Florida is known for many things such as its fresh oranges, sunshine and warm weather, its beautiful beaches, Everglades National Park, cigar factories and many other interesting things. There is also another thing that contributes to Florida's popularity and that is its film industry. Florida's film industry is one of the largest in the United States. In 2006, Florida ranked third in the United States for film production, after California and New York, based on revenue generated. Who knew that Florida would also be famous for its film industry? I will talk about Florida's interesting facts and history about the film industry and how it all started in Florida. The early 20th century was a time of rapid growth for the American film industry. During that time, New York City was the main location of this industry. Eventually New York was hit with cold, harsh winter weather and Hollywood wasn't in the picture yet, the New York film industry needed a winter filming location. Searching for a winter resort they found Jacksonville, Florida, the gateway to the Sunshine State. In addition to being a warm climate with exotic locations, Jacksonville also provided an excellent rail system that allowed for easy access and transportation of equipment to the city. With all of these services Jacksonville provided to filmmakers, Jacksonville quickly became known as the winter movie capital of the world. In 1908, Jacksonville became the new home of Kalem Studios, the first motion picture studio in the state of Florida, which propelled the city to fame as the winter movie capital of the world. The cold weather drove New York film producers south in search of sunnier locations for filming during the winter. ...... middle of paper ...... World. The Festival includes narrative and documentary feature and short films, animations, midnight films and a full range of educational forums, attractive parties and other special events. The Florida Film Festival is known as the "Big 15" in the United States, for Academy Award Consideration. The citywide celebration serves two purposes: to remember Florida's extraordinary cinematic past, to attract the entertainment industry, and to be a spark for new talent. For more than one hundred years, Jacksonville has played an important role in the history of American cinema. As the first decade of the 20th century began, Jacksonville's people, its buildings and its stunning landscape were seen on screens large and small across the country. With all its achievements, Florida deserves the title of Winter Cinema Capital of the World.