What Will YOU See?
Ten days. One hundred-sixty films. Seven amazing, major events. Once again this year, the glamour of Hollywood and the excitement of the best of new films and filmmakers meet the beauty and friendliness of our Sarasota. For ten glorious days, Sarasota and its visitors are invited to immerse ourselves in the world of fine filmmaking and celebrations. The festival embraces Sarasota and its events span our downtown and waterfront, from Longboat Key to the Arts District and the length of Main Street. Come celebrate with us!
The festival runs from Opening Night at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall on April 9th, with a first-run film and fabulous party celebrating the film, its stars and the festival itself. Throughout the 10 days, there will be films galore for all age groups, in addition to a full children’s program—youthFEST. During the festival, admission is free for all youthFEST family film selections for those 12 years-old and under. Films will be shown in nonstop screenings at the Regal Hollywood 20, every day, from 10 AM to 10 PM. Kids’ field trips will be scheduled for 9 AM to 1 PM. The festival closes on April 18th with the Closing Night Film at the Regal Hollywood 20.
On March 15th, the President of the Sarasota Film Festival Board Mark Familigio, the festival’s Artistic Director Tom Hall and Director of Programming Holly Herrick—as well as Allison Koehler, Director of the Outreach and Education Program—will release the 2010 Festival schedule, including the films and stars that will become our 12th annual festival.
The 2010 Sarasota Film Festival catalogue—listing all the films and events scheduled for this year—will be available following the March 15th announcement. Copies will be available at the Sarasota Convention and Visitors’ Bureau, as well as other downtown and nearby locations.
The SFF box office will open on March 19th. This year, we have a convenient location across from the Regal Hollywood 20, inside 1990 Main Street—one of our newest sponsors, Buddha Belly Donuts. The box office will be open March 19th-April 4th from Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM and Saturday from 9 AM to 4 PM. Starting April 5th, the box office will be open daily, 9 AM to 8 PM. You can also order tickets by calling 941-366-6200 or 1-888-575-FILM, or purchase on-line at www.sarasotafilmfestival.com. The website also contains a printable version of our film and events catalogue.
This year, the Sarasota Film Festival has partnered with UNIFEM—the United Nations Development Fund for Women—to run the UNIFEM “Through Women’s Eyes” Film Festival concurrently with SFF, on April 10th and 11th, with encore screenings shown through April 18th. All UNIFEM TWE screenings will also be held at the Regal Hollywood 20 and tickets may be purchased through SFF.
Film Festival Events
Throughout the Sarasota Film Festival, our wonderful town hosts a number of fabulous events, to which tickets may be purchased through the SFF box office. These events are always special, with stars, good food and everyone interested in quality films and filmmaking. Although the final details of the events planned for the 2010 Sarasota Film Festival will not be available until March 15th, a list of the major evening events and the relevant dates are as follows:
- Opening Night Film and Party April 9
- Hollywood Nights Student Cinema Showcase April 11
- Cinema Tropicale Celebration April 14
- Night of 1,000 Stars April 16
- Filmmaker Tribute April 17
- The After Party April 17
- Closing Night Film April 18
History of the Sarasota Film Festival
The mission of the Sarasota Film Festival is to celebrate the art of filmmaking and the contribution of filmmakers, by hosting an international film festival and developing year-long programs for the economic, educational and cultural benefit of our community. The Festival supports and encourages individual filmmakers by supplying essential networking opportunities and open dialogue with intelligent, creative and inquisitive consumers of film. Further, it promotes Sarasota, Manatee and surrounding Gulf Coast communities as cultural centers that contribute to the financial and cultural success of our southwest Florida sun coast region.
An important component of the Film Festival is its award-winning Outreach and Education programs, recognized by both the National Endowment for the Arts and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. These programs bring the art of filmmaking to students in an array of regional public and private schools. Beyond the Film Festival itself, the non-profit SFF arts organization fosters year-round creative and cultural development within the Sarasota region. Specific year-round programs target independent and student filmmakers, at-risk and under-served youth, arts organizations in a variety of disciplines and social service agencies.
For Film Buffs
A highlight of the Film Festival is always the guest actors, directors and producers who participate in the events—and Festival attendees have ample opportunity to meet the guests and learn the art of filmmaking from these important contributors to their craft. Special guests over the years— filmmakers and other artists—have included Jon Favereau, Marlee Matlin and Peter Sarsgaard (1999); Gena Rowlands and Jon Voight (2000); Alan Alda, Tippi Hedren and Christian Slater (2001); William H. Macy and the late Sydney Pollack (2002); Aerosmith, Elmer Bernstein, Richard Dreyfuss and Rita Moreno (2003); Billy Crystal, Sam Elliot, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Woody Harrelson (2004); Peter Falk, Paul Reiser, (2005); the late Robert Altman, Werner Herzog, Felicity Huffman, Allison Janney, William H. Macy, Jason Ritter and Robert Towne (2006); Steve Buscemi, Marcia Gay Harden, Norman Jewison, Chad Lowe, Edward Norton, Joe Pantoliano, Michelle Trachenberg and Patrick Wilson (2007); Charlize Theron, Stuart Townsand, Stanley Tucci and Liv Ullmann (2008); and Woody Harrelson, Ben Foster, Bill Paxton, Stanley Tucci, Steve Buscemi, Jon Voight, Bert Young, and Christo and Jean Claude (2009). The 2010 guest star roster will be announced on March 15th.
Some significant films have been showcased at the Sarasota Film Festival. Many have gone on to win important industry awards and make household names of their stars. Included in this list are “Before Night Falls;” “He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not;” “Spellbound;” “Kings and Queen;” “Millions;” “Murderball;” “A Prairie Home Companion;” “Kinky Boots; “Lucky Number Slevin;” “Transamerica;” “Waitress,” “Grizzly Man;” “Wordplay;” “Roman de Gare;” “The Visitor” (with the starring performance by Richard Jenkins nominated in 2009 for an Oscar ); “Young at Heart;” “The Messenger” (with two major 2010 Oscar nominations); “Every Little Step;” “The Maid;” “The Lemon Tree;” “Goodbye Solo;” “Food, Inc.;” and “Sugar,” among the hundreds of excellent films screened at the past Festivals. The 2010 film list will be announced on March 15th.
Come join us in Sarasota for the 2010 Sarasota Film Festival!
What will YOU see?
For more information, please visit our website (www.sarasotafilmfestival.com). We are still seeking volunteers for the festival. If you are interested—you might be a resident or a visitor who will be in town during the festival and would love the opportunity to share in the film festival experience—please call us at 941-364-9514.
