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St. Petersburg native lands key role

By SCOTT BARANCIK
Published August 16, 2005

While serving as state film commissioner, Paul Sirmons will promote Florida to the industry to bring in business.

Gov. Jeb Bush has appointed St. Petersburg native Paul Sirmons to serve as state film commissioner, the person charged with drumming up business for Florida film crews and backdrops.

Sirmons, a 50-year-old filmmaker and Northeast High School alumnus, knows the industry and geographic terrain well. He has produced four feature-length independent films since 1999: The Way Back Home (2005), Dunsmore (2003), Florida City (2003) and The First of May (1999). Each was shot in Florida for $500,000 to $1-million.

He has served as an assistant director on such television series as The Waltons , Falcon Crest and SeaQuest DSV . Predecessor Susan Albershardt resigned in May.

Sirmons' appointment comes at a time when Florida is competing not only with other states but other countries for film and television industry dollars.

Pinellas County film commissioner Jennifer Parramore said she knows Sirmons well and believes he will promote Florida fervently and realistically. "It's important to recognize what your strengths and weaknesses are and not go out like a used car salesman and give them a lot of puffery."

For example, Parramore said, feature films are rare in the Tampa Bay area, where most work is in television commercials and infomercials.

Hillsborough County film commissioner Krista Soroka said she hopes Sirmons will persuade the Legislature and Gov. Bush to boost the economic incentives available to filmmakers who do business in Florida.

Hillsborough County recently lost a Disney production to Louisiana over incentives, she said.

Florida has set aside $10-million for applicants this year, up from $2.4-million.

Sirmons, who will earn $75,000 a year as the state's full-time film commissioner, said the incentive program has been "hugely successful" in attracting the attention of filmmakers. "Agenda item one is to make the most out of the incentives we have. I think the success of it will allow us to go for more."

Although he won't be able to produce films while on the state payroll, Sirmons said his latest film, The Way Back Home , is in post-production. He said he applied for the commissioner's job partly to give something back to the state's film community.

"I felt like, "Gee, wouldn't it be nice for a filmmaker to be the film commissioner, one that speaks the language of the studios in L.A.?"'

--Scott Barancik can be reached at barancik@sptimes.com or 727 893-8751.

[Last modified August 16, 2005, 01:28:10]