Clip Begins
Story & photos by: John Chambrone
TAMPA-Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival was off to a good start this past Thursday evening. Celebrating it’s 20th Anniversary this year, the name recently had a facelift. On closing night of last year’s fest, they announced the event’s new name. Calling itself Clip, the festival is getting underway. A little over 500 people attended the opening night festivities. It was fitting that the Quentin Crisp bio pic “An Englishman in New York,” served as the opening night’s film. The very first film festival in 1990 featured “The Naked Civil Servant,” which depicted the events up to Crisp’s move to New York. Both movies, filmed 30 years apart, featured actor John Hurt as the enigmatic Crisp.
Opening night featured the return of some old friends of the festival like Mark Puig and Keith Roberts, and appearances by great local officials Mayor Pam Iorio, newly appointed Police Chief Jane Castor, and County Commissioner Kevin Beckner. Cool media representatives on hand were veteran entertainment reporter Steve Kmetko, and local fun maker Sterling Powell, who handled the red carpet for the evening. The festival is a little more than half way over and Executive Director Chuck Henson stated that overall attendance is 40% more than it was at this time last year and general admission box office tickets are more than doubled from this time last year. It is a testament to the importance of the festival that in these hard economic times, people continue to support this vastly popular annual event. The film festival is a great social event that features over three dozen films.
FMI on the remaining films, parties and street fair, check out their website at: www.cliptampabay.com.
Pictured below: Mayor Pam Iorio, Police Chief Jane Castor and County Comissioner Kevin Beckner
