Blog Post #276: My South Florida Film Forum Recap and Tribute!

South Florida Film Forum took place all day Saturday, March 28th to Sunday, March 29th, 2026 at Mad Arts Museum in Dania Beach, Florida. The event was made possible by White Elephant Group (WEG), Film Lauderdale and Broward County Commission.

A year ago, I could not attend the inaugural edition of South Florida Film Forum because I was collaborating with Ben Morris on the score for my 4th feature film Ask Delphi which had recently wrapped production. So, I was fully intent on attending this year to make up for last year's unfortunate timing - if only for a day. Ensuingly, I arrived plenty early to the Dania Beach gallery space after a solitary trip far north of my Kendall homebase. I would be spending the next 12 hours or so at the Saturday half of the event.

After securing my attendee badge, I was greeted by many familiar faces who were occupying staff roles at the event. Intent on fully taking advantage of this unique opportunity to engage face-to-face with so many practitioners and facilitators of our beloved art, I spent the start of the event close to the entrance of the space to intercept as many familiar contacts as possible. However, the rest of the event would see me interacting with many new compatriots in addition to the fortification of bonds with more familiar attendees.

While a principal objective of mine was to introduce myself to as many persons as possible and induce reciprocation, I did attend three panels throughout my day-long mission. The panels I sat down for addressed sustainability on tight budgets, the creative process and distribution in the digital age (in that order). I found the panels well-attended and well-moderated but I certainly had to kick up some dust at the first panel over the urgency for greater career sustainability and local infrastructure in our field; a matter of well-treaded but intense personal interest. I was glad to receive sizable applause for my fire-lined comments to the panelists (and audience).

As a tribute to everyone I had the pleasure to meaningfully interact with, I would now like to share the names, occupations and a persisting remembrance of everyone with whom I did (in alphabetical order):

• Anton Simone, actor, who I've worked with before and who responded enthusiastically to joining forces again.

• Brian Cohen, filmmaker, who recommended some choice media from an underrepresented perspective in our society.

• Carolina Sabrina Caruso, producer, who I met years ago in Coral Gables and complimented on her skilled panel moderation.

• Cristina De Fatima, actor, who was co-lead on my debut feature and kindly fixed me some drinks (non-alcoholic) as a bartender at the event.

• Damian Romay, writer/producer/director, who was a panelist and astounded me with the breadth of his filmography (65+ features).

• Daniel Llaca, actor, who is husband of Diana Garle and welcomed a potential future collaboration as he worked as an event staffer.

• David Guenaga, actor, who I've worked with on my series and checked in intermittently as he also bartended at the event.

• Diana Garle, actor, who I'd encountered earlier in the week in Coral Gables and also welcomed a potential future collaboration.

• Doug Markowitz, film critic, who shared about his Florida Film Critics Circle membership and an upcoming move to New York.

• Eddy Moon, director/WEG co-founder, who was the figurehead of the event and promptly responded to some of my questions days before.

• Emilio Marquez, music producer, who politely interrupted a conversation I was having to promote his distinctive record label.

• Frankie Midnight, actor/filmmaker, who produced one of the best short films I've seen in recent memory and to whom I took the chance to share unsparing praise.

• Hans Stjernsward, filmmaker, who kindly shared his Scandinavian perspective and about his nascency in feature filmmaking.

• Ian Hernand, cameraman, who I met at University of Central Florida in the late 2000s and was thrilled to see again.

• Ishan Outram, filmmaker, who I recognized from social media and was happy to put a amiable personality to a familiar profile.

• Jack Kierski, filmmaker, who is one of the most dedicated filmmakers I know and updated me about the progress on his latest work.

• Jennifer Orta Castellanos, non-profit founder, who I implored with the help of Cristina De Fatima to finally check out my debut feature.

• Joe Tufte, educator/filmmaker, who shared about our mutual passion for both filmmaking and teaching as we sat together for a panel.

• Joe Zakko, filmmaker, who shared an insightful experience about dealing with Vimeo Staff Picks and unsecured music rights.

• Jorge Garcia, actor/musician, who was an old friend from my UCF days and with whom my unexpected encounter with him felt like a dream.

• Jorge Gonzalez, producer, who stood by as I conversed with Joe Zakko about our work and offered up some expressions of commiseration.

• Julian Luis Matos, filmmaker, who's soon embarking on a debut feature film project of his own and to whom I expressed the best of luck.

• Julian Morales, filmmaker, who's feature film work I'd recently become aware of and to whom I expressed my admiration for his prolificity.

• Justin Kramm, writer/founder, who wore one of the flashiest and best-designed t-shirts I saw at the event.

• Keith Wheeler, actor, who shared his business card and expressed interest in working together as a local SAG actor.

• Kevin Ondarza, WEG co-founder, who I briefly spoke with to share my appreciation for his effort in putting together the event.

• Mario Valentino, cinematographer, who shared about his STEM background - a trait shared with my series' cinematographer.

• Marjory E. Leposky, producer/writer/author, who was the first event attendee I spoke with and shared plenty about her multimedia work.

• Mark Pulaski, producer, who I've become accustomed to seeing at local events and who encouraged me to stay for the closing dance party (I didn't).

• Marlis Pujol, producer, who shared about her impressive roster of clients and kindly wished me luck with my career as I departed from the event.

• Michael Capone, producer, whose enterprising nature and well-informed opinions were a delight as we interacted throughout the event.

• Mollye Asher, producer, who engaged with my boisterously delivered comment as a panelist during the panel focused on sustainability.

• Monica Sorelle, filmmaker, who shared an update or two about her work in the wake of a wildly successful debut feature release.

• Monique S. Headley, public information officer, who listened intently as I shared my usual rhetoric about regionally-bound filmmaking.

• Olga Bub, actor/director, who shared excerpts on her phone from her latest directing work of which she was most proud.

• Olivia Sanchez, filmmaker/lawyer/artist, who working as staff but offered an update on her work as a fledgling social media-based filmmaker.

• Paolo Mugnaini, director, who expressed familiar consternation over the dearth of funding and support available for this work.

• Quincy Perkins, filmmaker, with whom I enjoyed continuous conversation with throughout the event and who inspired a new educational initiative.

• Robert Colom-Vargas, writer/producer, who reminds me how damaging COVID was to the pleasure of networking at local film events like these.

• Roman Williams, musician, whose understated sincerity and wisdom about creative work deeply impressed me.

• Ronald Baez, producer/director/WEG co-founder, who's work as a local artist I've greatly admired even if we weren't properly introduced till now.

• Samantha Pazos, dancer/choreographer, to whom I expressed my appreciation for her performance in one of Sandra Portal-Andreu's short films seen years ago.

• Samuel Vargas Carrasquilla, filmmaker, who's one of the few younger filmmakers whose work I follow and am always happy to greet.

• Sandra Portal Andreu, filmmaker/dancer/choreographer, who I enjoyed lengthy conversation about grants and other forms of institutional support.

• Sandy Lighterman, film commissioner, who I was humbled to learn follows my work via social media and encouraged me to film in Broward.

• Stephen Sarsfield, producer, whose laid back Bohemian style is as charming as it was two years ago when I first met him.

• Thiana Berrick, actor/musician, whose direct and substantial manner of communicating was a delight to stand opposite of.

• Tori Baldwin, actor, who was pleased to hear my expressed appreciation for her work in Vasisth Sukul's web series.

• Vasisth Sukul, filmmaker, who is a regular fixture in the local film scene and who I trade notes about our respective series as he staffed the event.

• Yanatha Desouvre, educator/filmmaker, who astutely made use of an audience-to-panel question opportunity and who I later discovered is an absolute sage.

• Yuliana Rodriguez, filmmaker, whose love and support for her husband Mario Valentino was clearly evidenced and immediately endearing.

Thank you to the organizers, staff and all attendees of the event for all of the offered community, exchange and support in a world that yet struggles to realize the vitality of our earnest, artistic pursuits!