The 13th Annual Sarasota Film Festival Announces Films, Events & More

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13th ANNUAL SARASOTA FILM FESTIVAL April 7 thru April 17, 2011 ANNOUNCES FILMS/COMPETITIONS/EVENTS/TRIBUTES/PARTIES/SPECIAL GUESTS/ including Christopher Plummer, Geena Davis, Sarah Green, David Carr, Brian Stelter, Mike Mills, Andrew Rossi, Amy Seimetz and others.

 

     MARCH 10, 2011-- The Sarasota Film Festival (SFF) officially announced their complete 2011 Festival line-up today. The SFF, one of the largest regional film festivals in the United States, kicks off on April 7, celebrating at Sarasota’s Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall as they present music and film star, Harry Connick Jr. and his Orchestra.

     On Friday, April 8, SFF presents The Opening Night Film and Party featuring Andrew Rossi’s PAGE ONE: A YEAR INSIDE THE NEW YORK TIMES. Over the next 10 days SFF will present over 180 narrative, documentary and short films from the U.S. and 42 countries around the world. Additionally SFF will feature events, on-stage conversations, young filmmaker workshops and screenings, community and local film partnerships and host over 100 attending filmmakers, producers, actors and industry guests. The Festival closes on Sunday, April 17, 2011 with two screenings of Mike Mills’ BEGINNERS highlighted by the attendance of the director and the film’s legendary star, Christopher Plummer.

      “As a leading film organization in our region, we remain committed to supporting the work of world class filmmakers,” said Sarasota Film Festival Executive Board President Mark Famiglio. “We will continue to partner with other leaders in our community to promote the Gulf Coast as a film friendly and film savvy destination, while our commitment to deliver an important artistic experience for our audiences, visitors and guests continues to grow.”

     “The landscape for supporting and showcasing the art of film continues to shift, but we are proud of the work we’ve done to bring these films and filmmakers to Sarasota,” said Artistic Director Tom Hall. “We are privileged to be able to showcase such a diverse group of artists and their thought-provoking, engaging films.”

     On Friday, April 8, 2011, The SFF will present PAGE ONE: A YEAR INSIDE THE NEW YORK TIMES, a Magnolia Pictures release, as the 2011 Opening Night Film. PAGE ONE is Andrew Rossi’s engrossing, behind-the-scenes look at The New York Times as it navigates between its role as a leader in journalism and a central player in the changing world upon which it reports. Following Media Desk reporters David Carr and Brian Stelter as they tackle their beat, Rossi utilizes unprecedented access behind the scenes at The New York Times, from editorial meetings to pavement pounding reporting, as a platform to not only examine the legendary “paper of record” but to investigate the state of journalism in an era of real-time transformation.

Friday, April 8, 2011 at 7:00 PM at The Sarasota Opera House Director Andrew Rossi and New York Times Media Desk Reporters David Carr and Brian Stelter in attendance.    

     Errol Morris’ TABLOID, an IFC Films release, will be presented as the 2011 Festival Centerpiece. TABLOID is the story of Joyce McKinney, a gossip page sensation whose incredible story of love, abduction and a life on the run must be seen to be believed. TABLOID is one of the director’s most engaging films yet, revealing the dark, comic side of romantic obsession. The film will be presented Friday, April 15th at 7:00 PM and Saturday, April 16th at 7:00 PM at Sarasota’s Regal Cinemas Hollywood 20.
     As previously announced, The SFF’s Closing Night Film is Mike Mills’ BEGINNERS, a Focus Features release, starring Ewan McGregor as Oliver, a graphic artist searching for his place in the landscape of modern Los Angeles; uncommitted, unable to find inspiration for his work, he finds companionship in his faithful Jack Russell terrier and bemusement by watching his father Hal (Christopher Plummer) undergo a late life transformation; married for decades to Oliver’s late mother, Hal uses the occasion of her passing to make a surprising revelation.

     As Hal embraces his new life, Oliver meets Anna (Mélanie Laurent), a charming French actress who shares Oliver’s desire for a connection but whose own doubts about the possibility of commitment provide a fragile framework for what just might blossom into love. Sunday, April 17, at 5:00 PM and 7:30 PM Christopher Plummer and Director Mike Mills In Attendance.

 

For More Information Visit http://www.sarasotafilmfestival.com/