By Rich Pollack
New York has one. Toronto has one. Even Fort Lauderdale has one.
Now Highland Beach is about to have a film festival of its own. Kind of.
This month, the Highland Beach Library, a hidden gem tucked between the Intracoastal Waterway and State Road A1A, will host a one-day film festival featuring movies set in Florida, including some that were also shot here.
Showcasing four films spanning five decades, the Nov. 14 “Scenes From the Sunshine State” kicks off at 10:30 a.m. and goes until 8 p.m., with visitors welcome to stay for as many films as they wish.
The film festival, says Library Director Lois Albertson, is an extension of the library’s always well-attended Friday film series.
“Movies are always popular,” she said. “We thought it would be fun to try something new and have an all-day event with movies centered around a theme.”
The event opens with a showing of Key Largo, the 1948 classic directed by John Huston and starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall.
There will be a break for lunch and then three more movies set in Florida will be offered.
At 1 p.m., the library will show Where the Boys Are, the 1960s look at spring break in Fort Lauderdale with Connie Francis and George Hamilton. Next up at 3 p.m. will be Cocoon from 1985, set in St. Petersburg and directed by Ron Howard, followed by The Birdcage, a 1996 film starring Nathan Lane and Robin Williams with Miami’s South Beach as its backdrop.
There will be discussions between the films led by local resident Peter Rodis, who hosts the Friday afternoon film discussions at the library and who contributed footage to the Oscar-nominated film What Happened, Miss Simone?
“This is exciting and we’re hoping people love it,” Rodis said.
The film festival is free and open to the public. Friends of the Library will provide popcorn and door prizes. For more information, contact the Highland Beach Library at 278-5455. The library is at 3618 S. Ocean Blvd.
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