Wait Five Minutes

The 2026 Florida Film Festival has come and gone. From April 10th to the 19th, we spent most every day in screenings, seeing the tales of Floridians and Floridian filmmakers on the big screen. Today, we chat about the work from three of these films, focusing on art, protest, cryptids, poems, and belief.

Frogtown, the story of a small Florida town finding meaning in the elusive Frog King.

The Call, which details Morocco's historic Green March, hosted by Orlando's arts instigator.

Welcome, profiling Shawn Welcome, Orlando's former poet laureate.

Thank you to all of our guests!

 

Vote for us as Best Local Podcast at Orlando Weekly!

Read more of my writing with the Community Paper right here!

Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design of our logo! Follow Chelsea on Instagram here!

 

All of the music was originally composed.

Off a quiet road, east of Gainesville, a trio of oak trees tell the stories of those who have passed beneath their branches: soldiers, governors, trains and us. Two hundred years of history unfold in the ghost town of Rochelle, Florida.

Vote for us as Best Local Podcast at Orlando Weekly!

Read more of my writing with the Community Paper right here!

 

Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design of our logo! Follow Chelsea on Instagram here!

 

Read more about the Rochelle witness trees here!

Read more about the Patriot War right here.

"Some Early Railroads of Alachua County" by Caroline Watkins

 

All of the music was originally composed.

In Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the story of the American Civil War is told every day. One unique perspective is that of the trees: hundreds of trees which stand on the battleground today were there in 1863 as well, witnesses of the chaos that unfolded in that bloody July.

Our guest this week has contributed immensely to the understanding of witness tree in Gettysburg. His name is Peter Lukacs, and he joins us today to explore the history of the trees, the math of history, and the doomed fate of the Florida Brigade.

Read more about the Gettysburg Witness Trees right here.

 

Vote for us as Best Local Podcast at Orlando Weekly!

Read more of my writing with the Community Paper right here!

 

Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design of our logo! Follow Chelsea on Instagram here!

The footage from the Hall of Presidents is from this video.

All of the music was originally composed.

Florida has been the sight of a number of internment camps throughout its history, including right in this present moment. This week, we explore two centuries of internment in Florida, from St. Augustine to the Everglades, and Camp Blanding during World War II.

Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design of our logo! Follow Chelsea on Instagram here!

All of the music was originally composed.

 

Read a lot more about the topics this week below.

Camp Blanding in World War II: The Early Years

Camp Blanding Station Hospital in the War Years

Camp Blanding, Starke, Florida - German American Internee Coalition

Camp Blanding (detention facility) - Densho Encyclopedia

With the Wehrmacht in Florida: The German POW Facility at Camp Blanding, 1942-1946

 

Florida taxpayers likely on the hook for Alligator Alcatraz

‘Alligator Alcatraz' timeline: Everglades detention center from beginning to now

Secrets of ‘Alligator Alcatraz' revealed in newly released data analyzed by NBC6 Investigates

 

Bipartisan opposition blocked a dozen ICE warehouses. Can Orlando do the same?

Orlando Area News Orange County leaders unanimously approve resolution opposing proposed ICE facility

Freedom Tower sits in the heart of Miami, a beacon for a community when they needed it most. This week, we explore Cuba's revolutionary history, the construction of a "lighthouse for the Americas", and the context for the current crisis unfolding between the United States and Cuba.

 

The Crisis in Cuba, Explained - Time Magazine

Read Richard Gott's book of Cuban history right here!

Visit the Freedom Tower here.

Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design of our logo! Follow Chelsea on Instagram here!

All of the music was originally composed.

At the end of last year, the Florida government approved a hunt of our black bears. Environmental advocates had to get creative and find new brand new ways to fight back.

Thank you to Sarah Younger from the Sierra Club for joining us this week!

 

Read more about the black bear hunt at the links below.

Florida wildlife commissioners ignore science, law in saying yes to bear hunt

Central Florida nonprofit sues state agency over bear hunt rules

 

All of the music was originally composed.

After eight years, Rep. Anna V. Eskamani has finished her tenure in the Florida State Legislature. In our exit interview, we talk about her regrets, her successes, her hope for the future, and the lessons she hopes Floridians can learn from her experience in our state's capitol.

Thank you to Rep. Eskamani and her team for their time. Follow more of the Representative's work right here.

 

Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design of our logo! Follow Chelsea on Instagram here!

 

All of the music was originally composed.

Tallahassee can be intimidating. Today, we're making it less so. With the help of Amy Keith from Common Cause Florida, we're talking about phone calls, public comments, navigating the capitol, and so much more for when you want to have an impact on our state legislators. All that, plus music from Mr. Rogers!

Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design of our logo! Follow Chelsea on Instagram here!

 

I do not own the rights to the following audio clips used. 

The Children's Corner [1955-02-12]

Be Brave - Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood

 

Besides the above clips, all the music was originally composed.

The explosion of Deepwater Horizon changed the water around Florida. Sixteen years later, Florida politicians are standing up against future development off our coasts, and finding new ways to fight back.

Thank you to Katie Bauman from Surfrider Foundation! Learn more about Surfrider's mission right here!

Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design of our logo! Follow Chelsea on Instagram here!

 

All of the music was originally composed.

Mar-a-Lago has had two owners in its existence: Marjorie Merriweather Post, and Donald Trump. This week, we explore the origins of the infamous home, the city that brought Marjorie to the Sunshine State, and the legacy the building is burdened with a century after its completion.

Thank you to our guest this week, Les Standiford, for his help. Read more of Les' work right here.

Thank you to Chelsea Rice for her incredible design of our logo! Follow Chelsea on Instagram here!

 

All of the music was originally composed.