Emma Robinson ’27, Visual Studies
Florida Man Returns
This September, Ringling College of Art and Design Film alum Ethan Gathman ’22 is bringing his debut film Jit, a love letter to Florida and the uniqueness that it contains, back to where it all started—Sarasota, Florida.
Originally co-written, directed, and filmed in the summer of 2023 with fellow Film graduate Jorge Rodriguez ’22, this mystery horror is a passion project turned internationally premiering film that captures every audience it plays for.
“Ethan and Jorge built the business plan for Jit in my Business of Film class, and I have used their pitch deck as an example with later students ever since,” said Patrick Alexander, department head of Film at Ringling College. “They were clever and relentless in the best way, the kind of students who never waited for permission to go make something. Plenty of people leave here with a plan for a feature. These two followed through on theirs, and quickly, which is rare. I could not be prouder of them.”
About the Film
While originally developing Jit, Gathman asked himself “[…] what if the wild conspiracies a “Florida Man” might dream up were true all along?” Using iconic imagery of local institutions, the film does just that.
Jit follows the story of two brothers: Dillon, who went missing shortly after being released from prison, and Alex, who is desperately searching for him with the help of his friend named Mutton Chop. As the story unravels, it reveals a conspiracy hiding just beneath the surface of Florida, one that’s been causing people to disappear.
Created with the help of countless other Film students, such as Riley Cullather ’27 and Troy Logan ’22, as well as acted by Ringling volunteers, Jit is as much a love story to Florida as it is to Ringling College.
Even the main character, Alex, was based on a then-Ringling student by the same name, Alex Correa, who went on to play the role in the film.
“I owe a lot to Ringling Film for giving me the space and the people to build the best possible group to make this film with,” said Ethan Gathman.
