by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
“We are back,” is how Warren Skeels, 2010 Jacksonville Film Festival co-director, described this year’s collection of films, panels and workshops and the four-day celebration of the motion-picture art and industry.
The festival is Oct. 14-17 at a variety of venues Downtown and close to the neighborhood.
The 2010 edition, in addition to world premieres from shorts to documentaries and foreign films, also focuses on industry workshops and panels to support Florida’s independent filmmakers. The festival also will offer new venues and celebrations.
“This is one of the region’s major cultural events,” said Todd Roobin, chief of the Jacksonville Film & Television Office. “It’s important to the city because it attracts filmmakers and film enthusiasts from all over the country.”
The festival kicks off Thursday with screenings and other events at the San Marco Theatre and Theatre Jacksonville, then moves Friday to Riverside and the 5 Points Theatre and The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens.
Saturday’s schedule showcases Downtown locations that include The Florida Theatre, the Ritz Theatre, the Main Library and the Museum of Contemporary Art.
“We’re going to descend on Downtown,” said Skeels. “It’s going to be vibrant and exciting.”
The red carpet will be out all day at The Florida Theatre, with programs for children and teens leading up to the festival gala that evening.
The festival will end with the “Screenwriting Competition and Pitch” at MOCA. For the past several months, screenwriters from around the world have been submitting scripts, which have been narrowed down to 10 finalists. They have been invited to the festival, where they will pitch their story ideas to a panel of judges.
The panel includes writer, actor and producer Danny Strong (“Recount”), Academy Award-nominated producer Jason Kliot (Open City Films), Jen Valenti (Four Elements Media) and executive producer Lou Maggio (Maven Films).
After the pitches, the judges will participate as panelists in a discussion about marketing and developing film products, moderated by Paul Cohen, director of the Torchlight program at Florida State University.
The Florida Theatre also will be the place to see the world premiere of “The 904,” a one-hour documentary about Jacksonville’s murder crisis produced by Melissa Ross, host of “First Coast Connect” on FM 89.9. The screening will be followed by a question-and-answer session with the filmmakers.
By scheduling events at different venues and concentrating each day’s activities in specific areas, the festival can contribute to each neighborhood’s economy, said co-director Brenda Egedy Kolb.
She also said this year’s theme, “Everyone’s a Critic,” is a way to “engage the audience and make them part of the festival.”
Another new element of this year’s event is a raffle to win a Smart Car, the all-electric vehicle from Mercedes-Benz.
“It’s a way for us to engage the community and also help fund our year-round projects,” said Kolb.
“We’ll have other prizes as well,” said Skeels. “In these tough economic times, it’s a way for individuals to help sponsor the festival.”
For more details, including ticket and festival pass availability, visit www.jacksonvillefilmfestival.com.
356-2466