Jacksonville Film Festival facts for kids
| Location | Jacksonville, Florida, United States |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2002 |
| Awards | Best of Fest |
| Language | International |
The Jacksonville Film Festival is a super cool yearly event in Jacksonville, Florida, where awesome movies are shown! It started in 2002. At the festival, you can watch independent films from America and all over the world. These films are either competing for awards or just being shown for everyone to enjoy. People who love independent movies from around the globe really look forward to this festival!
History of the Jacksonville Film Festival
The very first Jacksonville Film Festival happened from May 15 to 18, 2003. It kicked off with an old movie called The Flying Ace, which was made right there in Jacksonville in 1926! Besides showing movies, the festival also has fun talks, workshops, and parties.
The idea for the Jacksonville Film Festival came from Joan Monsky and Karen Sadler in the spring of 2002. They gathered a small group of local leaders and art fans to help plan the event. The festival became a non-profit organization that same year. Many people helped make the first festival a success, including designers, city officials, and lots of volunteers. Joan Monsky was the first president.
Why the Festival Started
In 2003, the festival had three main goals:
- To connect Jacksonville to its early movie-making history, when it was known as "Hollywood of the South."
- To shine a spotlight on independent films and the people who make them.
- To help make downtown Jacksonville a lively and exciting place.
Six different places downtown hosted films, parties, and special events. Downtown was buzzing with movie fans, stars, and guests!
Festival Highlights Over the Years
- 2004: The famous actor Bill Murray received a special award called the Tortuga Verde Award for Lifetime Achievement. The festival also showed the movie Napoleon Dynamite, which became a huge hit! Director Christopher Coppola also showed his film The Creature of Sunnyside Trailer Park at the historic Florida Theatre.
- 2005: New programs were added, like "Books Alive!", which showed family movies based on books. They also started "REEL People," a fan club that offered year-round screenings of unique films.
- 2006: The movie Lonely Hearts, starring John Travolta, was the main film shown at the festival.
- 2007: The Jacksonville Film Festival celebrated its fifth birthday! It had become a popular event in the city and was getting more recognition as an important place for independent filmmakers. The festival always tried to offer "Something for Everyone!"
- 2008: This year brought big changes! Jesse Rodriguez became the new director. The festival was extended to a full week and included special programs like "A TASTE OF ASIA" and "HIP HOP FOR THE MASSES." They even had a film program for the Deaf called "A MOMENT OF SILENCE PLEASE." All the venues and hotels were close together, making it easy for everyone to enjoy. In 2008, films from over 20 countries were shown!
- 2018: After a break of six years, the Jacksonville Film Festival made a comeback in September 2018!
