Fodor's Expert Review Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival

Founded in 1986, this annual festival is a celebration of independent cinema, showcasing more than 100 American and international feature, documentary, and short films at various locations across Broward County. Cinema Paradiso in downtown Fort Lauderdale is the base camp. In addition to more than two weeks of screenings, seminars, events, and parties fill the calendar, but don't expect the pomp of a big-city film festival. With that said, the Florida Arts Council refers to FLIFF as the highest-rated film festival in the state of Florida and it's the only film festival in the South to receive four major grants from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.