Talk of The Villages Florida - Military Film Festival This November

This upcoming November will serve as a real treat for military film fans. Earlier this week, Villagers for Veterans announced their first Military Film Festival to be held November 6-10 at Old Mill Playhouse at Lake Sumter Landing Market Square.

With Veteran’s Day November 11, the film festival’s timing is no coincidence. Villagers for Veterans aims to bring awareness to the challenges faced by military members and veterans, and through this event will focus on military history as well. Villagers will be able to watch nine military related films over the course of five days. In addition to film showings, the festival will include speakers, a demonstration by a service dog showing how they help veterans with PTSD, restored vintage military vehicles in the square, and possibly famous actors from the new remake of the film Midway.

The Villages has the second highest percentage of veterans and is home to over 19,000 former military members. This accounts for 16 percent of the population of The Villages. This fact will be highlighted in the festival as Deborah Mills, the director of The Villages Movie Theaters, is seeking photographs of WWII veterans, in particular anyone who served during The Battle of Midway. Mills plans to compile these photos into a special production to honor each of the veterans who served in the Pacific Theater. The content will be shown in between the other featured films.

Proceeds will help counter costs of the films, bringing in talent, food, and any additional money will go towards veterans programs offered by Villagers for Veterans.

The films being shown include: Midway (2019), Last Man Club, Abbott and Costello’s “Buck Privates”, Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero, The Deer Hunter, Wings, Charlie Wilson’s War, A New Leash on Life: The K-9s For Warriors Story, and The Bay House.

WWII Veterans or family members can send their photos for the festival to the email villagersforveterans@gmail.com, or by U.S. mail to Villagers for Veterans, 2518 Burnsed Blvd., Box 303, The Villages, FL 32163. For information, call 516-220-5068.