16th Annual Sunscreen Film Festival In St. Petersburg

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — The 16th Annual Sunscreen Film Festival in St. Petersburg returns to normal in April as it will operate during its regular schedule with a full slate of films and workshops.

Opening night, April 29, will kick off the four-day event with a screening of "Electric Jesus," an award-winning film about a teenager in the 1980s who goes on the road with a Christian hair metal band. You might recognize one of the actors in the film, Brian Baumgartner, who played Kevin on "The Office."

Thirty-one feature films from the U.S. and around the world in various categories including foreign, documentary, thriller, drama, and comedy will be shown; plus, 130 short films across 16 different thematic blocks.

Local and Florida made films will also be shown. A couple of those include, "Marcus," and "The Fish Don't Care When it Rains." Other local films scheduled include a collection of college and high school short films.

"We're excited to present a diverse and entertaining group of films for this year," Ben Danielle, Bryan Williams and Doug Tschirhart, festival programming directors, said. "The 2021 festival has something for everyone. Comedy, action, social, commentary, love, tragedy and fun. With so many films to choose from, people of all tastes will find something to enjoy."

Fans of "The Karate Kid," and of the actor Pat Morita, who played the role of Mr. Miyagi, will have the opportunity to get to know the real Pat Morita's off-screen life story in the documentary, "More than Miygai," scheduled to play at the festival. According to the film, Morita battled many demons throughout his life that not even alcohol or drugs could hide.

The festival has partnered with AMC Theater in Sundial to host the event. It will be in-person, and coronavirus safety guidelines are in place at AMC. One of its policies is reduced theater capacity by 50 percent. AMC's website said it has enhanced cleaning procedures and has social distancing standards before, during and after screenings. Masks are required. The full list of safety guidelines can be viewed here.

"Not only is the Sunscreen Film Festival the longest running mainstream film festival in the Tampa Bay area, it has also become a widely recognized festival around the world," Tony Armer, St. Petersburg Clearwater Film Commissioner and Sunscreen Film Festival founder, said. "To be able to present a safe and clean event and still support the independent film community is great to see."

The Sunscreen Film Festival is scheduled April 29 through May 2. For more information about screenings and actor workshops, visit Sunscreen Film Festival 2021.