Hellooooo TAMPA! 

And now a word from your new and excited programmer regarding what’s been going on with the newest and excitingest LGBT films you can look forward to seeing in October! 

:::cue chirping crickets here::: 

Hey, I just got hired!  Give us a moment here, willya? 

Okay, the least I can do is illuminate you into the process (such as it is), which occurs each spring with us programmer types.  First off, we start stretching.  Can’t do hard work without being flexible first.  Then we look south, to the first in the US festival season, down to Miami Beach.  This will be my first time joining the Tampa crew in Miami, and we’ve already broken down the film list they’re showing.   

I’ve seen many of the Miami films already (their festival is so early they often have to show films we’ve already screened in Tampa.  That’s the joy of Clip – we get to swoop up the award-winners from the festivals prior to us).  I’ve also culled through the LGBT selections from Sundance and many of the larger distribution companies have submitted their new pick-ups to us. 

So now we start a-watching.  We also start putting together our screening committee (as you may or may not know, I live in California, and will be relying on volunteers in Tampa to help program the fest, so sign up to volunteer now!), we start selecting our jurors for the festival, and most importantly, we start asking you for money!  Hey, these films, projectors, distributors, and VIP guests don’t pay for themselves.  I promise to finish stretching and to start working my cute heinie off for the October festival if YOU promise to jump on board now with your membership. 

And for those who want to virtually ‘meet’ me, drop me a line at programmer@cliptampabay.com!  I’d love to hear from you. 

Okay, back to stretching…. 

Steph