{"id":231545,"date":"2026-04-14T17:53:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T17:53:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/231545\/"},"modified":"2026-04-14T17:53:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T17:53:09","slug":"films-with-central-florida-connections-at-the-2026-florida-film-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/231545\/","title":{"rendered":"Films with Central Florida Connections at the 2026 Florida Film Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"

Films at the 2026 Florida Film Festival highlight Central Florida locations, talent, and creative voices.<\/p>\n

Central Florida continues to be represented at the 2026 Florida Film Festival<\/a>, with a number of films connected to the Orlando region through location, subject matter, and the filmmakers behind them.<\/p>\n

Of the 40 films in this year\u2019s lineup that were shot fully or partially in Florida, several were filmed primarily in the greater Orlando area, while others reflect the region\u2019s influence through local talent and institutions.<\/p>\n

Below are films with strong ties to Central Florida.<\/p>\n

The Call<\/a><\/p>\n

\"the\"the<\/a><\/p>\n

In this World Premiere, Orlando arts leader Terry Olson travels to Morocco to trace the history of the Green March, connecting an international story to a figure long associated with the region\u2019s cultural community.<\/p>\n

Fantasma<\/a><\/p>\n

\"fantasma\"fantasma<\/a><\/p>\n

Winner of the 2025 Central Florida Film Slam, this Spanish-language film follows a ghost attempting to help a stressed-out student complete their homework, highlighting emerging filmmakers from the region.<\/p>\n

First They Came For My College<\/a><\/p>\n

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Featuring Winter Park resident Libby Harrity, this film brings a Central Florida connection through her ties to the local community, including St. Richard\u2019s in Winter Park.<\/p>\n

In God\u2019s Hands<\/a><\/p>\n

\"in\"in<\/a><\/p>\n

Directed by University of Central Florida student Modar Kajo, this World Premiere documentary examines religious legislation impacting schools in Central Florida.<\/p>\n

The Man Whom the Trees Loved<\/a><\/p>\n

\"the\"the<\/a><\/p>\n

Shot in Orlando and along the St. Johns River, this adaptation of Algernon Blackwood\u2019s novella uses local landscapes and experimental techniques to create an atmospheric portrayal of Florida\u2019s natural environment.<\/p>\n

My Grandma Still Cleans My Uncle\u2019s Room (Mi Mamita Todav\u00eda Mantiene el Cuarto de Mi T\u00edo)<\/a><\/p>\n

\"grand\"grand<\/a><\/p>\n

Created by a UCF student filmmaker, this experimental work explores the memories of an undocumented immigrant\u2019s childhood and journey across the border.<\/p>\n

Panther Pat<\/a><\/p>\n

\"panther\"panther<\/a><\/p>\n

This film revisits a moment in Orlando\u2019s sports history, when the Orlando Panthers became the first professional football team to employ a female player.<\/p>\n

Same Water<\/a><\/p>\n

\"silver\"silver<\/a><\/p>\n

This film looks back at a segregated riverside recreation space near Silver Springs, connecting Florida history to broader themes of access and memory.<\/p>\n

Welcome<\/a><\/p>\n

\"welcome\"welcome<\/a><\/p>\n

This World Premiere highlights Orlando\u2019s first African American poet laureate,\u00a0Shawn Welcome, offering a portrait of a key local artistic voice.<\/p>\n

Wetland Impulse<\/a><\/p>\n

\"wetland\"wetland<\/a><\/p>\n

Created by UCF professor Jimmy Schaus, this experimental film continues a series focused on Florida\u2019s flora, using layered visual techniques to capture the region\u2019s wetlands.<\/p>\n

In addition to films shot in the region, this year\u2019s festival also includes work from filmmakers with Central Florida ties. These include\u00a0Imago, from former Valencia College student Ariel Zengotita, and\u00a0Return From Tomorrow, the latest film from Full Sail University alum Randy Moore, following his earlier project\u00a0Escape From Tomorrow.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Films at the 2026 Florida Film Festival highlight Central Florida locations, talent, and creative voices. Central Florida continues…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":231546,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[28,30,29],"class_list":["post-231545","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-florida","tag-florida","tag-florida-headlines","tag-florida-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/231545","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=231545"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/231545\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/231546"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=231545"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=231545"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=231545"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}