[Editor's Note: John Rosser blogs for the Daily Loaf about the local filmfest scene. He was Executive Director of the Gasparilla International Film Festival in 2007-2008, but is no longer affiliated with the festival.]
With a $12m production budget and a host of stars (including Kate Beckinsale, Matt Dillon, Alan Alda, David Schwimmer, and Angela Bassett), Nothing But the Truth certainly looks and feels like the blockbusters you regularly see open on 2500 movie screens across the United States versus your typical independent film. And it's also a potentially newsworthy film, inspired as it is by the true story of New York Times reporter Judith Miller, who went to jail for refusing to reveal her sources in the Valerie Plame case.
So why is the film being screened at Opening Night of the Gasparilla International Film Festival?
Can such a film truly be considered 'independent'?
To understand the whole story, you need to first learn a few things about the film industry and the film festival business.
This article appears in Feb 11-17, 2009.