Florida Film Festival 2007 - Shakin up the film scene for 16 years

The Florida Film Festival is happening this week and here are a few of the films I saw.

On Wednesday Rich and I saw The Animated Shorts at the Enzian. We usually try and see the non-animated shorts but this year we were working on a "sharing" schedule. Jordan, Rich and I all wanted to see films at the festival and we all three had to share babysitting Jack duty. This was a night that I could go and see a film, so the Animated Shorts it was.

Thursday night we were all home, but on Friday morning Jordan and I did the Kodak Stop By - Shoot Film forum that was offered. We headed down on Friday morning and got to act in a small production, shoot film, discuss filmaking, and haul the monster camera around! It was pretty cool.

We left there and went to the Enzian to see Black Irish - Cole McKay (Michael Angarano), a 16- year-old Irish Catholic living in South Boston, is a good boy who loves his family, baseball, and pets. Once an aspirant for the priesthood, Cole struggles to come of age--facing new obligations and ideas--in the midst of a chaotic and financially challenged family and the upheaval that accompanies his own puberty. Can he survive? Can his family? The McKay's are a troubled lot: Cole's teenage siblings--surly and misguided Terry (Tom Guiry) and unwed and pregnant Kathleen (Emily VanCamp)--are foils for his growth, while his parents--alcoholic Desmond and austere Margaret--complete the family, ultimately revealing how the term "Black Irish" in this film may refer to the more pejorative hard-drinking, brawling Irish than to Spanish Moor ancestral descent. With an impressive ensemble cast, including Brendan Gleeson, Melissa Leo, and Michael Rispoli, this finely shot coming-of-age story is fraught with all the tension and conflict and hope of real life familial relationships.

Sadie met us at the Enzian and then headed home with us afterwards. Bron was involved in the Dragonboat Festival that was happening in Tavares so she wanted to be a part of that.

Jordan, Sadie and I drove home - did a 2 hour rush tidy of the house for Zelena, Ben and Johanna's visit - then Heather, Rich and I headed back to Winter Park for the International Shorts and If It Ain't Stiff It Ain't Worth A F...: The Stiff Records Story . Heather knew so much of this music, you now, from growing up in England and all.....ahh reminiscing about the pop/pub culture in England. It was great fun watching this with her. Except for the bits that I fell asleep. Late night, life with dog...what can I say.

Just for the record...this year Rich, Jordan, and Heather saw Glastonbury on Monday night. Heather and Jordan went on Tuesday night for The Elephant King and today, Sunday, Rich and Jordan are seeing Air Guitar Nation tonight after the radio show. Heather might be joining them!

So, this was the 2007 Florida Film Festival. As usual it was a blast.....now life can slow down a bit again!! Sheesh.

It's very hard to see all the films we wanted to. We're talking about having a FilmFestNight once a month and getting any film we still wanted to see from Netflix and checking them out that way.