“8 Minute Movies” gives locals a chance at filmmaking

Sitting with Laura Cipriani for several minutes, one thing becomes evident: the owner of The L-Train loves the movies.

â┚¬Å”I'm an avid movie watcher, she says. â┚¬Å”I'm constantly quoting lines from movies and I'm a huge fan. I always have been.â┚¬Â

That's why the New York City native is excited about her newest project called â┚¬Å”8 Minute Movies,â┚¬Â which invites locals to use their creativity in a whole new way.

â┚¬Å”It's a chance for people to express themselves in a way they may not have tried before,â┚¬Â Cipriani says. â┚¬Å”They can do a comedy, a drama, some farceâ┚¬â€filmmakers can run the gamut.â┚¬Â

Admittedly, in its three months of existence, the films have been â┚¬Å”amateurish,â┚¬Â but that's kind of the point, Cipriani says. With the help of today's technology, anyone can make a movie and with a little bit of editing, creating a small masterpiece can be done in no time.

â┚¬Å”When you get bit by the film bug it never leaves you,â┚¬Â says Cipriani, who landed at The L-Train when it first opened as Pink Pelicans 18 months ago. â┚¬Å”This is a fun event and I have the facility to bring something original to the area. We've had some fun films already.â┚¬Â

The idea of â┚¬Å”8-Minute Moviesâ┚¬Â sprang to mind when Cipriani talked with local artist and fashion designer Brianna Kole about ways to utilize the 43-seat theater. The space at 25b Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. used to be a law office, but was converted into a bar and theater in 2009.

â┚¬Å”Brianna has her finger on the pulse of things and suddenly I thought, â┚¬ËœLet's make a movie!'â┚¬Â Cipriani laughs. â┚¬Å”Then that evolved into creating a mini-film festival and encouraging our customers to make them.â┚¬Â

The L-Train has been home to several styles of entertainment. It originally opened as a movie theater and bar. It went through a phase for drag shows and then live theater. Now, Cipriani is excited to return back to the building's roots.

â┚¬Å”There's no other space like this in St. Petersburgâ┚¬â€or in Tampa Bay that I am aware of,â┚¬Â she says.

Anyone can submit a film and they don't have to be eight minutes in length. In fact, Cipriani says she has yet to see a film submitted that ran for more than five minutes. The key is to keep them short so that an audience or judges can vote on a favorite. Winners of the â┚¬Å”award-winning filmâ┚¬Â get a bar tab or other prizes given by other organizations.

The next big event is scheduled for Saturday, June 17 in conjunction with St. Pete Pride. That night, a panel of judges from St. Pete Pride and the Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival will be on hand to pick the best of the best.

â┚¬Å”And that night the winning film will be taken on to TIGLFF in the fall to be shown during the 11-day festival,â┚¬Â Cipriani says. â┚¬Å”That's a pretty big deal. You never know what can happen after that.â┚¬Â

Know the rules
Making a movie may sound easyâ┚¬â€or difficultâ┚¬â€depending on your relationship with technology. But there are a few guidelines aspiring filmmakers must follow in order to participate in â┚¬Å”8-Minute Movies.â┚¬Â

â┚¬Å”Anyone can participate as long as they don't do pornography and don't show anything illegal,â┚¬Â Cipriani says. â┚¬Å”I don't want people throwing puppies off a roof and filming it. Film is a wide open canvas and it's yours to paint on. That's where creativity thrives.â┚¬Â
So far Cipriani has been impressed by the films she's seen. Filmmakers have ranged from chefs and bartenders to photographers. Each time a film is shown the crowd seems enthusiastic in its response.

â┚¬Å”It's not always easy to express yourself in a social setting,â┚¬Â she says. â┚¬Å”This gives a chance for the shy, boisterous, talented and those who think they're talented to show us what they've got. It's also a chance for aspiring filmmakers and every day peopleâ┚¬â€or everyday people who try their hand at a filmâ┚¬â€to meet and talk with one another.â┚¬Â

Films must be submitted at least two days before the showing date and they must be downloaded onto a DVD-R format for easy play.
The number of filmmakers participating each month is unlimited as of now.

More information and guidelines are available online at TheLTrain.com.

S+H
WHAT: 8-Minute Movies
WHEN: June 17
INFO: TheLTrain.com