by Natasha Khairullah
Staff Writer
And the winner is......The Jacksonville Film Festival.
After months of anticipation, the Jacksonville Film Festival’s 2nd Annual 2007 Oscar Studio Party fundraiser proved to be a huge success. The event was held Sunday at WJCT Studios and attended by approximately 250 friends of the organization as well as local film lovers. More than $12,000 was raised, according to Michelle Simkulet, chair of the organization’s events committee, but the real success was the great experience the event itself provided attendees.
“Aside from being a fundraiser, this was just another opportunity for the arts community in Jacksonville to come together and celebrate,” she said. “There were actual films that were nominated that were shown at our film festival, so that was another cool thing to see.”
The evening began as guests started arriving on a red carpet to celebrate a viewing party for the Oscar awards ceremony. Partygoers cast their predictions for Oscar winners through an interactive ballot in hopes of winning prizes. They also viewed their arrivals and the ceremony on multiple projector screens.
“It was a community event and everyone from community members to volunteers to board members attended,” said Simkulet.
The idea for the event came two years ago when the organization’s board members were trying to think of an event that would stand out from the ordinary benefit fundraiser.
“We were looking for an event that would work for everyone,” said Simkulet. “The holidays are never a good time for anyone. We wanted something to fall within the first quarter of the year and we wanted an event that had to do with film so an Oscar party was a no-brainer.”
Todd Roobin, chief of the Jacksonville Film & Television Office, was one of the event’s many attendees.
“The event was a huge success,” he said. “Michelle (Simkulet) and her team of volunteers did an outstanding job.”
Roobin also serves as a board member for Jacksonville Film Events.
This year marks the Jacksonville Film Festival’s 5th year and the Oscar party’s second. The group was created by Joan Monsky and Karen Sadler in the spring of 2002 to connect Jacksonville to its early “Hollywood of the South” movie making roots in an effort to focus attention on independent film and filmmakers, and to contribute to the revitalization of Downtown Jacksonville. This year’s Jacksonville Film Festival is May 17-20.