The Circuit

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.