Sarasota Film Festival opening night gets the party started

Sarasota Film Festival 2019 kicked off April 6 with a documentary that, as one audience member put it, made viewers “think about what makes good journalism.”

Award-winning Israeli filmmaker Avi Belkin’s film “Mike Wallace is Here” served as the opening night film at Sarasota Municipal Auditorium — a film that follows the more than 50-year-long broadcast journalism career of “60 Minutes” correspondent Mike Wallace and the struggles he dealt with off camera. 

After the screening, guests headed to the Rosemary District's newest nightlife spot (that's actually a hotel), The Sarasota Modern, for a poolside party. Eventgoers sipped on cocktails, munched on hors d'oeuvres — and a whole table of solely doughnuts — and enjoyed live music and other performances. The most notable sources of entertainment were the dancing fire-eater and two lounging mermaids that welcomed guests as they walked in.