Starring Jacksonville

PHOTOS ATTACHED BELOW

The plush, red carpet rolled out. Local photographers flashed their cameras. The band of young jazz musicians fine-tuned its notes. Waiters prepared trays with delicious finger-foods while bartenders fully stocked the bar. And the silver-encrusted awards glittered on the podium of the stage. Jacksonville was set to premiere in its big role last night as the host of the 5th Annual Legends Awards, located in the revamped WJCT Studios.

Film Florida started the awards ceremony to commemorate special individuals in Florida’s film industry. This year’s recipients included technically gifted director/producer Jerry Smith, film studio founder, the late Richard Norman, and distributing extraordinaire Belton Clark.

At the beginning of the event, the who’s who of the film industry in Florida gathered to catch up with old friends and make new ones. The hall was a flurry of excitement as guests swarmed around tables with food in one hand, drinks in the other, and smiles on their faces. Creating a warm and friendly atmosphere, the reception was the perfect prelude to the honoring ceremony.

Guests then strutted across the red carpet from the reception hall into a large studio room. Elegantly decorated with white chairs, gold Oscar-like figurines on the stage, and even an old-time popcorn machine, the room symbolized the greatness of the film industry. Large projector screens daunted both sides of the stage, showcasing short montages about the accomplishments of each legend.

UNF/Florida Writers Association hosts Writers Conference

The Division of Continuing Education and the Department of English at the University of North Florida, along with the Florida Writers Association, is sponsoring the 2010 Writers Conference Friday, Aug. 6, through Sunday, Aug. 8, at the University Center on campus. The conference is for writers of fiction, non-fiction and screenplays. On Friday, Steve Berry, New York Times best-selling author of "The Charlemagne Pursuit," "The Alexandria Link," "The Venetian Betrayal" and many more, will present a workshop titled "What Every Writer Should Never Forget." On Saturday and Sunday, writers can participate in general fiction, general non-fiction, young adult, children's book, memoir-writing and screenwriting critique workshops. Also on Sunday, writers can attend a "First Page" critique panel and a workshop featuring the UNF Writers Conference Book & Film Deal Connection where they may submit their work for a low fee to agents, book editors, and film producers after the conference through the Pitch Book.

Hometown Starlet Ashley Greene

The third film of the popular Twilight series, Eclipse, premiered in theaters last night and featured actress Ashley Greene, a Jacksonville native whose breakout role as vampire Alice Cullen is putting her on the path to stardom. In her interview with Roger Moore of the Orlando Sentinel, she discusses preparing for her role as Alice Cullen, adapting to her new lifestyle of fame, and looking forward to what her future holds. To read the full article, visit Orlando Sentinel. Greene is set to star in the comedy Butter with Jennifer Garner and the thriller The Apparition, both scheduled to be released in 2011.

Don't Miss Red Dirt Rising's Hometown Screening!

The film Red Dirt Rising will premiere in Jacksonville tonight at 6:30pm in the Five Points Theatre. The film is directed and produced by Jacksonville native Kathleen "Bo" Bobak and is a true American tale of love set in the fourties. It also features many other local Jacksonville cast and crew memebers. Tickets are $6.50 for members of the film commission Cinemania and $8.50 for the public.

For more information or to see the trailer, visit Red Dirt Rising.