3 Boys Productions announced today the program of films selected to screen at the 2011 Melbourne Independent Filmmakers Festival(MIFF). This year, the festival`s program comprises films from U.S. and international filmmakers selected from 238 entries. The 2011 MIFF runs September 9-10 in Melbourne, Florida at the beautiful Premiere Theaters Oaks Stadium 10.

“I`m particularly struck by the creativity in this year`s selections. These filmmakers are charged with telling compelling stories and engaging the audience and they really deliver” said Terry Cronin, the MIFF 2011 director of programming . “For 2011, we are pleased to be able to shine a light on Florida filmmakers who are making their way on the world-wide film festival circuit. We are particularly proud of the talent that has originated here in Brevard County.”

“On the heels of two sold-out showings at the Florida Film Festival, Melbourne native Andrew Kenneth G(a)y brings his feature film, A Beautiful Belly, to his hometown. Palm Bay`s Lee Thongkham brings his hypnotic feature, Tears of Remedy, for a special engagement on Friday. Orlando`s Jose Zambrano Casella will delight the horror enthusiasts with his suspenseful feature, The Sacred. MIFF alumnus Michael Baumgarten brings an after-hour s(e)xy Hollywood-produced thriller called Pretty Obsession which was co-produced by Melbourne`s Robin Krasny. And the short films will really knock your socks off, too! Whether its the dark humor of Matt Cantu`s zombie reality show The Zombie Factor or Devi Snively`s amazing short Last Seen on Dolores Street or the weather reality of Brevard County`s Chris Kridler and her short film Chasing Reality about passionate storm chasers, it`s all sure to be fun”

The films selected for the 2011 Melbourne Independent Filmmakers Festival are:

Features

A Beautiful Belly directed by Andrew Kenneth G(a)y

A warmly comic story of an aspiring but out-of-work children`s entertainer who gets his longtime crush pregnant on their first date: It`s engaging, entertaining, and hilarious.

Butterflies directed by Ester Brym

A feature documentary film following the lives of six young people that are prominent `weblebrities` on the video site YouTube. The film explores the new media, its power, and its future.

Pretty Obsession directed by Michael Baumgarten

A pretty eighteen year-old puts herself and her family in danger when she leads a double life as an erotic web cam model.

The Sacred directed by Jose Zambrano Casella

Five young people went on a journey, a weekend of fun, and what they found is the evil inside themselves. Sins come back to kill you!

Tears of Remedy directed by Lee Thongkham

Every teardrop comes with a story, one that endures beauty and pain, and mostly, love.

Palm Bay director, Lee Thongkham, tells a rich and enigmatic story about the power of tears.

Horror Films

Blinky™ directed by Ruari Robinson

Meet Blinky™. All he wants is a friend. The only problem is, he`s not very good at making friends.

Last Seen on Dolores Street directed by Devi Snively

In a hard-boiled town, a heartbroken woman says goodbye to an old pet and hello to a new nightmare. Sometimes, life`s a real bitch.

The Sacred directed by Jose Zambrano Casella

Five young people went on a journey, a weekend of fun, and what they found is the evil inside themselves. Sins come back to kill you!

The Zombie Factor directed by Matt Cantu

The zombie apocalypse becomes REALITY on The Zombie Factor, the most dangerous show on television.

Florida Shorts

This year`s MIFF features 18 films shot in Florida

The Adventures of Monty Moudlyn directed by Zach Hibbard

Monty Moudlyn is the friend who`s always `up`. The kind of eternal, insufferable optimist that you sometimes want to kill.

The Breakdown directed by Robby Sparks 

Stress relief never felt so good!

Burial Island directed by Ray and Migdalia Etheridge

Two friends set up camp on a deserted island in the Everglades which had once been an ancient Indian burial ground. (Plus preview of The Money Trail directed by Ray and Migdalia Etheridge)

Chasing Reality directed by Chris Kridler

Storm chasing is portrayed as an extreme sport on television, but the reality is dramatically different. In this documentary, storm chasers talk about life on the road, their peculiar relationship with their cars, and the frustration, smells and miles that go into those few moments of seeing a tornado.

Follow Your Dreams directed by Sue Dontell

A man trying to follow his dream to be a singer is sidetracked by his wife`s illness.  He has to set his priorities in that his wife is the most important thing in his life.  The wife realizes the light is gone from her husband`s eyes in not being able to follow his dreams.  She realizes the importance of following a dream as things come full circle.
The Incredible Banana directed by Paulette King

No matter how hard you think you may have it, there is always someone who is less fortunate them you.

Life Lessons directed by Paulette King

A sister saves the day for her seven year old brother

Maybe directed by Kevin Shah

An average guy Jim trys to find a girlfriend. Jim gets “Maybe`ed” every time and there seems to be no hope, till he meets Rachel. This is a light-hearted take on dating, relationships and being average. A movie inspired by true events.

Melbourne, FL: December/January:

Home  directed by Craig Weinstein

A short nonfiction (mostly) collage of the filmmaker`s home of Melbourne over a winter holiday.

No Boundaries directed by Paulette King

Trusted neighbor is having an affair with her next door neighbor`s son.

The Red Shoes directed by Sue Dontell

“I cried because I had no shoes until I met someone who had no feet.`  A girl learns a valuable life lesson to be grateful for what you do have rather than to be unhappy about what you don`t have.  There is always someone in this world worse off than you.

Special Sneak Preview of “The Space Coast” directed by Lear Bunda

Starring Dana Snyder(Aqua Teen Hunger Force), Amber Freeman, Pat Martin, Dustin Harbin

Twilight of Youth directed by Jerald Fine

Brash, young stockbroker who despises the elderly contracts a strange virus that rapidly ages him.

Vestiges directed by Alex Sushil

Calvin Fields has an appointment with a dermatologist.

Extraordinary Shorts

Caught Short directed by Will Hall-Smith United Kingdom

A scatological romantic comedy.

Crossing Salween directed by Brian O`Malley Thailand/Ireland

In eastern Burma, a young girl named Ho Reh finds herself orphaned after the massacre of her village by the army. She must make the arduous journey to the Salween River that divides the horrors of Burma from the safety of Thailand.

Fumbling Toward Ecstasy directed by Gemma Faith Ireland

Offers comfort in its familiar Irish surroundings yet challenges stereotype, daring to explore female s(e)xuality in later stages of life.

Goliath directed by Ryan Daniel McKinney USA

After contracting HIV, a boy struggles with what is out of his control while his father tries to hold it together by looking to hold someone accountable.

Happenstance directed by Sandy Pranjic & Victoria Strehlau Canada

A cautionary tale.

Karate Wipe directed by Virginia Abramovich USA

A comedic exploration of one of the many challenges of fatherhood.
Loft directed by Gareth Chambers Ireland

A man and his pigeons live in fear of a young boy and his soccer ball…something must be done!

Manhood directed by Melanie M. Jones Canada 

Forced to flee to the woods when war strikes their cozy suburban neighborhood, Midge continues her quest to turn her husband Harold into a paragon of manliness with surprising results.

Ol` One Eye directed by Brain Folan Ireland

An old man gets a new glass eye, however this is not your standard prosthetic. To his amazement he discovers that he can in fact see with his new eye.

Orange Desespoir Directed by John Banana France

What happens when a small sad orange decides to leave for the other side of the shop to meet a bunch of fun dancing pineapples ?

Rest Stop directed by Melanie M. Jones Canada

Danny must make difficult choices and live with the consequences of his actions while hitchhiking through Northern British Columbia.
Signs directed by Vincent Gallagher Ireland

There is magic in what we see every day. Sometimes we just have to look hard enough.

Festival Sponsors

The 2011 Melbourne Independent Filmmakers Festival sponsors include: Celebrity Level Sponsors- A Cut Above Video, Premiere Theaters Oaks Stadium 10, Treasure Coast Dermatology; Leadership Sponsors-Browning`s, The Courtyard at the Oaks, Academy Award Sponsors- Against the Grain Tattoos, Bill and Karen Slover. Food sponsors include The Courtyard at the Oaks, Flo`s Catering, Freddie D`s, Forever Soul Ichabod`s, Island Pasta, Miyako`s, Mustard`s Last Stand, Nature`s Market, Pizza Hut, Shells, Skewer`s, Taste of India, Tijuana Flats, and Tropical Smoothie. The MIFF recognizes critical support from the Space Coast Film Commission, and our patrons- Better Bodies, Victoria Buckley, Paulette King, Tommy “Tricks” Loomis, and Sky Diary. The support of these organizations will help the charity Unconditional Love, Inc. In return, sponsorship of the MIFF provides these organizations with community exposure and unique access to MIFF attendees.

About Melbourne Independent Filmmakers Festival

Now in its 13th Year, the Melbourne Independent Filmmakers Festival prides itself on the promotion of independent filmmakers to the Brevard County community and as a destination for filmmakers worldwide. Each year independent films are screened to enthusiastic audiences and all the funds raised go to charity.

3 Boys Productions

In 1998, a creative group of friends (Terry Cronin, Jeff Hall, Bob Lizek,and Pat Martin) decided to form a production company to produce independent films in Melbourne, Florida. This group has evolved into publishing comic books and novels including the critically-acclaimed detective series “The Skinvestigator”. They continue to host the annual Melbourne Independent Filmmakers Festival and the Megacon Indie Film Expo in Orlando.

 For more info go to

http://www.3boysproductions.com

http://www.premieretheaters.com

or join us on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/#!/melbourneindependentfilmmakersfestival

Popularity: 14% [?]

MELBOURNE, FL – Holy smokes! Is it a bird? Is it a plane? It’s superheroes at the Brevard Art Museum! Saturday, February 19 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Release your alter ego, free admission for anyone in a superhero costume. 

On display in the Museum are the exhibitions: Students of the Unusual: Brevard County Comic Books, Superheroes: Photographs by Dulce Pinzón, the Batpod motorcycle from Parker Brothers Choppers, the Dark Knight Batman Costume, vintage comics including Spiderman #1, original art by famous comic book artists Graham Nolan and Allen Bellman, artist for Golden Age “Captain America” comic books, and the Twenty-first Annual Brevard County Student Art Exhibition.  

What do Superheroes and comics have to do with art? Comics emphasize an interdependence of image and text. Defined by some scholars as “sequential art” there is no dispute that images in comics are essential to narrating a story or dramatizing an idea. Graphic artists use the crafts of draftsmanship and scripting, to complete the whole picture; this is accomplished through pacing, drama, humor, suspense, composition, thematic development, and irony. Sequential art is an important tool for conveying the power of ideas and its ability to convey messages effectively is dependent on the skill of the artist. 

The Students of the Unusual comic book project developed from a friendship of four like-minded individuals, Terry Cronin, Jeff Hall, Bob Lizek, and Pat Martin, who decided to make films. “The Students of the Unusual comic book project developed from our experiences in independent film and started as storyboards for some of our wilder ideals,” says Cronin, “but it has always been grounded in our love and respect of the comic art form.” Writers Cronin and Martin enlisted the aid of many talented graphic design artists including Jorge Calamato, Sergio Carriello, Luis Diaz, Dove McHargue, and others to craft visual stories, many of which are set in and around Melbourne.

A fascination with superheroes inspired local chopper artists the Parker Brothers to re-create Batman’s Batpod motorcycle. Fueled by a desire to showcase their artistic and engineering capabilities, the Parker Brothers reveled in the challenge of recreating the Batpod from “The Dark Knight” movie. Designed as a “full scale 1:1 working replica,” the steel and fiberglass machine is powered by nitrous-injected, 650cc engine and wears 508mm tires, grappling hooks, and all manner of faux weaponry including grenade launchers and .50 caliber machine guns. The Parker Brothers Batpod, a unity of inspiration and engineering, exemplifies the Museum’s ideology: “where art and science intersect, where culture and technology thrive.” 

Superheroes of another kind are the muse of Mexican photographer and former New York resident Dulce Pinzón. She photographs documented Mexican migrant workers of New York City at their jobs while wearing superhero costumes. Each portrait’s caption includes the worker’s real life name, hometown in Mexico and the amount of money they send to Mexico each week. Her meditations on the concept of heroes led her to shine a spotlight on those who labor quietly but make daily sacrifices to help others. 

Also on display will be original drawings by well-known comic book artist Graham Nolan. Nolan is co-creator of the villain Bane who will be featured in the upcoming The Dark Knight Rises Batman movie. 

Visual storytelling is a technique employed by many artists. The Museum is devoted, through its various exhibitions and programs, to making audiences aware of other forms of art in Brevard County. 

Jumping Catfish Batman! Don’t forget the Eau Gallie Arts Districts Founders Day Fish Fry from 12 to 6 p.m.

About the Brevard Art Museum

The Brevard Art Museum is a non-profit organization supported in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs; the Florida Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts; Brevard County through the Brevard Cultural Alliance; the Brevard County Tourist Development Council;  and by members of the Brevard Art Museum.

 

Visitor Information 

Location:      1463 Highland Avenue in the Eau Gallie District of Melbourne.

(321) 242-0737

Hours:           Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m., and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m..

Admission:   Adults $5; seniors $3; children and students with I.D. $2. Free for Museum members.  Special rates and tours are available for groups of 8 or more, and can be scheduled by calling Tina at 242-0737 at least two weeks in advance.

Popularity: 19% [?]

By Alex Sosnowski, Senior Expert Meteorologist for AccuWeather.com
AccuWeather.com reports Nassau, Miami, Key West, Orlando, Melbourne and Tampa will be affected by a tropical system in the coming days.

A weak tropical system cruising through waters between the Greater Antilles and the Bahamas this week will soon spread squalls, beneficial rain and stormy conditions to Florida.

The system, currently a tropical wave, was fighting wind shear to the north and the large land mass of Hispaniola at midweek. Continuing wind shear, Cuba and eventually the Florida Peninsula will work to keep the system weak through Friday. However, this is not to say there cannot be locally damaging thunderstorms and torrential rain in some of these same areas.

The system has the potential to bring squalls, or bands and clusters of thunderstorms, sweeping through the Florida Peninsula, the Keys and Bahamas in the coming days. While the storms will bring beneficial rain to many of these places, there can be flooding and damaging wind gusts at the local level.

Where the squalls hit, there can be several inches of rain in an hour’s time, along with 50-mph wind g[image: Tropical System]usts (tropical storm force).

The leading edge of the squalls will roll northwestward through the Bahamas tonight, reaching Nassau Thursday, Miami and West Palm Beach Thursday evening, Melbourne and Key West Thursday night, then Orlando, Ft. Myers and Tampa Friday.

The squalls can disrupt outdoor plans, ground and air travel, and will pose dangers to small ocean-going vessels. Waves may become rough and dangerous for bathers at area beaches.

The system is likely to remain relatively weak through its life cycle. However, it will have a couple of windows, barring too much interaction with land, to become a depression or tropical storm.

While there is the risk of a sudden pulse with this system the next few days, it will have to be watched as to how it negotiates the warm waters before and after reaching the Florida Peninsula.

Computer models take the system on a general northwest path over the Florida Peninsula and then the warm western Gulf of Mexico over the next 3 to 5 days.

A broad area of disturbed weather will trail this feature, potentially causing downpours, squalls and stormy conditions from Puerto Rico to Cuba, Florida and the eastern Gulf of Mexico through next week.

Popularity: 3% [?]