Tallahassee Film Festival

November 26, 2008
By Dave Hodges – Democrat Business Editor

A comprehensive study of what Tallahasseeans find most compelling about their community and why they are passionate about it could serve as a decision-making tool for local leaders.

The Gallup Poll “Soul of the Community” was commissioned by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and conducted in Tallahassee and 25 other Knight Foundation Communities. It measured residents’ engagement as indicated by the psychological connection they have to their community and the pride they have in it.

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According to the “Soul of the Community” study, the number one quality that makes Tallahassee’s residents love where they live is social offerings (such as entertainment venues for people to meet each other). 

However, they said that the community could improve in this area. Residents find Tallahassee’s strengths to be aesthetics (such as physical beauty and green spaces) and education (kindergarten through college).

The first year of the Gallup study, funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, was conducted in Tallahassee and 25 other communities across the United States, according to a news release.
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Tallahassee, Fla. – November 24, 2008 – A new Gallup study of Tallahassee and 25 other U.S. communities explores the link between economic growth and residents’ loyalty and passion toward where they live. According to the “Soul of the Community” study, the number one quality that makes Tallahassee’s residents love where they live is social offerings (such as entertainment venues for people to meet each other). However, they said that the community could improve in this area. Residents find Tallahassee’s strengths to be aesthetics (such as physical beauty and green spaces) and education (kindergarten through college).

The first year of the Gallup study, funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, was conducted in Tallahassee and 25 other communities across the United States. “This is a new way of looking at how engaged residents create successful communities,” said Paula Ellis, vice president for strategic initiatives at Knight Foundation. “The data provide new insights to leaders focused on improving the long-term economic well-being of their communities beyond the immediate challenges of the financial crisis.”

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By Mark Hinson
Tallahassee Democrat

The Tallahassee Film Festival, as they say in the movie biz, is about to bump up the running time.
The 2009 movie marathon will roll film for five days from April 15 to 19. Last year’s inaugural festival, which attracted more than 2,600 cinephiles to see 65 films, was three days long and held in mid-May.

“We moved it to April because that’s when the biggest student population is in town,” festival president Robert Howard said. “And we are all about education. It’s also when the legislators will be here, too. Maybe we can attract them to the festival.”

The all-volunteer festival is also increasing its international scope.

“We have 22 films so far and they’re from as far away as Singapore, Bosnia, Afghanistan, New Zealand and Canada,” Howard said. “We’re not passively waiting for films to come to us, we’re going out to find them.”
Budding Alfred Hitchcocks will also be happy to learn that the film festival is expanding its popular 24-Hour Film Contest to the 48-Hour Film Contest.

During last year’s competition, more than 15 teams of amateur and professional filmmakers signed on to write, act, shoot and edit a 5-minute movie in a 24-hour period. They were all given a common theme and a whopping $100 budget. The mini-movies turned out to be a popular draw when they were posted online for voting and viewing at Tallahassee.com.

“We wanted to make it a more leisurely enterprise this time around,” Howard joked.

Howard made the announcements during a reception for festival sponsors and volunteers at Chez Pierre on Monday evening. Guests at the gathering included Florida State Film School Dean Frank Patterson, independent film distributor Paul Cohen and Mayor John Marks.

By Mark Hinson
Tallahassee Democrat

Everyone can use a little more time, so The Tallahassee Film Festival is expanding its popular 24-Hour Film Contest to the 48-Hour Film Contest in the spring of 2009.

Officials from the Film Festival are expected to make that announcement and more later today during a special reception for volunteers and sponsors.

During the inaugural Tallahassee Film Festival in May, more than 15 teams of amateur and professional filmmakers signed on to write, act, shoot and edit a 5-minute movie in a 24-hour period. They were all given a common theme and a whopping $100 budget.

The mini-movies turned out to be a popular draw when they were posted online for voting and viewing at Tallahassee.com.

During the three-day fest in May, more 2,600 cinephiles turned out to watch 65 films, attend seminars, meet directors and talk movies.

For more about the 2009 Tallahassee Film Festival, return to this Web site — or pickup Tuesday’s Democrat.