SRQ Independent Films: Promoting local talent, one film at a time

After retiring from a 20-year career in finance, Mark Troy knew he was looking for a change. With more time on his hands, he figured it was time to revisit a childhood passion: film.

The only problem? He didn't exactly have a lot of experience. As a teenager, he made movies using his parents' cameras, but in reality, the world of film was entirely new to him.

That was six years ago. Today, Troy has acted in dozens of films, produced his own and runs ManaSota Films, an organization of 40 to 50 actors, writers, directors, sound makers and producers who meet monthly at Lakewood Ranch Cinemas, where they show and discuss their respective projects.

Members meet and socialize for about an hour before heading into the theater to see members' latest endeavors. It's that opportunity to share work with an audience that Troy finds so valuable.

"I was aware of some Tampa venues where people could show their films, but there wasn't anything like that here," he says. "I also knew there were plenty of actors and directors here, and I knew there had to be plenty of films just collecting dust on a shelf. I wanted to give people a place to show their work to a real audience."

With ManaSota Films gaining momentum, Troy decided it was time to promote some of these projects beyond just the organization itself, so last year, he founded SRQ Independent Films, an online vehicle for promoting some of the highlights from the meetings.

"It seemed like the logical progression," he says. "Let's show off some of this stuff to the outside world."

Once a month, Troy selects a project from a previous screening and posts it to the group's Facebook page, along with some information about the piece and its producers.

"Our goal is to eventually show these to the public as well," he says. "Sometime this year, it would be nice to put together a few hours of material to showcase to the public."

After discovering and immersing himself in the local filmmaking community, Troy says the ultimate goal is to continue to spread the word about the talent in our community.

"I want our filmmaking community to be acknowledged as the place where the best independent stuff in Florida is coming from," he says. "Because I think it is."