Yak About Film

David and Susan "Yak" About The 2022 Festival

With pictures, anecdotes, and costume breakdowns- David and Susan give an inside look at all of the happenings at the 2022 Vero Beach Film Festival!

We Interview Kevin Kline ("DELIVERING HOPE") and Bonnie Monteleone, TJ Fletcher ("356")

"Delivering Hope" is a feature film documentary that tells the ultimate story of people coming together for something bigger than themselves. On November 16, 2019, eight days before his 50th birthday, ultra-runner Kevin Kline set out to become the first person in history to run the northernmost 300 miles of Alaska's dangerous Dalton Highway, in winter, to raise awareness for children battling pediatric cancer. When Kline's body shuts down after 200 miles, the crew is faced with a life-changing dilemma. A native Texan, Jordan Orsak began FilmPro Inc. in 2014 as a production company focusing on commercial and independent video projects in the Austin area (now including productions in Los Angeles, CA). Orsak’s passion for story telling allowed him to expand his reach to include projects like short form movies, music videos, and the documentary "Delivering Hope." His additional involvement through Sunflower Production and Blissful Films allow him to continue to do projects in any form or genre. "365" was created while filming for the documentary “If the Ocean Could Talk” off the coast of North Carolina, the crew hoped to tell the story of one of the most endangered species on the planet, but were launched into an unexpected journey of something hidden from the world. As the Director of Science, Research and Academic Partnerships for Plastic Ocean Project, Inc. as well as the Executive Director, Bonnie Monteleone is a researcher who has collected plastic marine samples globally including four of the five main ocean gyres, the Caribbean, and has extended this work to Pyramid Lake, outside of Reno, Nevada.

We Interview Alex Kanter ("MAKING THE CUT SPECIAL PRESENTATION") and Steve Stein ("LIVES ON THE LINE")

Alex Kanter is from Indian River State College and presented "Making the Cut Special Presentation" about the future of the Film and media industry and education.  From "Lives on the Line" Kyle is an Afghanistan war veteran, suffering from chronic pain, who falls victim to a broken system while seeking treatment at the VA. At his breaking point, he meets a disillusioned VA employee who has seen what happens when the promises made to veterans are broken. Steve Stein is an award-winning filmmaker from Chicago with a career rooted in advocacy storytelling.

We Interview Milo Thornton, Wes Samons, and Roger Rapoport ("COMING UP FOR AIR")

Winner of five best feature awards including Grand Prize Winner Culver City Film Festival, Los Angeles. When single mom Anna Russell, a ceramic artist, discovers that her son Stan, an outstanding college diver and academic star is unraveling, she must act quickly to avoid tragedy. In denial and mysteriously out of reach, Stan suddenly disappears. Anna must find him on a journey that highlights the key role caregivers play helping those in need survive a mental emergency and return to wellness. The film also focuses on the special challenges of balancing high stakes athletics with academic excellence.

We Interview Doug Roland ("FEELING THROUGH" and "CONNECTING THE DOTS")

"Feeling Through", the first film to star a DeafBlind actor, is a coming of age story that follows Tereek, a teen wandering the streets of New York, desperate for a place to crash when he encounters Artie, a DeafBlind man in need of help getting home. From an awkward meeting between strangers emerges an intimate bond, and a journey that forever changes Tereek. "Connecting the Dots" is a Film tracking the 7-year journey from chance encounter to the creation of the first film ever to star a DeafBlind actor. The story behind the story of the Oscar-nominated short film "Feeling Through." Doug Roland is an Oscar-nominated director for his film "Feeling Through". His short film Jada became a viral sensation with over 24 million views on YouTube. Doug produced the feature film Life Hack which won 16 awards on the festival circuit, including Best Independent Feature at the Cleveland International Film Festival. He studied film at the University of Wisconsin Madison and FAMU in Prague.