Page 7 - Florida Sentinel 12-8-17

Local
Event Planner Hopes To Help 100 Families For Christmas
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
This is the time of year when people give back to im- prove the lives of others. And one of those giving back is a Tampa business owner.
Ms. Shawntay Wood- bury said, “I love giving back. I feel like a purpose is being fulfilled when you are able to help others.” She is driven by the fact that being raised by her grandmother, there were times when her family didn’t have a lot at Christmas time.
With this train of thought, the year 2011 was a defining time for her. She launched her business, “Five Stars Events,” and her vehicle for giving back to the commu- nity.
This year, Ms. Wood- bury has set a goal of helping 100 families. To date, she is about halfway her goal. She will be accepting families until December 15th.
On December 22nd, Five Star Events, in conjunction with Triumph and Deliver- ance Cathedral Catholic Church of God In Christ, of Brandon will present the Christmas Charity Ball 2017. The red carpet affair will take place at the Tampa Heights Association Center, 2005 N. Lamar, Tampa,
MS. SHAWNTAY WOODBURY ... Owner of Five Star Events
33602. It will be hosted by S- Class.
Those planning to attend the event are asked to bring a toy for a child from infancy to the age of 15 years.
Ms. Woodbury said, “Preparations are underway to provide families with toys and a full Christmas dinner. We are asking businesses to participate in this great com- munity undertaking. We are asking for donations of toys and non-perishable foods.”
Anyone wishing to make a donation or who wants to adopt a family can visit the website at www.ppentstu- dios.com or call (813) 770- 6464.
Sunshine City Film Festival Set For January 10th-15th In Bay Area
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
When Jabbar Ed- monds began making films a few years ago, he soon had a handful of productions under his belt.
Then, Edmonds found himself in the company of other independent filmmak- ers along the I-275 corridor who also were creating movies and documentaries. They all shared one problem: very few people could see their work.
“It’s a strong and fierce market, but there’s no plat- form,” he said. “If we built a platform, we could all shine.”
Edmonds, 38, decided to change that. Last year he and partner Cranstan Cumberbatch created the Sunshine City Film Festival, a three-day event where in- dependent artists from throughout Tampa Bay pre- miered more than a dozen narratives, short films, and features.
It will return next year from Jan. 10 to Jan. 15 at the Muvico Sundial Theatre in downtown St. Petersburg. In addition to films, a host of workshops, seminars, and re- ceptions also are available to attendees.
The festival is part of Ed- mond’s mission to put Tampa Bay on the map as a desirable movie-making lo-
Jabbar Edmonds and his partner are the founders of the Sunshine City Film Festi- val.
cation.
The community organizer
said he was dismayed when he learned that fellow film- makers who were leaving the area to go to Atlanta to make films and then return to Tampa or St. Petersburg to premiere them.
Local municipalities’ fail- ure to promote Tampa Bay as a filmmaking jewel is disap- pointing, he said.
The Bay Area is loaded with talented actors, direc- tors, writers, and producers who can make quality films that rival Hollywood, Ed- monds said.
“We have some amazing talent here,” he said. “Until we get them behind us, we have to get behind our-
selves.”
That also means creating
opportunities for filmmakers and others to understand the business side of the industry.
“There’s people who are making the product, but don’t have a good under- standing of what to do,” he said. “There’s not a central- ized location to get support; you have to know people.”
To change that, Ed- monds and Cumberbatch found the Tampa Bay Actors Guild to help filmmakers and producers navigate projects from conception to comple- tion with the help of a profes- sional network.
Between the Festival and the Guild, Edmonds said his goal is to help filmmakers and other artists produce and showcase their art while at- tracting the attention and dollars necessary to build Tampa Bay into the booming film industry it can be.
“I said ‘let’s help our- selves’,” he said. “Once we make it, then people will in- vest in it.”
Enter the Sunshine
City Film Festival
Got a feature, short film, animation, or documentary you would like to premiere? The Sunshine City Film Fes- tival is accepting submissions through Dec. 31. For more in- formation, visit sunshinecity- filmfestival.weebly.com.
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