The Circuit

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