History
The Sunscreen Film Festival began in 2005 when Tony Armer and Derek Miner decided to put on a event for struggling filmmakers like themselves. They shared a passion for great storytelling and a desire to learn from the talented people who had succeeded at bringing their visions to the screen.
The first event, called the "SunScreen Film and Video Festival," took place over a May weekend in 2006 at the Studio@620 in St. Petersburg, FL. The Festival screened 35 films in a room that held just over 100 people and the organizers were pleased to have standing room only crowds for many events. Parties at the Don Leoncio Cigar Bar and the Garden Restaurant provided memorable experiences for the attending filmmakers.
With help and encouragement from members of the St. Petersburg business community, Sunscreen was able to move into the prestigious Renaissance Vinoy Resort and Golf Club in 2007. An opening night party, decorated with props from the Museum of Motion Picture History, and a Saturday night party at Fresco’s Waterfront Bistro provided a respite from the packed screening schedule run on two screens simultaneously in the Vinoy’s Palm Court Ballroom. Sunscreen offered its first panel in 2007, a marketing and distribution discussion moderated by Slamdance Film Festival co-founder Jon Fitzgerald. Attending filmmakers praised the quality of the programming and the intimate atmosphere Sunscreen provided.
In 2008, Sunscreen took huge leaps by expanding their schedule and profile. The year featured an expanded roster of events, including a Casino Night fundraiser and a special kick-off party attended by superstar John Travolta and his wife Kelly Preston. The Festival itself was launched with an opening night screening at Muvico’s Baywalk 20 and a party at PUSH Lounge. A tie-in concert at the State Theater, headlined by Fort Pastor, a screening of student surrealist films coordinated with the Salvador Dali Museum, and the biggest awards ceremony yet added to the expansive feel. Sunscreen’s first “Better Auditions” actors’ workshop was a huge success, allowing hundreds of actors from around the country to get advice from acting coach Marc Durso and casting directors John Jackson and LaTonya Potts. Sunscreen was also able to put on an A-list screenwriters panel featuring Oscar-nominee Timothy J. Sexton, Steven de Souza and Karl Iglesias.
