The Florida Project is an upcoming independent feature film directed by Sean Baker. The film’s title refers to Florida’s Disney World in the USA. When Disney first started buying up land and planning Disney World, they referred to it as “The Florida Project”.
The film tells the story of a precocious six-year-old and her rag tag group of close friends whose summer break is filed with childhood wander, possibility and a sense of adventure, when their parents and the adults around them struggle with hard times.
It’s been predicted that the film will look at the economic disparity between the multi-billion dollar company Disney and the lives of the main characters.
Director, Sean Baker is also a writer and producer, known for the Spirit-Award nominated films Tangerine, Take Out and Prince of Broadway.
Tangerine told the story of a transgender working girl searching Hollywood on Christmas Eve for the pimp who broke her heart.
While Tangerine was previously shot on three iPhones, The Florida Project marks Baker’s return to 35mm. Baker also teased that they did something “extremely different” in how they used the film’s widescreen imagery.
Baker also worked with cinematographer Alexis Zabe, who is known for his work in music (Pharrell’s “Happy”).
The Florida Project has three main characters, one of whom is played by Willem Dafoe. The other two characters – a six year-old girl and her mother- are played by newcomers Brooklyn Prince and Bria Vinaite. The mother was found and cast via social media.
Caleb Landry Jones (who played Banshee in X-Men First Class) also makes an appearance in the film.
The film, expected to be released in 2017, is predicted to have success at the Sundance Film Festival.