FLORIDA FILM FESTIVAL

Florida Film Festival officials announced they will be adding a virtual reality and new media component to their official programming.

Florida Film Festival The 31st annual Florida Film Festival has been announced. (wftv.com)ORLANDO, Fla. — It’s time to grab the popcorn and get ready, because Hollywood is heading to Central Florida again. The 31st annual Florida Film Festival will kick off Friday, showcasing dozens of films from around the globe. READ: Florida Film Festival lineup includes 167 films, appearance by William ShatnerHere are 9 things you need to know before heading to the theaters. READ: ‘Jumanji’ attractions coming to Merlin Entertainment properties across the globeA Hollywood-caliber event such as the Florida Film Festival wouldn’t be complete without celebrity sightings.

Striking gold

Central Florida is preparing to host the 31st annual Florida Film Festival, an Academy Award-accredited competition which announced its bigger-than-before lineup last week.

MAITLAND, Fla. — The Florida Film Festival has announced its lineup for its 31st year, and it will boldly go where no previous film festivals have gone before. This year, the festival will screen 167 films — both feature-length and shorts — representing 37 countries, according to a news release. Of the films, 145 will be premieres, and 24 of them will be world premieres, the news release states. Following a screening of the 1986 film “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” on April 16 at the Enzian, star William Shatner will do a live Q&A with the audience. READ: Orange County Sheriff’s Office releases final report about Bob Saget’s deathEnzian Theater in Maitland has been hosting the Florida Film Festival since 1992.

Just eight months after the Florida Film Festival became the first major movie fest to be held in the Southeast United States during the COVID-19...

Film made in Florida follows strict COVID-19 safety guidelines to recreate Hurricane Charley.

click image Phtoo courtesy Enzian/InstagramThe Enzian Theater in Maitland has installed a new HVAC unit with UV filtration for added safety at their indoor screenings.This type of air handling unit is designed to more effectively reduce air pollutants, bacteria and (yes) viruses. Other Orlando venues, including the Winter Park Playhouse and the Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts, have already invested in this safeguard measure. "As more vaccines become available, and Oscar contenders such as(opening this Friday),, androll out this month and next, we hope to see more attendees, and are very pleased the installation of our new HVAC coincides with the arrival of these award-winning films. "It's also worth mentioning that the annual Florida Film Festival presented by and at the Enzian is scheduled to kick off on April 9.The Enzian is currently operating at 50 percent capacity with socially distanced seating. The Theater is also running an outdoor series, Fountain Features, though their February FF programming is currently sold out.

click image Photo courtesy Florida Film Fstival/FacebookWe are excited to announce the new dates of the 2021 Florida Film Festival, our 30th anniversary fest! From April 9-22,... Posted by Florida Film Festival on Friday, January 8, 2021The Florida Film Festival is returning to the Enzian Theater in Maitland in 2021, with a mix of in-person and virtual screenings.Florida Film Festival organizers announced the dates for this year's iteration — the 30th anniversary! — of the festival on their Facebook page on Friday From April 9-22, the Enzian will play host to independent cinema from all around the world, with screenings at the Enzian as well as options for online viewing.No films have been announced yet, but updates will be posted to the FFF's social media Florida Film Festival was delayed last year, but managed to return in the summer as Florida was reopening. And against the odds, organizers pulled off a successful event. This year's FFF will also feature the Enzian as the sole hosting site, with no screenings held at the Winter Park Regal Cinema.Tickets go on sale for FFF 2021 on March 17.

click to enlarge Photo by Cameron MeierUPDATED MARCH 17: Maitlands Enzian Theater has announced it will postpone the Florida Film Festival. In light of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently recommended guidelines regarding COVID-19, this years Florida Film Festival, scheduled for April 17-26, has been postponed, the Enzian said in a prepared statement. Festival staff members are tentatively aiming to reschedule for August 2020. We are very grateful to our supporters and appreciate any contributions made to help Enzian and its staff during this time.The postponement of the Florida Film Festival comes on the heels of the cancellation of the South by Southwest Film Festival and the postponements of the Tribeca and Sarasota festivals. However, the Cannes Film Festival, scheduled for May, announced on March 14 that it would wait until mid-April to decide to cancel or postpone.

click to enlarge Via FacebookUPDATED MARCH 17 TO NOTE TEMPORARY THEATER CLOSURE: From 12 Monkeys to Contagion to zombie flicks, the movie industry loves viral-outbreak films. Though the coronavirus, or COVID-19, is exponentially less serious than the health crises depicted in Hollywood disaster films, the outbreak has led to the temporary closure of Maitlands Enzian Theater and the postponement of the Florida Film Festival. As a 501(c)(3) organization, the temporary closure of both our theater and Eden Bar is not without financial burden. And the Florida Office of Film & Entertainment announced on Twitter on March 16, In light of the declaration of emergency in the City of Miami, we will not be granting film permits until further notice. Permits that have been approved are hereby revoked.One thing is certain: This storys ending remains to be written.

click to enlargeThe Sunspots Cinema experimental shorts block at the Florida Film Festival is one of the cant-miss annual events for fans of experimental film. Its name is derived from Sunspot Cinema, a collective of current and former UCF film students and faculty dedicated to experimental film and video culture in Central Florida. For this non-festival outing, the group promises to present a selection of films that allow artists to use an unfiltered canvas and dazzle and corrupt your expectations of what cinema can be. So its basically three hours of candy for your eyeholes.8-11 p.m. Saturday, July 27 | CityArts, 39 S. Magnolia Ave. | 407-648-7060 | orlandoslice.com | free, donations optional