The theme for this year’s festival is “sensory overload.”
Courtesy of @sunscreenffstpete on Instagram
By Sophia George
Downtown St. Petersburg is rolling out the red carpet once again for local and international filmmakers, actors, directors and producers at the 17th Annual Sunscreen Film Festival.
The festival will be hosted from April 28 through May 1 at the Sundial AMC 12 Theatres in the Mall at Sundial located at 153 Second Ave N.
Starting on Thursday, the 2022 festival will offer a variety of film screenings as well as panels and workshops to give attendees a glimpse into the business of filmmaking.
Film categories this year include narrative feature films, documentaries, foreign films, shorts and student films.
Several of the documentary films selected for this year’s festival are based out of Florida –– including “Tampa Beer: Crafting the Bay,” directed by James Rolf Blankenfeld and “Sylvie of the Sunshine State,” directed by Sasha Levinson.
This year’s short film selection will be split into two blocks spanning the duration of the festival –– with subcategories such as science fiction, comedy and animation.
In both blocks of short film screenings, the subcategories “Made in Florida Part I” and “Made in Florida Part II,” will be entirely devoted to Florida-based shorts.
Along with the screenings at this year’s festival is a lineup of guest speakers ranging from executive directors to writers and producers.
Among the guest speakers are actors Joe Davison, who played the role of “Nerdy Tech” in Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” and University of South Florida alumnus Paul Wilson, who played Carl Glatzel in “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.”
The guest speaker-run workshops and panels are scheduled throughout the day Friday through Sunday and will cover topics such as film incentives, finding talent and how to write a script.
Organized and presented by the St. Petersburg-Clearwater Film Society, the event gives locals a chance to connect with members of the filmmaking industry, educates the public on visual storytelling and fosters new opportunities for filmmakers.
The annual film festival also enhances the economic profile of St. Petersburg by attracting tourism and international media coverage to the area.
Tickets and passes for this year’s festival are available at four different levels:
- $10 Single Ticket –– one film screening and no access to workshops, panels and parties.
- $35 C.M.F. Brunch Pass –– women’s networking event on April 30 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (not a festival pass).
- $50 Day Pass –– includes access to all screenings, workshops, panels and parties for one day.
- $150 VIP Pass –– includes access to all festival screenings, workshops, panels and parties.
For a more comprehensive schedule of the 2022 Sunscreen Film Festival and to purchase tickets, visit sunscreenfilmfestival.com.
