City of Jacksonville Film and Television Office

Travel + Leisure recently consulted six Florida-based real estate agents, and they all independently selected Jacksonville as the best city to live in the Sunshine State. In her article, “We Asked 6 Real Estate Agents to Pick the Best Place to Live in Florida – They All Picked This City,” Dobrina Zhekova explores the qualities that earned Jacksonville this distinction. 
 
This choice is based on the city’s combination of opportunity, affordability, and diverse communities. The real estate market in Jacksonville offers historic homes bursting with character, along with newly developed neighborhoods with great amenities and excellent schools.
 
Whether you’re starting your career, building a family, looking to retire, or just searching for a place that fits your lifestyle, Jacksonville has something for you.
 
A great place to live is a wonderful place to create, and Jacksonville is a perfect example of this. From the scenic beaches of Ponte Vedra to the historic streets of downtown, Jacksonville is a truly beautiful city that continues to grow and prosper.
 
All these qualities are why Jacksonville, Florida, is a world of locations in one city and a fabulous place for film and media projects.
 
More information can be found in the article below:
https://apple.news/AI6-uddabQxyUCvjp7pwbzQ

Norman Studios is hosting a FREE event in honor of Juneteenth at 2 pm on Saturday, June 13. This event will feature a screening of the silent movie ‘MUTE’ and a Black Heroes presentation given by The Performance Academy. 
 
 
 The Performance Academy supports at-risk youth in Jacksonville, allowing them to express themselves through dance, music, acting, and visual arts while helping them develop key life skills.
 
 
Even though admission for this event is free, pre-registration is required due to limited seats.
 
 
Register at the link below:
Normanstudios.wildapricot.org/event-6706221
 
 
Location:
Rita F. Reagan Set Building at Norman Studios, 6360 Commerce St., Jacksonville, FL 32211

‘Age of Audio: A Screening & Discussion’ will be presented by WJCT Public Media and Jax Podcasters United Group on Wednesday, June 3, at WJCT Studios. Doors will open at 6 pm, and the event will begin at 6:30 pm. This is a free event, but RSVPs are requested.


More information can be found at: https://www.wjct.org/events/screenings/age-of-audio/


The screening will be followed by a Q&A session and panel discussion with the documentary’s director and other local experts.


Panelists include
•Shaun Michael Colón – Director, ‘Age of Audio’
•Alban Brooke – Head of Marketing, Buzzsprout
•Alex Sanfilipo – Podcaster & Founder, PodMatch
•Blythe Brumleve – Co-Founder, Jax Podcasters United


Location:
WJCT Studios
100 Festival Park Avenue

Shout out to Jacksonville’s CROP Creative Media for being commissioned to edit and produced the ‘POWERHOUSE: The Rise of Czech Women in Professional Tennis’ that recently premiered on TNT Sports and streaming now on HBO Max. The special was broadcast across Warner Bros. Discovery platforms as part of their comprehensive coverage of the Roland-Garros (French Open) tournament. Jacksonville based, Mason Seay, producer/director created the documentary for TNT Sports to tell the impressive story of the rise and perseverance of Czech Women in the International sport of Tennis. Featuring archival footage from WTA events as well as Olympic and Fed Cup matches, this documentary explores why Czech women have a disproportionate success rate compared to the size of the country, all from the perspective of Martina Navratilova and other top ranked Czech players. Hosted by CBS journalist, Jon Wertheim.

Mark your calendars: the Jacksonville Urban Film & Music Festival is happening June 25 – 27. This will be the festival’s Jacksonville debut, founded by Dr. Shaun Powell and in collaboration with the Orlando Urban Film Festival.


This festival aims to nurture creativity, empower artists, and provide an opportunity for their work to be showcased. The first two days, June 25 & 26, will take place at the AMC Regency 24 for screenings of the festival’s official selections.


Saturday, June 27, will be at the Ritz Theatre and Museum for the esteemed Hattie Awards. The festival will introduce the Jacksonville Military & Veteran Performing Arts Awards to honor U.S. Veterans and Active-Duty service members for their contributions to the artistic community.

For ticket information, visit: https://jacksonvilleufmf.com

Locations:

AMC Regency 24
9451 Regency Square Blvd.
June 25-26

Ritz Theatre and Museum
829 N Davis St.
June 27

ATTENTION: The Jacksonville Film and Television Office is now accepting nominations for the 2026 Industry Achievement Award and the Rising Star Award. To nominate someone, visit filmjax.com/awards or use the link in bio. The deadline for submissions is June 24, 2026.


The Industry Achievement Award recognizes individuals’ long-term achievements in production-related fields.


The Rising Star Award highlights up-and-coming individuals in the local film and television industry.


Pictured are the 2025 winners, Carlos Smith II, Alexa Wint, and Tony Haines.

Did you get fooled by the recent Jacksonville Jaguars ‘schedule release’ with Trevor Lawrence’s haircut?

Hair SFX on Trevor Lawrence brought to you by Hillary Warren and Brad Shier and Keri Merkle

The Jacksonville Jazz Festival is returning for its 45th year as one of the largest free jazz festivals in the U.S. Kicks off Thursday, May 21, with the piano competition at the Florida Theater and Friday, May 22 through Sunday, May 24 at Ford on Bay (Main Stage) and Riverfront Plaza.

Patrons are encouraged to bring a lawn chair and join the fun.

Some notable artists in this weekend’s lineup are Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Andra Day, Sheila E. & The E-Train, Parliament Funkadelic featuring George Clinton, and Kamasi Washington.

This festival would not be possible without a team of people working behind the scenes on lighting, sound, staging and everyone involved. AVL Productions provides these technical elements for the Jacksonville Jazz Festival. The main stage alone will be equipped with 2 image walls, an upstage wall, 4 cameras, 40-line array speakers, and an LED wall.

The Jacksonville Jazz Festival is a great opportunity for people to gather and celebrate jazz music and culture.

🎬 SUBMISSIONS for the third “IndieJAX: An Independent Filmmaker Screening Series” will begin Monday, May 18, 2026. The film screening event is hosted by the Jacksonville Film & Television Office and MOCA Jacksonville.

Submit your short films to [email protected] with the subject heading ‘IndieJAX Screening’ along with a link to view the film.

Requirements to submit (include in email):
-Filmmaker(s) affiliation with Jacksonville.
-List the main filming locations.
-Provide list of the Jacksonville cast and crew with titles.
-Has this film been screened before a public audience in Jacksonville?


Submissions OPEN Monday, May 18, and CLOSE 11:59 pm, Monday, June 15, 2026. A committee will select 3 to 4 short films that will be screened in the MOCA Theater. Selections will be announced shortly after submissions close.

*Important Update: Films that will have their first local public screening, will take top priority when they are being reviewed.

The event will be at the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville (MOCA), located at 333 N Laura St, Jacksonville, FL 32202. Event starts at 6 p.m., with screenings beginning at 7 p.m., followed by a filmmaker Q&A on Wednesday, August 19, 2026. Films will be screened in the MOCA Theater.

Tickets are now available by clicking the link below or in our bio:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/indiejax-an-independent-filmmaker-screening-series-tickets-1986860195329?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

On May 13, the City of Jacksonville unveiled the opening of the Riverfront Music Garden and re-opening of the Northbank Riverwalk now reachable from the Riverside Arts Market to the Hyatt. Mayor Donna Deegan, along with city officials and stakeholders, delivered remarks about the project followed by a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Located at 300 Water Street, riverside of the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts, the new space celebrates Jacksonville’s rich musical legacy with a brand-new Walk of Fame that features 30 iconic Jacksonville musicians/bands, along with interactive art installations, sculptural design, and musical play structures.

A few of the musicians/bands featured on the Walk of Fame include Ray Charles, the Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Tim McGraw, 95 South, Limp Bizkit, Molly Hatchet, Tedeschi Trucks Band and many more artists who have influenced Jacksonville’s musical identity.