Press Room

Fact Sheet

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FACT SHEET:

Every year the Florida Film Festival premieres the best in current independent and foreign cinema. And this year we salute our 21st anniversary by bringing you more of the best. With a record-breaking number of entries, over 160 cutting-edge films, 100 visiting filmmakers, plenty of special guests, and non-stop events, the festival will do everything to ensure 10 days of Film, Food, and Fun.

FLORIDA FILM FESTIVAL FACTS:
The finest and freshest American independent and international film; indulgent experiences in food and wine; a blissful mix of industry panels, parties and special events; a star-packed attendee list — this is the Florida Film Festival, held during the tropical glory of springtime in Florida.

Accredited by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Florida Film Festival’s Grand Jury Award for Best Live Action and Animated Short films will automatically qualify the winners for entry into the Live Action and Animated Short Film categories of the Academy Awards®.

The first annual Florida Film Festival was held June 1992 and featured 62 films while hosting special guests Oliver Stone,
Paul Newman and Robert Wise. Now in its 21st year, the Festival has grown exponentially, showcasing over 150 American independent and international films over 10 days.

The Festival welcomes more than 25,000 guests each year.

The Festival hosts more than 100 visiting directors, producers, and award-winning talent each year. Past guests include Oliver Stone, Glenn Close, Jon Voight, Emma Stone, John Waters, Edward James Olmos, Malcolm McDowell, Edward Burns, Famke Janssen, Jason Lee, Christopher Walken, Dennis Hopper, Leelee Sobieski, Steve Buscemi, Campbell Scott, Gena Rowlands, and William H. Macy.

The Festival’s Forum Panelists and Grand Juries are comprised of hand-picked, film industry-leading representatives and past industry visitors, including Dan Goldberg, IFC Films; Brian Brooks, indieWire.com; Greg Rhem, HBO Documentaries; Josh Braun, Submarine Entertainment; Connie White, Balcony Booking and Releasing; and David Ansen, Film Critic.

The Florida Film Festival was named one of the leading 50 film festivals (out of thousands) in the world by major independent film publication indieWIRE.com in 2010. Also that year, MovieMaker Magazine selected the Festival as one of the “20 Coolest Film Festivals in the World.” The Florida Film Festival is recognized in “The Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide, 2nd Edition” as one of the Top Ten film festivals in the world by festival guru Chris Gore.

Critically acclaimed filmmakers who exhibited at past Florida Film Festivals include Victor Nunez, Bryan Singer, Todd Phillips, Christopher Nolan, Jason Reitman, Kate Davis, Bill Plympton, Michael Haneke, Louis C.K., Don Hertzfeldt, Alan Berliner, Mark Osborne, Terry Zwigoff, Jim McKay, Brad Anderson, Brett Morgen, Kelly Reichardt, Joe Berlinger, and Bruce Sinofsky, just to name a few.

The Festival’s Primary Sponsor, Full Sail University, is one of the leading higher learning institutions for entertainment. Its graduate credits include work on OSCAR®, Emmy® and GRAMMY®-winning projects, best-selling video games, and the #1 grossing U.S. concert tours.

The Festival features a diverse lineup of program sections including American Independent Narrative and Documentary Shorts and Features, International Shorts and Features, Animated Shorts and Features, Midnight Films, Music Movies, Family Films, Food Films, Retro Films, and a Florida Sidebar.

The Florida Film Festival introduced the Film and Food Celebration in 2007 as a unique opening weekend experience that features celebrity chefs and interactive film and food events. Past guests include Anthony Bourdain, Iron Chef Cat Cora, Matt and Ted Lee, Eric Schlosser, and Chef Norman Van Aken.

The Florida Film Festival is the core program of Enzian, a Central Florida non-profit cultural organization that exists to entertain, inspire, educate, and connect the community through film.

Enzian and the Florida Film Festival have served more than 1.5 million guests.

Memorable Quotes from Past Guests

“I wish I could have stayed longer.” — Glenn Close, Academy Award nominated actress

“This wonderful community is bringing so much love of film to new generations of young people… you touched my heart!!” — Jon Voight, Academy Award winning actor

“The best regional festival I have ever attended.” — Eugene Hernandez, former Editor-in-Chief, indieWIRE.com

“Very charming and laid back. The industry forums were very helpful to me as a filmmaker.” — Mary Stuart Masterson, director/actress

“We had an amazing time! A VERY cool festival. I appreciate all the attention to detail and how well we were taken care of…I’ll definitely be coming back.” — Jason Lee, actor

“What a great place, what a great town, and what a great place to shoot a movie. So far, this is the coolest festival I’ve been to.” — Allison Anders, director