Jacksonville Film Festival
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Jacksonville Film Festival is a long weekend (Thursday - Sunday) of film screenings, great parties, panel discussions and “talks” with knowledgeable film makers. The annual May event in Jacksonville, Florida features approximately 60 films screened at 6 locations across Jacksonville including the Florida Theatre, San Marco Theatre, Theatre Jacksonville, Jacksonville Public Library, Museum of Contemporary Art and Ritz Theatre. Films are submitted in one of four categories:
- Feature – films over 60 minutes length
- Documentary – documentaries over 60 minutes length
- Short film – under 15 minutes including animation, experimental, documentary & narrative
- Student short film – high school or college level productions
The mission of the Film Festival is to focus attention on independent films & filmmakers not available at the local multiplex and connect Jacksonville to its early “Hollywood of the South” moviemaking roots.
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[edit] Past films
The first film shown at the Festival was The Flying Ace, made in Jacksonville in 1926 by the Norman Studios. It had been recently restored by the Library of Congress Motion Picture Conservation Center and had not been seen in 75 years. It was warmly received at a packed house at the historic Ritz Theatre.
Bill Murray’s appearance was a highlight of the second year and a film that was previewed – Napoleon Dynamite - was the season’s biggest hit. The world-wide press discovered Jacksonville and its new and small-but-fresh Festival in 2004.
"Lonely Hearts", which was filmed in spring, 2005 at various locations around Jacksonville with a cast that included John Travolta and Salma Hayek, was the headline film at the 2006 festival.
[edit] History
The Jacksonville Film Festival was the brainchild of Joan Monsky and Karen Sadler in the spring of 2002. They gathered a small group of community leaders and arts advocates to create a framework for the event to be held in May, 2003.
