(Just a note before we begin, and to be completely above board, I was a judge for the Omaha Film…read moreFestival for a few years, but this is an unbiased review from an attendee perspective to the festival in categories I did not judge/after I hung up my judging cap!) So I just want to begin by saying, Omaha is VERY lucky to have a film festival like this in our own town, especially one that is so well organized and features local filmmakers as well as national filmmakers. They have even had some Oscar winning shorts shown at the Omaha Film Festival before they won their big awards. The cost of admission is very reasonable for all that you get out of this festival. You can buy individual tickets if there are certain films/blocks you're interested in, or you can spring for the All Films pass and bop from theater to theater to things you like and make up your mind as you go. They have a little something for everyone, like a few blocks of shorts, feature length films, a Writer's Theater where the winning scripts and screenplays are read, as well as Q&As with some of the filmmakers. They've had some amazing guests, such as Shane Black, Mauro Fiore, Famke Jansson, and the animator Bill Plympton. Some of my favorite films I've seen at the festival (ones that you would recognize) were Obvious Child, Hotel Mumbai, and Score: A Music Film Documentary. This is a great way for local filmmakers to get their movies shown to an audience, as well as some larger independent filmmakers who wish to have their movies shown at local festivals, and not just the giant ones in LA or New York. There are also a few things the Omaha Film Festival runners host outside of the actual festival. They refer to themselves sometimes as a "teaching festival" and I can totally see why. They have the OFF Academy which hosts middle- and high-school students for two days of behind the scenes filmmaking processes. They also do a 48-Hour Film Challenge each year, which offers local filmmakers the chance to create a short with a specific prop and line of dialogue. They haven't shoot, edit, and complete it all within 48 hours! So aside from being a fun film festival, they also do a lot for the community throughout the year, and not just during the week of the festival each year. I will just conclude my review by reiterating that I think this festival is a super neat thing we have in the Omaha community, for film lovers or just people looking to try out a film festival for the first time!

I went in 2023 and was really disappointed. It just didn't seem very well done. It all had a made…read morein a garage feel to it.

On it's way to being a great fair. Pictus was amazing, there was a full schedule of events, and the…read morevendors were extremely friendly. Lots of kids activities and the whole family enjoyed the joust. We will be back next year and hope to see some new acts and vendors!

It was nice to have parking at the events center. It was $5 for general and $15 for VIP. On a rainy…read morenight that was great. You can even bring in a large purse - mine is 13x10x4. That was MUCH appreciated. They have the usual food and beverages and they were decent. Staff were very friendly. Restrooms were clean. My only complaint were the seats. I am 5'5" and my legs were smooshed against the seat back in front of me. The seats would have been great with a little more leg room.

We were blessed with free tickets to Disney on Ice through Vettix and drove from Omaha to come…read morehere. The parking was cheap at only $5 (locally it's $15-$20 for events!) and everyone we spoke to were very nice to us. The bathrooms were clean, and so was the seating area itself. The toys and such for Disney were just outrageous but I don't know if that's on the Arena itself or Disney. Either way we had no complains. The view was fantastic from where we sat and we'd come back again for another show. It was my daughter's first real event at 3 years old, and she had a blast.

Biggest rip off omahas Italians have pulled in decades. Pay 10 bucks to park in a shopping center…read more Then pay 7.50 a person to essentially go into a beer garden and pay more.

I used to be a regular at La Festa Italiana but haven't gone in many years. I really wanted to go…read morethis year since it was their first in the new American Italian Heritage Society (AIHS) headquarters -- Il Palazzo located at 132nd & Fort. My friend and I got there right after work on Friday about 20 minutes early. The upside was that we got close parking without having to take the shuttle and were able to walk around and check out the building and grounds before it got too crowded. The downside was that the food wasn't ready to be served until about a half hour later and I was starving! When we finally did get a chance to eat, I took full advantage of sampling some of the homemade specialties including a sausage & pepper sandwich, salad, garlic bread, fried calamari, and fried dough. My friend got a thick slice of sausage pizza and a gelato. As a side note, this year they offered a gluten free menu, also. We both got cannoli, biscotti and other pastries to go. The food was excellent if a little pricey. If you have a healthy appetite like me and want to try one of everything, bring a decent amount of cash. It is their annual fundraiser, however, and a fun festival. There were musicians, dancers, live music, food demonstrations, bocce ball, fireworks, and plenty of activities for children. Fun for the whole family.