A History of Florida’s Film and Television Industry

In this program, historian David Morton, Ph.D., explores Florida’s overlooked role in shaping the American film and television industries. He traces how the state emerged as a “third coast” for entertainment over the last century, beginning with Jacksonville’s pioneering film studios of the early 1900s and continuing through South Florida’s television boom of the 2000s and 2010s.

From silent reels to streaming culture, Florida has provided a stage for countless stories that captured national attention.

Morton received his Ph.D. in Texts and Technology from the University of Central Florida in 2019, where he teaches History and Media Studies.

A 2016–17 Fulbright scholar and program director for the Flickering Landscapes Conference Series, Morton is also the author of A Motion Picture Paradise!: A History of Florida’s Film and Television Industry, published in July 2024 by the University Press of Florida.

Florida Conversations will be presented in person in TECO Hall and virtually through Zoom. Reserve your spot today.

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This program is made possible with the support of the USF Foundation, USF Libraries, AARP Tampa Bay, and a generous gift from Shelley Blood.