March Newsletter
Tom Brady has brought ‘tens of millions of dollars’ in commercials to Tampa
He is the spokesperson for everything from Aston Martin to UGG and Under Armor and everything in between, and when they shoot his commercials, something is usually shot here.
St. Petersburg’s Will Packer leads the first all-Black Oscar production team
Six years ago, producer Will Packer was among the Hollywood luminaries who called out the Academy Awards for a lack of diversity in their Oscar nominations.
His film, NWA biopic Straight Outta Compton, was among those that critics believed was snubbed. Its sole nomination was for best original screenplay.
But this year, Packer — a St. Petersburg native and son of a local civil rights activist — is on the other side of the controversy.
A Tampa Realtor stars in an HGTV show about first time buyers
Amina Stevens, 28, found her stride as a broker associate with EXP Realty. She’s still a fan of HGTV — only now, she’s the one on the screen.
The 15th Annual Gasparilla International Film Festival presented by Film Tampa Bay
THANK YOU to everyone who joined us at Gasparilla International Film Fest to celebrate films and filmmakers from around the world at our 4-day festival held at Tampa Theatre, AMC Westshore and University of Tampa's all-new Ferman Center. It warms our hearts to see so much love and support for the Tampa film community and the arts. We will see you all next year!
Film Florida Quarterly Meeting Hosted in Tampa!
We were fortunate to host Film Florida's first in-person meeting in over two years! We held the three-day conference at the Hyatt Place Downtown, and took a mesmerizing walk through and tour of Vu Studios. Thank you to everyone who participated!
Tampa Theatre's Limelight Series adds Geena Davis as speaker
The historic Tampa Theatre is proud to announce new 2022 dates for three speakers, including actor Geena Davis.
Geena Davis (7:00pm Friday, May 27) – Academy Award-winning actor; Founder and Chair, Geena Davis Institute in Gender in Media (sponsored by Film Tampa Bay and Visit Tampa Bay)
Next Month’s Spotlight
Sean Keller is a director of photography and a camera operator that works alongside his partner, Brielle Keller, who is an actress and a first assistant camera operator. They met when they were kids and now live in the Tampa Bay area. They enjoy traveling around the country in their RV, but nothing compares to working on the beautiful locations around the Bay area.
Stay tuned for more about Brielle and Sean Keller.
Episode 8: Jimmy Fashner & Maria Garcia is now streaming
Available on Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts and Podbean
Notable Productions in March
COMMERCIALS:
Publix - Movie Groovy
TV:
90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After - Sharp Entertainment
Welcome to Plathville - WYWS Productions
Infamy - Karga Seven Pictures LLC
The Food Network – Stoked – Blue Chalk Media
Meet My Abuela – Miles Partnership
We welcome Spring Intern, Diana Castillo to the team!
We are pleased to introduce our intern this spring, Diana Castillo. A Junior at USF, Diana brings a love for design and advertising to our team. She has already began interviewing local filmmakers and editing video for social media. Please join us in welcoming Diana! 🗣🎥👏
Are you still paying sales tax on your Florida Production Expenditures?
The Florida Office of Film and Entertainment offers a point-of-sale Sales Tax Exemption to qualified production companies producing content in Florida.
Qualified Florida Expenditures include:
Production equipment rental or purchase
Real estate rental (studio, office, location fees)
Set design and construction
Props
Wardrobe
Computers and software (production related)
You can start saving up to 7.5% in just a few business days! Apply online at www.filminflorida.com.
