FSU Film School Launches Torchlight Film Series in SoWal

[Teresa]

FSU News Release: Film School Launches Torchlight Film Series in Beachside Communities
August 2009
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Film School Launches Torchlight Film Series in Beachside Communities
$100,000 Gift to Open A Rich New World of Contemporary Film to 30A Residents
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Residents along Scenic Highway 30A in the Florida Panhandle have new cause for celebration. The rich and stimulating world of independent film soon will be coming directly to them through a new partnership with the Florida State University Film School?s Torchlight Program.

The partnership was made possible thanks to more than $100,000 in philanthropic support provided by community leaders in Alys Beach, Rosemary Beach and Seaside, as well as the St. Joe Community Foundation.

The Torchlight Program, which was designed to give film students hands-on experience in the distribution and marketing of feature films, also includes in its mission the goal of creating a culture of cinema appreciation in Florida through community interaction. The program?s director, Paul Cohen, a veteran motion picture executive, producer and distributor, attends the best film festivals all over the world, seeking films that contribute significantly to the dialogue of independent cinema. He has shared some of his finds with the Tallahassee community over the past few years, often screening films before their national release.

?I?m thrilled to have the opportunity to increase our sphere of influence in the state, and share some truly ground-breaking films with the very people who constitute their ideal audience, even if they aren?t living in a major metropolitan area,? Cohen said of the new initiative.

Starting in October and continuing for a full year, the Torchlight Program will screen exciting contemporary feature films in partner communities, and bring in guest filmmakers and cinema experts to talk about film. The idea was first hatched in a meeting that Frank Patterson, dean of The Film School, had with Robert Davis, Seaside?s founder and the father of the New Urbanism design movement, as well as leaders of the St. Joe Community Foundation.

?The goal was to find a way for the 30A communities to work together to bring cutting-edge art into their own backyards, and to help introduce this beautiful place in Florida to visitors from around the world,? Patterson said. ?This is a really exciting initiative, and the Torchlight
Program, with its ever-growing roster of fabulous films, seems to fit the bill perfectly.?

Funding for the project came from the leadership of each community and the St. Joe Community Foundation. Jane McNabb, executive director of the foundation, said that ?this fits perfectly with our mission to enrich the quality of life of the people who live, work and play in Northwest Florida. We?re proud to be involved.?

?From architecture to art to music to film to the live theater, the communities of 30A have always worked together to support and foster creativity,? added Jason Comer, town founder of Alys Beach. ?We?re very excited to welcome FSU?s Torchlight Program into our growing town.?

Rosemary Beach will host the first screening on Saturday, Oct. 10. Jim Bagby, the town manager, said he was ?thrilled to be partnering with our state?s nationally renowned film school and the neighboring communities. I?m looking forward to a long and fruitful partnership with our friends along 30A, Florida State and the Torchlight Program.?

The initiative also provides for the funding of writers-in-residence in the participating communities. Students enrolled in The Film School?s prestigious MFA writing program will work on their own plays and screenplays while also helping to coordinate the monthly screenings.

?We feel certain that we will one day see these writers find their way back to these very communities that helped launch their careers,? Patterson said.

CONTACT: Frank Patterson
(850) 980-5495
fpatterson@film.fsu.edu

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[Jdarg]

Our wonderful arts community continues to grow.......

 

[GoodWitch58]

what a treat. FSU Film School is the best

 

[Carol G]

This is very exciting news!

 

[Teresa]

The idea was first hatched in a meeting that Frank Patterson, dean of The Film School, had with Robert Davis, Seaside?s founder and the father of the New Urbanism design movement, as well as leaders of the St. Joe Community Foundation.

thanks to Seaside & St Joe! and thanks to Alys Bch and Rosemary Bch!

 

[Teresa]

Torchlight Film Series
October 10, 2009
7:45pm
St Augustine Green, Rosemary Beach

The rich and stimulating world of independent film will soon be coming directly to Rosemary Beach and other 30-A communities through a new partnership with the Florida State University Film School’s Torchlight Program. Starting in October and continuing for a full year, the Torchlight Film Series will screen exciting, contemporary feature films and bring in guest filmmakers and cinema experts to talk about film.

On-lawn seating. Sponsored in part by the Rosemary Beach Property Owners Association and the Rosemary Beach Foundation.

 

[Alys Beach]

 

[Alys Beach]

Daily News article about the Torchlight Film Series

If you like independent films ? and surprises ? Florida State University is planning a treat for you.

In October, FSU?s film school will launch the Torchlight Film Series in the beachside communities along County Road 30A in South Walton.
The first screening is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. Oct. 10 on the St. Augustine Green at Rosemary Beach. And that?s where the surprise comes in.

?They aren?t going to announce which film is showing,? says Kathy Kemp, Town Center marketing director for Rosemary Beach.
?You won?t know until that night. It?s a surprise. It will add excitement and help create buzz about the event.?

So there?s no misunderstanding, don?t go expecting child-friendly fare. Kemp says the movies are likely to be more adult oriented in theme and subject matter.

According to a press release, the Torchlight Program is designed to give film students hands-on experience in the distribution and marketing of feature films. It also strives to create a culture of cinema appreciation through community participation.

Director of the program is Paul Cohen, a veteran motion picture executive, producer and distributor, the release says. He attends film festivals all over the world looking for films that contribute in meaningful ways to independent cinema.

The local film series starts in October and will continue for a year. The idea for having it in South Walton originated during a meeting between Frank Patterson, dean of the film school, and Robert Davis, founder of Seaside, as well as leaders of the St. Joe Community Foundation.
Alys Beach is also involved.

Admission to the screenings is free and open to the public. Funding for the project came from each community and the St. Joe Community Foundation.

Guest filmmakers and other cinema experts will be brought in to speak about the movies shown.

You may find out much more about the FSU Film School online at film.fsu.edu. The Rosemary Beach Web site is rosemarybeach.com.

 

[Alys Beach]

Hope to see you all this weekend in Rosemary Beach!

 

[Alys Beach]

More dates announced!!!

On the heels of the well-attended launch of the Torchlight Film Series on October 10th, Torchlight Program Director Paul Cohen announced today that residents in the 30-A corridor will have the opportunity in November to discover two more feature films that are as unique as they are compelling. Cohen plans also to present a collection of short films created by up-and-coming filmmakers who are highly regarded by film industry members.

The two feature films screening in November are more specialized in their content, and rely less on popular story conventions than the traditional fare available in local commercial movie theaters. The gripping subject matter and bold filmmaking techniques will afford South Walton County residents a rare opportunity to enjoy cutting-edge independent cinema at the same time that the films are running in theaters around the nation. Because both films were created for mature audiences, they will be screened indoors, thanks to the cooperation of the Seaside Repertory Theatre.

Borrowing from the tradition of early film festivals, The Torchlight Film Series keeps the title of each film a secret until moments before it is screened, allowing audiences to directly experience new entries into the dialogue of contemporary independent cinema. ?I often reminisce about a time when audiences enjoyed the opportunity to truly discover a film, to viscerally engage in picture and sound the moment the projector lights up, unencumbered by studio hype,? said Paul Cohen, director of the Torchlight Program and an independent motion picture executive who has distributed a wide range of successful films. ?The series is based on that sense of discovery.?

On November 14th at 7:30pm, Torchlight will present a 2009 Academy Award and Golden Globe nominated film that is receiving remarkable critical acclaim during its current national theatrical release. Based on a true story, this intriguing film is about murderous evil that is also human and comprehensible. The film stars some of Europe?s finest actors, who provide a peek into the horrors of vanity and self-delusion. (Please consider that the film is subtitled and contains full frontal nudity, strong language and violence.)

On November 21st at 7:30pm, Torchlight will present another nationally recognized film that is making international news. It is a chilling story of filmmakers who take great risks to capture visual collateral that reveals to its audience undeniable truths about previously denied events. The filmmakers and distributors of the film are allowing Florida State University?s Torchlight Program to screen this remarkable feature in the 30-A area to a limited audience during its current theatrical release. (Please consider that the film contains violence.)

Though admission is free, seating for both feature films is limited, on a first-come-first-serve basis. Tickets are required and must be picked up in advance from the Seaside Repertory Theatre. They will be available beginning Saturday, October 31st, from 4:00pm ? 6:00pm, and again on Wednesday, November 4th, from 6:30 ? 7:30pm. For ticket information, visit www.seasiderep.org, or call the box office at 850-231-0733.

On December 5th at 7:30pm, Cohen will present the ?Torchlight Emerging Filmmakers Program? at the WaterColor Boat House that will include three short films created by new writers and directors whose work is regarded as exceptional by film industry professionals. Valerie Scoon, former Director of Development for Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Pictures, whose credits include The Great Debaters and Beloved, will join Cohen to moderate a discussion with the filmmakers after the screening. Ms. Scoon mentored all three filmmakers through the creative development process of their films. Admission is free.

At the launch of the series on the evening of October 10th everyone in the 30-A area had the opportunity to discover the feature film Adopt A Sailor, and to meet its writer-director, Charles Evered. Mr. Evered joined Paul Cohen and Tallahassee Democrat film critic, Mark Hinson, after the screening to discuss the film and to answer questions from the audience. ?The enthusiastic, lively and provocative discussion following the launch inspired me to continue the discovery aspect in the film series,? said Cohen.

Created by The Torchlight Program at Florida State University?s Film School, The Torchlight Film Series screens contemporary feature films throughout the year to residents who live along Florida?s scenic highway 30-A, and brings in guest filmmakers and cinema experts to talk about film.

For more information about the series, visit: www.torchlightfilmseries.com.