The Florida Film Festival is by far one of the most organized displays that Central Floridians can look forward to each year.
By Patrick Jude
It’s amazing the way in which the folks of FFF seamlessly and succinctly manage to merge event after event, and film after film, at locations all throughout the town. It’s certainly a labor of love for them, and they do it all with the upmost joy for up and comers in the medium of film. With that, let’s take a look into some of those films that the festival has to offer. April 6th – 15th.
As a music lover, my first inclination is always to check out what docs will be featured. Cassette was a tremendous look into the D.I.Y. scene last year, this year it’s all about The Godfather’s of Hardcore. Punk has truly never died, bands like PUP have shown us this recently, and the film looks to be a great study into the roots of it all. 40 Years In The Making: The Magic Music Movie is also sure to be a hit in the Music Doc genre.
A Mediocre Documentary with Tom and Dan will hit home for a lot of Central Floridians who’ve watched the duo fight tooth and nail in this town, all the way back to when Tom was simply “Drunky”. It seems like every week I see more and more of those Tom and Dan car magnets. I always think about stealing one for myself, but then I stop and remember you can only do that with the News Junkie ones…
An old saying in the music business goes “The Velvet Underground only sold around 30,000 albums initially, but those 30,000 listeners went on to start the bands you love today”. It’s true. The group was far ahead of its time, and swindled Andy Warhol to pick up the dime. Be sure to catch The Velvet Underground Played at My High School if you’re an Underground fan, or just love Lou Reed.
The Narrative Feature Films category boasts a host of heavy hitters this year. Call Me Brother, Cold November, Locating Silver Lake, Savage Youth and Tatterdemalion are all among the most anticipated.
Despite the fact that the Ramen craze in America is largely a response to the economic struggles of Americans, at least we’re making the best of a bad situation. Ramen Heads is definitely the must see in the Food Films category. We firmly recommend you stop by the DBZ inspired noodle joint turned internet sensation, Soupa Saiyan, before catching this flick.
The Documentary section is, without surprise, the largest group. Mole Man, the story of a reclusive architect, and Let My People Vote stand out the most in my opinion.
The Florida Film Festival outdoes itself every year and always keeps it unique. Schedules and event information can be found on FloridaFilmFestival.com. Be sure to check out the full list of the rest of our flick catching suggestions below!
Shorts:
I Got This, Mama Jane, Men Don’t Whisper.
Spotlight Films:
Borg McEnroe, Lean on Pete, Three Identical Strangers.
International Showcase:
Euthanizer.
International Shorts:
Do I Have Boobs Now?, Fern, An Evening With Pam Grier: featuring Jackie Brown.
Midnight Movies:
Ghost Stories, King Cohen, Revenge, Summer of 84.
Born and raised in Orlando, and Socialist to the core, Patrick Jude graduated from The University Of Central Florida in 2015. He currently holds a B.A. in English Literature, as well as an A.A. in Jazz Performance from Valencia College. Jude is heavily tattooed, abstains from alcohol and is an avid Packers fan
Currently Listening To – Closing Time by Tom Waits