Fort Myers Film Festival

A FILMMAKER RAISING THE CAPITAL TO CREATE YOUR OWN DOCUMENTARY OR FEATURE FILM CAN RUN FROM THE TENS OF THOUSANDS TO MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. THEN THE NEXT STEP ENSURING THAT FOLKS HAVE THE CHANCE TO ACTUALLY SEE YOUR FINISHED PRODUCT THIS WEEK. SOME OF THE TOP INDEPENDENT FILMMAKERS FROM ALL AROUND THE WORLD ARE DESCENDING ON FORT MYERS, THE RED CARPET WAS ROLLED OUT FOR THE ANNUAL GATHERING, WHICH HAS BECOME A HUGE CELEBRATION OF FILM. >> THIS WEEK KICKS OFF THE 16TH ANNUAL FORT MYERS FILM FESTIVAL. ITS FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ERIC RADDATZ JOINS US. TELL THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING TO OUR WGCU STUDIO. IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU IN PERSON. I LOVE IT LOOKS JUST AS HE LOOKS EVEN BETTER IN PERSON THAN IT DOES WHEN I'M WATCHING AT HOME ON TV. WELL, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TO TELL US ALL ABOUT THIS YEAR'S FILM FESTIVAL. YOU CREATED THIS 16 YEARS AGO. IT'S GOING STRONG. YEAH. WHAT ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS YEAR'S FESTIVAL? EVERY FILM FESTIVAL KIND OF HAS ITS OWN PERSONALITY. >> AND OURS IS VERY FLORIDA CENTRIC. BUT IT ALSO HAS A REAL INTERNATIONAL APPEAL AS FAR AS HIGHLIGHTS, I GOT TO SAY IT'S TOUGH. WE HAVE 81 FILMS WERE IN 5 DIFFERENT LOCATIONS WHERE IN 5, 5, OVER 5 DAYS. AND IT'S HARD TO PICK THE BEST MOMENTS NOT TO MESS, BUT MOST PEOPLE SAY THAT IF YOU WERE GOING TO PICK ONLY ONE THING TO DO AT THE FESTIVAL IS TO COME OUT FOR THE OPENING NIGHT PARTY IN CELEBRATION. WE ROLL OUT THE RED CARPET. WE'VE GOT TO STEP AND REPEAT. IT'S NOT QUITE LIKE THE MET GALA BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST REALLY POSING THE NOT VERY THING. WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA WATCH A FILM AND GET TO MEET MIX AND MINGLE. THAT'S WONDERFUL. I WAS REALLY AMAZED THAT THERE ARE INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT FILMMAKERS THAT ARE COMING TO FORT MYERS FOR THIS. WHAT'S THE PROCESS? >> FOR SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO ENTER AND ULTIMATELY GET THEIR FILMS SCREENED HERE IN FORT MYERS. IT'S A SIMPLE PROCESS AND YOU'LL GO ONLINE AND YOU GO TO FORT MYERS FILM FESTIVAL, A CALM AND IT SAYS SUBMIT YOUR FILM. NOW WE'RE NOT TAKING SUBMISSIONS. >> FOR THE SEASON, WE'RE CELEBRATING THE OFFICIAL SELECTIONS FOR THIS HERE THIS WEEK MAY 20TH TO 24TH IN THE 5 TO 4 LOCATIONS BUT WILL PROBABLY OPEN SUBMISSIONS END OF JUNE EARLY JULY. SO IF YOU'RE A FILMMAKER THAT WANTS TO GET INTO THAT OF THE 2027 FORT MYERS, 12 FESTIVAL, YOU SIMPLY WOULD. AND TO YOUR FILM, WE HAVE SEVERAL DIFFERENT CATEGORIES AND THEN THEY ARE UP FOR CONSIDERATION FOR THE FARMERS OFFICER OR 2027 AND YOU GOT QUITE A FEW SUBMISSIONS, CORRECT? YES, ENOUGH THAT WERE WHEN WE SEND OUT THE YOU'VE BEEN ACCEPTED. WE ALSO HAVE TO SEND OUT THAT YOU'VE NOT BEEN ACCEPTED IN. THAT'S NOT A FRIENDLY THING. WE TRY TO LET EVERYONE KNOW. IT'S A TOUGH YEAR. WE HAD MORE FILMS THAN EVER WHERE MANY LOCATIONS THAT WE HAVE A WIDESPREAD OF TIME. BUT WE SIMPLY CAN'T SOME USE ALL THE FILMS THAT ARE BEING SUBMITTED AND SOME TICKET VERY GENTLY AND SOME PEOPLE ARE REALLY QUITE UPSET. THOSE WHO SUMS ARE SELECTED, I WOULD SAY PRETTY CONSISTENTLY. THEY'RE EXCITED. I SEE HIM START POSTING ONLINE. A STARTS EVEN POSTING ABOUT COME OUT TO MY FILM AND I'M GONNA TO BE THERE AND FLYING IN FROM LOS ANGELES OF FLYING IN FROM NEW YORK OF FLYING IN FROM CHICAGO, FLYING IN FROM BRAZIL. YOU KNOW, THIS IS OUR 16TH YEAR IN OUR FIRST YEAR. WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE THIS WHO ARE WE DIDN'T THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT. NOW WE HAVE A GOOD REPUTATION. IT'S ONE WHERE PEOPLE SAY WE LIKE THE FEELING IT'S STILL VERY INDEPENDENT. IT'S NOT WHERE COMMERCIAL, WHICH A LOT OF THE BIGGER FILM FESTIVALS HAVE STARTED TO GET DISTRIBUTION IN ADVANCE OF EVEN TO SELECTIONS. AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY IS THE INDEPENDENT FILM AND WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO HAVE INDEPENDENT FILMS? I FEEL LIKE I'M. >> THESE ARE FILMS THAT WILL SHOW YOU PASSION PROJECT SAID SHE WOULDN'T SEE IN A COUPLE BIG OR COMMERCIAL MOVIE. YOU MIGHT NOT SEE COVERED ON THE LOCAL NEWS AND YOU'LL SEE SOMEONE WHO KNOW SO MUCH ABOUT SPECIFIC SUBJECTS THAT WILL IT WILL RAISE YOUR AWARENESS. IT MANAGES TO ENTERTAIN AND EDUCATE AND INSPIRE OFTEN AT TIMES. WHAT WE SEE IN THESE FILMS AS ACCESS AND WHAT WE SEE IN THESE FILMS IS A VOICE FROM SOMEONE WHO MAY NOT HAVE HAD A VOICE. AND WHAT WE SEE IN THESE FILMS ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE MAKING EXCEPTIONAL PIECES, CREATIVE PIECES, WELDON PIECES THAT HELP US TO SEE THINGS AND IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY IN THE WAY THEY SEE IT. WE DON'T HAVE TO AGREE WITH IT, BUT WE GET TO SEE THEIR POSITION. AND AGAIN, THESE OVER 5 LOCATIONS. >> I HAD READ THAT THERE'S AN IMMERSIVE 360 DEGREE EXPERIENCE. TELL ME ABOUT WHAT KIND OF FILMS WILL BE SHOWN THERE. WHERE IS THAT? >> I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT WE DO HAVE 5 LOCATIONS AND ONE OF THEM IS THE CALUSA NATURE CENTER AND PLANETARIUM ARE ALSO SERVE AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT. BUT LIKE THE PEANUT BUTTER MELTS THE CHOCOLATE WHEN IT COMES TO FILMS DON'T FILM COURSE, THERE'S ONLY A FEW DON'T FILM FESTIVALS IN THE COUNTRY. AND SO THE TOP DON'T FILMS THAT ARE OUT THERE. PEOPLE WHO ARE MAKING THESE FILMS JUST FOR THAT 260 DO FROM EXPERIENCE. THEY'RE ALL EXCITED. BUT THE FORMER SOUTH ASSAULT, A SECOND-DEGREE BEEN DOING IT. IT'S A BACK IN THE PLUS EAST OF THE NEWLY RENOVATED CLOSE TO NATURE CENTER FINES FOR HIM. AND YOU GET TO SEE EXPERIENCES THAT YOU WOULD IMAGINE SITTING THERE WATCHING THEM AT THE 360 DEGREE THAT DON'T FILM THAT AREA. I'M SO HAPPY THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO JOIN US AND TELL US ALL ABOUT IT. IT WAS MY PLEASURE. AND I'LL COME BACK WHENEVER YOU INVITE ME. YES, WELL, I WILL BE DOWN THAT THIS WEEK. LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE. THANK YOU, ERICA. ABSOLUTELY. JOINING US A LITTLE CLOSER.