Jacksonville Filmmaker Gerald Jackson Jr. to Shoot Feature Film
February 15, 2010 Comments »
This article appeared on jacksonville.com on February 9, 2010.
Jacksonville filmmaker Gerald Jackson Jr. sees his big break in movie filming this summer
BY MATT SOERGEL
- STORY UPDATED AT 3:13 PM ON TUESDAY, FEB. 9, 2010
When Gerald Jackson Jr. was a child, his mother took him to the movies just about every weekend. And when the movie was over, she remembers, he wouldn’t leave his seat when everyone else did: He wanted to stay and watch the ending credits.
What are all those names? What did they all do?
That was a clear indication that Jackson was headed for a career as a filmmaker, though – and he laughs at this – an admiration for the Tim Deegan of two decades ago did inspire a temporary ambition to be a TV meteorologist.
Making movies is the path Jackson, now 32, has chosen. It’s hasn’t been easy: Five years after film school, he’s working at a Starbucks. He’s holding bake sales to promote his production company. And, crushed by student loans, he’s still living at home, in the suburbs near the airport.
“I’m embarrassed. I live with my parents,” he says, laughing. “Of course I have really cool parents.”
He sighs. “The life of a struggling filmmaker.”
But his big break could be coming this summer. He plans to make a feature film, shot in Jacksonville, based on a book by his mother, Brenda Jackson, a prolific and best-selling author of African-American romance novels.
He knows it’s a lucky break, being her son. Still, he’ll take it. Who wouldn’t?
Anyone in the city’s filmmaking community is familiar with Jackson. He’s an outgoing, regular presence at festivals and functions, always ready to talk, to volunteer as an extra, to hand out business cards, to offer praise to those who need it.
“Everybody loves Gerald,” says Warren Skeels, a filmmaker and co-executive director of the Jacksonville Film Festival. “He’s probably the nicest guy I’ve ever met on the face of the planet. He’s an incredible supporter of any kind of facet of the film industry here in town.”
But it hasn’t been easy for Jackson to make his mark in the movie-making world. Up until now, he has just a few short works to his credit – among them some music videos and book trailers for his mother’s novels.
“The film industry is very stressful. I’m going gray,” he says. “But let me tell you something: I don’t give up.”
Jackson was born and raised in Jacksonville. He went to Stanton College Prep and the University of North Florida.
During college, he worked on a few movies and TV shows shooting in his home town. Yes, he thought, this really is what I want to do.
Inspired by a visit to New York – walking the streets was just like being in a movie – he got a second bachelor’s degree, this one in film studies from Columbia University in Manhattan.
Then on his third attempt, he got into Florida State University’s film school, one of just 22 in his class.
After graduation, his film school friends headed for New York and Los Angeles.
Jackson went home, to the parents, just to get a respite from the bills as he started his career. He figured he could make his mark in his hometown before heading someplace bigger.
“I thought I was going to be God’s gift to Jacksonville filmmaking,” he says.
But it turns out the few big movies that came to the city were harder to get work with than he’d imagined.
And no one was knocking at his door to offer him the next blockbuster, even with all his credentials. The economic downturn has only made things tougher.
Now he’s focused on the movie based on his mother’s book, “Truly Everlasting,” about an ex-NFL player who has a love affair with a childhood acquaintance.
He just finished the script and will soon be looking at casting and getting a crew. So far it has a budget of about $30,000, though that could change.
Brenda Jackson says she knows her son will be faithful to her book, unlike a version of her “One Special Moment,” which was made into a movie by Black Entertainment Television. Her readers were not pleased with the liberties taken by the filmmakers. And neither was she.
“Truly Everlasting” is set during Christmas, in Houston, so there will be challenges making it in July or August in Jacksonville.
Brenda Jackson isn’t worried. “I’m blessed to have a son who has gone to film school,” she says. “I’ve gotten him to do a couple of book trailers for me, which I’m really pleased with, so I think he’s ready to take the step and put on the director’s hat.”
Gerald Jackson Jr. says he’s more than ready.
“There has to be a time when I stand on my own two feet. But being offered the opportunity to produce, to put a feature together, is rare. People fight for an opportunity like this.”
It might even help him fulfill his long-delayed dream of getting out of his hometown. His friends tell him he should go, and he knows he should.
He likes it in Jacksonville, but he’s spent most of his life looking at the same sky, the same river, the same buildings.
It’s time for something new, time for him to follow his old classmates to where the action is.
“I’ll be honest. When you grow up in a city …”
Jackson pauses.
“Cities like L.A. and New York have major film energy, a major film vibe,” he says. “I’m by no means trying to be critical. Jacksonville has that spirit, but in New York or L.A., there’s just, just more of it.”
5 Points Theatre Media Update 2/12
February 12, 2010 Comments »
1. Our schedule for the next month or so is starting to shape up. We’re going to be running several of the smaller films that are up for Oscars.
We’ve got A Single Man starting February 19th. It’s got an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for Colin Firth.
We’re trying to get Crazy Heart for February 26th. It’s also got a nomination for Best Oscar, for Jeff Bridges as a drunken country music singer.
We also plan on showing The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, probably the 2nd weirdest film we’ll show this month. Directed by Terry Gilliam, starring the late Heath Ledger, and up for Oscars for Art Direction and Costume Design.
The Last Station has been nominated for Best Actress (Helen Mirren) and Best Supporting Actor (Christopher Plummer).
2. The weirdest film we’ll be playing this month is Hausu at 11 on February 19th. This is a 70s Japanese horror film that has been described as “a live action Scoobie Doo on acid.”
3. We’re very excited to be showing the Oscar-nominated short films:
Oscar Nominated Live Action Shorts – Tuesday, February 23rd at 7 pm
Oscar Nominated Animated Shorts – Wednesday, February 24th at 7 pm
The Animated Shorts program will also feature a short sneak preview of the 2010 Citrus Cel Animation Festival (www.citruscel.com).
4. Sending us into special event overload, Cinemania events start Monday, February 15th with a showing of the winning Doorpost Film Project short films. Cinemania events will be every Monday and run the gamut from locally made films to script readings. Check out the website and calender at www.jacksonville.com/cinemania.
5. And of course, Broken Embraces is playing this week. The latest film from legendary director Pedro Almodovar features Penelope Cruz.
5 Points Theatre Media Update 2/4
February 4, 2010 Comments »
1. Our midnight movie this week will be Back to the Future 2 (and 3, which I said last week). Note that it starts at 11 pm (we often do that when the 9 pm movie is less than 2 hours long). After that we’ve got:
February 12 – Heathers – 11 pm
February 19 – Housu – 11 pm
February 26 – Weird Science – 11 pm
2. Me and Orson Welles and Nine start this Friday (Nine at 5 and 9 pm and Orson at 7 pm). Both are fun movies that got overlooked at Christmas. Broken Embraces (the new Almodavar film) starts February 12. It looks like we’ll get The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus (the new film from Director Terry Gilliam, and Heath Ledger’s last film) starting on March 12.
Trailers:
Nine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_5_lzags3I
Me and Orson Welles: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTofKi1XUJM
Broken Embraces: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IApuTyhNW_E
Imaginarium: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3giivt2l3MY
3. Join us for the Super Bowl! Doors will open at 6 pm on Sunday, February 7th. As always, football is free at the 5 Points Theatre. We are also moving our scheduled movies to earlier in the day on Sunday.
4. The theatre will be showing the Oscar-nominated live action and animated shorts. Live action shorts will be shown on Tuesday, February 23rd at 7 pm. Animated shorts will be Wednesday, February 24th at 7 pm. This should be a fun look at some interesting films. Many short film directors go on to bigger and better things in the future.
Wine, Films, Community
Comments »
First Coast Film Friends Happy Hour
Tuesday, February 9 at 7:00pm.
Walkers in Riverside
Invite your friends and others interested in the film/television and entertainment industry.
To see more details and RSVP, follow the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=278238804227&mid=1ce643fG1f58ac83G3e2910aG7
2009 Doorpost Project Winning Films Screen in Jax
Come watch the top four winners from 2009 at the Five Points Theatre on Monday, February 15 at 8 p.m.
The Doorpost Film Project is an international filmmaking competition in which filmmakers create a 7-minute movie that captures a truth-seeking topic such as freedom, joy, community, authenticity.
The top 20 finalists are chosen and must submit script for a new 12 to 30-minute short based one of the same themes as the first round.
Five finalists are then commissioned to shoot a second short for the final round of the project for which they are each given $40,000.
The first place winner received $100,000.
The event is the kickoff for Cinemania, a new film society launched by the Florida Times-Union and www.jacksonville.com.
For more information contact Cinemania director contact Sharon Y. Cobb Sharon@FunnyFixx.com.
5 Points Theatre Media Update 1/25/10
January 25, 2010 Comments »
1. We’ve just gotten back from the Art House Convergence conference in Salt Lake City, and we picked up a bunch of big and small ideas to improve the theatre. One of the easiest was to post our press releases online. So, from now on, I’ll be posting these Media Updates at www.jaxindiefilm.com.
2. An Education is playing now. It’s gotten great reviews, and generated some Oscar buzz for lead actress Carey Mulligan. We’ve got it for two weeks (through February 3rd).
3. Starting February 5th we’ve got Nine and Me and Orson Welles. Nine is a musical by the director of Chicago. It opened on Christmas Day and got killed by Avatar, Sherlock Homes, It’s Complicated and Up In The Air. We think people around Riverside will like it.
Me and Orson Welles is a fun little film by director Richard Linklater (School of Rock, Dazed and Confused and others) and starring Zac Efron of High School Musical fame. It’s set in 1937 as Orson Welles is putting on his now-famous version of Julius Caeser at the Mercury Theatre. Here’s the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQvq7eulfWc
4. There’s been a little bit of confusion about our Midnight Movie starting times. We try to start the Midnight Movie soon after the late movie, so they can range from 11 pm to midnight. Here are the start times for our next few late movies:
January 29 – Labyrinth – 11 pm
New One\
February 5 – Back to the Future 2 – 11 pm
February 12 – Heathers – 11:30 pm
February 19 – House – TBD
House is a truly strange Japanese ghost story from 1977. Watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0NWIxl2VJk
5. Broken Embraces, the new Pedro Almodovar film startting Penelope Cruz, will open February 12th. Watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWw9n0ekYCw
Filming on a Microbudget
January 18, 2010 Comments »
WORKS IN PROGRESS present filmmaker Patrick Barry who’s producing his independent feature VEER!, set to film in Jacksonville on 16mm, on a microbudget.
Monday, January 18th, 6pm-8pm @ WJCT (Community Room)
100 Festival Park Avenue
Global Perspectives: International Independent Film Showcase
January 15, 2010 Comments »
Come see short films and documentaries from Bangladesh, Burma, Kenya, and other countries, and meet the filmmakers who produced them at the 5 Points Theatre on January 21. The filmmakers are visiting the Jacksonville as part of the State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program.
Doors for the free screening open at 5:30 p.m. Donations benefit the International Visitor Corps of Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Film Festival.
A dash of film to spice up the New Decade
January 4, 2010 Comments »
First Coast Film Society Social
Hob nob with local filmmakers and the people who bring their characters to life at The First Coast Film Society’s monthly social.
Tuesday, January 5 at 6:30 pm, Ale House in Tinseltown.
To see more details and RSVP, follow this link :
www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=397047280318&mid=1a35800G3fee6425G12ae3feG7
NorthStar Film Fest at the January 6 ArtWalk
For those of you who love ArtWalk but don’t want to invest in the gloves you’re going to need if it stays as bone chilling cold as it’s been, you can stay warm while enjoying some films made across our state for the 48 Hour Film Project and National Film Challenge.
Two of the nine short films made the top 15 in the world. Screenings will be preceded by performances by local artists.
Wednesday, Jan. 6, 5 to 9 p.m at 119 E. Bay Street
Hope no one is planning any outdoor screenings any time soon! See you at the movies.
Building an Independent Film Community
December 24, 2009 Comments »
“Juno,” “Little Miss Sunshine,” “Thank You for Smoking”—these are just a few of the wonderful independent films I’ve seen over the years.
Don’t get me wrong I love a good Hollywood blockbuster like “The Dark Knight” or “Pirates of the Caribbean” but there’s something so real and refreshing about a film that retains the artistic vision of the director and relies much more on story than action or special effects.
Indie films like the recently released “Precious” also touch on issues that many of the large movie studios shy away from. They give us a broader perspective about life and the realities we and others we may not usually cross paths with face.
When I moved to Jacksonville, there was no venue dedicated to these lower-budget, truly imaginative films made by new and emerging directors.
Then one of the things on my wish list, besides learning to surf (now moved to the 2010 list), came true. The 5 Points Theatre reopened in November of 2008 as a theatre dedicated to art house and indie films.
That wasn’t the only cool thing about its reopening. As I read more about Jacksonville’s early 20th century movie-making roots, I learned that the 5 Points Theatre had been a big part of that legacy.
Built in 1927, the 5 Points Theatre was the first theatre in Florida and the third in the country to show “talkies” or talking movies.
Did you know that the theater is reported to have had the longest run of “The Godfather” of any theater in the country?
When Jack Shad and Pete Moseley who own the building and the theatre were looking at what to do with the venue after it has spent much of the 80’s and 90’s as a playhouse and a nightclub, all that history factored into their decision.
“We looked at other options for the space – restaurants, event space, etc. – but it just seems to want to be a theatre,” Jack highlighted.
“We think there’s a need for a venue to show independent film. There are just not that many places that will take a chance on locally made films or non-blockbuster type movies.”
As someone who makes documentaries, that’s music to my ears.
Locally and independently produced films don’t have access to the big marketing and distribution budgets that the big studios offer. So if the directors of these films want them to be seen, the best place to reach audiences is through community venues like the 5 Points Theatre.
Sure you can rent the DVD in a couple of months, but a theater gives you a chance to meet people with similar interests and have a discussion with them about a film.
That’s community.
Indie film like other arts and cultural offerings makes a city like Jacksonville vibrant and draws people from other parts of the country looking to relocate to an interesting, affordable city with a thriving arts scene.
Jaxindiefilm.com is your central resource for local and independent film in Jax. We’ll feature interviews with local filmmakers and a place for them and film lovers to connect and build community.
Have an upcoming film event? Finished a new film? Send us an email three weeks in advance: news@jaxindiefilm.com
As the big movie season begins, I look forward to bringing people together to watch something a little different, not quite off the beaten path… but maybe a slight detour from the route you normally take.
See y’all at the movies!
Local Music Videos this Friday at the 5 Points Theatre
November 2, 2009 Comments »
Nobody wants to watch a whole movie while First Friday is going on outside, so we’re putting together a program of music videos by local bands to show on a loop this Friday. Stop in for a few minutes and have a beer and see what MTV-Jacksonville has to offer.
Will your band’s video be shown? Get it to us on DVD by Thursday evening and it can be.
Also check out the art show “Strategies for Making Time Stand Still” at Underbelly. And, the theatre will be showing the locally made film “Chiaroscuro, Baby” with a Q&A with director Anthony Kilburn at 9 pm.
About JaxIndieFilm
Created to be a gathering place for the Jacksonville film community to read and post articles on film. We're building a strong independent film community in Jacksonville. In association with the 5 Points Theatre.
Have Local Film News?
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Contributors
Natalie Halpern is passionate about cultivating a vibrant cultural community in Jacksonville, through independent film.
Alex Martinez spends his free time working on photography, short films and is a strong supporter of independent film.
Stacie Cregg is a theater major who reads books, drinks beer, and watches movies.
Tad Kellermann future director of groundbreaking, genre-redefining motion pictures.
