The 2018 Florida Film Festival

The Florida Film Festival is Indie Filmmaking at it’s Best!

For me, Christmas comes around again in April when the Florida Film Festival kicks off. I’ve been a huge fan of this independent film festival for over a decade, and I do my best to attend every year to get a look at some amazing movies that might not be lucky enough to get wide releases. For me, this is an opportunity not just to see some amazing flicks, but support independent filmmaking.

This year the Florida Film Festival has a pretty incredible looking line up with not just a lot of competitive entries with some amazing trailers, but also some great international films and even a few movies you can expect to see coming to theaters in the not too distant future (such as Tully and Revenge). While I love watching the competitive narrative features, I’ll always have a place in my heart when it comes to the shorts the festival shows every year, specifically the animated shorts (which always includes at least one or two shorts you’ll see nominated for Oscars) and the midnight shorts, which are all delightfully warped and twisted.

Over the years, I’ve managed to see some of my favorite movies premiere at the Florida Film Festival from Hesher to Crush the Skull. This year I’ve got my eye on a few films that look like they have some serious potential, including Hearts Beat Loud and Summer of ‘84. However, it’s not all about getting to see new and exciting movies. The festival offers a lot of moviegoers the chance to actually meet the people behind these films after they premier or even just walking around. One of the most exciting things you can do is take a seat at a bar and find yourself sandwiched between two filmmakers. Of course, it helps that the Enzian Theater in Winter Park is an amazing venue for this festival and has an absolutely gorgeous outdoor bar offering plenty of signature cocktails. The hardest part might just be tearing yourself away from a good conversation to catch your next movie.

I plan on seeing approximately 11 movies over the course of the 10-day festival and will be sure to report back on all the great films I get to enjoy. If you’re interested in getting the most up to date reactions, you can always follow Stars & Popcorn on the Star Dust app (Starsandpopcorn), where instant reactions are always posted after seeing new movies. Full reviews will definitely be coming for all the films seen at the Florida Film Festival, but with it being over a week-long party, it might take some time before they can be written up. After all, this is more a time for me to get out of a dark theater and actually meet the people making the amazing films featured at the festival.

If you’re in the Central Florida area, I cannot tell you how much I recommend the Florida Film Festival. Everyone I’ve dragged along with me over the years has seriously enjoyed it and I can always count on catching some of them coming back for more the following years. If you’re a lover of the arts and appreciate indie filmmaking, then there is no better way to support it than to get out and actually watch these movies. After all, the more people who attend the Festival the more funding it can get to grow in the future.

I might not be the most impartial person when it comes to this Festival since I’ll blatantly admit that I love it, but I know if you give it a chance you’re not going to be disappointed with any of the movies you get a chance to see. These are films that are competing against each other, which means only the best entries get a chance to go toe to toe. That means the quality of movies being shown is always going to be of the highest caliber. I’ve yet to be disappointed with any of the films I’ve seen at the festival, even if they can be hard to watch given the themes that many of them tackle. Overall though, I have to say the Florida Film Festival is an event I always look forward to and I hope I get to see many of you there.

If you do get a chance to go, I’ll be the big ginger geeking out over all the amazing filmmakers, food, and films. So, don’t hesitate to come over and geek out with me.