Not everything at a film festival has to be dark and edgy,
although that's often the case. Among the 20 fresh new movies in the
American Independent Competition at the 2014 Florida Film Festival held
throughout Central Florida each April, two selections are particularly
inspiring. More than with most films, watching these onscreen struggles
may encourage viewers to connect with their inner spirit and bring out
the best version of themselves.
SlingShot
The film SlingShot (in its Florida premiere) propels itself forward as the mightiest of 10 films competing in the documentary features category - at least in terms of inspiration.
Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway Human Transporter, is the subject of this intriguing film directed by Paul Lazarus. Not only does the movie profile the personal story of this brilliant inventor and what motivates him, but it portrays the world-wide problem of contaminated water in easy-to-understand language and pictures. The solution, however, is not quite as simple.
Kamen's latest invention, SlingShot, is designed to kill water-borne pathogens through the use of purification systems he hopes to deliver around the world to the most impoverished areas. Lazarus weaves together Kamen's past and present in order to show the sacrifices and rewards of being a modern-day David fighting an enormous Goliath (polluted water, lack of education, lack of distribution channels, and expensive machinery).
Florida Film Festival Programming Director, Matthew Curtis, describes SlingShot as the most inspiring film this year from any competing or non-competing category. "Dean Kamen is a humanitarian who wants to save mankind. You can't get any more inspiring than that. SlingShot, and other films such as Before You Know It and The Front Man, open the window to new ideas."
Indeed, watching SlingShot may generate tremendous feelings of admiration for Kamen and get audience members wondering how they can similarly make a difference to others.
Additional Competing Documentary Features
Other full-length documentary features competing at the 2014 Florida Film Festival: American Jesus (Aram Garriga, director); Before You Know It (PJ Raval, director); The Front Man (Paul Devlin, director); The Kill Team (Dan Krauss, director); Levitated Mass (Doug Pray, director); Love Me (Jonathon Narducci, director); Mission Congo (Matthew Vandyke, director); No No: A Dockumentary (Jeffrey Radice, director); and Powerless (Deepti Kakkar and Fahad Mustafa, directors).
Finding Neighbors
Of the 10 films competing in the narrative features category, Finding Neighbors (in its Southeast Premiere) examines how "an inspired act" can reignite trust, friendship, love, and passion in a floundering relationship and bolster self-esteem in people who have unhealthy patterns that keep them stuck in a perpetually unhappy state.
Directed by Ron Judkins and starring Michael O'Keefe as Sam Tucker, the film focuses on a middle-aged graphic novelist enduring a mid-life crisis that affects his work and marriage. Famous, popular, and rich in his early career, Sam has difficulty adjusting to his current situation of near irrelevance and remains stuck in a bored listlessness that keeps him from progressing personally and professionally.
In an unlikely pairing, Jeff (Blake Bashoff), a younger neighbor with problems of his own, helps Sam find the inspiration he needs to wake up from his lethargic state. By vicariously celebrating Sam's renewed spirit, audience members may find their own inspiration.
The film's director describes it this way: "I think in relationships we get into patterns, and we tend to repeat the patterns over and over. But every once in a while we have the inspiration to step outside our normal pattern and do something that can suddenly change everything," Judkins says. "[In the film], Jeff believes that there is 'definite progress' on the path of love, progress when someone steps outside their normal realm of behavior and experience to commit 'an inspired act.' It can be something as simple as picking up the phone to call someone, returning a smile or a glance across the room, or as significant as proposing marriage."
Additional Competing Narrative Features
Other full-length narrative features competing at the 2014 Florida Film Festival: Copenhagen (Mark Raso, director); Crimes Against Humanity (Jerzy Rose, director); Doomsdays (Eddie Mullins, director); Druid Peak (Marni Zelnick, director); Forev (Molly Green and James Leffler, directors); I Believe in Unicorns (Leah Meyerhoff, director); Last I Heard (David Rodriguez, director); Medeas (Andrea Pallaoro, director); Winter in the Blood (Alex Smith and Andrew Smith, directors).
Now in its 23rd year, Florida Film Festival, produced by Enzian Theater in Maitland, Florida, also includes a documentary shorts competition, narrative shorts competition, animated shorts competition, spotlight films, midnight films, special screenings, and international showcase.
SlingShot
The film SlingShot (in its Florida premiere) propels itself forward as the mightiest of 10 films competing in the documentary features category - at least in terms of inspiration.
Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway Human Transporter, is the subject of this intriguing film directed by Paul Lazarus. Not only does the movie profile the personal story of this brilliant inventor and what motivates him, but it portrays the world-wide problem of contaminated water in easy-to-understand language and pictures. The solution, however, is not quite as simple.
Kamen's latest invention, SlingShot, is designed to kill water-borne pathogens through the use of purification systems he hopes to deliver around the world to the most impoverished areas. Lazarus weaves together Kamen's past and present in order to show the sacrifices and rewards of being a modern-day David fighting an enormous Goliath (polluted water, lack of education, lack of distribution channels, and expensive machinery).
Florida Film Festival Programming Director, Matthew Curtis, describes SlingShot as the most inspiring film this year from any competing or non-competing category. "Dean Kamen is a humanitarian who wants to save mankind. You can't get any more inspiring than that. SlingShot, and other films such as Before You Know It and The Front Man, open the window to new ideas."
Indeed, watching SlingShot may generate tremendous feelings of admiration for Kamen and get audience members wondering how they can similarly make a difference to others.
Additional Competing Documentary Features
Other full-length documentary features competing at the 2014 Florida Film Festival: American Jesus (Aram Garriga, director); Before You Know It (PJ Raval, director); The Front Man (Paul Devlin, director); The Kill Team (Dan Krauss, director); Levitated Mass (Doug Pray, director); Love Me (Jonathon Narducci, director); Mission Congo (Matthew Vandyke, director); No No: A Dockumentary (Jeffrey Radice, director); and Powerless (Deepti Kakkar and Fahad Mustafa, directors).
Finding Neighbors
Of the 10 films competing in the narrative features category, Finding Neighbors (in its Southeast Premiere) examines how "an inspired act" can reignite trust, friendship, love, and passion in a floundering relationship and bolster self-esteem in people who have unhealthy patterns that keep them stuck in a perpetually unhappy state.
Directed by Ron Judkins and starring Michael O'Keefe as Sam Tucker, the film focuses on a middle-aged graphic novelist enduring a mid-life crisis that affects his work and marriage. Famous, popular, and rich in his early career, Sam has difficulty adjusting to his current situation of near irrelevance and remains stuck in a bored listlessness that keeps him from progressing personally and professionally.
In an unlikely pairing, Jeff (Blake Bashoff), a younger neighbor with problems of his own, helps Sam find the inspiration he needs to wake up from his lethargic state. By vicariously celebrating Sam's renewed spirit, audience members may find their own inspiration.
The film's director describes it this way: "I think in relationships we get into patterns, and we tend to repeat the patterns over and over. But every once in a while we have the inspiration to step outside our normal pattern and do something that can suddenly change everything," Judkins says. "[In the film], Jeff believes that there is 'definite progress' on the path of love, progress when someone steps outside their normal realm of behavior and experience to commit 'an inspired act.' It can be something as simple as picking up the phone to call someone, returning a smile or a glance across the room, or as significant as proposing marriage."
Additional Competing Narrative Features
Other full-length narrative features competing at the 2014 Florida Film Festival: Copenhagen (Mark Raso, director); Crimes Against Humanity (Jerzy Rose, director); Doomsdays (Eddie Mullins, director); Druid Peak (Marni Zelnick, director); Forev (Molly Green and James Leffler, directors); I Believe in Unicorns (Leah Meyerhoff, director); Last I Heard (David Rodriguez, director); Medeas (Andrea Pallaoro, director); Winter in the Blood (Alex Smith and Andrew Smith, directors).
Now in its 23rd year, Florida Film Festival, produced by Enzian Theater in Maitland, Florida, also includes a documentary shorts competition, narrative shorts competition, animated shorts competition, spotlight films, midnight films, special screenings, and international showcase.
