The Fort Myers Film Festival presents a screening ofLast Stop, Flamingo on Saturday, March 22 at 2 p.m. in the Foulds Theatre at the Alliance for the Arts. This is the Florida premiere of the one hour documentary created by Fort Myers native Georg Koszulinski.
Last Stop, Flamingo presents early visions of Florida – from the early 20th-century Koreshan utopian community to the world’s largest planned subdivision, Golden Gate Estates, which initially projected a population of more than 400,000 residents. Before reaching the coastline at Flamingo – one of the last coastal regions of Florida to remain undeveloped – Koszulinski stops in Miami to visit his grandfather’s eclectic tropical garden. The garden presents a utopian vision of landscape in the microcosm and intersects with Koszulinski’s own personal histories and memories of Florida.
The film reflects the many ways in which Florida’s landscapes have been irreversibly shaped by human desires. Last Stop, Flamingo is the third and final installment in Koszulinski’s trilogy of Florida-focused films. The previous two, Immokalee U.S.A. (2008) andCracker Crazy (2007, both received wide acclaim.
Georg Koszulinski is an award-winning filmmaker and educator who has directed more than 25 films, ranging from documentary and narrative features to avant-garde films and videos. His documentary, Cracker Crazy, explores the history of slavery and exploitation in Florida from first European contact to the present day. The film earned numerous festival awards and was nominated for a Notable Video of the Year by the American Library Association.
Immokalee U.S.A. documents the experiences of migrant farm laborers working in the U.S.A. and was widely programmed at film festivals and universities. The Documentary Channel acquired both films in 2009.
Space is limited so arrive early to guarantee a seat in the Foulds Theatre at the Alliance. Seating is open and there is a $5 suggested donation at the door. Following Wednesday night’s opening gala and after-party, the Fort Myers Film Festival continues March 20-23 with screenings at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center andBroadway Palm Dinner Theatre.
For more information, please visit http://www.ArtInLee.org. To view a short video of last year’s event, please visit http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150579767950565. To buy tickets, please visit www.bbmannpah.com/. For the latest information on the festival, please visithttp://www.fortmyersfilmfestival.com.
