Infiltrator Crew Begins Arriving in Tampa Today
April 15, 2015
Tampa Bay has been buzzing about the arrival of The Infiltrator team for months – and ladies and gentlemen, that day has finally come. Select crew members will being arriving today, with the full crew scheduled to be in town by April 23. The production will be filming here through May 2.
Earlier this month, Marinella Hume Casting in Tampa issued a call for extras to appear in the film, specifically requesting people to dress and submit photos of themselves in “totally 80s” garb, and sporting things like “Magnum PI mustaches, mullets, leisure suits, muscle t-shirts, and stone wash jeans.” We shuddered for a moment when we read that, recalling all the big hair and tragic fashion that defined the decade. But the April 11 casting call was a great success, as scores of locals channeled their inner Madonnas and David Hasselhoffs to gear up, report to the Tampa Convention Center, and get hired. In addition, we’re thrilled to report that 45 University of Tampa students will be working as volunteers on the production, gaining invaluable experience.
In other Film Tampa Bay news, commercial season, which runs from February to April, is coming to a close, and Hillsborough County is on track for a record breaking year. Film Commissioner Dale Gordon estimates that approximately $6 million was spent locally this year, based on data calculated from film permits filed within Hillsborough County and expenses self-reported by productions.
The Gasparilla International Film Festival, which took place March 25-29, was a great success as well. The Tampa Tribune reported that GIFF drew the highest attendance numbers to date. Local filmmaker Curtis Graham’s feature film, Oloibiri, was a highlight of the event. Jeff Vinik, who has been in the spotlight for his plans to transform downtown into a live-work-play destination, is owed a huge debt of gratitude for allowing the Festival to use the old facilities in Channelside for free. Thanks to his generosity, the event had the use of 10 much-needed screens for the entire week.
The Festival’s economic impact for the region was approximately $1.5 million.
