SARASOTA (WSNN) – A Los Angeles producer returns to his hometown to feature one of his films at the Sarasota Film Festival.
“We’re so happy to have Sam back with us here in Sarasota,” Sarasota Film Festival’s President & Chairman Mark Famigilo said.
Sam Curtis is the associate producer of the film, ‘Summertime,’ written by and starring spoken word poets. He came to the Sarasota Film Festival to see his big shot movie screen in his hometown.
“This is where I grew up. This is where I learned and found for the first time that I wanted to be a filmmaker,” Curtis said. “And is it was great to bring this movie here to this community that means so much to me.”
Curtis went to Sarasota Middle school, graduated from Riverview High, and worked at SFF as the director of education.
“He came back happily because he wants to give back to the community that nurtured him in film,” Famigilo said.
“I do think it’s important not to forget where we came from…”
After he graduated from film school at Florida State University, he produced a documentary about Newtown with students from Booker High.
“Told from the perspective who grew up there, not only learning the history of their community, oral history, firsthand, but also learning how to make a film for the first time. And it was a very life-changing experience for me.”
Now he returns to inspire aspiring filmmakers.
“There’s really nothing you can’t do. You don’t need tons of resources,” Curtis said. “All the resources you have are in your heart, your mind, your soul.”
While the film industry can seem like a hard one to get into, he says…
“It’s like that song from Journey, ‘Don’t Stop Believing,'” Curtis said. “Just don’t give up. Don’t let anyone ever tell you that you’re story isn’t worth telling. Don’t let anyone ever put you down… and be of service to other people.”
As the head of productions of ‘Get Lit’ and a producing partner with Literary Riot, he educates high schoolers in LA about literacy and spoken word, while creating engaging content.
“Cinema is a reflection of life and oftentimes life oftentimes reflects what we see on the big screen, so live the dream, live the story that you’d like to see in a movie,” Curtis said.
‘Summertime’ is coming to a theater near you, July 16th, screening nationwide by Good Deed Entertainment.
To get a deep dive into the making of the film, Curtis directed a 10 episode docuseries called ‘The Road to Summertime.’
