Learning from digital and video leaders

There was an abundance of team spirit during the 2024 Ocala Film Derby. [Photo courtesy Ocala Film Derby]

Home » Arts & Entertainment

Posted October 30, 2024 | By Susan Smiley-Height, [email protected]

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The 2024 Ocala Film Derby, which took place Sept. 18 to 22, will culminate with a teacher/mentor workshop with director, writer, actor, producer and playwright Tony Spiridakis on Nov. 1 and a screening of the film “Ezra” and a Q&A panel on Nov. 2 at the Marion Theatre.

The derby platform is dedicated to fostering creativity, collaboration and artistic expression through filmmaking. The event brings together teachers, mentors, producers, organizers and sponsors in a five-day immersion of education and celebration.

The 2024 derby involved seven teams, seven mentors, seven films and 84 students. Each team had nine hours to create a three-to-seven-minute film, using locations in downtown Ocala.

The schedule included an opening reception; team selections; meetings and workshops with actress, musician and entrepreneur Wendy Makkena; a number of workshops on such things as storytelling, cinematography, audio/lighting, editing and directing; and roaming around the downtown area to create each team’s entry.

The film screenings, awards and scholarship ceremony took place Sept. 22. Scholarship winners were Harper Bowman, Christian Wells, Kalil Lawson and Alyssa Schimborski.

The winning teams and their entries were:

• Judge’s Choice – The Unknown Artist: “Love Works”
• Audience Choice – Screen Playaz: “The Last Straw”
• Best Use of Dialogue – The Unknown Artist: “Love Works”
• Best Use of Prop – Senior Deficient: “The Stanley Cup Killer”
• Best Use of Character – The Watch Party: “To Riley Reardon”
• Best Use of Landmark – The Reel Dawgs: “Let it Fall”

Committee members included chair Laurie Zink, Development & Community Outreach Director with the Institute for Human & Machine Cognition; Travis Bennett, DVT teacher at Lake Weir High School; Marcia Daubenmire, DVT teacher at Vanguard High School; Shawn Digman, career education facilitator with Marion County Public Schools; Frank Gallagher, A/V arts teacher at Belleview Middle School; David Guest, DVT teacher at Forest High School; Debra Miller, fourth grade teacher at Dr. N. H. Jones Elementary School; Andrew Opitz, DVT teacher at West Port High School and Mike Palma of Palma Productions.

“This year’s derby had substantial growth in terms of community involvement, schools, the numbers of teams and the mentors,” said Zink. “And the businesses in the downtown area were so supportive. We added workshops with local leaders in digital media and video technology and a scholarship fund that awarded $11,500 to local seniors. I’d say we did pretty good for only our second year.”

“The Ocala Film Derby has provided an invaluable opportunity for students, teachers, and local industry professionals to collaborate on a creative experiment, allowing them to apply their passionate skills to produce a unique project,” Guest noted on the OFD website.

“Connecting with professionals in the industry while creating stories to view at the Marion Theatre is an amazing opportunity for students and myself to grow as film makers,” offered Daubenmire.

Gallagher noted that, “Being involved with the Ocala Film Derby is a thrilling experience that combines the joy of creativity with the excitement of competition. It’s a unique opportunity to showcase talent, connect with student filmmakers, and be part of a vibrant community that celebrates the art of storytelling.”

On Nov. 1, Spiridakis will participate in a teacher and mentor workshop, followed by the screening of the film “Ezra” at the Marion Theatre at 1 p.m. on Nov. 2.

In the film, which was written by Spiridakis, IMDB notes that, “comedian Max co-parents autistic son Ezra with ex-wife Jenna. Faced with crucial decisions about Ezra’s future, Max and Ezra go on a life-changing cross-country road trip.” The film stars Bobby Cannavale, Robert DeNiro, Rose Byrne and Vera Farmiga. It was written by Spiridakis.

Spiridakis is best known for such films as “Queens Logic,” “Tinseltown,” “The Last Word,” “If Lucy Fell” and “Ash Tuesday” (aka “Beyond the Ashes”). He has developed scripts for Dustin Hoffman, Richard Dreyfus and Diane Keaton, as well as for producers such as Laura Ziskin, Stacey Snider, Mary Parent, and Warren Littlefield. Spiridakis is a father of two and a strong advocate for autism awareness. He is a member of the WGA, AEA, SAG, and DGA.

To learn more, go to ocalafilmderby.org