For 31 years, the Fort Lauderdale Film Festival (FLIFF) has been dedicated to bringing premieres of independent and world cinema to Broward County. Over three decades, the event has premiered countless films that have gone on to become Oscar nominees and winners, including Volver, Black Swan, The Artist, and The Great Beauty.
This year, participants and organizers are especially enthusiastic about the festival's diverse offerings, as well as the new and improved ways viewers can experience films in this year's roster.
"We've programmed an exciting lineup this year with a few new twists," says Gregory von Hausch, president and CEO of FLIFF. "Our international selections offer more French-, Italian-, and Spanish-language films than in the past, and we've designated three films that will benefit charitable organizations. As the presidential election falls within the first week of the festival, we'll also feature the live broadcast at the newly renovated Cinema Paradiso - Lauderdale, which has been renamed Savor Cinema."
Films will be paired with food and spirits from their respective countries.
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This year, the centerpiece of the festival is the family-courtroom drama Custody, written and directed by Into the Woods author James Lapine. In Custody, Viola Davis (The Help, ABC's How to Get Away With Murder), Hayden Panettiere (NBC's Heroes, ABC's Nashville), and Catalina Sandino Moreno (Maria Full of Grace) portray three women whose lives unexpectedly intersect in a New York Family Court child custody battle. The screening at FLIFF will be the Southeast premiere.
As part of its ever-expanding fest experience, FLIFF has selected 14 international films presented at Savor Cinema that will be paired with food and spirits from the picks' respective countries. The films include Un Moment D'egarement (France), Assolo (Italy), California (Brazil), and Mirage D'Amor (Chile).
FLIFF also plans to host three charitable events at Savor Cinema during the festival. Tickets to each event cost $15 and include one drink and a light buffet. Ten dollars from each ticket purchased will be donated to charity.
The 31st-annual Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival kicks off November 4 at Hard Rock Live inside the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, with an opening-night premiere of the film Dreamland and a postscreening reception for festival attendees. More than 200 films are scheduled to be shown on various screens in Fort Lauderdale, Sunrise, Hollywood, and even St. Augustine and the Bahamas.
Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival
Opening-night festivities take place Friday, November 4, at Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, 1 Seminole Way, Fort Lauderdale. Film screenings and events take place Saturday, November 5, through Sunday, November 20. The closing ceremony will take place at Broward College Central Campus, 3501 Davie Rd., Davie. Visit fliff.com. Tickets cost $11 for general admission, $8 for seniors and students, and $6 for FLIFF members.
