Tampa’s got a proud tradition of throwing festivals for basically everything: pirates, strawberries, pirates stealing strawberries, you get it. And now it’s time to add one more to your calendar. The Gasparilla International Film Festival (GIFF) is back for its 19th year, running March 3–8, with a week of independent films and the kind of artsy energy that makes you briefly believe you, too, could shoot an award-winning short on your phone.

GIFF is Tampa Bay’s biggest indie film party, and it’s run by the nonprofit Tampa Film Institute, which says the whole point is to inspire, educate, and entertain through the annual festival, alongside year-round events, outreach, and social awareness programs that support the local film scene. In other words, it’s not just “watch movie, clap,” it’s “watch movie, clap, then accidentally join a community conversation about why stories matter,” which is a lovely problem to have. Check out the full list of showings here.

Indie cinema, big feelings

What’s on screen? A little bit of everything. The festival showcases features, documentaries, shorts, music videos, and international films. It’s basically the entire cinematic buffet, from “heartfelt and intimate” to “I have no idea what I just watched but I respect the confidence.” And this is a star-studded affair. From Al Pacino and Bill Murray to Oscar Isaac and John Travolta, GIFF features films from some of Hollywood’s biggest names.

Practically speaking, you’ll want to plan around the schedule and grab tickets or passes online at GIFF’s ticketing hub. Midweek is especially friendly for casual fans who want a taste without committing their whole weekend to cinema. For example, Wednesday programming is listed at AMC West Shore from 5–10 pm, while Friday’s slate also runs 5–10 pm at the same spot, which is perfect if you’d like your film festival experience to include a normal workday and then a sudden, glamorous pivot into “I have opinions about cinematography now.”

If you’re the “go big” type, the festival stretches across the weekend too, so you can build your own mini-marathon, and still be home before your laundry judges you.

And here’s the sneaky best part: GIFF’s been around since 2006 and says it’s hosted thousands of filmmakers, talent, producers, and film buffs over the years, so you’re not just watching movies, you’re plugging into a legit creative ecosystem with actual humans who make actual things.

For full showtimes, venues, and any last-minute additions, check the official schedule before you go. Also, consider tossing them a follow on Instagram or Facebook.

Photos via Gasparilla International Film Festival