Seminole high grads win film festival prize
From my blog, orlandosentinel.com/ tvguy:
“My Indiana Muse,” a film directed by Ric and Jen Serena, won the audience award for best documentary feature at the 27th annual Florida Film Festival. The spouses are graduates of Seminole High School in Sanford.
“As Central Florida natives and high school attendees of the festival’s inaugural year, we were honored just to be programmed alongside such an incredibly well-curated collection of films and filmmakers,” Ric and Jen Serena said by email. “It was a special highlight to have the audience share our love for this story.”
The festival on Monday announced winners in 14 categories. The 10-day event concluded Sunday in Maitland and Winter Park.
Other winners in documentary features: “TransMilitary” took the grand jury award, and “The Last Race” collected a special jury award for artistic vision.
In narrative features, “Prison Logic” won the audience award, and “Savage Youth” took the grand jury award. Christina Parrish and Andrew Dismukes collected a special jury award for performance for “Call Me Brother.”
In shorts, “Let My People Vote” won the audience award for best short film. “Hair Wolf” took the audience award for best midnight short. “Caroline” won a special jury award for directing. “Shahkboy” won the grand jury award for best animated short. “Flatbush Misdemeanors” collected the grand jury award for best narrative short. “The Tables” won the grand jury award for best documentary shot.
In international categories, the audience award winners were “Soufra, a USA/Lebanon film for best feature and “The App,” from Spain, for best short.
‘American Idol’
Orlando singer Alyssa Raghu’s run on “American Idol” has ended.
The 16-year-old, a sophomore at Lake Nona High School, made it to the Top 24. But she was not among the singers who advanced to the Top 14 in Monday’s episode.
Alyssa had done well on Sunday’s show with her version of Rihanna’s “Stay.” Judge Katy Perry had championed Alyssa and praised the teen’s tone. But her duet with Banners on Coldplay’s “Yellow” underwhelmed the judges on Monday’s telecast.
The Top 14 perform 8 p.m. Sunday on ABC. The contest names its next winner May 21.
‘Funniest Videos’
Central Florida has two families competing for $100,000 in the May 13 episode of “America’s Funniest Home Videos.”
Each family has won $10,000 to move to the $100,000 round with seven other families.
On Sunday’s episode, Deirdre Beamon, of Lake Mary, was the winner for a family video. Accompanying her to the taping were her children, Kayson and Kris, and her mom, Linda.
On the March 25 episode, David Field, of Orlando, was the winner for a family video. He shared the victory with his wife, Mary, and their three children, Carson, Jillian and Henry David.
There’s more good news for the $100,000 winner on May 13. That family will compete with the $100,000 winner from the midseason for the grand prize on the May 20 season finale. The grand prize is a visit for four to the four Walt Disney World theme parks in Central Florida and a five-night stay in a Disney Resort Hotel.