Lights, Camera, Action

Florida Man, aka “Floriduh Man,” has become a nationally recognized symbol of the Sunshine State male population’s uniquely off-the-wall, attention grabbing, national-news-making exploits. 

The light-hearted meme also provided inspiration for some Golden Gate Estates creatives who’ve made the cultural archetype the basis of a self-produced, comedic-dramatic television series they plan to shoot in Collier County. 

Entitled “It's Floriduh, Man,” the show centers on the relationship between Raymond, a polished professional, and Oscar, a disheveled hitchhiker from his past. Raymond is heading to his high school reunion when they unexpectedly encounter each other. The result of that reconnection is a humorously surreal tale, as Oscar’s erratic behavior contrasts with Raymond’s staid and stable existence, as they get to know each other again. 

Rather than being the focal point, Florida Man’s vaunted flair for the eccentric plays a supporting role to exploring more meaningful topics.

“It's a story about friendship, with the unique backdrop of Florida and some of the crazy things that happen down here,” explained John Sokolich, who came up with the idea for the show. “Overall, it's a story about an odd couple and a growing friendship.”

To call “It's Floriduh, Man” a family affair in which all three members wear multiple hats is no exaggeration. 

Sokolich, a long-time print journalist, is the screenwriter, story editor, and an executive producer. His wife, Tara Dunleavy-Sokolich, is also an executive producer, as well as the assistant director and line producer. Occupying the director’s chair is their daughter Kaitlyn, aka “Kat.” Currently based in LA, the 2019 Palmetto Ridge High School graduate earned a film studies degree from Eckard College in St. Petersburg. 

The project has moved past the conceptual stage. 

Filming wrapped recently on the “It's Floriduh, Man” commercial that will be used to generate public interest in the project and investor support for the series pilot. The pilot will be shopped to streaming services and networks. The goal is to shoot a 10-episode first season in Collier County through 2025.

The project’s beginning backstory quite naturally involves something creative. In this case, it was a locally shot short film of Kaitlyn Sokolich’s, entitled “Lily of the Valley,” that she premiered at an Immokalee Road business in 2002. 

“One of the actors was there, and one of his friends showed up,” said John Sokolich. “The actor who is going to be Raymond in the TV show and the commercial (Abel Cepeda) was there talking to Oscar (Oscar Costa), who was a little bit more disheveled. They were talking and I just thought they looked like an odd couple and that Oscar looked like the typical Florida, disheveled man. That's what the idea kind of spawned from.”

Like many journalists, he has an unfinished novel lurking in the background. But screenwriting was something new for him when he began the script. 

“It was really just something I was trying out,” said John Sokolich. “When I sent it to some actors and some other people in the industry, including my daughter, they really liked it, and we thought we should give it a go.”

With that, Kat returned home to work on the show from LA, where she works as a freelancer and assistant director for production companies. “It's Floriduh, Man” is a product of her production company, Katostrophic Films. 

Most of the actors and crew for the project hail from Collier County, while many of the others are from the Tampa and Miami areas and elsewhere in Florida. The alligator and snakes and their handlers used in the commercial are all from the Kowiachobee Animal Preserve in Golden Gate Estates.

John Sokolich took pains to draw a distinction between the series and the “crazy and sometimes illegal things” that are the Florida Man character’s calling card. 

“That's not what this show is about,” he said. “This is a really a show about friendship and growth, with some of the crazy things that happen in the state, funny things, but nothing like some of the negative connotations that are associated with Florida Man. It is a comedy, but there is some heart and soul to this series. I don't want people to think it's just going to be one of those slapstick-type comedies. This really is something that has some meaning behind it. And that's why we want to stay local, shoot local, and be authentic in our storytelling.”

Locales in and around Marco weren’t used for the commercial. But that could change for the pilot. 

“Marco Island was one of the places we were thinking about for some of the scenes that are closer to the water and things like that since it's such a beautiful place visually, a great place to be able to shoot,” said John Sokolich. “I don't have anything set in stone because we have to get permits and things like that for the pilot. But Marco Island is definitely one of the places on our list of potential shooting locations.”

He said securing funding is essential to getting the project off the ground. The commercial is self-funded, and he expressed appreciation for the community members and others, including those who offered free services, for their assistance in making it a reality. 

“But once we get the pilot, we're going to obviously need to pay people what they're worth,” added John Sokolich. “So, we're going to probably do some crowdfunding and other ways to try to get investors interested.” 

Kat Sokolich said that aside from connections for potential investors they’ve made here in Florida, she also has established some in LA. 

“I was in talks with somebody who I can't name just yet, but he is a producer and was an actor in (the movie) “Project X.” He and I have ended up becoming really good friends, and he gets funding for anything from indie (film) budgets to millions of dollars. So that's definitely a good connection to have and another avenue that we're going to be exploring.”

The commercial and, when completed, the pilot will be available on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, the “It’s Floriduh, Man” Facebook, and other social media platforms, along with the project’s website. They will also be submitted to film festivals to create awareness about the project. 

For more information about the project, including how to donate or become part of the cast and crew, please visit itsfloriduhman.com.