Film industry in Florida

The film industry in Florida is one of the largest in the United States: in 2006, Florida ranked third in the U.S. for film production (after California and New York) based on revenue generated.^[1] However, more recent 2009-2010 data no longer show Florida among the top four states.^[2]

Production activity has been generally concentrated in two regions, South Florida and Central Florida (Orlando and Tampa). The South Florida region is famous for large projects like Jerry Bruckheimer's Bad Boys film series and Neal Moritz's 2 Fast 2 Furious. The Central Florida area has been featured in The Punisher, starring John Travolta, and Adam Sandler's The Waterboy.

The state of Florida has a long film history thanks to its year-round sunshine and moderate climate. Film classics were filmed throughout the state, such as Moon Over Miami (1941) and Esther Williams' Easy to Love (1953).

In the early 1990s Orlando experienced a great boom in film production. The construction of the Disney-MGM Studios and Universal Studios production facilities attracted many filmmakers to the area. Films like Ron Howard's Parenthood and syndicated television shows like The Adventures of Superboy led the pack. Soon, the Steven Spielberg series seaQuest DSV and Tom Hank's From the Earth to the Moon called Florida home. Nickelodeon Studios operated within Universal Studios Florida. During this period Orlando acquired the nickname "Hollywood East" because of its surging film industry.

Just as film production appeared to be on the decline in Florida, the phenomenal success of 1998's The Blair Witch Project led to another boom. While this film was filmed in Maryland, its director and entire crew were University of Central Florida film school graduates. This cult independent film has led to a new wave of film production for the area.

Florida is also the home of many famous actors. Celebrity residents of Florida have included Burt Reynolds, Sylvester Stallone, John Travolta, Kelly Preston, Andy Garcia, Tom Cruise, Ron Palillo, Kaye Stevens, Michael Winslow, Larry Haines, Margaret Hayes, Roberta Haynes, Donald Sutherland, DJ Khaled, Meinhardt Raabe, Jackie Gerlich, Steven Bauer, Manolo Villaverde, Hedy Lamarr, Susana Giménez, Liv Ullmann, Geraldine Chaplin, Sydney Sweeney, David Caruso, Kenan Thompson, Vanilla Ice, Christian Daniel, Howard Stern, Scott Baio, Susan Buckner, Iggy Pop, Donna Summer, George Keymas, Nicolas Coster, Margaret Kerry, Antonio Sabàto Jr., Gloria Estefan, Pitbull, Jackie Gleason, Cindy Morgan, Richard Boone, Perry Como, David Winters, Herb Shriner, Jean Shepherd, Bob McFadden, Scott "Carrot Top" Thompson, Billy Connolly, Cody Burger, Mickey Kuhn, Bobby Breen, Peter Palmer, Ricou Browning, Gabrielle Anwar, Philip Michael Thomas, Eugene Levy, Barrie Ingham, Mike Douglas, Leslie Nielsen, Eddie Egan, Kirby Grant, Patricia Dane, Norma Miller, Lili Damita, Martha O'Driscoll, Dixie Dunbar, June Preisser, Phyllis Thaxter, Vic Damone, Vaughn Monroe, Tom Fadden, Kimbo Slice, Rhonda Shear, Luke Halpin, Jay North, Dan White, Dennis Hoey, Freddie Bartholomew, George Hamilton, Gary Burghoff, Jo Ann Pflug, Steve Sipek, Arthur Metrano, Dave Madden, David Cassidy, Davy Jones, Anthony Newley, Gayle Hunnicutt, Cindy Crawford, Gail Edwards, Enrique Iglesias, Sofia Vergara, Hulk Hogan, Nick Hogan, Randy Savage, Dave Bautista, John Cena, and Dwayne Johnson. There are also quite a few successful film directors located in the state including Daniel Myrick, George Abbott, and Harry Revier.

• Kruel (2014)^[3]
• The Year of Getting to Know Us (2008)
• Lonely Hearts (2006)
• Ruby in Paradise (1993)
• Doc Hollywood (1991)
• Brenda Starr (1989)
• Blood Rage (1987)
• Cross Creek (1983)
• Jaws 2 (1978)
• Night Moves (1975)
• Tarzan and the Brown Prince (1972)
• Frogs (1972)
• Follow That Dream (1962)
• Revenge of the Creature (1955)
• Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
• Distant Drums (1951)
• The Yearling (1946)

• Vernon, Florida (1981)
• Gates of Heaven (1980)

• Sarasota County Film and Entertainment Office-^[9]
• Film in Florida - official site of Governor's Office of Film and Entertainment^[10]
• Metro Orlando Film Office^[11]
• Miami-Dade Film Office^[12]
• Polk County Film Office^[13]
• Space Coast Film Commission^[14]
• Palm Beach County Film and Television Commission^[15]

Metro Orlando alone is home to more than 10 state-of-the-art sound stages, making it one of the largest working production facility centers outside of Los Angeles and New York. Complete studio and production services are available throughout Florida, including backlots that can double for just about any national or international locale, production office space and sound stages totaling more than 160,000 square feet (15,000 m²).

• Adrenaline Films
• Green Slate Studios

• Broadcast Beat Studios - Fort Lauderdale

• Cinema of the United States
• Cinema of the world
• Florida Film Critics Circle

• Florida Film Commission
• Metro Orlando Film Commission
• Film Florida