“The Arts Unify Us Positively.” By John Sprecher | PhotographyJerry Smith
TAKE FIVE
Eric Raddatz may be Southwest Florida’s most beloved impresario. He’s also one of the hardest working dudes around. His day job is Presentation Editor at Florida Weekly, a highly successful newspaper serving six markets across south Florida, where he’s responsible for everything from front page composition to the overall graphic design of the publication. He’s good at it too, having won numerous awards for his work. But Eric Raddatz is also all about film, film and more film. He’s founder and host of T.G.I.M. (Thank God for Indie Mondays), a monthly event held at the Sydney & Berne Davis Art Center that features short indies and lively debate, mixed in with a dash of music and fun. Plus he’s founder and executive director of the Fort Myers Film Festival, three days that bring upwards of 70 indie films to six venues across Southwest Florida (and winner of a Chrysalis Award for local tourism impact). This year’s Festival is April 7-10. Each issue, “Take Five” poses five questions to a community personality that have not previously been shared. Here, Eric Raddatz dishes on the art scene in Southwest Florida and why he’s so passionate about moving our arts needle forward.
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