This Man's Life Wins Best Florida Film

Todd Thompson’s Short Wins at 2009 Sunscreen Film Festival

May 6, 2009
Leslie C. Halpern

This Man's Life Won Best Florida Film - Copyright 2009 Stars North

The St. Petersburg, Florida event held April 29 through May 3, 2009 also welcomed actor Patrick Wilson to the five-day celebration.

The Fourth Annual Sunscreen Film Festival kicked off Wednesday, April 29 with a screening of Passengers attended by actor Patrick Wilson (Watchmen, Phantom of the Opera). The mystery thriller about a grief counselor working with plane crash survivors also stars Anne Hathaway and Andre Braugher. The Festival concluded Sunday, May 3 after five days and more than 50 films, plus workshops, panels, and parties. The programming mix included music videos, student films, documentaries, comedies, and dramas from around the world.

This Man’s Life Wins Best Florida Film at Fest

Produced and directed by Todd Thompson of the Orlando, Florida-based independent production company Stars North, This Man’s Life won Best Florida Film at the event. The short film stars Michael Rooker (Days of Thunder), Bill Cobbs (Night at the Museum), and Betsy Brantley (The Princess Bride) in a story about a man (Rooker) traveling home to claim his estranged father’s inheritance who undergoes a magically transforming experience along the way. This Man’s Life was shot around Central Florida for five days in December 2008. Based on a story by Thompson, he also co-wrote the screenplay with Pete Raymundo.

“Bringing this film to the big screen has been what you’d call a labor of love -- over five years in the making,” Thompson said. “It always amazes me just how many people it takes to do a film like this. Each step is so important and none of it can be accomplished without the talent and dedication of everyone involved.”

In addition to playing at Sunscreen Film Festival, This Man’s Life screened at the recent MegaCon as part of the well-attended Arne Starr’s Trailer Park program. Thompson and Stars North next plan to work on A Little Taste of Heaven, the fourth and final chapter in a four-part series of short films, and an ultra-low-budget, feature-length film called My Friend Joe, written by New Smyrna Beach, Florida screenwriter Jeffrey Malphurs. Both projects will be shot in Florida.