courtesy: Tallahassee Arts Guide
With COVID-19 came the cancellation and closure of countless venues, restaurants and locations popular with a lot of people. The world had to get adjusted to minimal contact, and with that came the anticipation of these very locations to reopen.
Tallahassee Film Festival happened to be one of last year’s canceled events that is now making a return. The inaugural event took place May 2008 and it has grown exponentially.
The purpose of the festival is to showcase the latest films created in independent cinema. The growth and involvement accumulated a large audience, and numerous creative individuals to benefit from the festival.
According to the Tallahassee Film Festival website, their mission reads “Through our annual festival we seek to present a celebration of arts and cinema that enriches audiences along with strengthening the cultural, economic, and social vitality of the region.”
With a break last year, Tallahassee Film Festival is now taking place Friday and Saturday, Sept. 18-19. Ten events will take place Friday, and seven will take place on Saturday.
The website for Tallahassee Film Festival is user friendly. It is very specific and includes the full schedule, directions to locations, and it even offers an online experience.
Tickets and passes are to be bought ahead of time and there are categories in which they are sold and are being sold online. Screenings will be hosted at Residence Inn on Gaines Street, Hyatt House Hotel in Railroad Square, Cap City Video Lounge, and Railroad Square Craft House.
The featured films being screened this year are “Florida-made selections,” according to the Tallahassee Democrat, and are all diverse. There isn’t one film like the other making for a great competition.
The features most anticipated events:
- “Courtroom 3H,” an observational film made by Florida State film professor Antonia Mendez-Esparza
- “Larry Flynt for President,” an archival documentary directed by Nadia Szold
- “Anne at 13,000 ft.,” a character discovery-based film by Kazik Radwanski
- “The Conference of the Birds,” an experimental drama by Kevin Contento, a Tallahassee Film Festival alumni
The festival will allow for audience voting on in-person screenings. Involving the audience as the voters makes it less biased than if a panel of former film writers or critics solely voted. Director’s favorites awards include cash value, audience favorites are not. The cash prize $1,000 this year.
Masks, social distancing and vaccination are highly recommended for those attending as COVID19 is still a major concern. Safely attending events is now back in motion and many are eager for the film festival.