Tarpon Springs Hosts 1st International Film Festival June 27-30

TARPON SPRINGS, FL -- Movie lovers will have a chance to view 21 films in a single weekend when the City of Tarpon Springs hosts its first international film festival June 27-30.

Organized by Tarpon Arts, the city's Cultural Services/Division of Arts & Historical Resources, the festival will take place at the Tarpon Springs Performing Arts Center, 324 Pine St., in City Hall.

An opening reception will be held Thursday, June 27 at 7:30 p.m. at the Tarpon Springs Heritage Museum, 100 Beekman Lane. Those attending will have a chance to meet screenwriters and directors at the reception.

The festival will showcase 16 shorts and five feature films from around the world including France, Morocco, Germany and India as well as a few made in Tarpon Springs and the surrounding area.

According to Tarpon Springs Film Festival director Rod Merten, the selected films, all family-friendly, were culled from more than 75 entries from independent filmmakers.

Especially for the festival, the Performing Arts Center has been upgraded with a screen, new sound system and cordless microphones.

Those attending will have a chance to cast their votes for their favorite films. The festival also will include question-and-answer sessions and panel discussions with the screenwriters and directors.

There will be an award ceremony after the final screening on Sunday at 5 p.m. to announce the fan favorites.

Included in the festival lineup are:

• “Angel in a Foxhole," a U.S. film based on the true WWII-era story of Cpl. William A. Wynne's self-published book, “Yorkie Doodle Dandy.” Wynne became a reconnaissance photographer with the 5th Airborne and was working combat missions in Nadzab New Guinea, when fate delivered him a 4-pound Yorkshire terrier named Smoky.
• “Epiphany," a Tarpon Springs film, is the story of Luka who is desperate to connect with her negligent father in the Greek sponge-diving town in Tarpon Springs. Filmmakers and sisters Koula Kazista and Katina Sossiadis spent summers in their youth in Tarpon Springs and call the film “their love letter to Tarpon Springs.”
• “Cinemability," an American film that takes a look at the history of disability portrayals in entertainment. The film includes appearances by Ben Affleck, Jamie Foxx, Geena Davis, William H. Macy, Jane Seymour and Marlee Matlin.
• “The Glass Half Full" in which a new generation gets to enjoy their parent’s home and understand the struggle and love it took to own it. This film was written by Anthony Caputo and directed by Don Stelmaszek, both Pinellas County residents.
• “Belleview Waltz," a film narrated by former Fox 13 News anchor John Wilson that shares the work and detail that went into a collection local artist Christopher Still completed for the recently renovated Belleview Biltmore Inn.
• “Dancing as One," another locally produced film that shows the vibrant culture of the Greek community of Tarpon Springs.
• “Susan” by United Kingdom director Mahmoud Shoolizadeh that tells how a woman keeps her love and hope alive after losing her husband in the Afghanistan war.
• “Nobody Dies Here," a short French documentary on an illegal gold mine in West Africa.
• “William’s Words," an animated film that tells the story of young William Shakespeare finding the words for his future plays.
• “Treasure Chest," a German film about a burglar who breaks into an empty home and finds something unimaginable inside.

The films will be presented in blocks of three to six films with the first screening block set for Friday from 6 to 9 p.m.

Audience members can purchase tickets in blocks for $8 general admission, $5 for Tarpon Arts members and $3 for students and children. Or they can purchase an all-access pass for the entire festival for $30 general admission, $20 for Tarpon Arts members and $10 for students and children.

To see the full schedule and purchase tickets, click here.