Joseph Marx, his wife Andrea, and Barbara Ottaviani-Jones, Adjunct Professor of Film Studies at Flagler College, founded the St. Augustine Film Society in 2012 to show foreign films in St. Augustine. At the time, there was no theater in the area screening the vast wealth of films made outside of Hollywood.
They formed a 501.c.3 non-profit to enable fund raising for the production of a short documentary on the importance of having a living will and health care directives, even for the young and even for married couples. This project was important to Barbara as a result of personal experience. Sunshine Studios, a subsidiary of SAFS, partnered with Kennetic Productions, Inc. of Jacksonville to produce the film “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” which has been used by Hospice of NE Florida and other north Florida organizations, as a training video and educational tool, to lead discussions on this topic. Everything’s Gonna Be Alright link: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/619233030
SAFS was successful in obtaining a grant from Community Foundation of NE Florida in 2014 to launch The Golden Way (TGW): Films That Make a Difference. TGW produced a series of socially relevant films that gave attendees a better understanding and appreciation of the differences that make up the human family. Topics included religious tolerance, race relations, LGBTQ issues, bullying, and spousal abuse. TGW continues to produce events, using film as one of the educational tools, to make our community a more understanding and compassionate place to live. Compassionate St. Augustine has been a primary partner and supporter from the very beginning. We also regularly partner with Flagler College, and local churches and organizations.
Our most recent initiative is the ECO Cinema Film Series partnering with Beaches Go Green in Jacksonville. Our first season was partially funded by a grant from Friends of The St. Augustine Amphitheater using the Front Porch of the Amphitheater as a venue. This outdoor venue allowed us to restart our programs after the COVID pandemic shuttered us for more than 1 year. Our second season, which completed in October of 2022, was at the St. Augustine Yacht Club which has provided both outdoor and indoor venues.
St Augustine Film Society has participated in the St Augustine Film Festival for over 6 years; partnered wth the Museum of Science and History (MOSH) in Jacksonville; and provided audio visual assistance to other local organizations, helping them fulfill the educational work they do. It has been an exciting and rewarding ride and we look forward to many more spectacular events in the future.
