Local filmmakers compete in Bonita Springs Short Film Festival




 

 

Bonita Springs Short Film Festival couldn’t make it any easier for an inspired but inexperienced filmmaker to bring an idea to the big screen. “No camera, no editing experience, no actors, no problem,” advertises the seventh festival, with a gala scheduled for April 14 at 6 p.m. at the Prado Stadium 12 Theaters.

The film festival is actually in its ninth year, the pandemic having squelched festivals in 2020 and 2021. Deciding to go ahead this year with only two months to promote it made organizers wonder about entries, said festival co-founder Antonio Correia. “We were prepared for an impact in the number of submitted entries, but to our surprise we got more than enough entries to make this year’s edition another exciting event.”

This year, the “Eat, Play, Love, Bonita” theme continues the festival’s open-ended and positive trend, giving “the perfect opportunity for filmmakers’ imagination to run free,” said Correia. “We got films about food, love letters, music and so much more. We were wowed by the variety.”

Among the filmmakers inspired by the opportunity is Evan Johnston, who’s 19 and first entered the film festival while in high school. He received a camera for his 15th birthday, attended a film camp in the summer, and a few years later has made quite a few short films, including several award-winners at the Bonita Springs festival. He’s now at Lipscomb University in Nashville studying film.

He’s not saying what his entry is about this year, but like all entries, it can be in any genre – comedy, drama, documentary, western, sci-fi, animation, or another. Films run from one to 10 minutes and must include at least 30 seconds of original footage of Bonita Springs.

The first short film Curtis Collins made for the festival fit that year’s theme, “Bonita Beaches.” It was a genie-in-a-bottle story, “Three Wishes,” and so far it has gone on to win nine awards at various other film festivals. Collins has gone on to make both short and feature-length films, including “Hanging Millstone,” available on Amazon Prime and headed for distribution to other streaming channels. This year, he directed a film written by Jeff Frey of Bonita, titled “Thank You for Being a Friend.” It’s a “Golden Girls” spinoff, Collins said. He met Frey through a local film group, the United Film & Television Artists, Inc. Although Collins was busy with his next feature product, “Loyal to the Game,” about an illegal basketball league in Florida prisons, he was intrigued by Frey’s script and decided to direct.

John Pinti of Bonita Bay came to filmmaking after a career in accounting and business and like Collins and Frey, is a member of the local film group. He is a past winner, including the People’s Choice award in 2015 for “Depredator,” an amusing takeoff on “The Blair Witch Project.”

That film came out of a class Pinti taught at Centers for the Arts Bonita Springs. This year he has entered a more recent film, “Sacrifice: The Short Short,” about a Guatemalan father’s determination to provide a chance for his young son to succeed in life in the United States and what he’s willing to trade.

Pinti admits, “I don’t do this for money.”

As of press time, the prize amounts weren’t posted online (at bonitaspringsfilmfestival.org) yet, with just a note saying to “revisit the page often for updates.” The dollar amounts do seem to be a bit beside the point, but in earlier years the grand prize overall has fetched a $1,000 cash prize. Awards are also given for Best Depiction of Bonita Springs, Best Cast, Most Original, and Best Musical Video.

Rewards come in other ways. Correia is grateful to Prado Stadium and owner Mark Clement. “The opportunity he provides to all local filmmakers to show their work on the same screen that shows ‘Iron Man,’ ‘Titanic,’ and ‘Star Wars’ is nothing short of amazing.

“Beyond the films themselves, these film productions are priceless engaging experiences our community will preserve and share forever. The 250-plus films submitted throughout the years are part of the city’s library showcasing the small-town charm and big bright future we all strive for.”