The annual Florida Film Festival (FFF) is put together by the Enzian theater, Orlando’s go-to theater for independent film. The Enzian is a not-for-profit cinema in Winter Park that plays independent films throughout the year. The Florida Film Festival carries out the theater’s goal of entertaining, inspiring, educating, and connecting the community through film.
The 2023 event marked the 32nd year of the Florida Film Festival and featured many notable movies and a worthwhile celebrity talk.
Notable Screenings
The FFF showed screenings of movies that had been picked up by major distributors along with shorts and other independent films. Some of the major movies, which were played at the Regal theater, included Polite Society, Sisu, Somewhere in Queens, BlackBerry, The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster, and Sanctuary.
While some of these movies had already released and were playing on theaters elsewhere, some were screened at the festival ahead of their official release date. The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster later screened at Regal and other theaters for only one night, June 9, 2023, before the movie was released On Demand and on Digital. The movie Sanctuary screened at the festival on Sunday, April 35, but didn’t officially release until May 19, 2023.
With the Hollywood movie Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. soon to be released nationally, the festival screened a documentary film Judy Blume Forever. Blume is most known for her book about Margaret, a young girl learning to navigate teen life in a new environment — from boys, to female friendships, to body changes. Directed by Davina Pardo and Leah Wolchok, this movie on author Judy Blume reveals her own coming of age story.
Special Events
Each year, the programming team features a celebrity in film to join the “An Afternoon/Evening with…” event. This special event consists of an introduction to the guest, along with a screening of an influential film and a talk or Q/A session.
John Cusack answered questions from the audience after a screening of the 1989 movie Say Anything.
2023 Awards
The festival awards both jury awards and audience awards. This festival has Oscar power: A win at the Florida Film Festival qualifies a film for Academy Award consideration. The festival is also one of only a few Oscar-qualifying festival for all three shorts categories: Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film, and Documentary Short Subject.
Jury Awards / Narrative
Special Jury Award for Singularity of Vision
A Perfect Day for Caribou – Directed by Jeff Rutherford
Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature
Know Your Place – Directed by Zia Mohajerjasbi
Jury Awards / Documentary
Special Jury Award for Debut Feature
Dusty & Stones – Directed by Jesse Rudoy
Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature
Racist Trees – Directed by Sara Newens and Mina T. Son Jury Awards
Jury Awards / Shorts
Special Jury Award for Animation
“The Voice in the Hollow” – Directed by Miguel Ortega
Grand Jury Award for Best Animated Short
“Ninety-Five Senses” – Directed by Jerusha and Jared Hess
Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Short
“Tender”- Directed by Samm Hodges
Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary Short
“Ampe: Leap into the Sky, Black Girl” – Directed by Claudio Owusu and Ife Oluwamuyide
Audience Awards
Audience Award for Narrative Feature
Egghead & Twinkie – Directed by Sarah Kambe Holland
Audience Award for Documentary Feature
Out There: A National Parks Story – Directed by Brendan Hall
Matthew Curtis Audience Award for Best Short Film
“Imelda is Not Alone” – Directed by Paula Heredia
Audience Award for Best Midnight Short
“Content: The Lo-Fi Man” – Directed by Brian Lonano and Blake Myers
Audience Award for Best International Short
“She is Oh Oh” – Directed by Léa Reguillot
Audience Award for Best International Feature
Polite Society – Directed by Nida Manzoor
Audience Award for Best Florida Short
“Evan Ever After” – Directed by: Ariel Mahler and Radha Mehta
Audience Award for Best Florida Feature
Greetings from Queertown: Orlando – Directed by Jess Keller
Ticket Prices (2023)
Ticket prices for the 2023 event were announced as follows. Details about tickets can be found below, but all details should be checked against the information on the official Florida Film Festival website, available at https://www.floridafilmfestival.com.
The festival sells access to the festival in three ways: passes, packages, and individual tickets. Attending the festival with a pass is the most economical method for attendees who plan on watching multiple films.
PASS PRICES
- Matinee: $125
- Binge: $350
- Film Lover: $675
- Producer: $1500
PACKAGE PRICES
- 5-Pack: $60
- 10-Pack: $115
- 20-Pack: $220
INDIVIDUAL TICKETS
- Single Tickets: $13 each
Festival Ticket Types (2023)
The festival sells access to the festival in three ways: passes, packages, and individual tickets. Attending the festival with a pass is the most economical method for attendees who plan on watching multiple films.
Regular films are the normally-priced screenings, which in 2023 were priced at $13 a ticket. Regular films do not include special events like the “An Afternoon/Evening with…” celebrity events. Producer passholders are given priority seating — they can enter the theater early — followed by Film Lover passholders, Matinee and Binge passholders, and then attendees with single tickets.
Even with a pass, admission might not be guaranteed. The Matinee and Binge passes do not include early admission, and all pass holders are advised to arrive to the showing 30 minutes ahead of the scheduled start time to ensure admission.
The event website lists all the details for tickets, available at https://www.floridafilmfestival.com/attend/tickets/.
PASS Types
The Matinee pass allows entry to regular films that start at 5:00 pm and earlier. Attendees with this pass can watch movies all day long throughout the festival. This pass does not include early admission.
The Binge pass allows entry to all regular films for the nine days of the festival, along with a program and t-shirt. This pass also offers the option to purchase tickets to the Programming Announcement Party. This pass does not include early admission.
The Film Lover pass allows early entry to all regular films with exclusive access to press screenings and other special events. This pass also offers the option to purchase tickets to the Programming Announcement Party and the “An Afternoon/Evening with…” celebrity events. Film Lover passholders also have access to the pre-fest press screenings, opening night film & party, filmmaker party, and awards party. In addition, there are lots of perks to the Film Lover pass, like the program and t-shirt, but also a swag bag and recognition in the printed festival.
The Producer pass allows access to all films, events, and parties, and a portion of the pass price is a tax-deductible gift to the Enzian cinema. Producer passholders have access to “absolutely everything” at the festival (RSVP might be necessary). In addition to everything offered Film Lover passholders, Producers will receive early notification of programming and special events, which also includes a special pre-show luncheon with the festival’s programming director.
Packages
Attendees can buy single tickets for regular screenings in bulk to save. Tickets are sold in packs of 5, 10, and 20.
Individual TIckets
Attendees who want to purchase tickets a la carte can do so by buying individual tickets. Single tickets can be purchased in advance or on the day of the show, if available.
How to Buy
Tickets can be purchased on the film festival’s website, at https://www.floridafilmfestival.com/attend/tickets/. In-person ticket sales are possible at the Enzian’s box office, located in Maitland, Florida at 1300 S. Orlando Avenue.