Film Florida Friday featuring a discussion with Author and Florida Film Historian David Morton about his book, "A Motion Picture Paradise! A History of Florida’s Film and Television Industry."

Motion Picture Paradise is a sweeping story of filmmaking in Florida, featuring the activities of studios and filmmakers across the peninsula by looking at the many iconic films and television shows shot in the state. In the early years of the American film industry, Florida was a favorite location for pioneer movie makers, and David Morton chronicles the state’s importance to producers throughout the next 125 years.

Using a wealth of source materials, Morton offers a comprehensive history that demonstrates how films and television shows made in Florida have influenced the state’s sense of identity, drawing attention to Florida’s underacknowledged role as the “third coast” in American film history. Motion Picture Paradise adds new insights into the state’s dramatic social and economic transformations during the twentieth century.