Sarasota Film Festival is Much More than Films

[Amy Warren, LMHC / WQ Mag Columnist]

While everything at the Sarasota Film Festival surrounds film, the festival offers much more than films. In addition to the vast choice of film selections, the festival offers many opportunities to join the party with other film lovers. This weekend, the nightlife in Sarasota rose to new dimensions with Night of a Thousand Stars and Saturday’s Closing Night After Party.

Michael’s on East, who has supported the Sarasota Film Festival since its inception and was recognized with an award at Saturday's awards ceremony, once again hosted The Night of a Thousand Stars. This event is an annual favorite of film lovers and star gazers alike. As usual, Michael’s rose to the occasion with generous offerings of delectables from the ballroom to the courtyard. The feast included Kobe beef sliders, truffle oil french fries, butternut squash raviolis, and several different preparations of oysters. Pastry chef James Plocharsky can likely be credited for the variations of ice cream pie on a stick with choices of toppings. Thankfully, I broke through my initial resistance to the calories on a stick and succumbed to the taste temptation.

With two good bands playing simultaneously in different rooms and guests discussing festival films in the courtyard, it was difficult to decide on a spot to settle. Instead I spent most of the evening roaming from place to place, always wishing I could be in all three places at once. This year’s celebrities in attendance included Patricia Clarkson, Ben Foster, Stanley Tucci, Steve Buscemi, Patti Smith, Vincent D’Onofrio, John Ventimiglia and Oren Moverman. Even though Patti Smith made her way to the dance floor and some of the celebrities interspersed with the crowd, guests still complained about the segregated VIP area. But the stars can’t be blamed for wanting to enjoy some uninterrupted party time of their own in Sarasota.

The lull between Saturday’s Filmmaker Tribute and the Closing Night After Party made it difficult to stand the test of time, but it turned out the After Party was worth waiting for. When else in Sarasota can you hear a live concert by a rock legend in an intimate setting like Ceviche? Patti Smith and guitarist Lenny Kaye entertained the crowd for a full set with familiar songs like “Be My Baby”, “Gloria” and “Because the Night.” Smith expertly handled problems with the sound system, never allowing it stop her. The crowd, which included visiting filmmakers, frequently joined her in singing. Revved up by the performance, most of the party-goers ended the night on the rooftop…and 2 a.m. came much quicker than was previously imagined.

If the Sarasota Film Festival was just about films, it would still be great. Yet the addition of the events makes it exceptional, allowing the opportunity to mingle, connect and discuss the heart of the festival -- the films.