The Circuit

IFC and SXSW announced they'll simul-preem Joe Swanberg's new film, "Alexander the Last," at the fest and on video-on-demand. 

IFC hopes the fest will bump sales, and SXSW hopes the channel will bump the fest.  It's good news for filmmakers who want to capitalize on their festival preem.

But Tom Hall, who runs the Sarasota Film Festival, has some issues.  And in my discussions with other fest directors, he's not alone.

Post-premiere festival screenings become the word of mouth/ marketing tool to drive business to VOD sales for films already sitting on the cable box (instead of, say, driving VOD sales for a film soon to be released on the cable box).

In some ways, this is a role festivals are comfortable playing (it echoes the traditional word of mouth function for upcoming theatrical releases), but it also represents an inherent tension for festivals who would now be showing a film in direct competition with an existing release in their own market.

And what if that local cable company is a sponsor of the festival? Now you’re directly competing with a sponsor’s revenue stream. 

SXSW's Janet Pierson with Joe Swanberg at the press conference.  Photo by Tom Hall.

by Jason Guerrasio
SFF's second half included a string of events such as the World Cinema Celebration block party, "Cabana Culture," a beach party in nearby Siesta Key and "Luncheon Under the Banyans" where Liv Ullmann and SPC honcho Michael Barker (pictured) got candles.

Friday night brought the always well attended "Night of 1,000 Stars" at Michael's On East, an evening filled with the elite Sarasotians throwing on their best attire for dancing, a gander at the stars perched up in their VIP section.

But before the festivities of that evening, local investors and producers came to an intimate invite-only meet-and-greet at Michael's to discuss potential collaborations. Coordinated by SFF Board Member Keri Nakamoto, who was instrumental in getting area backing to William H. Macy for his film "The Deal," she hopes to continue the industry interest and put the event (which in the past has been done in private homes) on one of the festival's biggest nights.

In attendance were Steve Buscemi and Stanley Tucci (pictured above) who along with Wren Arthur have created Olive Productions, a film fund to help launch passion projects of the two writer-director-actors as well as other directors they believe in. Arthur first knew of the possibilities the Sarasota area had to offer after talking to Robert Altman who after attending the festival in 2006 wanted to change the location of the project they were working on from Southern California to Sarasota. (Unfortunately, Altman passed away before he could make the film here.)

"Steve and Stanley have wanted to put something together for a very long time," Arthur says, "and we have been able to raise money in Sarasota really because of the connections we made when Altman became obsessed to make a film here."

With intent to finance film budgeted around $2.5 million to $15 million, Olive currently has a development deal with HBO. Buscemi adds: "It's an interesting time for films as it's so hard to get films we want to make financed," he says. "So we're here hoping to talk to people who will trust us [with their money] and we can talk about working together."

Lantern Lane Entertainment's David L. Garber, who was also at the event to discuss a few projects he's looking to get off the ground, has attended the festival numerous times and believes this aspect of SFF continues to increase its exposure in the industry. "There's a relaxed environment here and you get people to come together who have a real desire to participate in production and funding," he says. "The films have gotten better, the people have gotten better, it's gone from being a regional festival to an industry hub."  


Photos by Mark Mainz/Elevation Photos.
 

by Jason Guerrasio
The Sarasota Film Festival wrapped Saturday at the picture-perfect Longboat Key Club and Resort overlooking the Gulf Coast of Florida, a suiting end for the smoothly run tenth year.

Director of Programming Tom Hall and fest programmer Holly Herrick announced the winners of the competition prizes at a black tie gala that also brought out the Regal Entertainment Group's Career Achievement Award recipient Charlize Theron (who also stars in the closing night film "Battle In Seattle"), Renaissance Award honoree Stanley Tucci, Steven Buscemi, who was given an award last year and presented his friend Tucci with his award, producer Ted Hope, who received the Producer Award (given by United Artists' CEO Paula Wagner) and "The Lives of Others" director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck who got the Breakthrough Award.

The Best Narrative award went to Lee Isaac Chun's touching story of friendship set in Rwanda, "Munyurangabo" (pictured). Best Documentary was given to Gonzalo Arijon's "Stranded: I Have Come From A Plane That Crashed On The Mountains" about 17 Uruguyan rugby players who survived 72 days in the Andes.

A Special Doc Jury Prize went to "To See If I'm Smiling" by Tamar Yarom which follows the moving stories of women who've served in the Israeli Army; the Independent Visions award was handed to Joshua Safdie's first feature "The Pleasure of Being Robbed" and an Independent Visions Special Jury Prize for Cinematography was handed to "Medicine for Melancholy" d.p. James Laxton.

Audiences came out in droves to the Regal Cinemas Hollywood 20 multiplex in downtown Sarasota to see the 200 films shown at the 10-day fest that didn't included many world premieres but an impressive slate of titles that have caught buzz from Sundance to SXSW.

by Jason Guerrasio
Hitting the midway point of the 2008 Sarasota Film Festival, the 10th edition continued its reputation of bringing specialty and fest circuit faves to the arts-friendly Gulf Coats while catering its filmmakers and celeb guests with picture perfect weather and lavish parties. 

Having attended the 5th and 6th years, I've seen the fest blossom into a regional fest must attend. With programmer Tom Hall coming on board since my last visit and a change of date from the beginning of February to April, the festival has found its nich in the always-crowded festival schedule.

Kicking off the '08 edition last weekend with a screening of "The Deal," the William H. Macy-starrer that found its financial origins through SFF, the night ended with a bash at the beautiful Ringling Museum of Art, an event that could be mistaken for something out of the Victorian era if it weren't for the Latin band and performance artists. For Macy, the evening went off like "gangbusters."

"We got a mixed reaction at Sundance," says Macy, who co-wrote the film with director Steven Schachter. "I didn't know what we had, but then we screened it at Sarasota and we saw what its potential can be and now I'm thinking we may be able to release it wider than what we had originally planned."

Attention then switched to the work of Ingmar Bergman muse Liv Ullmann who was honored at the fest with the fest's lifetime achievement awardi. She was also part of the "Conversation With..." series as she was interviewed by Sony Pictures Classics head Michael Barker on Tuesday night. Looking stunning in a black pant suit, we learned that she's preparing to direct "A Streetcar Named Desire" for the stage in Sydney, Australia with Cate Blanchett starring as Blanche DuBois (Ullmann says the production will come to the states in '09).

SFF's second half is sure to be busier than the first with its "Night of 1,000 Stars" party, 10th Anniversary party and the closing night film, Stuart Townsend's "Battle in Seattle," which promises the film's star (and Townsend's significant other) Charlize Theron in attendance.

Stay tuned.

In response to The Circuit's post on Sarasota's homegrown opening night film, programmer Tom Hall posted a lengthy explanation on his blog.  Tom has always been wonderfully upfront about the fest biz -- the good and the bad.  His comments on selecting an opening night film are interesting:

I am not sure which film festivals don't have this problem, but the Opening Night Film, while a high profile slot in terms of visibility, is without question the hardest slot to fill in our entire program. I never have the problem of multiple films that we feel are high profile enough to sell-out a 1736 seat auditorium beating down the door to take this slot in our festival.

In fact, we usually have to work incredibly hard to find a film that will accept the slot. I have been rejected by just about every film company in America over the course of my career, and a majority of those rejections are companies and films declining our invitation for Opening Night.

Steven Schachter's "The Deal" starring William H. Macy and Meg Ryan will open the 10^th annual Sarasota Film Festival.  The home-grown adaptation of Peter Lefcourt's Hollywood comedy, written by Macy and Schachter, was co-produced by fest exec director Jody Kielbasa and financed partly by a dozen Sarasota investors.  "The Deal" premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

"There is a ton of local interest in this film," said Sarasota programmer Tom Hall, who said he doesn't consider the programming choice a conflict-of-interest. "With this we're actually hoping to encourage other filmmakers to use the festival to seek investment for future projects." 

Hall named "Canvas" director Joseph Gecco and "Hounddog" helmer Deborah Kampmeier as filmmakers who have also received funds from Sarasota investors.

With "The Deal," the festival assisted Macy by setting up meetings and navigating local investment options.  Hall said there is so much interest in film by wealthy Sarasotans that they're considering further initiatives, including an institute modeled after Sundance.

UPDATE:  Tom Hall has a good, long post about it all here.

They also announced their lineup, (from their press release):

The 2008 Sarasota Film Festival Narrative Feature Competition features a cash award of $5,000. 
* California Dreamin' by Cristian Nemescu (Romania)

* Edge Of Heaven by Fatih Akin (Germany)

* Gone With The Woman by Petter Naess (Norway)

* Mongol by Sergei Bodrov (Kazakhstan)

* Munyurangabo by Lee Issac Chung (Rwanda/USA)

* Roman De Gare (Crossed Tracks) by Claude Lelouch (France)

* Then She Found Me by Helen Hunt (USA)

The Jurors for the 10th Sarasota Film Festival's Narrative Feature Competition include John Kochman, President - UNIFRANCE USA; Writer/Producer Ligiah Villalobos (La Misma Luna)

The 2008 Sarasota Film Festival Best Documentary Feature Competition also features a cash award of $5,000.
* American Teen by Nanette Burstein

* At The Death House Door by Peter Gilbert and Steve James

* Flow: For The Love of Water by Irena Salina

* Great Speeches From A Dying World by Linas Phillips

* Song Sung Blue by Greg Kohs

* Stranded: I Have Come From A Plane That Crashed On The Mountains by Gonzalo Arijon

* To See If I'm Smiling by Tamar Yarom

* We Are Wizards by Josh Koury

The Jurors for the 2008 SFF Best Documentary Feature Competition include Head of Acquisitions for Red Envelope Entertainment, Liesl Copland; Matt Dentler, Festival Producer, SXSW Film Festival and Filmmaker AJ Schnack, (Kurt Cobain: About A Son)

The 2008 Sarasota Film Festival Independent Visions Competition features a cash prize award of $5,000.  
* Medicine For Melancholy by Barry Jenkins

* My Effortless Brilliance By Lynn Shelton

* Natural Causes by Alex Cannon, Paul Cannon and Michael Lerman

* The Pleasure Of Being Robbed by Josh Safdie

* Up With Me by Greg Takoudes

* Woodpecker by Alex Karpovsky

* Yeast by Mary Bronstein

* The Toe Tactic by Emily Hubley

The 2008 SFF Independent Visions Competition Jury includes Marc Mauceri, VP, First Run Features David Nugent, Director of Programming, Hamptons International Film Festival and Nick Dawson, Filmmaker Magazine