Florida Film Festival Day 2

On the second day I was privy to see Jiro Dreams of Sushi, Think of Me, and Shorts Program #4: Can I Get A Witness.

  Jiro Dreams of Sushi is a documentary about a world reknown sushi chef named Jiro Ono who is seen as being at the top of his game in the industry. Through the documentary we learn a lot about his life, his technique and the love he has for his craft. If you love beautifully shot films this is definitely a film worth watching as every shot immerses you into Jiro’s world and pops off the screen as if you are watching something in Imax. Also another thing to be warned about the film is that you may be craving sushi after this and nothing else will seem worthy. Also from what I saw in the trailer, the film was different than I thought it was going to be, it was a good surprise. So if Jiro arrives in your neighborhood it is highly advised that you watch it. 

  Think of Me is the story of Angela Jerome, a divorced woman trying to raise her child in Las Vegas. Bryan Wizeman, the director and writer, did a great job with the writing and choices of this film. It seems very true to life in the fact that you don’t always love the choices that Angela makes but you can still hold a candle and root for a better outcome. Even some people in the audience made outright comments about some of the actions she takes at the end because they don’t it appalled them a little. Then again that is the beauty of the audience watching the film, hopefully most of us will not get to that point. The film stars Lauren Ambrose (HBO’s Six Feet Under, Wanderlust) as the lead actress in this modern day film of hardship. She does a fantastic job of demonstrating how it is to be a young woman that is just hustling to try and make things work for herself and the person that depends on her. It is no wonder that she was nominated for the Best Female lead for the 2012 Independent Spirit Awards. The film may not see like it gives you a lot, it speaks waves with how people in our country may be working things out today. The last showing at the Florida Film Festival is Today April 20, 2012 at 1:30pm.

 

   Shorts Program #4: Can I Get A Witness had a combination of funny, heart warming and nostalgic shorts. Two of the shorts that I really enjoyed was Curfew and First Match. The first film, called Curfew, was about a man that was about to sever his last tie to the human race when he gets a second chance to reconnect. This chance is in the form of a desperate plea from his sister to watch her 10-year-old daughter while she takes care of business. Is one night’s romp able to bring this man back from the brink? The short was 19minutes long but left an impression on me. Writer, director and star did a great job in the role of the lead character. One thing that an audience member noted was that he showcased a particular place in New York, Brooklyn if I am correct. The short looks like it has been accepted into the Tribeca Film Festival and as well as other festivals. To learn more check out the facebook page http://www.facebook.com/curfewfilm

  Another short that I loved was First Match. The premise is about a young girl wrestling with the guys at school and her excitement over her first chance to show her stuff. The emotions from the actors felt very real and it incredible to find out the is actually not an actor at all but an actual wrestler that received little notes along the way. With all of this information I look forward to seeing the feature film that is going to spring forth from this short.

For more information about films showing at the festival visit FloridaFilmFestival.com