The Studios of Key West and Tropic Cinema Welcome Sharon Gless for Florida Film Premiere
Miami Herald On-line, September 2009
The Studios of Key West and The Tropic Cinema, two of the island's leading cultural organizations, have teamed up with WomenFest for an exciting film event. The nonprofit groups will present the South Florida premiere of Hannah Free on Wednesday, 9 September at 6:30 PM at the Tropic. Featuring Sharon Gless, star of Burn Notice and Cagneyand Lacey the film has been garnering awards and accolades at Gay and Lesbian Film Festivals from Seattle to Dublin.
The San Francisco Chronicle had high praise for Gless' work in the title role: "Sharon Gless brings grit, authenticity, and dimension. She commands the screen." Another critic raved that Hannah Free is achingly beautiful, both in the rich, textured material and fine performances."
Actor and former Key West resident, Kelly McGillis will introduce the Hannah Free at the Tropic's September 9 premiere. Following the screening, Gless, director Wendy Jo Carlton, and producer Tracy Baim will participate in an informal panel discussion about the making of the film, and a question-and-answer session with the audience.
"It's an all around wonderful partnership," said Matthew Helmerich, executive director of the Tropic Cinema. "We've joined together rather naturally to make this special event come to life, and to celebrate independent film-making, women film-makers, and truly extraordinary story-telling."
Adapted from Claudia Allen's award-winning play, Hannah Free, had its world premiere in June at the San Francisco Frameline Film Festival, where it was the Gala Closing Night Film at the famed Castro Theater. It tells the story of a longtime love affair between Hannah — adventurous, outgoing, and volatile — and Rachel, a married, small-town homemaker with strict religious underpinnings. The story is framed in a nursing home, where Hannah is forbidden from seeing the comatose Rachel, merely because she is not “family.” After eventually gaining access to the room, Hannah is forced to reconcile her own desires with those of Rachel’s family and, oddly enough, Rachel.
The story is filled with flashbacks, imagined by the elderly Hannah, which offer the viewer a glimpse into the passionate beginnings, tumultuous love affair, and enduring friendship of the two women. After its San Francisco premiere, one reviewer concluded: "Sometimes an entire lifetime isn’t even long enough to be with the person you love."
Tickets are now available for the premiere event, and three additional screenings, directly from The Tropic Cinema and the organization's website. All screenings are open to the general public.
This unique project has been developed by Karin Wolf, one of the Studio of Key West's first Cultural Managers in Residence. Wolf has programmed several lesbian and women-made film series, as well as working as director of the City of Madison's Arts Commission.
This past December, she escaped the Wisconsin winter and spent two weeks in residence at The Studios of Key West. While here, she also connected with artists and organizations, and began developing a plan to bring women film-makers to Key West. After sharing her ideas with leaders at the Tropic Cinema and the annual WomenFest celebration, the Hannah Free project emerged. Wolf will lead the post-screening panel discussion planned for Wednesday, 9 September.
"Part of the beauty of hosting cultural manager, people involved in the arts all over America, is that they leave Key West wanting to come back," said Eric Holowacz, director of The Studios. "They gain a connection to our community and its creative vibe, and they want to help contribute to our future."
Tickets to Hannah Free are $10 and can be purchased at The Tropic Cinema at 416 Eaton Street or at its website,www.keywestfilm.org. For details about this project, and other upcoming cultural opportunities, contact The Studios of Key West at 296-0458 or visit the organization's website at www.tskw.org