Female filmmakers discuss the Florida Film Festival
The 2020 Florida Film Festival kicked off on Aug. 7, or Aug. 8 if you’re watching the virtual option from home. This year’s event features 177 films, with a record number of works by female filmmakers.
“We are extremely proud to have the opportunity to present these artists’ extraordinary work on both the big screen at Enzian and virtually as well, wherever possible,” said Matthew Curtis, Florida Film Festival programming director, in a press release. “This year’s lineup includes 88 women filmmakers — the most in our 29-year history and 50% of our total programming — and their voices will be represented throughout every part of the festival.”
A few female directors with Florida ties described their works and shared their thoughts about the festival’s inclusivity ahead of each film’s showing.
Cecilia Aldarondo, ‘Landfall’
Cecilia Aldarondo’s “Landfall” makes its Southeast premiere during the 2020 fest. The 40-year-old Puerto Rican director grew up in Maitland. Her first job after college: the Florida Film Festival.
“I fell in love with film at Enzian,” she said in an email. “Also, as a Puerto Rican who directed LANDFALL, a documentary about the aftermath of Hurricane María, I want nothing more than to share this film with the large boricua community in Orlando.”
Her 91-minute film, part of the Documentary Feature Competition, looks at everyday life in the two years between Hurricane María’s touchdown in Puerto Rico and the removal of Gov.
Ricardo Rosselló, offering glimpses into the damage caused by inaction and the exhaustion created by the recovery process.
As far as the record number of female filmmakers at this year’s event, Aldarondo said “it’s about time.”
“Women have been directing films since the invention of the camera!” she said.
Jenna Jaillet, ‘The Mechanical Dancer’
Jenna Jaillet made the move from Ohio to Florida to enroll at Ringling College of Art + Design in Sarasota.
“It was a big leap to move with no connections, but I quickly fell in love with creating art there,” she said in an email. “In 2010, I won the Student Academy Award for best animated short, which opened doors for me to continue my career.”
The 33-year-old initially moved to Los Angeles for work. But a few years later, she moved back to the Sunshine State to create game animation and short films — and it’s also where she and her team finished their first independent animated short “The Mechanical Dancer,” which makes its world premiere at the Florida fest.
The 13-minute film follows the owner of a small theater in a rundown part of town and the strange cast of characters he encounters while running his show. A series of crimes unravel over three acts, showing how each character’s fate changes after one perilous night.
“The short was inspired by German Expressionism, our love of silent films, and one of the first horror movies in history, ‘The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari’ — which is having its 100th anniversary this year!” Jaillet said. “With ‘The Mechanical Dancer,’ our team of four artists set out to make a film that would feel handmade, dark, nostalgic, and most of all, fun to watch.”
Jaillet is happy more women are being acknowledged for their accomplishments.
“I won’t deny that we do have to work harder sometimes, and especially in the film industry where it’s difficult to be taken seriously — for many people, from all walks of life,” she said. “I wanted to direct because I love the idea of a team working together — putting aside politics, sexes, and everything else, to work on something that we all can believe in. … I was lucky to find people who would follow me and trust in my decisions as a director — I know not many women are given that chance.”
Sarah Holland, ‘Egghead & Twinkie’
Sarah Holland wrote and directed “Egghead & Twinkie,” which makes its Southeast premiere as part of the fest’s Sunshine & Swampland: New Florida Shorts program.
The 9-minute film was shot in Orlando with a local cast and crew and served as Holland’s senior capstone project for her bachelor of fine arts degree at University of Central Florida’s film program.
“‘Egghead & Twinkie’ is a coming-of-age comedy about coming out of the closet,” the 23-year-old Orlando resident said in an email. “It follows an Asian American teenage girl named Twinkie as she navigates coming out to her parents and her best guy friend, Egghead. The only problem? Egghead is notso-secretly in love with her.”
Holland said it’s encouraging to see more female representation at the Florida Film Festival.
“Female representation, as well as that of people of color and other marginalized groups, should be the norm in the film industry,” she said. “Our crew was largely led by women, including one of our producers and our assistant director, director of photography, editor, and production designer. The lack of representation for women behind the camera is very frustrating, especially with so many of us actively putting ourselves out there, learning, and creating.”
Kali Ann Kahn, ‘Fairchild’
Miami native Kali Ann Kahn’s “Fairchild” takes place in a swampy summer camp in Homestead.
“‘Fairchild’ is a delicate untangling of a teenage girl’s psychological state in the aftermath of a traumatic event as she navigates a seemingly mundane day at summer camp,” the 25-year-old director said in an email.
Kahn said she’s honored to be a part of a festival that prioritizes underrepresented voices.
“Seeing so much female representation in the program makes me feel hopeful about the future of the industry,” she said.
Watch it: See “Egghead & Twinkie,” “The Mechanical Dancer” and “Fairchild” at 11:30 a.m. Aug. 15 and “Landfall” at 3:30 p.m. Aug. 16 at Enzian Theater, 1300 S. Orlando Ave. in Maitland. All of these films are available with the virtual festival through 12 a.m. Aug. 21. Tickets, passes and packages are on sale now. For more information, go to
floridafilmfestival.com or enzian.org.