Today, a new movie set and filmed in Walt Disney World’s backyard held its premiere at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in France. The Florida Project, directed by Sean Baker who also co-wrote the script with Chris Bergoch, stars Willem Dafoe along with newcomers Brooklynn Prince, Bria Vinaite and Valeria Cotto and takes place at a budget motel near Orlando called the Magic Castle Inn and Suites. In fact, the film was mostly shot on location in Kissimmee, Florida — a city many Disney tourists are surely familiar with.
If the duo of Baker and Bergoch rings a bell, it’s probably because their previous film Tangerine became an indie sensation both because of its ripe and timely subject matter but also due the fact that it was shot entirely on iPhone 5Ss. However, as IndieWire notes in their positive review of Florida Project, this movie opted to use good old-fashioned 35-millimeter film. The site notes that this choice compliments the film’s style, with the review saying the style uses, “the bright, elegant colors of the motel, 99 cent stores, and an exuberant ice cream shop to create a storybook feel.”
Of course, Disney fans are also likely to notice the reference to Disney World in the film’s title. Before it was Walt Disney World, the man himself would simply refer to it as “the Florida Project” as it was being developed. With that, it seems an apt title for this small film set on the outskirts of the magic.
The Florida Project is currently seeking distribution in the United States, but with strong buzz coming out of early showings, there could be some news on that front in the coming days. UPDATE (5/26/17): Variety now reports that A24 — who released last year’s Oscar-winning Moonlight — has acquired the distribution rights to The Florida Project. Previosuly: It should also be noted that, if and when the film does hit theatres, it will almost assuredly be rated R. Lastly, lest you worry that the film’s young stars never made it down the road to the Happiest Place on Earth, last month co-writer and producer Chris Bergoch ensured that would not be the case — where else would they celebrate when they learned their movie would debut at Cannes?
