its official selection. The festival will open with Burn Your Maps and close with Unleashed. The festival will also host the world premiere for All Nighter starring Academy Award winner J.K. Simmons and directed by Gavin Wiesen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0pNVrNLasI There will be 35 films and over 70 shorts, in which it will host international and regional premieres of narrative features, documentaries and short films around the world.
2017 Gasparilla International Film Festival Film Line up:

OPENING NIGHT FILM:
Burn Your Maps: A nine-year-old boy, grieving with his parents over the recent loss of his baby sister, becomes obsessed with the idea that he’s a Mongolian goat herder who belongs back home in his small village in Mongolia. Cast: Vera Farmiga, Jacob Tremblay, Virginia Madsen, Suraj Sharma. Directed by Jordan Roberts
CLOSING NIGHT FILM:
Unleashed: When a cosmic event turns Emma’s dog and cat into two perfect guys, Emma reconsiders her outlook on dating, hilariously works out her trust issues, and ultimately learns to love herself. Cast: Justin Chatwin, Steve Howe, Sean Astin, Kate Micucci. Directed by Finn Taylor
SPOTLIGHT SCREENINGS:
Breakable You: The film follows the Wellers, a dynamic New York City family as they come to terms with themselves and each other. Cast: Holly Hunter, Tony Shalhoub, Alfred Molina, Cristin Milloti. Directed by Andrew Wagner Danger Close: (Documentary) Female war reporter Alex Quade’s daring missions to tell soldiers’ stories during a series of unprecedented embeds with Conventional Forces and US Special Ops Forces at the height of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Directed by Christian Tureaud and David Salzberg The Last Word: Retired businesswoman Harriet, controlling to the end, writes her own obituary, but the newspaper writer tasked with the piece insists on learning the truth about Harriet’s life and the two become reluctant partners and friends. Cast: Shirley MacLaine, Amanda Seyfried, Tom Everett Scott, Anne Heche, Philip Baker Hall. Directed by Mark Pellington The Lost City of Z: Based on author David Grann’s nonfiction bestseller, The Lost City of Z tells the incredible true story of British explorer Percy Fawcett. Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Sienna Miller, Robert Pattinson. Directed by James Gray
LATE NIGHT FUN & THRILLS:
First Round Down: Tim Tucker, a former hockey prodigy, returns home to take care of his younger brother having spent the last ten years as a hit man for the mob. Tim now lives on the straight and narrow, but his checkered past catches up to him faster than he can deliver pizza. Cast: Dylan Bruce, Rachel Wilson, John Kapelos. Directed by Brett Butler and Jason Butler Veras Mantel: A successful writer, Veras Martel, is prevented from leaving her house by agoraphobia. Sinister threats from a fan eventually lead her uncovering the secret of her illness. Cast: Lea Fassbender, Nico Zitek, Charlotte Ulrich. Directed by Ronald Unterberger Women Who Kill: Commitment phobic Morgan and her ex-girlfriend Jean, hosts of a female serial killer-centric podcast, still show all the signs of being a couple. But everything changes when Morgan falls hard and fast for the mysterious Simone, who may or may not be a killer. Cast: Ingrid Jungermann, Ann Carr, Sheila Vand, Annette O’toole. Directed by Ingrid Jungermann.
US NARRATIVE FEATURES:
American Wrestler: The Wizard: In 1980, a teenage boy escapes the unrest in Iran only to face more hostility in America, due to the hostage crisis. Determined to fit in, he joins the school’s floundering wrestling team. Cast: Jon Voight, William Fichter, Ali Afshar. Directed by Alex Ranarivelo The Architect: When a couple sets out to build their dream house, they enlist the services of an uncompromising modernist architect, who proceeds to build HIS dream house instead of theirs. Cast: Parker Posey, James Frain, Eric McCormack. Directed by Jonathan Parker AWOL: A young woman Joey is in search of direction in her small town. A visit to an army recruiting office appears to provide a path, but when she meets and falls in love with Rayna that path diverges in ways that neither woman anticipates. Cast: Lola Kirke, Breeda Wool, Dale Soules, Ted Welch. Directed by Deb Shoval Carrie Pilby: Carrie is person of high intelligence who graduated from Harvard at 19, and struggles to make sense of the world as it relates to morality, relationships, sex and leaving her apartment. Cast: Bel Powley, Nathan Lane, Gabriel Byrne, Jason Ritter. Directed by Susan Johnson Dean: An illustrator falls hard for an LA woman while trying to prevent his father from selling the family home in the wake of his mother’s death. Cast: Demetri Martin, Asif Ali, Jesaiah Baer, Katherine Barnes. Directed by Demetri Martin Future 38: A 1938 screwball comedy set in the far future year of 2018. Cast: Betty Gilpin, Robert John Burke, Sean Young. Directed by Jamie Greenberg So B. It: A 12-year-old girl decides to take a cross-country trip by herself, leaving the safety of her home with her mentally-challenged mother and agoraphobic neighbor. Cast: Alfre Woodard, Dash Mihok, Jacin Barrett, John Heard, Cloris Leachman. Directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal
INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE FEATURES:
About Us: Diego, a hopeless romantic desperately trying to salvage his relationship with long- time girlfriend Sofía, plans a beach getaway to propose and clear the air. A ‘chance’ encounter with Sofía’s old friend Malena will cast doubts on his relationship and skewed understanding of love, quickly turning a perfect weekend in paradise into Diego’s worst nightmare. Cast: Hernan Jimenez, Noelia Castano, Marina Glezer. Directed by Hernan Jimenez Frantz: In the aftermath of WWI, a young German who grieves the death of her fiancé in France meets a mysterious Frenchman who visits the fiancé’s grave to lay flowers. Cast: Paula Beer, Pierre Niney, Ernst Stotnzer. Directed by Francois Ozon Handsome Devil: Two opposites, a loner and the top athlete at a rugby-obsessed boarding school, become friends until the authorities test their friendship. Cast: Fionn O’Shea, Nicholas Galitzine, Andrew Scott. Directed by John Butler Past Life: In the 1970s, two sisters try to solve a wartime mystery that has cast a shadow over their lives. Cast: Nelly Tagar, Joy Rieger, Doron Tavory. Directed by Avi Nesher Queen of the Desert: A chronicle of Gertrude Bell’s life, a traveler, writer, archaeologist, explorer, cartographer, and political attaché for the British Empire at the dawn of the twentieth century. Cast: Nicole Kidman, James Franco, Damian Lewis, Robert Pattinson. Directed by Werner Herzog The Sense of an Ending: A reclusive older man must face the flawed recollections of his younger self and his long buried secrets. Cast: Jim Broadbent, Michelle Dockery, Emily Mortimer. Directed by Ritesha Batra
DOCUMENTARIES:
Disturbing the Peace: The film explores people born into conflict, sworn to be enemies, who challenged their fate by taking extraordinary actions by standing for what they believe in. It challenges us all to decide what role we will play in creating a more humane world, starting with our willingness to disturb the peace. Directed by Stephen Apkon and Marcina Hale Finding Oscar: Feature length documentary about the search for justice in the devastating case of the Dos Erres massacre in Guatemala. That search leads to the trail of two little boys who were plucked from a nightmare and offer the only living evidence that ties the Guatemalan government to the massacre. Directed by Ryan Suffern, Executive Produced by Steven Spielberg Good Fortune: Homeless, Gang member, Billionaire, Philanthropist; this film reflects “conscious capitalism.” Interviewees include Robert Kennedy Jr., Cheech Marin, Dan Akroyd, Arianna Huffington and Danny Trejo. Directed by Josh Tickell and Rebecca Harrell Tickell Lea and Mira: The film tells the story of two elderly women living in Argentina. As children, they were taken to the Auschwitz concentration camp. The movie depicts the thoughts of these women who, in the twilight of their lives, transmit their wisdom, their resilience, and their way of looking at life after trauma. Directed by Poli Martinez Kaplun Score: This documentary brings Hollywood’s premier composers together to give viewers a privileged look inside the musical challenges and creative secrecy of one the world’s most widely known music genre: the film score. Interviewees include Hans Zimmer, Danny Elfman, John Williams, James Cameron and Quincy Jones. Directed by Matt Schrader
FLORIDA FOCUS:
World premiere of independent films made in Florida Joey’s Show Will Go On: Tampa drag queen legend Joey Brooks, the ‘First Lady Of Ybor City’, talks about her decades-long female-impersonator career and judges a whacky contest to choose a new diva for her Christmas show. Cast: Joey Brooks. Directed by Marcus Kempton King Charles: A shady DEA agent does everything in his power within and outside the law to catch a cocaine kingpin. During a city’s crime investigation the DEA’s partner is gunned down. TC will now stop at nothing to catch his man and what he’s about to do next is pure justice. Cast: Rod Grant, Nicholas Naylor and Buddy Winsett. Directed by Nicholas Taylor The Lost Digit: After accidentally cutting off his finger, a man can’t escape the dire feeling that something important in his life is missing. As a dangerous obsession takes hold his career, marriage and grasp on reality suffer. The best part of his life gone, he ends up in a nursing home devoid of love and utterly alone. Cast: Christopher Rutherford, George Cassermey, Hillary Pyles, Jim Wicker. Directed by Garrett Brown Turtle Tale: TURTLE TALE is inspired by events that took place at the George C. McGough Nature Park in Largo, Florida – the story of JR the OWL as witnessed and told by the nature park’s first inhabitants, ‘THE TURTLES’. The turtles, HANK, RAFI and GOLIATH, and their community live in a beautiful pond with nice clean water, lots of food and are witnesses to all the events of the park as they get ready for another busy summer camp season, never suspecting what is about to happen at the park and to themselves. Cast: Mary Rachel Dudley, Noah Schnacky, Lily Cardone, Isiah McCaffrey. Directed by Luc Campeau There will also be Industry Panels featuring Meet The Press, Casting Directors, Special Effects, The Pitch and the Performance Actor’s panel.
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Eye in the Sky Starring Helen Mirren Kicks Off Lineup for Gasparilla International Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_11912" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Eye in the Sky[/caption] The 2016 Gasparilla International Film Festival today unveiled the 10th year Anniversary edition film lineup. Opening the festival is Eye in the Sky directed by Gavin Hood and starring Helen Mirren; and closing night film is Everybody Wants Some directed by Richard Linklater. OPENING NIGHT FILM (NARRATIVE): Eye in the Sky (UK): Complications arise when a lieutenant general and a colonel order a drone missile strike to take out a group of terrorists in Nairobi, Kenya. Cast: Alan Rickman, Helen Mirren, Aaron Paul. Director Gavin Hood scheduled to attend. CLOSING NIGHT FILM (NARRATIVE): Everybody Wants Some (USA): A group of college baseball players navigate their way through the freedoms and responsibilities of unsupervised adulthood. Director & Screenwriter Richard Linklater NARRATIVE FEATURES: Precious Cargo (World Premiere): After a botched heist, Eddie, a murderous crime boss, hunts down the seductive thief Karen, who failed him. In order to win back Eddie’s trust, Karen recruits her ex-lover and premier thief Jack. Starring Bruce Willis, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Claire Forlani. Directed by Max Adams. Ma Ma (SPAIN. USA Premiere): A woman recently diagnosed with cancer forms an unexpected bond with a soccer scout (Luis Tosar) whose wife has been gravely injured in a car accident. Cast: Academy Award winner Penélope Cruz. Directed by Julio Medem. Love and Friendship (FRA/NETHERLANDS. Florida Premiere): In the 18th century, the seductive and manipulative Lady Susan uses devious tactics to win the heart of the eligible Reginald De Courcy. Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Chloe Sevigny. Directed by Chloe Sevigny. The Daughter (AUS. Florida Premiere): In an unnamed, present-day logging town that has seen better times, Henry Neilson, a well-to-do mill owner, announces to his employees that the economy has forced him to close. Cast: Geoffrey Rush, Miranda Otto, Odessa Young and Sam Neill. Directed by Simon Stone. The Debt (USA. Florida Premiere): A hedge fund honcho puts through the deal of a lifetime: the redemption of a billion-dollar debt owed by the Peruvian government to its citizens. The quick buck soon turns into a nightmare. Cast: Stephen Dorff, Alberto Ammann, Carlos Bardem, and David Strathairn. Directed by: Barney Elliott. The Adderall Diaries (USA. Florida Premiere): Thriller based on a “true-crime memoir” book of the same name by Stephen Elliott, based on the Hans Reiser murder case. Cast: James Franco, Ed Harris and Amber Heard. Written and directed by Pamela Romanowsky. One More Time (USA. Florida Premiere): Beautiful aspiring rock star Jude is stuck in a rut—relegated to recording commercial jingles and lost in a series of one night stands. Cast: Amber Heard, Kelli Garner and Christopher Walker. Director Robert Edwards scheduled to attend. A Beautiful Now (USA. Florida Premiere): As a beautiful dancer balances reality and fantasy, she asks her friends to help her figure out the passions and relationships that have shaped her identity. Cast: Abigail Spencer, Cheyenne Jackson, Collette Wolfe. Directed by Daniela Amavia. Puerto Ricans in Paris (USA. Florida Premiere): Two Puerto Rican NYPD detectives head to Paris to track down a stolen handbag. Cast: Luiz Guzman, Rosie Perez, Rosario Dawson. Directed by Ian Edelman. DOCUMENTARIES: Hano! A Century in the Bleachers (Florida Premiere): Meet Arnold Hano, 93, legendary sportswriter and social activist. Baseball fan, war veteran and storyteller emeritus: few have lived and chronicled the American experience as extensively. Director Jon Leonoudakis scheduled to attend. SMART (Florida Premiere): Groundbreaking feature-length documentary about a group of highly trained, adrenaline-fueled professionals who risk life and limb to rescue animals. They’re Los Angeles’ Specialized Mobile Animal Rescue Team! Director Justin Zimmerman scheduled to attend. Hair I Go Again (World Premiere): Facing a mid-life crossroads, two longtime friends risk everything as they set out to fulfill their dreams of achieving rock & roll stardom. Director Steve McClure scheduled to attend. No Greater Love (Florida Premiere): U.S. Army Chaplain Justin Roberts goes on missions with the legendary NO SLACK battalion in Afghanistan in 2010-2011 armed with only a camera. Director Justin Roberts scheduled to attend. CUBAN SIDEBAR: Films focusing on Cuba Craving Cuba (World Premiere): A Cuban-American woman seeks to understand her true identity. Directed by Zuzy Martin Lynch and Rick Lynch. The Forbidden Shore (World Premiere): The amazing diversity of contemporary Cuban music is gorgeously explored in Ron Chapman’s third documentary feature. Chapman captures the full gamut of what’s happening now in Cuba, both the most exciting artists and the distinct musical scenes they move in. Director Ron Chapman scheduled to attend. Havana Motor Club (Florida Premiere): Reforms have offered opportunity in Cuba, but the children of the Revolution are unsure of the best route forward. For a half-dozen drag racers, this means last-minute changes to their beloved American muscle cars as they prepare for the first sanctioned race in Cuba since 1960. Director Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt scheduled to attend. FLORIDA FOCUS: World premiere of independent films made in Florida Waiting on Mary: A struggling actor, traumatized by a brutal divorce, assumes the personality of a colonial character he played at a failed amusement park as a way of retreating from his pain. Directed by Corey Horton. Bear With Us: A modern farce about a guy who attempts to propose to his girlfriend in the most romantic way possible, but his plan falls apart when a ravenous bear stumbles on their charming cabin in the woods. Directed by William J. Stribling. Dooder And the Lighthouse: Dooder Parker is eighty-six and full of life. When the historic lighthouse in his hometown becomes doomed to fall into the Gulf, his recounting of local history evolves into a reflection on his love for his wife. Stories intertwine to paint a portrait of a vanishing way of life. Directed by Clayton and Lisa Long. In addition to feature length films, GIFF will present over 70 short films. Short film blocks include: “LOL”: Comedic short films “Films on a Mission”: Short films focusing on a specific cause “Thrill Ride”: Thriller, action, and horror short films “Love is In the Air”: Romantic short films “ Films in Motion”: Short films related to music “Save the Drama”: Drama short films “Films 101”: College made short films “High School Film Showcase”: GIFF’s high school filmmaking competition Sponsored by Suncoast Credit Union
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THE SURFACE Starring Sean Astin to Open Gasparilla Film Fest

The Florida Premiere of the film “The Surface“, starring Mimi Rogers, Chris Mulkey and Sean Astin will open the 2015 Suncoast Credit Union Gasparilla International Film Festival, taking place March 24 – 29, 2015.

Directed by Gil Cates, Jr., the movie tells the story of two strangers, both at the end of their rope, who suddenly meet in the middle of the unpredictable waters of Lake Michigan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1gHRRzIqiU
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“Copenhagen” “Boys of Abu Ghraib” Among Winners of 2014 Gasparilla International Film Festival

Copenhagen

Mark Raso’s “Copenhagen” won the jury prize for best narrative feature, and “Boys of Abu Ghraib,” directed by Luke Moran, won the audience award for narrative feature at the 2014 Gasparilla International Film Festival, held last month in Tampa, Florida. In the documentary genre, “The Longest Game,” directed by Camille Thoman won the jury prize and “Ride with Larry,” directed by Ricardo Villarreal and Andrew Rubin won the the audience award for best documentary.

“Melaza,” directed by Carlos Lechuga won the World Showcase award.

GIFF 2014 Grand Jury Award Winners:

Narrative: “Copenhagen” directed by Mark Raso
College Showcase: “The Bright Side,” directed by Sarah Wilson Thacker
Documentary: “The Longest Game,” directed by Camille Thoman
New Visions Presented by Indie Pix: “Sand Castles,” directed by Clenet Verdi-Rose
Screenwriting: SJ Thompson, “A Long Way From Paris”
Short Film: “God’s Got His Head in the Clouds,” directed by Gianluca Sodaro
Special Jury for Acting: Frederikke Dahl Hansen, “Copenhagen”
Special Jury for Filmmaking: Michael Wechsley, “The Red Robin”

GIFF 2014 Audience Award Winners:

Narrative: “Boys of Abu Ghraib,” directed by Luke Moran
Best Florida Production: “…And a Bag of Chips,” directed by Sabyn Mayfield
College Showcase: “Tobacco Burn,” directed by Justin Liberman
Documentary: “Ride with Larry,” directed by Ricardo Villarreal and Andrew Rubin
High School Showcase: “Pendemonium,” directed by Wesley Hayes
Narrative Short Film: “CHUB,” directed by Sam Albis

via tbo
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100 Films on Lineup for 2014 Gasparilla International Film Festival; THERE’S ALWAYS WOODSTOCK is Opening Night Film

The Gasparilla International Film Festival (GIFF) unveiled its list of scheduled films for the eighth annual event held March 19-23, 2014 in Tampa, Florida. 100 films which will be screened at the Tampa Theatre, Cinébistro at Hyde Park and Muvico Centro Ybor 20, Tampa Art Museum and Firehouse Cultural Center. The World premiere,of THERE’S ALWAYS WOODSTOCK directed by Rita Merson is the opening night film , and the U.S.premiere of CHU AND BLOSSOM directed by Gavin Kelly and Charles Chu is the closing night film.

Below is a list of some of the films that will be featured at the GIFF 2014

Opening Night Film

THERE’S ALWAYS WOODSTOCK: When neurotic, struggling songwriter, Catherine Brown’s life in New York City falls apart, she is forced to confront her past when she spends the summer at her childhood home in Woodstock, New York, learning that becoming successful means becoming your true self first.
World premiere, opening night film directed by Rita Merson and featuring: Brittany Snow, Katey Sagal, Ryan Guzman, Allison Miller, Jason Ritter, Anna Anissimova, Rumer Willis and James Wolk.

Centerpiece Films

THE BOYS OF ABU GHRAIB: An American soldier deployed at Abu Ghraib finds himself behind the walls of the infamous Hard Site, where he develops a secret friendship with an Iraqi detainee.
World premiere film directed by Luke Moran and starring: Luke Moran, Sean Astin, Sara Paxton and Michael Welch.

Enemy: Adam Bell is a glum, disheveled history professor, who seems disinterested even in sex with his beautiful girlfriend, Mary. Watching a movie on the recommendation of a colleague, Adam spots his double, an actor named Anthony Clair, in a bit role, and decides to track him down — an adventure he quite relishes. The identical men meet, and their lives become bizarrely and irrevocably intertwined.
Florida premiere film directed by Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners) and featuring Jake Gyllenhaal and Melanie Laurent.

Obvious Child: An honest comedy about what happens when Brooklyn comedian Donna Stern gets dumped, fired and pregnant just in time for the worst/best Valentine’s Day of her life.
Florida premiere directed by Gillian Robespierre and starring: Jenny Slate, Gaby Hoffmann, David Cross and Richard Kind. World premiered at Sundance 2014.

Hank and Asha: An Indian student in Prague and a lonely New Yorker correspond online through video letters.
Directed by James E. Huff and starring Mahira Kakkar and Andrew Pastides, this Tampa premiere was the Audience Award recipient at Slamdance 2013.

Narrative Competition Films

House of Last Things: A mind-bending thriller set in Portland, Oregon about an unspoken tragedy and its effects on a house, its temporary caretakers and the owners, a classical music critic and his wife on a recuperative trip to Italy.
U.S. premiere directed by Michael Bartlett and starring Lindsey Haun, Blake Berris, and RJ Mitte.

The Red Robin: A family reunion goes awry when the oldest son makes the accusation that his dying father, a famed psychiatrist who also did work for the CIA, adopted his children for the purposes of psychological experimentation.
Directed by Michael Z. Wechsler and featuring: Judd Hirsch, Ryan O’Nan, C.S. Lee, Jaime Ray Newman and Caroline Lagerfelt. A Florida premiere film.

Copenhagen: When the girl of your dreams is half your age, it’s time to grow up.
Directed by Mark Raso and starring: Gethin Anthony, Frederikke Dahl Hansen and Olivia Grant, this Florida premiere film was the Slamdance 2014 Audience Award Winner.

In Lieu of Flowers: Most love stories are about losing love or finding it. This is a story about what happens in between.
Florida premiere film directed by William Savage and cast includes: Josh Pence, Spencer Grammer, Nate Corddry, and Melissa Rauch.

Winter in the Blood: True to the tough, lyrical, magical spirit of James Welch’s classic novel of Native American life, this hauntingly beautiful movie follows a young Blackfoot Indian’s alcohol-fueled search for his wife, his rifle, his identity—and salvation.
Directed by Alex Smith and Andrew J. Smith, and featuring: Chaske Spencer, David Morse, Gary Farmer and Julia Jones.

Teddy Bears: Dark comedy about three couples who head to the desert to help their friend heal after the death of his mother. They would do anything for him – except for the one thing he wants.
Florida premiere directed by Thomas Beatty and Rebecca Fishman, and cast includes: Gillian Jacobs, Zachary Knighton, David Krumholtz, Melanie Lynskey, Ahna O’Reilly, Jason Ritter, and Ned Beatty.

Odd Brodsky: Audrey Brodsky is a lovable loser who hates her job. After 11 years, she finally quits the office to pursue her childhood dream of becoming an actress. There’s just one problem – she’s not very good at it.
Directed by Cindy Baer and starring Tegan Ashton Cohan and Matthew Kevin Anderson, this is a Florida premiere film.

Closing Night Film

Chu and Blossom: A coming-of-age comedy that centers on an unlikely brotherhood between a pensive, awkwardly tall Korean foreign exchange student and a militant performance artist, both trapped together in a small town.

This Florida premiere movie was filmed throughout the Tampa Bay region, including: Tampa, Lakeland, Plant City, Ocala and Pinellas County, over 18 days in summer of 2012. Directed by Gavin Kelly and Charles Chu, the World premiere of this film was at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival earlier this year. Features: Charles Chu, Ryan O’Nan (GIFF 2012 Rising Star Award recipient), Annie Potts, Caitlin Stasey, Alan Cumming, Melanie Lynskey, Richard Kind and Mercedes Ruehl.

In addition to the above films, GIFF 2014 will include competition films in the following categories: Narrative, World Showcase, Documentary Feature, Focus on Florida and New Visions Competition, sponsored by Indie Pix Distributors.

There will also be Cuisine Short Films at the Tampa Museum of Art, which celebrates the culinary delights of cinema, a Women Filmmakers panel, and a selection of Cuban documentaries and feature films that explore the vibrant film culture and beautiful landscape of Cuba.
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Actor Armand Assante’s Dialogue From the Steppes Among Winners of 2012 Gasparilla International Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_2721" align="alignnone" width="550"]Armand Assante[/caption]

“Dialogue From the Steppes,” a short film written and directed by actor Armand Assante (“Mambo Kings,” “Private Benjamin”) won the top documentary short prize at this year’s Gasparilla International Film Festival. “Dialogue From the Steppes” is described as Armand Assante’s presentation based on his own observations and feelings for the people of Kazakhstan. about the formation of an independent state, through several periods of Kazakhstan’s development, including the war years, closing of Semipalatinsk testing site, political repressions and the latest economic and political achievements of the country.

The complete list of winners of 2012 Gasparilla International Film Festival:

Life Achievment Award: Keith David

Career Achievement Award: Chazz Palminteri

Rising Star Award: Ryan O’Nan

Digital Domain Institute Award for Screenwriting Competition
“Heart of a Family” BY Sharon Duncan

Digital Domain Institute Award for Audience Best Short Documentary
Dialogue from the Steppes

Digital Domain Institute Award for Audience Best Documentary
Teresa Sareo – Alive Again

Digital Domain Institute Award for Audience Best Narrative
Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best

Digital Domain Institute Award for Audience Best Short Narrative
Underground

Florida Governor’s Office Film in Florida Award for Best Florida Prod.
Subprime

Digital Domain Institute Award for Special Mention Male
Michael Weston in “Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best”

Digital Domain Institute Award for Special Mention Female
Danielle Harris

Digital Domain Institute Award for Grand Jury Short Narrative
Wolf Call

Digital Domain Institute Award for Grand Jury Short Documentary
Dilli

Digital Domain Institute Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary
The Loving Story

Digital Domain Institute Award for Grand Jury Animated Short
Live Outside the Box

Digital Domain Institute Award for Grand Jury Narrative
Downtown Express

Digital Domain Institute Grand Jury Award for Young Filmmaker
According to Plan

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The Music Never Stopped to open 2011 Gasparilla International Film Festival

Gasparilla International Film Festival revealed today that Jim Kohlberg’s The Music Never Stopped will be the opening film of 2011 festival. The film’s producer will be in attendance for this Southeastern U.S. premier, along with GIFF’s honorary guest, M. Emmet Walsh.

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Gasparilla International Film Festival + Global Lens 2011 Brings Independent Foreign Films to Tampa

The Invisible Eye (La Mirada Invisible)

The Gasparilla International Film Festival (GIFF) will once again collaborate with Global Film Initiative and the Tampa Museum of Art to bring the best independent foreign films to the Tampa Bay area. Global Lens 2011 is a prestigious series of films, which supports unique and critically acclaimed cinematic works of independent filmmakers from all over the globe.

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Gasparilla International Film Festival to honor M. Emmet Walsh and Tom Berenger in 2011

Walsh at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival

Gasparilla International Film Festival (GIFF) will recognize M. Emmet Walsh and Tom Berenger for their commitment, talent and outstanding achievements. Both Walsh and Berenger will be in attendance to accept their awards during the 5th annual GIFF being held March 24 – 27 in Tampa.

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