Topics ranging from intergalactic law to the personal identify found through the slicing of Dutch cheese turned the Sarasota Opera House on Thursday into a symposium of creative thinking. A series of speakers hailing from around the world stood before a sold-out crowd as part to the PINC Sarasota event.

Both entertainment and research earned a place on the stage. Entertainment was represented with musical performances, like the the rolling of documentary footage,including an 11-minute short film on the lifespan of 17-year cicadas by filmmaker Samuel Orr, or a performance from pianist Daria van der Bercken, who worked to bring a surprising show to a crowd. “I will always try to do something differently when there is a chance,” said van der Bercken.  

MIT professor John Ochsendorf showed the marvels of ancient bridge building and led the crowd to wonder at architectural achievements at the Pantheon that engineers still struggle to replicate today, while mathematician John Bush explored new developments in super-fluids, carefully creating an audience presentation that broke down complex mathematical discoveries about surface tension into a format digestible for the interested layman. As the day progressed, international law expert Frans von der Dunk discussed the needs to address space debris and Joost Elffers discussed the relationship between the divvying of product by cheesemongers to the relationship between social classes in the Netherlands in the mid-20th century. 

PINC Sarasota provides a stateside expansion of a conference first launched in the Netherlands by the late Peter van Lindonk, and many of the guests at the event had been fans since before the Sarasota event launched last year. Marc Abrahams, founder of the Ig Nobel Prize ceremony and a speaker at the Sarasota event, had attended the European events van Lindonk put on and was impressed to see the idea continue. “He was always the ringmaster,” Abrahams recalled. “He had such a creative energy.” And this manifestation of the event, participants said, gave an opportunity to explore the “People, Ideas, Nature and Creativity” central to PINC’s mission. 

At Suncoast Technical College, students in the Digital Video Production program are benefitting from a new partnership with Bradenton filmmakers Trishul Thejasvi, owner of Orensis Films, and Thomas Nudi, writer/director of the recently completed feature-length film Monty Comes Back, who have been working with the students over the period of the last three months, leading them on a crash course through the art of storytelling and independent film production. Today, with five short film scripts written by the students, who will also direct, the group is putting out a call to the community for local actors to help complete these all-local productions.

First contact came through Suncoast Technical students working on the set of Monty Comes Back, which Orensis produced. The shoot turned into “a fantastic learning experience for them and us,” said Thejasvi, who in turn reached out to Suncoast Technical and offered to team with students in creating a series of short films from conception to production, with professional gear from Orensis. “It was the only way I felt we could give them a real world indie film experience,” said Thejasvi, “something fairly hard for a film school to truly recreate.” Meeting once a week after hours for students and their teachers, Nudi and Thejasvi helped students develop scripts and plan production, “passing on our knowledge and experience to them so they avoid making the same mistakes we did,” he said.

The five complete scripts include the family drama Over Cooked from Viviana Lopez, the romantic comedy Gossip by Meghan Teague, a sci-fi comedy from Cameron Cruce called The Best Day Ever, the dark modern fairy tale Porcelain Doll written by Chad Martin and an existential dramedy from Ally Williams intriguingly titled Jane Don’t. The filmmakers say they’re looking for a whole host of actors for roles ranging from ages 15-75, with race not being a factor. The films will be shot over the course of the next month, over the holiday break and into the first half of January. Thejasvi hopes to they can then be accepted into this year’s YouthFest at the Sarasota Film Festival.

But more important than potential accolades, Thejasvi hopes the experience teaches his students that they can make a film through their own grit and gumption, without relying on big studios or deep pocket investors or even an overabundance of technology.

“When we were on the verge of adulthood, we wish we had guys our age come and tell us how it is,” said Thejasvi, stepping into the role of mentor as he looks to the future of film in Sarasota. “It’s important to work with this young generation if this place is going to stand out.” 

Pictured: Charlotte Couch slates fellow student Jovana Hoti during an audition workshop. Photo by: Griffin Underwood.

For full list of casting, visit Orensis Films.

'Tis the season to relax, refresh and let SRQ take the legwork out of gift-giving. Check out our annual gift guide for goods available at area shops, including this glistening Pear-shape Sapphire and Diamond Pendant in White Gold, available at Diamond Vault for $2,760.

Photo by Wyatt Kostygan 

Diamond Vault, 3979 S Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, 941-921-4016.

Doug Logan, CEO and principle consultant for Sarasota-based Cyber Ninjas, has been named a winner of the prestigious SANS 2015 Difference Makers Award, to be presented during the organization’s Cyber Defense Initiative Dec. 15 in Washington, D.C. 

Cyber Ninjas

Ringling College of Art and Design and the Lifelong Learning Academy of Sarasota have reached an agreement to merge effective June 1. Under the agreement, the Lifelong Learning Academy will become the Ringling College Lifelong Learning Academy and be incorporated into Ringling College’s Continuing Studies and Special Programs, a unit of the College’s Office of Academic Affairs. The current Executive Director of LLA will assume the role of Director of RCLLA. The Lifelong Learning Academy is currently housed at University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee and will continue to offer classes there until the June transition. 

Ringling College of Art and Design

Doctors Hospital of Sarasota opened two new operating rooms as part of a $5-million expansion project. Taking eight months to complete, this addition now increases the total number of operating rooms to nine. The project focused on enhancing the surgical services provided at Doctors Hospital of Sarasota. Surgeons will have advantage of fully integrated systems that combine direct access to X-ray, MRI and CT Scan results. The operating rooms have been designed to offer the most advanced environment for procedures in orthopedics, spine surgery, general surgery, gynecology and other specialty procedures. 

Doctors Hospital of Sarasota