Aficionados from as far away as Virginia Beach were among the nearly 200 people in attendance for the World Premiere of the short film Opportunity Knocks at the 12th Annual Palm Beach International Film Festival, which opened for A Lobster Tale at The Theatre in West Palm Beach. More than 50 moviegoers attended the same line-up two days later at a matinee at the Sunrise Cinemas at Mizner Park in Boca Raton.
Opportunity Knocks is a dark comedy about a distraught woman who’s suicide attempt is interrupted when Death’s bureaucratic assistant arrives early, causing “mortis interruptis”. She has second thoughts as he tries to hurry her into the afterworld before Death arrives to discover his blunder. The film stars Tristan Rogers as Death, Suzanne Niedland as Luci, and Tim Powell as Mr. Morehead. The film was shot in HD entirely in Palm Beach County.
But was it worth the 1000-mile trip to see a 16-minute short film? “Absolutely!” resounds Michelle of Virginia Beach, who was among 6 fans who made the trip to Palm Beach from outside Florida. “They did an awesome, great, wonderful job! Coming to be part of the premiere and meeting and spending time with Tristan Rogers, who I have been a fan of for over 20 years, made it an event that will be very hard to top and I never will forget.”
Co-producers Niedland and Aaron Wells, who also directed, were honored during the Filmmaker Reception at the Burt Reynolds and Friends Museum. Chuck Elderd, Palm Beach County’s Film Commissioner, presented each with a plaque that states, “The Palm Beach County Film & Television Commission congratulates one of our own for screening ‘Opportunity Knocks’ at the 2007 Palm Beach International Film Festival.”
Elderd adds, “Aaron Wells, Suzanne Niedland, and their cast and crew are remarkable talents who make us all proud to say ‘PBC is home to many filmmaking professionals who have a bright future making films in their hometown.'”
Michelle Hillery, Director of Operations and Programs for the Film and Television Commission, agrees. “The Palm Beach County Film & Television Commission is so proud of our talented, local production community and 2007 really was a banner year to showcase and recognize these resident filmmakers.”
“I appreciate how supportive our film and television commission is to local filmmakers and I am honored that Chuck Elderd and his staff would take the time to recognize Aaron and myself in such a special way,” states Niedland.
Wells adds, “It’s a privilege to be recognized in this manner; the Film Commission, Festival, and Museum have all been incredibly supportive of our efforts. I’m anxious to get started on our next production in Palm Beach County.”
Wells and Niedland have several projects in various stages of production, both individually and as a team, and look forward to producing more film and television projects in Palm Beach County.
The question Wells and Niedland hear over and over again from those who have seen the short, is, “When will we see more?” Feature-length, an off-Broadway play, and TV series are all being explored. In addition, Opportunity Knocks has been submitted to several film festivals worldwide.
If you missed the screenings during the PBIFF, you’ll have another opportunity to see it, as the film screens at 8pm on Wednesday, May 16th at Emerging Cinemas, which is located at the Lake Worth Playhouse, 709 Lake Ave, Lake Worth, FL. It will be shown with the award winning short documentary Miss Lil’s Camp which was produced and co-directed by Niedland.
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