Film Festival

Join us for the opening of the Fort Myers Film Festival! Three films will be shown on the Henry Ford estate lawn, along the Caloosahatchee River where guests will watch movies under the stars. Films include an early Edison piece with sound, a film about the Koreshan community, and an original film featuring a clip from “Calendar Girls.”

Films:
“Nursey Favorites,” a 1913 Edison Kinetophone Sound Film.
In the era of silent films, Edison and his staff began experimenting with a device to synchronize sound and moving pictures: the kinetophone. This compilation of nursery rhymes is a a fascinating moment in the history of “talkies.”

“The Koreshans: Legends and Legacies of Estero’s Urban Pioneers,” by Ilene Safron, Main Sail Video Productions owner.
Visitors will learn about the Koreshans in this film with a series of re-enactments, 3D animations, and interviews with contemporary scholars that weave together the reasons why the group moved to Estero, how they met their demise and why there’s a state park dedicated to keeping their memory alive. The Koreshans are credited with bringing culture and industry to Southwest Florida. They had one of the first symphony orchestras in the state and owned and operated nearly thirty businesses, including a machine shop, general store, bakery, post office and school. The firm also explains the connection the group had with the Edisons and Fords.

The third film will be a Fort Myers Film Festival original that will showcase the event’s 12-year history and impact on Southwest Florida. The film is produced and directed by Eric Raddatz and edited by Ilene Safron. It will feature a preview of a film currently in the international spotlight, “Calendar Girls.”

Tickets are $10 for Edison Ford members, $15 for non-members and may be purchased at edisonford.org. Only a limited number of chairs will be provided, so guests are encouraged to bring a folding chair. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. No coolers are permitted.