Hollywood Florida Film Festival

08/08/2025

Attention please 📣✨ Judge Spotlight: Madalina Bellariu Ion!

We’re honored to welcome the stunning and versatile Madalina Bellariu Ion to our jury panel!
🎭 Madalina Bellariu Ion is a multilingual actress and producer who studied acting in London before launching an international career in film and television.

She gained recognition for her role in HBO's The Young Pope, directed by Oscar-winner Paolo Sorrentino, starring alongside Jude Law and Diane Keaton. She played the lead in Drained, a vampire horror film that premiered at Screamfest Los Angeles in 2024, and in Take Cover, an action thriller that ranked among the top films on Hulu, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime and is currently guest starring in acclaimed TV series Grace.

Madalina won Best Actress at the Milan International Film Festival for her performance in Bad Wings, a film she also produced. 🌟 A true global talent, Madalina brings elegance, depth, and star power to our judging panel.

07/08/2025

📣✨ Meet our Italian judge, Federica Alderighi ❤️ A Force of Vision and Voice in Global Cinema

From Rome to the world stage, Federica Alderighi is redefining what it means to tell stories that matter.

🎥 An Italian screenwriter, author, and producer, Federica blends cinematic artistry with social innovation. With a Master in New Media and a background in Communications, she founded Tadàn Produzioni, an independent studio celebrated for its bold storytelling across short films, documentaries, branded content, and immersive cinema events.

She’s also the visionary behind the Moscerine Film Festival—the world’s first international festival dedicated to short films created by children under 12. As co-creator and executive producer, Federica champions youth empowerment, creativity, and education through the lens of cinema.

🌟 Her work is fearless, elegant, and deeply human—bringing a fresh perspective to our jury that celebrates both artistry and impact.

06/08/2025

📣✨ HFFF 9th Edition - Judge Spotlight: Ioanina Pavel

We’re thrilled to welcome powerhouse producer Ioanina Pavel to our jury panel 🔥

🎬 Ioanina Pavel began her career at HBO as a freelance translator, adapting Romanian scripts for UK commissioners. Her talent and insight led her into development and production, eventually heading HBO Romania’s Original Production Department. She later co-founded the production company May One with Johnathan Young, former VP of Original Production at HBO Central Europe. Their debut series, SUBTERAN, a 6-part thriller that premiered on Netflix in January 2025, claimed the #1 spot in Romania and ranked 5th globally. Her spy thriller Spy/Master world-premiered in competition at the 2023 Berlinale and aired on BBC4 in May 2024.

🎥 With a career defined by bold storytelling and global impact, Ioanina brings vision, depth, and cinematic brilliance to our judging table.

09/01/2025

Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by the Los Angeles fires. Please stay safe and take all necessary precautions.

20/09/2024

Dear Filmmakers and Movie Fans,

After thoughtful discussions among our founders and staff, we have decided to move the annual Hollywood Florida Film Festival to March 21-23, 2025, instead of its usual November dates.

Our mission at the Hollywood Florida Film Festival is to elevate filmmakers by showcasing quality films and our focus remains on this goal. We believe this new timing will help us stay true to our purposes .

Submissions from the 2024 season will be combined with those from 2025 and screened during the new dates. There’s still time to submit additional projects, and we wish you the best of luck!

Thank you for your understanding and continued support. 🙏❤️❤️❤️🎬🎬🍿🍿🍾🍾🥂🥂🙏

16/01/2024

The story about Tom Greenberg helping out Shaun and his puppy Sandy to get off the street and into my Rv. Channel 7 ABCnews covered the story! There is a gofundme at the end if you can help out.

Shaun Donnelly and his dog Sandy were living on the street in SoCal until one day, a good Samaritan stepped in to help.