Mike Rembis, the founder of Tampa Bay International Film Festival, is the first to admit that independent films are facing hard times. Nevertheless, he is on the verge of pioneering the first-ever large-scale film festival in the bay area.
“It’s what you’d call a grassroots movement,” he said, laughing.
Mike’s first festival organizing experience was with the Clearwater International Film Festival, which he started from the ground up in 2010, on a whim. The festival ran for two years and was a relative success—it didn’t pull big crowds, but it received dozens of quality submissions. He rethought things. Now, with a name revision and loftier aspirations, the seed idea has sprouted.
“Creating something that’s unique to Tampa Bay and all-inclusive is the goal,” Rembis said.
The first step is funding. A search for sponsors is ongoing, but in the meantime they have put together a series of monthly fundraiser screenings at Studio@620. But Rembis said there’s more to it than just raising money.
“I’ve read dozens of blogs about the demise of the independent theater,” he said. “The number one reason is audience.”
Part of the struggle independent film faces is to offer an experience unique enough that potential viewers will sacrifice their time and money. It’s an investment that doesn’t always pay off. Some have simply never been exposed to independent film, while others don’t realize that it is accessible locally. And there’s plenty of other media to contend with.
“People don’t have the incentive to go to the theater. The accessibility of film is diminishing,” Rembis said.
Despite these challenges, they hope that the fundraisers will grab a bit of new interest, and build some of the following past events lacked.
The projected date for the festival is Sept 2013. It will tentatively feature around 18 hours of footage—both short and long features—divided into Friday, Saturday and Sunday presentations. Admission will remain around $8 a showing, but a film badge good for the whole weekend will be available for enthusiasts.
Several big-name actors and filmmakers have expressed interest in participating if the festival becomes a reality, but nothing will be revealed until it’s set.
Outside of drawing the big names, involving more filmmakers is crucial. The goal is to have them not only submit their work, but to give talks about the filmmaking process and exchange ideas.
“You want them to walk away with an educational experience,” Rembis said. But maybe even more important than that, you want them to think ‘I would do that again in a heartbeat.’ ”
In August, a night featuring morbid movies was sponsored by Anderson McQueen Funeral Home and incorporated an open dialogue with two funeral directors. Similar talks will be regular highlights of the festival.
“Talking about anything at all is the most valuable part of the film festival,” Rembis said, adding he plans to bring in many experts.
It’s been hard to manage all the dynamics, but Rembis is savvier this time around. He learned a lot by trial and error during the years of the Clearwater festival. He figured out traditional style advertising didn’t pay off. He tested spreading events across multiple venues, as well as including musical acts. That led him to decide that the new festival would focus solely on film and take place in one location.
The search for the right venue for the 2013 festival is ongoing.
“Big theatres cut out the little guys,” Rembis said. “They don’t have the equipment for somebody who wants to come in and play a film off of a DVD. So you have to find little places that can do it,” said Rembis, adding the smaller spaces don’t have the capacity or comfort for a grander production.
There is a lot to overcome, but Rembis and John and Judy Green—the trio behind the festival—have a real determination for what they are doing. If they can pull it off, the festival will close an inexplicable gap in the art culture of Tampa Bay. It remains to be seen whether a new generation of indie-moviegoers will appear and make something of it. Of particular importance to them is opening up cross-cultural discussion.
“My passion is bringing snatches of culture and heritages together in one place for people to experience and interpret,” said John Green, the festival’s chief financial officer.
The September screening at Studio@620, although intimate, was attended by an eclectic mix of spectators of varying backgrounds and ages. The diversity was apparent in the fare for the showing, which consisted of wine and popcorn. But after the film rolled to an end and the conversation started up, there was an evident moment of unity. If such a base could be made aware of independent film on a larger scale, there might be hope for it yet.
More can be learned about the festival and upcoming showings at tampabayfilmfest.com.
