Scene & Heard

+ Film fest artist gives good face
You may not recognize Vince Fraser’s mug, but you’ve probably locked eyes with the pouty female faces he’s created for the Sarasota Film Festival.

The 40-year-old digital illustrator and native Londoner was hired to provide art for the 2010 festival, after the board of directors fell in love with a handful of his conceptual sketches.

This year he’s back with a familiar and equally attractive face. (Hello brand recognition.)

Every spring for 13 years, SFF has blanketed the city with snazzy poster art. With Fraser at the digital easel, the festival’s image has taken on a more fantasy/sci-fi feel.

But why a face?

“I’m inspired by sexy and seductive female forms,” Fraser says. “The SFF face was very iconic and a good focal point for the main canvas. I love creating fantasy worlds and abstract characters in surreal settings, so, for me, this was an ideal opportunity to display my skills.”

Those who hobnobbed with the artist last year might recall Fraser proposed to his future wife, Paula, while staying on Longboat Key. The two were married one week later at Robert Smithson’s five-acre Sarasota estate. Capt. John Hillstrand, from the Discovery Channel’s “Deadliest Catch,” was in attendance. Now that gives more meaning to the whole “she’s quite a catch” thing.

+ Local writer chronicles triumph over cancer
Things are looking up for Kim McAuliffe Clark in more ways than one.

When Clark, 45, was diagnosed with lymphoma three years ago, she found she could hardly sleep during chemotherapy treatments. As she puts it, “she was wired on Prednisone.”

To combat sleeplessness and anxiety, Clark, an executive assistant at All Faiths Food Bank, began writing religious testimonies about her cancer experience. Fifty pages in, she realized she was on her way to writing a book.

“Keep Looking Up” was published earlier this year.

“I’ve always had –– as my folks would say –– a gift for writing,” Clark says. “My mom always said I should write for Hallmark. I can sum things up nicely in a few sentences.”

See for yourself: Clark’s book is available for purchase at Living Word Christian Store and on Amazon.com.
The author will be signing copies of the book from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 2, at Dutch Valley Restaurant, 6721 S. Tamiami Trail.

+ ‘Beautiful Noise’ earns more Hollywood cred   
By the end of this film-festival season, you’ll tire of hearing about “Beautiful Noise.”

The film just keeps gaining more and more momentum. (See this week’s Diversions cover story on writer/director Steve Tatone.)

Earlier this month, the musical drama nabbed Wendy Williams, an executive producer with more than a dozen A-list film credits to her name, including the new big-budget remake of “Planet of the Apes” –– “Rise of the Apes,” which is currently in post-production and slated for a November release.

Williams, a local resident, fell in love with Tatone’s Sarasota indie flick, despite the fact that it boasts no known actors.

“She’s going to be instrumental in getting the film in front of people in Hollywood who make decisions to acquire independent films in their pipeline,” Tatone says. “There’s no guarantee that we’ll get picked up, but having Wendy involved gives us instant credibility. I have complete faith in my cast and crew, but nobody knows us.”

+ Men’s Journal gives Sarasota some brotherly love
Check out the April 2011 issue of Men’s Journal magazine. (FYI: Jake Gyllenhaal is on the cover.)

Inside you’ll find that Sarasota was included in the magazine’s annual “Best Places to Live” feature.

Identified by editors as one of the 18 “Coolest Towns in America,” the city is described as the “best place to mix with artists and athletes.”

That’s what we’ve been saying for years!

HOT TICKETS
Vinyl Music Festival: Hardcore clubbers have already purchased their tickets to the 2011 Vinyl Music Festival, which runs April 7 to April 10, during the Sarasota Film Festival. For those of you still on the fence, check out www.vinylfestival.com. The four-day lineup offers one raging dance party after the next. Now in its third year, VMF is the largest electronic musical festival on the Gulf Coast. This year’s event features more than 40 artists from around the world, including Jamaican reggae house DJ, Honorebel. For tickets, call 928-9269.