2014 Florida Film Festival preview

It is that most special time of year, that annual 10-day feast of film and food that is the Florida Film Festival. Always with great programming as well as cool events and parties, the FFF is something I have been looking forward to each year for a while now, and this year’s schedule looks as promising as always.

And who knows, there is a good chance a bunch of these movies will end up on Netflix for instant viewing, as I have seen a NUMBER of films at the FFF, only to see that pop up on Netflix within about a year or so. And they are just about always great movies, whether they be little indie coming of age comedies, documentaries or foreign films, they just have that knack for picking some winners.

For example, past FFF movies I have had the pleasure of seeing and which are now at this date available on Netflix include:

• Klown
• Headhunters
• Archie’s Final Project (called My Suicide at the FFF)
• Windfall
• John Dies at the End
• Somm
• Jiro Dreams of Sushi
• Best Worst Movie
• A Matter of Taste
• Kumare
• Mud
• The Hunt

All of those movies are quite good, if not downright great, they cover all topics and styles (though as you can see food documentaries is a genre a little over-represented relatively speaking, but then again the fest organizers have made food just as pick a part of the festival as the films, and in a good way, so that explains THAT).

For the 2014 Florida Film Festival, the COOLEST thing is probably An Evening with Gus Fring. At least that’s what I am going to imagine it is called. It is really An Evening with Giancarlo Esposito, who will be in house for a screening of the amazingly classic and classically amazing “Do The Right Thing,” in which Giancarlo played Buggin’ Out, a character that must be the 100% opposite of Breaking Bad’s Gus. Then again, Susan Sarandon hanging out for a screening of “Dead Man Walking” and Paul Sorvino chilling for a screening of “Goodfellas” are both pretty sweet as well. But hey, this is the festival that invited Gabriel Byrne to do a Q&A after a screening of “Miller’s Crossing.” And one year early on had festival special guest Paul Newman sit through the fest’s opening movie, David Cronenberg’s “Dead Ringers.” Bloody brilliant, if you ask me.

Aside from that, this year’s fest does have a few cool “bigger” movies scheduled, like David Gordon Green’s “Joe” starring Nic Cage, “Dom Hemingway” starring Jude Law and which comes out in theaters in limited release the same weekend, and Richard Ayoade’s “The Double,” starring Jesse Eisenberg in not one but two roles so that’s twice the Eisenberg!

But there are other, smaller movies, very interesting looking movies playing, and you may look at the list of over 170 movies and short films and have no idea where to begin, and you may start to panic and freak out and make a rash decision and end up in a short program screening that you instantly regret 30 seconds into the first movie. Don’t. Freak. Out. Just take a little look at the list I put together below of what appear to be some obvious choices for solid movies in this year’s fest, and maybe we’ll even see each other at some of these screenings because, hey, I’m a real person, too.

I Feel Like Disco – this is exactly the kind of movie I probably would never had stumbled up on or known about if it wasn’t for the Florida Film Festival. A German coming-of-age comedy that goes to some interesting places and also refuses to wrap itself up neatly into a clean package at the end, which is always refreshing with a movie like this, “I Feel Like Disco” is a solid bet for audience pleasing fare.

No No: A Documentary – ever hear of Dock Ellis? He was a pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates and in 1970 he threw a no-hitter, which in case you don’t know is a very difficult thing to do in baseball and does not happen very often at all. What made this no-hitter different from the others? Ellis’ open admission to tripping on LSD whilst pitching the game. “No No” focuses on that event, Dock’s other erratic and eccentric behavior, his decline into drug addiction and his comeback as a recovered addict who helps others with their addictions, this looks to be pretty damn fascinating from start to finish.

Cheatin’ – you may not know the name Bill Plympton, but you’d probably recognize his very distinctive artistic style, and “Cheatin’” is a whole movie done in this style, about a couple who fall for each other pretty hard, they have a falling out, apparently there is a sex revenge rampage, and them from THERE things go crazy. So if you want to see something animated, this is going to be your way to go for sure.

Levitated Mass – So some visual artist had some 40-year plan to install a 340-ton boulder in front of a museum in Los Angeles, and somehow he made it happen, and “Levitated Mass” is all about the planning and installing of said boulder. Want to see a movie about moving a giant rock from point A to point B? Sounds basic and boring, but that almost always guarantees that the movie will be even more fascinating than you could have ever expected. Trust me on this logic, I KNOW what I am talking about here.

For No Good Reason – a documentary about artist Ralph Steadman, most famous for his work with Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson, featuring Johnny Depp. This one kinda sells itself.

Retro Films –  including the movies mentioned earlier that come with bonus Q&A sessions from the respective films’ actors, there are also a few retro films programmed throughout to mix things up, and you know you can not go wrong with “The Big Lebowski” or “Goldfinger,” ESPECIALLY if you have never seen them in theaters before.

Mission Congo – apparently good old Bible-thumpin’, 700 Club running, proselytizing Pat Robertson was up to some naughty stuff in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide, and “Mission Congo” is all about blowing the lid off this particular series of bad deeds.  And this is one of those instances of a movie trying to change the world, as this apparent fraud is still being perpetuated and the point of this movie is to bring this specific issue to light. And yes, movies CAN change the world.

That’s just a smattering of the many movies available from April 4th to the 13th, so you can see those movies or come up with your own list by sifting through the festival’s schedule at their website here.

And if you see me there, say what’s up. I’m just a person, same as you.