Movie News and Features
This page contains links to articles about film, film events and the film industry. They are copyrighted by the publications in which they originally appeared and/or MeierMovies, LLC, and cannot be reproduced or reposted online without permission. All content, unless otherwise noted, is by Cameron Meier. (MeierMovies is based in Orlando, so the news is often focused on Central Florida.)
If you want to skip directly to reviews of specific films, go here. You might check out the Posts page, which contains casual, brief musings on timely film-related subjects and events.
For a guide to colors and symbols, see the Key. Articles appear in chronological order, with the most recent stories first.
2024
26th Annual Central Florida Jewish Film Festival
30th Annual South Asian Film Festival
Back to the future: Cinema’s yesterday holds clues to its tomorrow
Sony Pictures purchases Alamo Drafthouse
33rd Annual Florida Film Festival
Filmapalooza Lisbon 2024 wrap-up
14th Annual Love Your Shorts Film Festival
2023
Enzian Theater gets 4K projector
25th Annual Central Florida Jewish Film Festival
Curtain closes on original Netflix
32nd Annual Florida Film Festival
13th Annual Love Your Shorts Film Festival
17th Annual Central Florida Film Festival (CenFlo)
2022
Orlando welcomes its fall festivals
Farewell to Paul Sorvino and David Warner
The decline and fall of home entertainment (the diminishment of Netflix discs)
“Judgment Night” for Nehemiah Persoff
31st Annual Florida Film Festival
Austin Revolution Film Festival (ARFF)
Thoughts on the 2022 Academy Awards
“The fairest one of all”: reimagining Snow White
TV/web films join theatrical releases
2021
Short films from Manhattan to Mumbai
30th Annual Florida Film Festival:
FFF announces program
FFF combines in-person and virtual cinema
Feature film reviews
Short takes on the shorts
Alamo Drafthouse files for bankruptcy and scraps plans for Orlando cinema
11th Annual Love Your Shorts Film Festival
Central Florida Film Festival returns following a 16-month absence
2020
Year in review: film in the time of corona
22nd Annual Central Florida Jewish Film Festival
Halloween: The Ranking of Michael Myers
Melbourne Independent Filmmakers Festival
Love (of film) in the time of coronavirus
Orlando’s Indie Cinema Showcase returns at the unlikeliest time
Regal closing again, temporarily
Lessons learned from a first-time fest (OIFF)
18th Annual Global Peace Film Festival
AMC reopening, turning back time
29th Annual Florida Film Festival:
FFF announces program
Festival to blend in-person, virtual events
Film reviews
Orlando’s Alamo Drafthouse delayed, likely until 2021
Old Hollywood has died: Olivia de Havilland, 104, is gone
What’s on, what’s not during pandemic
Telluride Film Festival canceled
Sarasota Film Festival to go virtual while regular event is delayed
Coronavirus batters film industry, closes cinemas and postpones Florida Film Festival
Film industry tackles coronavirus
22nd Annual Sarasota Film Festival announces films, guests
Florida’s first Alamo Drafthouse to open in Orlando later this year
Enzian Theater seeks second screen
10th Annual Love Your Shorts Film Festival
2019
The best films of 2019 and the decade
Changes coming to Orlando’s film slams — both of them
James Dean reborn?: Everything dead is new again
14th Annual Orlando Film Festival:
Opening blog
OFF continues
25th Annual South Asian Film Festival
Change coming to FilmSlam: Enzian parts ways with Jen Vargas
Fall movie preview and Telluride Film Festival wrap-up
The 46th Annual Telluride Film Festival
Love Your Shorts Film Festival Summer Rewind
Avengers: Endgame‘s profits analyzed: What does the money mean?
28th Annual Florida Film Festival:
FFF program announcement
Richard Dreyfuss to screen The Goodbye Girl
Programmers balance quality with variety
A look at domestic narrative shorts
Richard Dreyfuss interview
It’s a (shorts) wrap
Award winners
21st Annual Sarasota Film Festival announces films, guests
Director Shawn Snyder discusses To Dust
The best films of Filmapalooza 2019
Ranking the 2019 Oscar nominees
Top 30 movie villains of all time
Ninth Annual Love Your Shorts Film Festival
2018
Year in Review: the best films of 2018
My top 12 Christmas films: a curmudgeon’s holiday list
David Schillhammer resigns as Enzian director
20th Annual Central Florida Jewish Film Festival
Enzian Theater to shrink FilmSlam, change Brouhaha
24th Annual South Asian Film Festival
Central Florida Film Festival moves to Mount Dora
Enzian cancels expansion; what’s next for the cinema?
Lynn Tomlinson: a unique voice in animation
Enzian’s proposed expansion passes penultimate hurdle
Filmapalooza 2019 coming to Orlando
Enzian Theater expansion nears approval
Orlando 48 Hour Film Project Announcement
Megacon Orlando’s tribute to 2001: A Space Odyssey
20th Annual Sarasota Film Festival:
Festival celebrity-guest announcement
Festival to begin with Class Rank
Festival concludes with awards and red-carpet ceremony
A chat with Barbara Kopple
27th Annual Florida Film Festival:
Program announcement
Homegrown: Florida filmmakers embrace their local festival
Film reviews
Pam Grier interview
Opening-night blog
More festival photos
Festival ends with awards and Hitchcock
Oscar-Nominated Short Film programs
Reel Representation: Diversity in Film
Eighth Annual Love Your Shorts Film Festival
LYSFF blog
Fifth Annual Flagler Film Festival
2017
Ho ho horrible: The four worst Christmas films ever
Enzian Forever update: Parking remains problem
19th Annual Central Florida Jewish Film Festival
12th Annual Orlando Film Festival
Global Peace Film Festival opening-night blog
12th Annual Central Florida Film Festival
Love Your Shorts Film Festival Summer Rewind
Best of Film Festival to debut at Orlando Wyndham Resort
Maitland conducts interim review of Enzian expansion plan
26th Annual Florida Film Festival:
Festival announces films, guests
Lea Thompson to screen Back to the Future
Film reviews
Interview with Lea Thompson
Enzian Theater to resubmit expansion plan (plus tree update)
19th Annual Sarasota Film Festival:
Festival reveals lineup
Tucci, Arquette to attend the festival
Festival concludes with awards and red-carpet ceremony
Josh Martin leaving Uncomfortable Brunch
Oscars 2017: Will La La Land tie the record?
Seventh Annual Love Your Shorts Film Festival
Florida cinemas to screen Oscar Shorts
Fourth Annual Flagler Film Festival
Enzian hires executive director
Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour
2016
18th Annual Central Florida Jewish Film Festival
Enzian Theater delays expansion
11th Annual Orlando Film Festival
Regal Cinemas Winter Park launches renovations
22nd Annual South Asian Film Festival
14th Annual Global Peace Film Festival
Orlando’s 48 Hour Film Project screens its films
Orlando 48 Hour Film Project moves to July
25th Annual Florida Film Festival
18th Annual Sarasota Film Festival:
Sarasota FF to honor Sophia Loren
Festival announces lineup of films, celebrities
Full summary article
Filmapalooza 2016:
Orlando filmmakers head to Filmapalooza 2016
Orlando movie to screen at Cannes Film Festival
Filmapalooza 2016 summary and film reviews
Sixth Annual Love Your Shorts Film Festival
Enzian expansion plans draw questions, complaints
Third Annual Flagler Film Festival
2015
“Enzian Forever” construction update
A Changing of the Guard at FilmSlam
13th Annual Global Peace Film Festival
21st Annual South Asian Film Film Festival
18th Annual Manhattan Short Film Festival
Central Florida Film Festival Celebrates 10 Years
2015 Orlando 48 Hour Film Project screenings set
Jumping the Shark in Orlando (the Sharknado 3 story)
2015 Orlando 48 Hour Film Project Announces Dates
Tomorrowland Boosts Orlando Economy (Interview with Mayor Buddy Dyer)
Enzian Hires New Programming Coordinator
15 Minutes of Fame Film Festival 2015
24th Annual Florida Film Festival
Enzian Theater Plans Two New Screens
Fifth Annual Love Your Shorts Film Festival
2014
16th Annual Central Florida Jewish Film Festival
20th Annual South Asian Film Festival
John Carpenter interview, for Spooky Empire’s May-hem
23rd Annual Florida Film Festival:
Teaser
Intro article: Time to fest!
Film reviews
Susan Sarandon announcement
Interview with Paul Sorvino
Interview with Heather Wahlquist and review of Yellow
Documentary blog
Opening-night blog and mini-review of The Trip to Italy
Shorts blog
2013
48 Hour Film Project in Orlando
Enzian Theater Hoping to Expand
22nd Annual Florida Film Festival
In Film, Short Doesn’t Mean Easy: The Lessons of Charlie
11th Annual Global Peace Film Festival
16th Annual Manhattan Short Film Festival
19th Annual South Asian Film Festival
15th Annual Central Florida Jewish Film Festival
Sundance Shines Again at Enzian, with comedy A.C.O.D.
2012
14th Annual Central Florida Jewish Film Festival
Sci-fi and Fantasy Flicks Come Alive at the London Film Museums
Seventh Annual Orlando Film Festival
2006
The Top Ten Movies About Art and Artists