After five years of hosting their own once-a-month local indie film showcase, Best of the Bay award winners and Tampa Film Review brothers Pete and Paul Guzzo are calling it quits. The Tampa Film Review Finale moves to the Italian Club and includes the best of the best short films produced here by Tampa filmmakers since TFR began in January 2004: Gunn Highway by Stefan Abbott; Time & Again by Todd Thompson; a stop-motion claymation film, The Last One by Garrett Brown; a special tribute to the TFR by veteran B-movie horror actor Joel Wynkoop; and several others. The Guzzos say they’ll miss hosting the event, but between their unofficial independent film commissioner duties, professional responsibilities (Paul writes for La Gaceta and is helping Mayor Greco with his memoirs, Pete works long hours as a producer at Tampa Digital Studios), and filmmaking (one is already in the works), neither brother has the time to devote to it any longer. A recent e-mail from Paul summed it up nicely: “When the event began, we told people that we were the only regular outlet for local filmmakers to showcase their work. We are proud that five years later, this is no longer the case, as numerous events have been founded since, providing local filmmakers with a variety of venues willing to showcase their art.” Fri., Jan. 9, 6 p.m. happy hour with drink specials and a $10 buffet, 8-10 p.m. screening, 1731 E. Seventh Ave., Ybor City, free admission.
