Author: Mark Shaffer

An interview with film composer Charles Denler, recipient of BIFF’s Jean Ribaut Award A rising star in the rarified world of making music for the movies receives the Jean Ribaut Award for Excellence in Music for Film Charles Denler has a lot on his plate. According to Film Music Magazine, Denler holds the record for having more upcoming films than any other composer in the business to date. His resume includes the music for more than a hundred feature films, documentaries and television programs including the theme for Oprah. He’s picked up a trophy case full of medals and awards along the way, including a pair of Emmys.

A conversation with producer/director Jonathan Flora, recipient of BIFF’s inaugural Santini Award The filmmaker receives the inaugural Santini Patriot Spirit Award at the 2011 BIFF for the “portrayal of the American military, veterans, or their families in a feature film, documentary, or short [that] reflects the highest standards of service and sacrifice for the good of others.” Jonathan Flora can’t wait to get back to South Carolina. The award-winning producer with Walt Disney Studios grew up in a military family and spent part of his high school career in Goose Creek. And while he’s excited to be the recipient of BIFF’s first ever Santini Award he is also the director/producer of the feature-length documentary, Lt. Dan Band: For The Common Good. The film follows Academy Award® nominated actor Gary Sinise and his band as they entertain the troops and their families around the world, often under difficult circumstances.

Previewing the 2011 Beaufort International Film Festival This year’s edition of the Beaufort International Film Festival kicks off February 16th with a gala opening at Beaufort’s historic and (very cinematic) Arsenal. Once again filmmakers from around the nation and the world will gather in the Lowcountry to celebrate their art, do a little schmoozing and make connections. Each entry, from student projects and animated shorts to documentaries and full-length features, marks an exclusive South Carolina premier. The festival’s also attracted a good bit of repeat business, according to Executive Director Ron Tucker.

    When she’s not wearing her filmmaker’s hat, Maria Cuomo-Cole serves as the Executive Chairman of HELP USA, one of the nation’s leading non-profits for the homeless. She is the daughter of former New York governor Mario Cuomo and the wife of fashion designer Kenneth Cole. And she’s coming to Beaufort!

Local writer Teresa Bruce dishes with Mark Shaffer about her BIFF-nominated screenplay The Scarlet Registry Synopsis: A cruise ship dancer who can’t even figure out that sandbags don’t work without sand is accused of molesting his teenage daughter. But when he’s listed on the Internet Sex Offender Registry, Zack isn’t the only one forced to wear the modern-day Scarlet Letter – his wife and children suffer just as much. On the eve of a hurricane, Zack protects his family first, then makes a suicidal run for freedom – finding redemption in anonymity.

Local director Michael Givens talks with Mark Shaffer about his BIFF-nominated feature film, ‘Angel Camouflaged.’ Synopsis: Scottie Ballantyne, a rock and roll singer, inherits a run-down bar in the salt marshes of South Carolina. In order to make ‘Kokonuts’ a success, she and her brother must battle against raging motorcycle clubs, gun toting gang bangers, a devilish loan shark and a deadly neighbor hell bent on sabotaging their efforts.

Director Kevin Breslin discusses his new documentary Living for 32, the eerie timeliness of its release, gun regulation in the United States, and the courage of Colin Goddard.  Living for 32 is the inspirational story of Colin Goddard, a survivor of the massacre at Virginia Tech that rocked the nation in April of 2007. Recent events have cast new attention on that terrible day, as Americans struggle to heal, once again, in the aftermath of last month’s tragic shootings in Tucson.

 Lowcountry Weekly readers share their opinions on Beaufort’s parking conundrum Your comments continue to stream in following our story Parking Pains in the January 5th edition. We wanted to know how you felt about the situation, and apparently feelings are pretty strong. The idea was simply to get some dialogue going and while that’s certainly happened, we were a bit surprised at how much time, thought and effort went into some of these emails. The vast majority of you favor free parking downtown with a three-hour limit on Bay Street. There were some interesting alternatives shared as well, most of them based on experiences in places with similar challenges. And not all were limited to parking. Indeed, parking seemed to be a springboard to address other issues and concerns.

Since last we visited what’s become known as the Downtown Parking Plan (or, as I prefer to call it, The Bay Street Conundrum) changes have been made. During the January 11th Beaufort City Council session, Council issued something of a reprieve for downtown businesses and anyone who’s been pushed to the brink of decorum by the simple attempt to park a car and spend some money.As always, there is good new and there is bad news. The good news is a change in hours and rates. But the really good news is this: the kiosks along Bay Street are on the way out. That’s right, these ill tempered, metallic monsters from the Dark Side are to be uprooted.

Something’s got to give in downtown Beaufort (while there still is a downtown Beaufort). A true story Downtown Beaufort on a mid-summer’s day. I’m sitting at the wine bar in Kathleen’s chatting with the restaurant’s eponymous owner, Kathy Bussing. A well-dressed older gentleman walks in and asks if he might have change for the parking meter. Kathy’s only happy to oblige, in fact she’s been at war with the recently outsourced downtown parking enforcement by Park Beaufort, local arm of Atlanta based Lanier Parking Solutions. Kathy and some of her staff have lately taken to walking up and down Bay Street armed with rolls of coins, feeding expired meters just ahead of the duly designated “Parking Ambassadors.” She feels the aggressive ticketing and steeper fines are bad for business. “It sure doesn’t say y’all come back!”