October’s Jacksonville Film Festival has some films set, but no big celebrity yet
Organizers of the Jacksonville Film Festival weren’t quite ready Thursday to disclose which celebrity — if any — would be honored during the event next month.
They’ve narrowed it to three or four and are trying to coordinate schedules with the big-name guests, said Warren Skeels, a co-executive director of the festival. Past honorees have included actors Bill Murray and Graham Greene and filmmakers John Waters and John Landis.
Organizers did announce a partial slate of films to run during the Oct. 14-17 event, including an Australian zombie comedy and documentaries on the band Fishbone and the things people will do to get in the Guinness World Records.
There’s also a trio of documentaries with connections to Jacksonville.
“Thespians” follows four high school theater troupes — including those from Douglas Anderson School of the Arts and Stanton College Prep — at a state drama competition. “The 904” examines the city’s murder rate. And “Streetball,” underwritten by a Jacksonville charity, documents the South African team at an international soccer tournament for the homeless.
In its eighth year, the film festival has something of a new look: It’s in the fall — Oct. 14-17 — after seven years in May. And there’s an effort this year to put venues close to each other, concentrating on a certain neighborhood each day.
On Thursday, events will be held in San Marco, at the San Marco Theatre and Theatre Jacksonville.
On Friday, they shift to Riverside, to the 5 Points Theatre and the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens.
Saturday goes downtown, to the Florida Theatre, the Main Library, the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville and the Ritz Theatre.
Sunday goes back to Riverside.
Skeels and Brenda Egedy Kolb — Jacksonville filmmakers who made “Thespians” — are in their first year heading the festival. Skeels said patrons in the past have said it was difficult to get from venue to venue, and that overlapping events made them feel as if they were missing out on things.
This year will have 21 full-length features and documentaries, Skeels said, along with a slate of short films, discussion panels and workshops and some parties.
Film industry guests include screenwriting guru Hal Ackerman and Danny Strong, who wrote the filmed-in-Jacksonville “Recount,” co-starred in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and recently showed up in “Mad Men.”
The 10 finalists in the screenwriting competition, meanwhile, have been invited to the festival to pitch their projects to a panel of industry pros.
Skeels said the Thursday-through-Sunday festival got a lucky break this year when the Jacksonville Jaguars schedule was set.
“They were kind enough to schedule a ‘Monday Night Football’ game for us,” he joked.
matt.soergel@jacksonville.com,
(904) 359-4082
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