Docs About Ray Romano’s Twins, Wrestler Mildred Burke and Bob Mackie Highlight Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival

The 39th Fort Lauderdale Intl. Film Festival (Nov. 8-17) anchors South Florida’s cultural calendar. The non-profit FLIFF offers an eclectic lineup of independent features, international debuts and documentaries, with 100 films on the slate including eight world premieres and 17 U.S. premieres. FLIFF serves the region’s diverse and engaged audience, according to Steve Savor, president and CEO of FLIFF. “We seek films beyond the headlines that cannot be seen at other major and regional fests,” he explains.

This year’s festival opens with a gala at the guitar-shaped Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and a screening of director Ash Avildsen’s “Queen of the Ring,” the story of pro wrestler Mildred Burke (played by Emily Bett Rickards), the first-ever, million-dollar earning female athlete.

FLIFF embraces its oceanside environment and locale: festivities conclude at the Pier Sixty-Six resort’s super-yacht pavilion (Fort Lauderdale is home to one of the world’s foremost boat shows) with the world premiere screening of “Grander.” The documentary chronicles director and sports fishermen Anthony Hsieh’s pursuit of a prize marlin. After-parties follow on Savor and Hsieh’s adjacent yachts. 

Other notable documentaries screening at FLIFF include the world premiere of “Romano Twins,” directed by identical twins Matt and Greg Romano. The pair examine their lives as twins and sons of beloved TV father Ray Romano of “Everybody Loves Raymond.” (Jay and Mark Duplass are among the producers.) “Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion” documents costume designer Bob Mackie’s illustrious six-decade career; Mackie will receive the 2024 FLIFF Lifetime Achievement Award and is a scheduled guest. FLIFF presents more than a dozen feature juried awards along with career kudos.

On the docket are films from 30 countries. Among the standouts cited by programmers: the father-daughter comedy “Butterflies,” from Finland’s Jenni Toivoniemi, “Robot T-0,” from French writer/director Giulio Callegari and Argentina’s “The Fishing Club,” director Gascón Horacio Revol Molina’s feature helming debut. 

Fest organizers separated out most shorts submitted from the November festival, with approximately 80 shorts to be screened over President’s Day Weekend in 2025, per FLIFF board chairman Lisa Grigorian, providing a dedicated platform devoted to emerging filmmakers. 

“With regard to where we are in the food chain, we are a bit of a maverick and certainly one of the most respected festivals in the Southeast,” says Savor. “We treat each filmmaker as special,” he notes, pointing to the fest’s Gold FilmFreeway rating and its nickname, the Friendly Festival. FLIFF utilizes two theaters, the versatile Savor Cinema Lauderdale and Cinema Paradiso Hollywood, outfitted with state-of-the art projection and Dolby 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound, respectively. Savor Cinema (inside a fully retrofitted and repurposed historic church) comes with the added bonuses of a large stage for post-screening Q&As, canopied courtyard and three bars.

FLIFF is positioned as a showcase for indie and international films. However, avoiding conflicting dates during the packed fall film festival season is not easy.  “And always facing the challenges of political fights in the state capitol over arts funding” is an ongoing challenge, per Savor. The org remains committed to Florida filmmakers: documentary and fiction efforts are highlighted via the Sunshine Celluloid festival section. “Land of the Mermaids,” from director Sergio Figuera, explores the state’s fascination with mermaids and their cultural importance; Emmy award-winning director Scott Barnett’s “Seminole Pathways” and “Women of the Watershed” dive into the state’s Indigenous past and Florida’s fragile ecosystem. 

Throughout the year, FLIFF boosts locally made productions via Florida Treasures, honoring Florida film pioneers, and Film-in-Broward, which showcases emerging filmmakers. Screening venues are also available for free to local producers through the org’s Local Filmmaker Night. Savor explains, “As South Florida is more than just Fort Lauderdale and Miami, we bring our programming throughout the confines of Fort Lauderdale and to as many of the 31 municipalities of Broward County as possible.”