Florida Film Festival 2011 , Uncategorized — posted by otownrog on April, 26 2011 10:19 AM
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If you got the feeling, from the screenings, special events and parties, that this year’s Florida Film Festival wasn’t as crowded as those in previous years, your hunch was on the money.
The festival, which just celebrated its 20th anniversary, has had years when 25,000 people showed up for movies, “An Evening With” conversations with movie stars and filmmakers, parties and the like.
This year they’re reporting attendance of around 21,000, “slightly under last year’s figures.”
Um, “slightly”? They announced 26,000 attendees last year, a record. Five thousand fewer warm bodies is a 19% drop. That’s not “slightly” anything.
The films weren’t buzzed-about dazzlers (there simply aren’t a lot of those on “the festival circuit” this year) and getting actors to show up to be feted seemed more of a struggle this time around. Times are tight at non-profits and indie film is in a bit of a financing and distribution crisis.
The upside — parking was easier, you and I were able to walk up to a number of films and get in easily without having to do a lot of planning. And there was more free beer for the rest of us on free Italian beer night.
Their press release is below.
“The 2011 edition of the Florida Film Festival showcased 165 films from 25 countries, and its overall attendance was 21,000, which is slightly under last year’s figures. But in spite of that small decline in the current economy, the 10-day event featured many successes that included numerous sold-out film screenings, increased attendance to its Film and Food Celebration programs, international praise from the world’s leading independent film publication, and an illuminating and extended audience interaction session with an Oscar® nominee.
“The Festival provides the community with a unique, world-class cultural event,” said Henry Maldonado, President of Enzian and the Festival. “We continue to hear from volunteers, ticket holders, visiting guests, and internationally-acclaimed publications that the Festival has made an important contribution both locally and across the world of independent filmmaking. We’re confident the Festival is as strong as ever and our hope is to inspire the community this event calls home to increase its support.”
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