REVIEW: ‘Paradise, FL’ Pleases

Nothing ties a stomach in knots for someone covering regional film more than the statement, “We shot this movie here with local talent.” The only words producing more anxiety may be the follow-up question “What do you think of it?” This became a timely issue as a huge number of local filmmakers involved themselves somehow in the making of Paradise, FL, a film shot entirely in Cortez and Sarasota, starring actors trained at the Asolo Conservatory. Most every significant film institution in the region banked a small part of their reputation on the success of this film, including the Sarasota Film Festival, which scheduled a screening in its largest available venue for an opening weekend premiere.

It was nerve-wracking walking into the Sarasota Opera House on Saturday, but an immediate relief then to see Paradise, FL is a film that satisfies, one that connects stunning imagery with a captivating story that produces ample emotional resonance. This film can stand up next to the independent films filmed anywhere in the country. And while this industry carries no guarantees of success regardless of a job well done, producer-writer Tony Stopperan and director Nick Morgulis have produced a work of art worthy of the increasingly crowded indie marketplace where this movie must now compete.

Paradise, FL Crew Wraps Shoot in Southwest Florida

Filming just wrapped for the feature-length Paradise, FL, a movie about a Cortez fisherman dealing with an addiction to pills and a troubled family life, just wrapped production this week. Now filmmakers are looking toward a hefty editing process and bringing the story to viewers.

“We’ve high hopes, as any independent film does,” said writer-producer Tony Stopperan. “Our aim is to hit the film festivals circuit and make a splash. With rich performances, excellent directing, production value realized through superior design and utilization of ‘functioning’ locations, and a strong story we should make waves, waves that belie the relative youthful team at the helm of this picture and the limited budget.”