Sunscreen Film Festival #18 kicks off Thursday

Officer Matthew Sanders has had many horrific experiences on the job, and working one violent crime too many has pushed his stress level into the danger zone. Suffering from acute PSTD, and thoughts of suicide, Sanders – a truly good cop – has been taken off the streets and sent to a therapist.

That’s the setup for 115 Grains, the second feature from St. Petersburg filmmaker Andrew Kiaroscuro. It’s on the schedule for Friday, the second of four days at the 18th annual Sunscreen Film Festival, taking place at the Sundial AMC 12 in downtown St. Petersburg.

It’s a wall-to-wall slate of independent feature and short films, panels, workshops and other events.

Kiaroscuro’s Kiaro Pictures is a full-service video production studio. He and the company relocated from the Miami area six years ago.

115 Grains (the title is a reference to the grains of gunpowder contained in a 9 millimeter bullet) began as a short (nine minute) Kiaroscuro film, written by (and starring) cop-turned-actor Eric Daniel.

“He came to me and said ‘I want to do something about law enforcement suicide prevention,’” Kiaroscuro says.

“I relate to the issue personally, because I lost my father from suicide when I was 19 years old.”

Kiaroscuro and Los Angeles screenwriter Adam Thede fleshed out Daniel’s original story. “It would not have come about had it not been for Eric.”

With Kiaroscuro directing, the film was made in Pasco and Pinellas counties in early 2022. Partners included the St. Petersburg and Dade City police departments and the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

Evan Gamble, who plays Matthew Sanders, is a Los Angeles-based actor hired for the project with the assistance of a casting service; according to Kiaroscuro, the service received 3,000 submissions for the role. “Evan Gamble,” the director says, “is one of the best actors I’ve ever gotten the privilege to direct.”

Most, but not all, members of the cast were brought in from elsewhere.

For the pivotal role of Dr. Donovan, the psychoanalyst who treats Matthew, Kiaroscuro got his first and only choice: Eugenie Bondurant, the St. Petersburg-based actress who’s appeared in numerous Hollywood movies.

At the Gasparilla Film Festival, held last month in Tampa, 115 Grains won the Grand Jury award – a critics’ prize – for Best Florida Feature Film.

Will lightning strike twice? “I’m a big fan of Sunscreen,” Kiaroscuro declares. “Both are cool in their own way, but I like Sunscreen in that it’s very central around the AMC Sundial. I think it’s more convenient for festival-goers.”

Sunscreen highlights

Erin Cahill

A Taste of Love. Dunedin-filmed romance with Erin Cahill, Martin Cove and Jesse Cove, all of whom will be in attendance Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ( it’s the opening-night feature).

Mitch Bell. The Marvel Studios VP and producer (Spider-Man: No Way Home) in a one-on-one conversation with Dave DeBorde, followed by an audience Q&A, Friday at 11 a.m.

La Lucha: Getting Schooled in America. Director Joseph Rand Courtney’s documentary about students from disadvantaged backgrounds and the obstacles they face; filmed in Pacoima, in Southern California’s San Fernando Valley. “One in four U.S. students drop out of high school, setting themselves up for a difficult path leading towards poverty or crime. Nationwide our youth are being held hostage in communities stricken with gang violence, dismal resources and inadequate education opportunities.” Screens at 4:45 p.m. Friday.

Lift. Documentary about the unlikely rise of New York Theater Ballet artistic director Steven Melendez, who entered the company’s dance program for homeless and at-risk kids at age 7. Lift screens at 9:30 a.m. Friday at AMC Sundial 12, and again at 8 p.m. at the new outdoor theater on the Warehouse Arts District campus. The evening presentation will include a Q&A with Melendez and Lift director David Petersen.

For a complete list of features, shorts, talks, panels, workshops and additional events, visit the Sunscreen Film Festival website here.