Staycation: RedFish Film Fest
Red Lights, Doc’s, and Masquerade Magic: Our 2025 Redfish Film Festival Experience
The Redfish Film Festival is a vibrant and growing documentary film festival in its second year in Panama City, Florida. Located in our revitalized downtown, the festival transforms local businesses, galleries, parks, and historic buildings into screening rooms and celebration spaces, immersing the community in film, art, and creativity.
Rob and I attended the 2024 festival for its inaugural year, catching the Opening Night Gala, a block party, and one day of films. We left that year feeling like tourists in our own town—and convinced that Redfish was destined to become something bigger. We were right. In 2025, the festival came back with more documentaries, more events, more parties, and a surge of local pride and excitement. We went all in this year, taking off work for a full staycation and soaking up as much as we could.
The festivities kicked off on Wednesday, April 23rd, at Gallery of Art 850, a local gem owned by Mark and Kim White. They hosted an art opening dedicated to the color red in honor of the Redfish theme. The artwork was inspired and some of the best I’ve seen there—it was clear the artists had fun exploring the color and its bold energy. Mark and Kim know how to throw an art event, and this was no exception—it was the perfect way to ease into the energy of the week..
Thursday night was the official Opening Night Gala, titled "From Bayou to Beyond," held at the beautifully restored Historic Sapp House. Coca-Cola was a major sponsor this year, and local chef Chris Infinger from St. Andrews Bodega created an entire menu using Coke products. As a pescatarian, I mostly stuck to the shrimp dish and desserts, but Rob sampled everything. The Cherry Coke Float with cotton candy and the Fanta jello with Swedish fish were fun and whimsical (I had two of those jellos!). The atmosphere was perfect, with live music from Lucky Mudd, projected historical slides, and even a surprise celebrity sighting—Matt Iseman from American Ninja Warrior. He was as enthusiastic in person as he is on TV!
After the gala, we hit the town for some of the festival’s specialty cocktails. We stopped at House of Henry for “The Showstopper” and then visited Atelier for a cherry martini. These drinks were part of a fun #drinklikearedfish contest, encouraging attendees to try themed drinks throughout the weekend. (For the record, we shared most of them, took photos, and enjoyed the experience—definitely not alcoholics!)
Friday was the first full day of films. We grabbed our passes from the headquarters inside Beachy Beach Realty, then had lattes and breakfast at Wild Root before heading to the Downtown Boxing Club for our first screening, "The Hero Next Door." The venue itself was really cool, setting the tone for a weekend of unconventional and inspiring spaces. At Mosey’s, we caught two shorts: "The House That Built Me" (from a filmmaker in my hometown of Columbus, GA) and "Jere Allen," about a brilliant artist losing his sight.
Lunch was at Ferrucci’s before heading to the Bay County History Museum for a shorts block featuring “Devouring Beauties, The Remarkable Pitcherplants,” “A Tortoise Called Pumpkin Spice,” and “Blue.” All three were engaging and beautifully done. We made a quick trip home to let the dogs out, then returned for “On Firm Ground” (one of my favorites) while Rob saw “When Engines Roared” and “Tigers of the Sky.” The latter, about owls at St. Marks NWR, was especially meaningful since it's one of our favorite places.
Afterward, we checked out “Building a Better Place,” a documentary about downtown Panama City, and grabbed cupcakes made with Coca-Cola at Thistle and Thorne. The “Paris is Burning” cocktail was another standout. Dinner was at The Place Downtown—amazing pizza as always—and Rob tried the “Redfish Refresher” (bourbon-based, so not for me!).
The night ended with a magical party in McKenzie Park. The Trash Market, an art market of works made from found materials, was full of quirky treasures. Storytellers, musicians, and even mermaids filled the park, and the Bay High School drumline added a jolt of energy. We discovered a hidden speakeasy in the basement of Main Street Antiques, lit in red, with jazz music, artist vignettes, and a moody, underground vibe. I loved it! The White Dove martini we had there was one of my favorite drinks of the weekend.
Saturday began with one of the films I most wanted to see: "Wild Horses at the Door," directed by Carrie Lederer (whom we met at the gala). It was emotional, powerful, and ended up winning the Audience Choice for Best Short. Later, we saw “Tatsuya Nakatani & The Nakatani Gong Orchestra,” which wasn’t quite my thing—but art is subjective!
In between films, we visited Revival House General Store for the “Rosemary’s Baby,” their version of an Aperol spritz made with Cappelletti. I loved it so much we went back later for seconds. Brunch was at The Press, with crepes for me and a Dagwood sandwich for Rob. While waiting, we popped into Sage and bought a festival T-shirt.
Later, at “Coke Park” (the lawn of the Center for the Arts), we tried to get custom Coke cans with our names on them. Sadly, they couldn’t personalize one for me due to past misuse, but we still got cans with the granddaughters’ names and Rob was able to get one with his name. We cooled off back at headquarters and met Brooke, one of the volunteers. She was kind and cool—we really clicked, and I’m excited to stay in touch with her.
More shorts followed at the History Museum, including films about Tate’s Hell in the Apalachicola National Forest. They featured AI-generated narrators, which wasn’t our favorite choice. We squeezed in dessert at Thistle and Thorne—a delicious strawberry lemon cheesecake cup—before racing to Mosey’s for “Have You Got It Yet? The True Story of Syd Barrett and Pink Floyd.” Afterwards, we went home for a break, watched one of the NASA films (“Other Worlds: Europa”) outside with the dogs, and got ready for the big night.
The Masque of the Red Death Masquerade was the party I had been anticipating for months. After many dress returns, I finally chose a sequined black dress with a 1920s flair. Because I wear glasses, I swapped a mask for a cage veil with a red flower fascinator, red jewelry, shoes, and clutch. Rob looked sexy in a black suit and shiny red shirt with a black mask. The Yard Bar hosted the event, and the Surfing Violinist performed live. The food (according to Rob) was great, though I could only eat the deviled eggs and cake. That cake—WOW. The best thing I ate all weekend. I’m determined to find out who made it for my birthday!
We spent time with our new friends Brooke and her husband Jerry, and ended the night back at the speakeasy and House of Henry. It was a magical, vibrant, unforgettable evening.
Sunday was our wind-down day. We grabbed coffee at The Press (Redfish Latte for me) and visited headquarters to say goodbye. We saw “The Most Australian Band Ever!” and “The Spirit of Halloweentown,” but skipped “Gallagher” because we couldn’t manage another long sit.
The whole weekend was a beautiful, immersive celebration of art and community. Downtown Panama City came alive with red-themed art, local pride, and creative energy.
A final thought: Kevin Elliot, the founder of the festival. He was everywhere—making sure guests had a great time, supporting artists and vendors, and keeping the whole operation running smoothly. This festival is his vision, and what he achieved in just two years is nothing short of remarkable. I doubt even he expected it to grow this much, this fast. He’s an impressive visionary, and I truly hope he keeps going for years to come. Who knows—maybe one day Redfish will be the Sundance of the documentary film world.
Until next year, Redfish. You were something special.
