The Florida Film Festival (April 13 – 22) is hands down one of my favorite events in Orlando. Of course, the selection of films is grand (this year there are 167 from 31 different countries), it’s somewhat likely you’ll rub shoulders with a celebrity (past attendees include Paul Newman, Anthony Bourdain, Christopher Walken, Oliver Stone, Cat Cora and Ed Burns), and there’s the chance to chow down on some delectable foods.
“The Florida Film Festival continues to attract filmmakers in record numbers,” says Henry Maldonado, president of the Enzian, one of the Florida Film Festival venues. “The selections this year will give our audience the chance to have a first look at some truly independent and amazing work with a broad range of themes, styles, and surprises.”
For starters, the festival opens with Renee, Central Florida director, Sylvia Caminer, unveils her documentary on pop star Rick Springfield. The Zellner brothers, whose bizarrely funny films are regulars at the Festival, bring something quite unexpected and different. FSU graduate Ken Adachi makes his feature film debut.
Among recognizable faces on screen this year are Penelope Ann Miller (The Artist), Lauren Ambrose (Six Feet Under), Andrew McCarthy (St. Elmo’s Fire), Robin Tunney (TV’s The Mentalist), Scott Glenn (The Silence of the Lambs), and newcomers including EJ Bonilla and Veronica Diaz-Carranza.
“I just love this group of films. While the selection process was more difficult than ever due to the sheer volume of wonderful entries, I’m confident our audience will be as entertained, engaged, surprised, and moved as we were,” commented Matthew Curtis, Florida Film Festival programming director. “The fact that nearly half of the doc features in the American Independent Competition take place in a foreign country is a fascinating one, and we have a great mix of fresh talent and returning Florida Film Festival veterans doing outstanding new work.”
Henry Maldonado, President of Enzian and the Florida Film Festival, remarked, “The Florida Film Festival continues to attract filmmakers in record numbers. The selections this year will give our audience the chance to have a first look at some truly independent and amazing work with a broad range of themes, styles, and surprises. Every entry has a great story behind it and the spirit of independent film is so passionately represented. There really is something exciting for everyone.”
Among them, DeLand based director Sylvia Caminer unveils her documentary on pop star Rick Springfield. The Zellner brothers, whose bizarrely funny films are regulars at the Festival, bring something quite unexpected and different. FSU graduate Ken Adachi makes his feature film debut.
Among recognizable faces on screen this year are Penelope Ann Miller (The Artist), Lauren Ambrose (Six Feet Under), Andrew McCarthy (St. Elmo’s Fire), Robin Tunney (TV’s The Mentalist), Scott Glenn (The Silence of the Lambs), and newcomers including EJ Bonilla and Veronica Diaz-Carranza.
“I just love this group of films. While the selection process was more difficult than ever due to the sheer volume of wonderful entries, I’m confident our audience will be as entertained, engaged, surprised, and moved as we were,” commented Matthew Curtis, Florida Film Festival Programming Director. “The fact that nearly half of the doc features in the American Independent Competition take place in a foreign country is a fascinating one, and we have a great mix of fresh talent and returning Florida Film Festival veterans doing outstanding new work.”
To purchase Festival passes and ticket packages, visit www.FloridaFilmFestival.com.
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