Gasparilla International Film Festival 2009 Opening Night

Thursday night, I attended the Gasparilla International Film Festival 2009 Opening Night with Red Carpet VIP Reception & Film and After Party at Spain Restaurant as a guest and co-marketer of the event with Keisha Pickett of Pickett Public Relations Group along with members of my e-magazine, TheListbyKeto. GIFF is Tampa Bay's largest annual film festival which recognizes independent and international films through film competitions between film makers & offers film viewings and opportunites to interact with the stars. The annual arts event has grown tremendously since it's first edition in 2007, and expects to attract over 10,000 attendees and participants during the week-long festivities in February/March 2009.

Media and attendees of Opening Night VIP Reception & Film were treated to VIP access to celebrities like Armand Assante (Dominic Cattano in American Gangster), producer Oren Koules, director Rod Lurie, complimentary food, desserts & wine tastings from restaurants like Smoke Barbeque & Grill, Timpano Chophouse, Taps, RawBar, Bamboozle Cafe, Bella's, and more. As well, legendary actress Terry Moore, wife of the late billionaire pilot Howard Hughes was honored on opening night with an award celebrating her legacy, longevity in film & impact on the film industry. Finally, on two opening night films were shown, "Crime's a Cookin'" a hilarious 7-minute silent, short film (winner of Focus on Florida, Short) and the main feature, directed by Rod Lurie and starring Kate Beckinsdale, Angela Bassett, David Schwimmer ("Friends"), and Alan Alda (Hawkeye from M*A*S*H).

As for, "Nothing But the Truth" the best quote of the film is from Kate Beckinsdale's defense attorney, "Sometimes a mistake is like wearing white after Labor Day. Sometimes a mistake is like invading Russia in the winter." He was referring to the fact that her refusal to disclose her source who illegally leaked the identity of a CIA agent, (a la the US government's 2005 grand jury investigation of NY Times reporter Judith Miller and outed CIA agent Valerie Plame whose identity was illegally revealed by Vice President Dick Cheney's Chief of Staff, Scooter Libby) was going to cost her a lot more than just making a simple error just as Germany's invading Russia in the dead of winter in WWII was a game changing, bad move which impacted the outcome of WWII.