Last night at the Enzian, the 20th annual Florida Film Festival unveiled its lineup. Though some details remain yet to be confirmed, like panels and appearing famous people, there’s already a lot to be excited about. I’ll be writing more informative previews of the films closer to the festival, but here are some titles that caught my eye. The festival will screen 164 films, from 25 countries, so these are just a few initial highlights. (Apologies to those that I’ve left out.) For show times and more info, go to the festival’s website.Opening night film:
PROJECT NIM: Documentary about Nim Chimpsky, a chimp who lived with a human family in New York City in the 1970s. Directed by James Marsh, who won an Oscar for his excellent ‘Man on Wire’.
Competition Narrative Features:
FANNIE, ANNIE AND DANNY: Multi-award winning dark comedy about a dysfunctional family reunion
KINYARWANDA: Drama about the religious and ethnic tensions in Rwanda in 1994. Won a big award at this year’s Sundance fest.
THIS NARROW PLACE: Sooney Kadouh, who made this, is a Full Sail grad. It’s about a Palestinian man who smuggles himself to America, but finds that it’s not necessarily better over here.
HAMILL: True life story of a deaf MMA fighter.
Also in this category: DOG SWEAT, THE HAPPY POET, NORMAN, SILVER TONGUES, WITHOUT, WUSS
MADE IN INDIA: Childless couple in the US seeks a surrogate mother in Mumbai. The poster's tagline "They're outsourcing labor. Literally" made me chuckle.
HOLY WARS: About a Christian missionary and a radical Muslim. Sure to be controversial.
BOBBY FISCHER AGAINST THE WORLD: Portrait of the brilliant but troubled chess genius.
Also competing in this category: CHEKHOV FOR CHILDREN, JOURNEY FROM ZANSKAR, LOUDER THAN A BOMB, A MATTER OF TASTE: SERVING UP PAUL, mindFLUX, STUFF, WINDFALL
HESHER: Coping with loss, with the help of a long-haired metalhead. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rainn Wilson and Natalie Portman star.
SUPER: Rainn Wilson again, this time with Ellen Page, Liv Tyler and Kevin Bacon. About real-life super-heroes. "Shut up, crime!"
MEEK'S CUTOFF: Kelly Reichardt reunites with her 'Wendy and Lucy' star Michelle Williams for a Western? There will be guns.
A BEAUTIFUL BELLY: Comedy about a young couple expecting its first child. Made by UCF grad and current visiting professor, Andrew Kenneth Gay.
THE PEOPLE VS. GEORGE LUCAS: Four words. Attack. Of. The. Clones.
TERRI: John C. Reilly plays an adult trying to connect with an awkward youngster, whose name is also the film's name. I hope it's better than 'Cyrus'.
Also playing in this category: Recent Oscar nominee INCENDIES, Takashi Miike's samurai period piece 13 ASSASSINS, Catherine Denueve and Gerard Depardieu in POTICHE, and SHUT UP LITTLE MAN! which looks very funny.
Miscellaneous other highlights:
SNOWMEN: Christopher Lloyd, Ray Liotta and Bobb'E J. Thompson star in a family-friendly movie that looks funny and sweet.
AMARCORD: As part of Italian cinema night, they'll be playing the Fellini classic at Enzian.
WHO TOOK THE BOMP? LE TIGRE ON TOUR: Hot! Topic! Is the way that we rhyme!
WERNER HERZOG EATS HIS SHOE / VERNON, FLORIDA: What a double bill! Two amazing pieces from the early 80s. Errol Morris' casual documentary about a small panhandle town is well worth a look, and in 'Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe', Werner Herzog eats his shoe.
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OK, That's enough for now. And I didn't even get to the shorts or all the delicious food events. But this should be enough to get you excited for this wonderful festival. I'll be writing more about it closer to the time, but you can start ordering tickets and planning your schedules now!