In Focus-Magazine | ||||
2020 Florida Film Festival Made Real! Sunday, 07.26.2020, 09:18 PM Waaaayyy back in
March 2020, before the world went sideways, the Florida Film Festival
volunteers were treated to a cornucopia of digital visual delights when we
gathered at the Enzian theater in Maitland, Florida. That is, the ebullient theater staff gave us
the rundown and lowdown of the features, shorts and special events expected to
comprise the 29th Annual Florida Film Festival.
We got our t-shirts and much-treasured badges, both of which give volunteers
entrée into the festival films and parties.
As one of those
volunteers, and also as a reviewer, based on the pre-screened clips, I can tell
you that the hundreds of hours I expected to spend watching, discussing and
writing about the more than 180 films planned for April 17-26, 2020, was going
to be time well spent. Meeting the
filmmakers and chewing the fat about their films and upcoming projects at the
laid-back Eden Bar. Internationals,
music-fests, food-fests and secret midnight movies. Short films, which are
always such a mixed bag. As Programming
Director, Matthew Curtis says, ‘if you love everything, we’re not doing our
job.’ We were all abuzz with pleasure
and anticipation. And then, as the
saying goes, Man makes plans ... Well,
it appears that God apparently blew a huge raspberry at the world. Along with every
other part of our lives that's been postponed or cancelled locally, few
expected that which had been a year in planning by Festival staff, filmmakers
and distributors, to emerge in any viable fashion, if at all. No theaters were
open. No planes were flying. No hotels, no restaurants. No touching, breathing or eating in the vicinity
of others. Our lives basically came to a
standstill; we were all in a holding pattern for months. There were a few sparks of light. In the interim, and even as of this writing, Enzian staff are successfully bringing a variety of films into homes through virtual media. Through
their Enzian On Demand
series, for around $10 you are able to stream new and classic films into your home,
through Chromecast, Firestick, AirPlay, Apple TV, Smart TV and other mediums. I’ve watched a few that way, as have other
film-deprived people I know. And then,
sloooowly, the curve began to flatten and we were allowed to regain somewhat of
a life again, outside our own homes. With mandatory
and necessary precautions, stores and restaurants were allowed to open. Facilities and libraries. Drive-in movies became viable, if you were
able to snag a spot. Then suddenly,
about 30 days ago, what looked to be totally impossible three months ago became
a reality. Volunteers like myself got
the word that the Festival was going to reemerge! It will be running August
7-20. Most films will have only ONE screening.
Since the screening partner, Regal Winter Park, is still closed, films
will only be shown at Enzian. Seating
will be limited. Social distancing will
be observed. Masks are mandatory, unless
you’re eating. Temperatures will be
taken at the door. Having already
attended some previews for the Festival, as well as some non-Festival films, I
can tell you that I feel very safe in the theater. Whether I’m seated alone, or with my personal
party, the staff are definitely going to every extent to follow the directives
of the CDC. Temperatures are taken at
the door. Seats and tables have been
removed. The food is still excellent.
The films top-notch. And the previews, for
the most part, have been terrific. And,
as the days follow, I’ll share my recommendations. In the meantime,
please note that no additional badged passes are being sold, so if you have
one, you’re golden. Single tickets will
be available for sale, but get them EARLY.
Last year, many shows were sold out, and that was with the mega-seated
Regal Winter Park in the mix. However, there is an added,
unexpected bonus that Covid has brought film lovers. This year you don’t have to actually attend
the Festival in person to catch a particular digital treat. No lines.
No parking. No driving. No catching anything that you’ve spent months
in isolation trying to avoid. Beginning Wednesday, July 29th,
for the very affordable sum of just $40 you can purchase a virtual pass! This virtual pass will provide access to a platform
similar to Enzian On Demand, as mentioned above. The pass will enable you to screen many films from
your own home during the festival run; that is, from
8/8-8/20/20. There will be only type of pass
available, instead of the Producer, Film Lover, etc. levels previously
sold. Single film purchases will not be
available, but
for that $40, you can see almost every film in the entire festival. Now that’s a good deal for anyone in need of
some visual stimulation, especially if you’ve exhausted your binge-watchlist. The final line-up will be announced the same
day, Wednesday, 7/29. Note also that, akin
to actual seating, there are not unlimited slots to watch a film using the virtual
pass. Distributors will have a set
number of sign-ups available. It’s recommended that you don’t wait for the last
minute to jump in line. So here we are, mid-Covid 19, salvaging
in a big way what, at first glance, should have been a total disaster for Film
Festival lovers. Though we’ve all been
handed some horrible lemons these past few months, Enzian has found a way to
serve up some delicious lemonade. I hope
you’ll join me… virtually that is, and drink in what the Florida Film Festival
2020 is serving – a bucket-full of mind blowing movies. Lisa Blanck is the Associate Editor for In Focus Magazine. She's been a News Editor at NBC affiliate WESH2 in Orlando for more than a decade. She was formerly with WKMG6 for 14 years as a News Editor. She spent nine years in advertising, marketing, promotions and live special events at Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite and MTV Networks. She also worked as an on-air host for local cable access programs. Lisa has covered the Florida Film Festival for the past 28 years as well as the World Peace Festival. She was a columnist for Lady Freethinker, a featured columnist for ShelterMe.tv and for the now-defunct Examiner.com. She has been a columnist for the Focus In Newspaper and now for In Focus Magazine. Lisa Blanck can be reached at: [email protected] |
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