Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Tampa

Twin film festivals unreel all weekend

The Ybor Festival of the Moving Image and the Tampa International Film Festival offer gems, including an Oscar winner.

By SHANNON BREEN
Published April 1, 2005

A film frenzy hits Tampa this weekend with the Ybor Festival of the Moving Image in Ybor City and the Tampa International Film Festival in Old Hyde Park Village.

The Ybor Festival of the Moving Image returns for its third year, presenting more than 60 films, documentaries, shorts, live performances and a tribute to Plant City photographer Bud Lee.

This year's festival, which runs through Sunday , spotlights Canadian films and filmmakers.

"Canada has always been on the cutting edge of innovation and film production, particularly animation," said festival director David Audet, who was born in Canada.

Winner of this year's Academy Award for Best Animated Short, Ryan, will be screened several times during the festival. The animated documentary by Chris Landreth is about famed Canadian animator Ryan Larkin, who was homeless for 30 years.

Audet, a University of South Florida film school graduate, said the festival has three goals: to nurture filmmakers, deal with social issues and show the best films possible.

On Saturday from noon to 2 p.m., the festival will honor artist Lee with a tribute to his works in 16mm film, a retrospection on a collection of film projects launched by Lee 30 years ago.

At Old Hyde Park Village, the third annual Tampa International Film Festival opens today with 24 international feature films from around the globe. University of Tampa film professor Rob Tregenza and Eddie Cockrell of Variety magazine have selected films from Cuba, Mexico, Germany, Italy and France.

This year, the festival offers four categories: World Cinema, Open Vault, Technology and Film, and the Future, with a focus on the work of Taiwanese filmmaker Tsai Ming-Liang.

As part of the festival, Museum of Science and Industry president Wit Ostrenko will moderate a free public forum, Technology, Film & the Future, at noon April 8 at MOSI, 4801 E Fowler Ave. The forum will focus on how film images have affected the past, present and future of science and technology.

Also included this year are two classic early films, Metropolis and Modern Times, both screened from restored 35mm prints. These films are part of the Open Vault section of the festival, which concludes April 9.

The Ybor Festival of the Moving Image runs through Sunday at Hillsborough Community College's Ybor campus and Muvico in Centro Ybor. For a complete schedule and ticket information, go to www.yborfilmfestival.com or call 253-7674.

The Tampa International Film Festival begins today and runs through April 9 at Old Hyde Park Village's Sunrise Cinemas, 1609 W Swann Ave., Tampa. For more information, go to www.tampafilmfest.com or call 253-3333, ext. 3425.

[Last modified March 31, 2005, 08:53:03]