University of Central Florida film school alumni James Noir (left), and current film student Amber Steele (right), both had films air at the Craft Film Festival.
Green Bench Brewing partnered with Pilot Moon Films to host its first Craft Film Festival with hopes of making the event annual
Under a clear night sky, many sat in Green Bench Brewing Co.’s beer garden with cold, crisp brews to enjoy Florida-made films.
Green Bench Brewing hosted its first Craft Film Festival, a free event open to all ages, on Nov. 20 and 21. Over 32 films were shown, all created by Florida filmmakers. The brewery and its partner, Pilot Moon Films, hope to turn the film festival into an annual event.
This is the first film festival for the two-year-old brewery. The taproom manager Colin Lyman coordinated the project alongside Lea Umberger, producer and production designer for Pilot Moon Films. Lyman’s passion for the project helped it get off the ground.
“This is my first opportunity to spearhead something I think St. Pete can be proud of, and really compliments my own personal love of films,” Lyman said, who worked for six months to set up the event.
Green Bench Brewing Co. partnered with Pilot Moon Films hosting its first Craft Film Festival with hopes of making the event annual.
The brewery used three different spaces to show a variety of films: the brewing space located behind the taproom, the beer garden and a small warehouse next door that Green Bench recently acquired.
The movie theater in the beer garden was taken down for Saturday’s festivities because of the high chance of rain. The festival team planned to adapt in case of such weather conditions, and all films were still shown.
Prizes included a one-year supply of beer, a few $100 Amazon gift cards and GoPro cameras for students. The winner of best feature film was Banks Helfrich, who was recognized for his film “Fat, Dumb, and Happy.”
The Orlando filmmaker is taking five of his films on a “living room” tour, which screens the movies for small crowds and takes place at an audience member’s home.
Helfrich plans on attending each screening to provide a Q&A session after the viewing.
“I like to see the visceral reaction, and watch people experience the movies as a group, as a community,” said Helfrich. The filmmaker had two movies entered in the festival, the second being “7 Lives of Chance.”
Green Bench also partnered with Aaron Walker, assistant professor at the University of Tampa. UT Students had films in the festival and many volunteered their time to keep things running smoothly. One UT student, Zane Moulton, won the Viewer’s Choice award for his film “Blackwater.”
Amber Steele, a student from the University of Central Florida, was awarded the Mici Falvo Legacy Award for Emerging Female Filmmaker. She entered two films for the drama block: “Runner” and “Freeform.”
“There is value in participating in film festivals like this one – you can make connections and find your next job here,” Steele said. “The people you need to meet are going to be at these events, and it will help you follow your passion.”
