Tuesday, September 13, 2011
The event, which raised funds for the Sunscreen Film Festival, began with a catered dessert reception that included New York-style cheesecake pops, red velvet cupcakes, dark and white chocolate fountains and more. These treats were prepared by the Fort Harrison’s gold-medal winning chefs.
Lisa Mansell, the Community Affairs Director for the Church of Scientology welcomed the audience, saying “Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard once wrote that “A culture is only as great as its dreams, and its dreams are dreamed by artists,” and hopefully this event can make some dreams come true for independent film makers.”
Tony Armer, the Executive Director of the Sunscreen Film Festival then enlightened the attendees on the film festival and its purpose.
The Sunscreen Film Festival is a non-profit program of the St. Petersburg Clearwater Film Society and has encouraged the production of independent films in Florida since 2005. The specific objective of the Sunscreen Film Festival is to promote the exhibition of works by filmmakers by conducting education programs that teach the art and science of acting, filmmaking and cinematography.
Due to the increasing public awareness of this cause and gaining support of local filmmaking as a cultural and economic asset for the State of Florida, attendance of the actual festival in St. Petersburg, Florida has gone from 600 in 2005 to 11,000 just last April, which is their highest ever.
This was followed by stellar performances of Broadway hits by local talents: Trevor Botkin, Tom Godfrey, Jessy Leros, Colleen Lindsay, Elena Marrero, Helen Pinder, Julieta Santagostino, Joanie Sigal, L.D. Sledge, Daria Tiana, the Clearwater Academy International Choir and the Guilfoil Ballet Dance Troupe.
These performers sang and danced to hits from CABARET, CHICAGO, GUYS & DOLLS, PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, RENT, WICKED and GREASE. The “Cell Block Tango” from Chicago was a definite favorite.
Nearly $2500 was raised for the festival, and will be used to bring industry professionals in to participate in the educational seminars during the festival.
If you would like to find out how you can contribute to next year’s 2012 Sunscreen Film Festival and to the St. Petersburg Clearwater Film Society go to www.sunscreenfilmfestival.com.
Labels: church of scientology, clearwater
Sunday, February 06, 2011
Meet a Scientologist: What is the Value of a Single Life?
Melissa Wattman was not expected to see her ninth birthday. Diagnosed with leukemia, she regained the will to live through Scientology, and recovered.
Having experienced such a miracle herself, it is not surprising that when Melissa turned 16 she decided to become a Scientology auditor. An auditor is a Scientology spiritual counselor, from Latin audire, “to hear or listen.”
“When I looked at how much help I’d received and how much it bettered my life, I wanted to give back,” says Wattman. “People suffer. They experience the death of someone they love, or someone betrays them or they fail. Without Dianetics and Scientology auditing these personal tragedies continue to affect them the rest of their lives and if the pain is less acute, it is only because they have become numb. As a Scientology auditor I can restore joy and happiness to their lives.”
In becoming a Scientology auditor in 1992, Wattman, 34, followed in the tradition of her mother Abby who established and directs a counseling group in Clearwater, Florida. Over the past 19 years, Melissa has helped more than 100 people with the auditing skills she has learned.
“I have salvaged marriages and helped people overcome drug addiction. And as a Scientology auditor, I know that whether I help them right away or it takes a little while, it always works,” she says.
One woman came to Wattman devastated. Her brother had been kidnapped and murdered by terrorists, and the woman only learned of it when she saw it on TV news.
“After just a half-hour session, she was calm, looked years younger, and experienced enormous relief. Nothing can bring her brother back,” says Wattman, “but the trauma and shock are gone. She can cherish his memory without suffering, and has been able to move on.”
“Auditing others gets you in tune with people,” she says. “When you make one person happy it causes a ripple effect—that person reaches out to help others. I see auditing as a personal expression of a love of mankind.”
View the Melissa Wattman video at www.Scientology.org.
Labels: clearwater, Scientologist, scientology
Friday, April 16, 2010
The Tampa Bay Informer covered the story of the Youth for Human Rights group in Clearwater and the Tampa Bay area:
Youth for Human Rights Florida stepped out onto the streets on March 20th to create awareness against racial discrimination. March 20th was International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, a day when people around the world came together in their communities to work toward ending racism. The group, which promotes education of the 30 human rights based on the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, went to the people in the streets, gathering hundreds of signatures on a petition to get human rights taught in schools.
Youth for Human Rights Florida is a secular, non-profit organization with the mission to educate people of all ages about their rights. The uniqueness of the program lies in the educational materials created in collaboration with the Human Rights Department of the Church of Scientology International. Its founder L. Ron Hubbard in fact stated: “Human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream.” >>
Scientology Today has a kind of an overview of the actions Scientologists around the world did to commemorate that day.
Labels: clearwater, Florida, Human Rights, Scientololgy, Tampa Bay
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Labels: church of scientology, clearwater, freedom magazine, st. petersburg times
Friday, October 23, 2009
IAS Event About to Start
Clearwater Scientologists are in their seats about to watch the opening of event marking the 25th Anniversary of the International Association of Scientologists.
The live event was held at Saint Hill in East Grinstead in Sussex, England.
David Miscavige outdid himself with a more than three hours presentation of the highlights of the last 25 years. OMG where we have come from and where we have arrived!
Labels: clearwater, david miscavige, Scientologists
