Tallahassee Film Festival

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – In honor of Black History Month and in celebration of FAMU’s 125^th anniversary, Florida A&M University (FAMU) Lyceum Series and the Office of Student Activities in partnership with the Tallahassee Film Festival (TFF) and the Tallahassee Film Society (TFS) present A Tribute to African-American Film beginning February 3 through February 29, 2012.

“We have been working in conjunction with several local groups to not only pay tribute to a segment of African-American culture, but to highlight FAMU alumni and staff contributions to the entertainment field as we celebrate FAMU’s 125^th anniversary,” said Sharon Saunders, Executive Assistant for Communications at FAMU and Tribute to African-American Films Planning Committee Chair.  “We believe that we have movies and events the entire community will enjoy.”

“Our Mission at TFF is ‘to nurture all aspects of film culture and stimulate economic development,’” said Lou Armesto, TFF Board Chair.  “This tribute accomplishes both by providing exceptional programming for our local community and attracting FAMU alumni back to Tallahassee and their alma mater.  That’s a win-win for everyone involved.”

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Tallahassee, Fla.- The Tallahassee Film Festival (TFF), in partnership with the Holocaust Education Resource Council and the Tallahassee Film Society, will host The Remembrance Film Forum in Tallahassee, FL for the general public on four Sundays from Oct. 16 through Nov. 6. The events will take place at various venues around Tallahassee. The Remembrance Film Forum will feature diverse perspectives and insights about the Holocaust intended to continually uplift, enlighten and challenge its audience through the powerful medium of film.

The Remembrance Film Forum presents twelve shorts and feature films from around the world with talents such as Dustin Hoffman and Joan Allen. The focus and purpose of each of the weekends’ modules is to highlight a facet of this compelling topic and stimulate audiences not only through film, but also through open discussion including some special guest speakers and moderators.

Opening night at FSU’s Student Life Cinema, kicking off the forum in a bold manner under the theme “Finding A Masterpiece”, is The Rape of Europa, a mysterious and intriguing investigation into crimes of the art world by the Third Reich.  Additional modules in weeks that follow at the All Saints Theatre include “Children’s Stories,” of curious and courageous youngsters and “Women’s Stories,” that showcase their triumphs and impacts both during and beyond the Holocaust with a highlight of the evening being the live Q & A with Shanghai Ghetto survivor, Ellen Peyton. The module themed “The More Things Change…” pairs Our Rhineland, a short film about two sisters who face sterilization by the Nazis, with a feature documentary, The Rescuers, by a young African filmmaker, who compares and contrasts the genocide in his homeland of Darfur to the genocide in Nazi, Germany, which is universally recognized as the first act of genocide in modern times. These films serve not only as a tutorial, bringing little known facts to light in a new way, but also offer encouraging stories of sacrifice, survival and the human spirit overcoming adversity.

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Dr. Andy Opel, Documentary Filmmaking Panel, New Media in Filmmaking Panel – Opel is an associate professor in the School of Communication at Florida State University; he has been teaching documentary video production and critical media studies for over ten years. His research interests include environmental communication, alternative media and the emerging media reform movement. Opel’s documentary, Beating Justice: The Martin Lee Anderson Story, will show at the festival Saturday, April 9 at 3:30PM at All Saints Cinema.

Marsha Buchanan, Documentary Filmmaking Panel – Buchanan is in her last semester at Florida A&M University and looking forward to studying abroad after graduation. She has worked in broadcasting and is currently a night editor at WTXL ABC 27. Buchanan’s documentary short, Skin Deep, will show at the festival Saturday, April 9 at 3:30PM at the Regal Miracle theatre.

Stephen Robitaille, Documentary Filmmaking Panel – Professor Stephen Robitaille is an Emmy Award-winning, documentary filmmaker and a fulltime English faculty member at Santa Fe Community College, where he also teaches a course on media studies. He recently served as Researcher and Field Producer in the full-length film documentary, Dance of My Heart, based on the life of Cuban-born choreographer Alberto Alonso. Dr. Robitaille is co-producer of the Emmy Award winning “Expedition Florida,” a public television and radio series produced in conjunction with the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville.

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Tallahassee Film Festival All Access Pass holders will have two opportunities to save thanks to strategic community partnerships with Best Buy and the Challenger Learning Center.

In the market for new electronics, video games, a guitar? Now is the time to shop! The Tallahassee Best Buy is offering All Access pass holders a special discount. Show your TFF pass at checkout and receive five percent off one item.

Additionally, The new IMAX/Warner Bros. film, Born to Be Wild 3D, opens today, Friday, April 8 at the Challenger Learning Center. This weekend All Access pass holders receive discounted admission to the film and a free popcorn.

Born to be Wild 3D is an inspiring story of love, dedication and the remarkable bond between humans and animals. The film documents orphaned orangutans and elephants and the extraordinary people who rescue and raise them-saving endangered species one life at a time.

With so much to do this weekend and great discounts and deals, we hope you’ll be out about town doing Something Wild!