From the Ladies Room

Sarasota Yacht Club; Cinema Tropicale

Talking with the filmmakers from; In the Grove

Dantev Gallagher, director,  and  Hannah Logan, producer

I saw both these filmmakers as I was about to exit the ladies room at the Sarasota Yacht Club.  We started talking about our short films.  We shared a theater together with the SRQ Shorts theirs In the Grove and mine A Lot in Common, which I helped produce. On a whim, the ladies agreed it would be fun to do an interview in from the ladies room. They both are young and beautiful and by the end of the interview are not only finishing each other sentences but answering the questions at the same time with the same answer!

 Where are you from?

We are both from Sarasota. We went to school together and know each other for about fifteen years or so.

How do you think your film has been received?

Dantev: I think it was received really well. I met a lot of people who have seen it and I couldn’t believe it. I thought maybe only families of the people in the SRQ shorts would have seen it, but a lot of people have come up to me and they liked it.

As a producer, what do you think the most challenging aspect of the filmmaking process was?

Hannah: I think the most challenging part was there was so much we wanted to get in and we only had four days. We had maybe two and a half weeks of pre-production to do it so; it was really a quick time. Dantev had a really distinct vision of what she wanted to do and we only had about four days.

Dantev: We had about five dogs on set at all times, with a dog wrangler and all. So Hannah was in charge of that.

It was such an interesting film to me. The film prior, Devil In Me, was a very dark film as well. Is Missy your lead actress here?

 Dantev:  Yes, both actresses are here and  honestly we all grew up together. Wewere in the young filmmakers showcase in high school called Spoons and everybody that I worked with was in it actually. So I wanted to come back one day as a real filmmaker.

And here you are! How many years later was that?

Dantev: Um, let’s see, I did it….

Hannah: Five

Dantev: Yeah, five.

What do you accredit your career to?

Dantev: Absolutely my friends. They are so talented and so hard working and caring, just good people. There are a lot of people in the industry who are climbing a ladder and will step on people just to get where they want to get.

 Yeah, they are called social climbers.

Dantev: Yes, and there are really a lot of really great people and those are the people I want to work with and the people I remember. My friends are definitely on that list.

What does your future hold?

Dantev: I don’t know. I am a video blogger, that’s how I make my living. We are traveling to California; we’re going to document the whole road trip so I’ll be there for a month filming my experience.

What’s going to make your road trip different from others who do the same?

Hannah: I think it’s our friends. We have really great friends.

Are they all from Sarasota?

Hannah: No, we have friends from all over the country that we will be staying with and who will be showing us their towns.

 Is it a documentary or reality show?

Dantev: I film everyday of my life so this will just be part of that. It’s basically a reality show.

Hannah: If you put it all into one, then it would be like a documentary, depends what you do with it.

Have you entered your short into any other festivals?

Dantev: This is the very first one. We edited it to the very last minute.

What are you plans for it?

Dantev: We want to enter it into a few other ones.

 Which specific ones?

Dantev: I want to do cities I know and specifically short film festivals. I know I want to enter into California and New York, maybe some smaller ones where I can meet some upcoming filmmakers.

From The Bench at Hollywood 20 Cinemas

Meet Thelma Lemberg – Sarasota Resident, Avid SFF Movie Goer & Even has a small role in a short local film.

The past couple of days I’ve been sitting on the bench outside of the Hollywood 20. I’ve met some very interesting people. Sure, the filmmakers and artists who come to town are looked upon as celebrities, but the real celebrities are people like Thelma Lemberg. She  has been a local resident of Sarasota for the past 11 years. She works at Toy Lab on Main Street and just moved downtown this past January. Five years ago, she found out about the SFF and has been attending ever since. I asked Thelma if I could record our conversation and she said, “Why? I am a nobody.” I hear that more and more from the people I’ve been speaking to. I tell her, “Yes, you are somebody. Without your support and so many like you, there would be no festival.”

 Do you see a certain theme or pattern to the films this year?

I’m much more aware of the theme of women, strength, independence and growth. The women are doing wonderful things with their lives. The most impressive film I’ve seen so far is called Arise. The second one is Ethel; it was done wonderfully. It was probably the truest biography I’ve ever seen. The fact that they were able to have 18 dogs on the premise at one time was impressive to me. I’m enjoying myself.

 Why did the film Arise shake you at the core?

Arise surprised me the most, in the vain that women are all over the world as independent. They are taking their lives in their hands; they realize if they don’t, no one else will. It’s about women that started with nothing and forged ahead and didn’t let anything stop them. Even bringing water to where they needed it was up to them to do. It seemed to me that the men were no help at all or very little. The admiration I have for these women makes me want to do even more volunteer work.

 How many films will you see over the course of the festival?

I will see approximately 14 films, about 2-3 per day. I’m skipping Fridays to have a day off.

 What do you think about the festival?

It’s been running very smoothly. Standing in line is pleasant. The seat is pleasant. The theater needs an overhauling and I assume someday in the future they will do it because this town is growing. I have nothing but positive things to say about this festival.

You have a role in the film A Lot in Common, in the festival for the first time this year. Tell me about that.

I am lucky enough to work in the toy store, Toy Lab. They wanted to present something very close to the heart of Sarasota and this is Main Street. The children walk into this business and think that it’s paradise and I understand it completely. I had a child ask me if I take the toys home at night and bring them back and I told her I did. It lit up her face with a smile.

 Seeing yourself on the big screen for the first time, what did you think?

Well, I don’t know anyone who likes to see themselves on screen. It was very quick and entertaining for me. Because of my age, I’m not so pleased with the way I look, but I was delighted to participate anyway.

 You certainly lit up that scene Thelma and you looked like a pro! What films are you looking forward to seeing?

I plan on going on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. I’ll see Datropia, The SRQ/FL Shorts 1, Scarlet Road and Pink Ribbons. I will tell you, I am disappointed with the film 17 Girls and the fact that 17 girls could get away with what they got away with, that they thought in a group they could take over their family’s lives. They didn’t understand anything at all. There were no girls in the group that were taught about life as it really is.

 Do you attend any of the events?

No, I don’t go to the events. I don’t have anyone to go with. I feel lonely when I go to those things.

 A vivacious independent woman like you! Would you go if you had someone to go with?

Probably, I might have gone to Opening Night. But there was just no reason for me to go because everything is a couple.

Perhaps there is a gentleman that will read this that feels the same way. You know, there are still four more days to the wrap party (wink)! I’ve attended these events, most of the times alone. It’s not all couples; it’s an opportunity to meet like-minded people at these events. Do you enjoy talking about the films you see?

I enjoy stories, documentaries and I like people. When I see movies that involve people who have “meat” to their lives and to their stories, I thoroughly enjoy coming out of these movies and having something to think about.

Would you change anything about the festival?

No, I think they run it very smoothly. Even the ability to get schedules was easy. Having someone sit at the desk with me and fill it out was productive. I learned that I will buy a pass next year instead of doing it individually the way I did it, not only for the money but for the convenience. I didn’t know about the pass until after I bought 10 tickets then came back and bought two more, then three more. I learned from reading the film guide.

You can check out Thelma in A Lot in Common…shared memories

Wednesday, April 18, SRQ/FLA Shorts 1 at 1:15pm.

And So It Begins…..

This afternoon I walked across busy Ringling Blvd towards 1900 Main Street where the pop-up office for the Sarasota Film Festival will reside for the next two weeks. Signs point you to the elevator. This is the first stop filmmakers, press and anyone in the industry must make in order to receive their credentials.

After walking down the quiet dimly lit hallway, I see a ray of light shining through suite 310. Inside you can hear and feel the excitement! Film posters hang on the walls and postcards laid out on the table available to help promote the films.

Frank PR is the firm that had handled credentials for the past several years. I go inside the room looking for Tiffany Malloy. I ask the girl with the blonde hair if Tiffany was there. She said, “I’m Tiffany, I am blonde now.”  She certainly is keeping with the theme of the festival; ‘See Things Differently.’ She hands me my credentials and off I go. Of course, I had to stop to see if the two films I worked were on the table or the wall. Turns out Text Message has a full size poster on the wall and post cards were on the table for both films; the other one is A Lot in Common.

Attending the festival as press, I’ve done it before. Blogging about my experience for SRQ Backlot is new to me. To have two short films in the festival, I’m not really sure how or if it will make this festival any different. I’m ready for the journey and perhaps this blog will help you and I ‘See Things Differently.’

Two Film Debut

Dayle Hoffman, founder of the Creative Minds Soiree events, proved herself a rabble-rouser at a town hall event on the Sarasota Film Festival earlier this year. But today, she can call herself part of the SFF alumni. Hoffman has two films, one which she produced and another in which she starred.

Dayle Hoffman attends the Sarasota Film Festival town hall in February

“This is the first time I’ve been featured in the festival and that’s very exciting,” she said at the SFF kickoff event in Sarasota.

Hoffman produced A Lot In Common, a short film about the relationship between a child and his grandmother. It will be included in the Shorts 8 program, which runs April 14 at 1:15pm and April 18 at 1pm.

She also plays the part of Rhonda in Text Message, a short about jealousy and digital communication. This one fits in the Shorts 9 program and screens on April 19 at 1:30pm and April 22 at 11:45am.