- May 4, 2024
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It was a banner year for documentaries at the 25th Sarasota Film Festival, but one was voted cream of the crop.
"Invisible Beauty," about model-turned-activist Bethann Hardison's struggle to boost Black representation in fashion and advertising, won both the Documentary Feature Jury Prize and the Industry Audience Award. The film was directed by Hardison, now 80, and Frédéric Tcheng, whose earlier doc about fashion designer Halston was featured at the 2019 SFF.
Maxim Pozdorovkin’s documentary "The Conspiracy" won a Special Jury Mention for its use of animation and special effects to illustrate the history of antisemitism.
The latest rendition of the SFF opened March 24 and closed Sunday, April 2, with a screening of Prime Video’s "On a Wing and a Prayer," directed by Sean McNamara, at the Sarasota Opera House.
The film stars Dennis Quaid as a passenger who forced to land a plane was produced by Roma Downey. Best known for her 10-year run as the star of TV's "Touched by an Angel," Downey received the SFF Lifetime Achievement Award.
The SFF also honored comedian and former "Tonight Show" host Jay Leno with the festival’s Career Achievement Award, and Amy Ray and Emily Saliers of Grammy Award-winning folk rock duo Indigo Girls with the Sarasota Maestro Award.
Alexandria Bombach's documentary, "It's Only Life After All," about the 40-year collaboration between Ray and Saliers, made its East Coast debut at the festival.
On the narrative features side, the top jury prize was awarded to "Other People's Children," directed by Rebecca Zlotowski. The film, which stars Virginie Efira, depicts the many expressions of maternal love.
KT Curran's "Bridge to the Other Side" won a Special Jury Mention from the narrative feature jury for its exploration of the emotional aftermath of the pandemic. The drama about a behavioral health mobile response team was made locally and encapsulated both the beauty and struggles of Gulf Coast life.
In a statement, the SFF said, "Curran’s film is a model of regional, independent filmmaking that should be inspirational — and hopefully will spur more films about the individual and collective processing of the trauma of the last few years."
"Bridge to the Other Side" also captured the festival's Local Audience Award.
During a politically polarized era, the SFF's 25th editiion brought stories of underrepresented voices to the screen and delved beneath the surface of public personas in a manner that captivated and entertained festivalgoers.
“It is valuable to pause and reflect on why we do this festival on the 25th anniversary. We do it for the community — for the right of individuals, across all backgrounds, to express themselves cinematically, to educate others to their points of view, political leanings, thoughts, analytical arguments; the beautiful expression that only film can provide. Thank you to all our supporters," said SFF President and Chairman of the Board Mark Famiglio in a statement.
Whether they were watching "L'immensità," starring Penelope Cruz as a 1970s Italian housewife navigating the shoals of a disintegrating marriage and a daughter who identifies as male or "Little Richard: I Am Everything," Lisa Cortés' documentary about the whitewashed image of gay superstar Richard Penniman, SFF audiences were open to different points of view, a perspective sometimes in short supply during the ongoing culture wars.
In the documentary category, Maxim Pozdorovkin’s "The Conspiracy" won a Special Jury Mention for its use of animation and special effects to tell the history of antisemitism.
April 1 was paradise for those who remembered the 1970s. The SFF served up documentaries about singer/drummer Karen Carpenter's battle and ultimate death from eating disorders, disco queen Donna Summer's efforts to balance the pressure of celebrity with family responsibilities and Mary Tyler Moore's on- and off-screen evolution from the embodiment of feminine perfection to a model of self acceptance.
In an interview before winning the Documentary Feature Jury Prize, "Invisible Beauty" star and co-director Hardison spoke about crusading for greater visibility in Hollywood and on Madison Avenue long before the #BlackLivesMatter movement exploded in 2020.
Reminded how the inauguration of America's first Black president in 2008 led hotels, airlines and autos to feature happy Black families in their advertising, Hardison recalled, "For years the only time you saw a Black woman in a commercial was when she was talking about how well a cleaning product worked." The implication was that she was a maid.
Lest it be assumed the SFF was a 10-day seminar on unsung heroes and private lives, there were plenty of fun, carefree moments like the disco party on Cocoanut Street on March 31 after the screening of "Love to Love You, Donna Summer" at the Municipal Auditorium.
Partygoers were still bragging about their disco duds on Saturday morning, when Downey signed copies of her new book, "Be an Angel" at Bookstore1 downtown and hosted a lunch at Bijou Cafe. "I haven't had that much fun in years" was a common refrain .
Q&A sessions during the festival gave audience members the chance to interact directly with the stars, directors and producers of films shown at SFF. Many Sarasotans were eager to learn the story of how a particular film got made.
James Adolphus, director of the documentary "Being Mary Tyler Moore," confessed that he had never heard of the iconic TV housewife-turned-career gal when he was approached to chronicle Moore's life. Her widower, Dr. Robert Levine, gave the award-winning cinematographer "the keys to the kingdom because he trusted me," Adolphus said.
In return, Adolphus delivered a film that dealt with the discrimination Moore faced in her efforts to move beyond TV comedies to serious stage and film roles as well as sensitive issues such as divorce, death, alcoholism and ageism. (Moore was skewered because Levine was 18 years younger than her.)
The festival's Independent Visions Award went to Lisa Steen's "Late Bloomers." As part of the prize, the winning filmmakers will receive a free half-day session at Ringling College's audio facility and will get to work with Nick Palladino, an award-winning sound designer and the founder of NPALL Audio.
In the shorts competition, "Inés Unfortunately," directed by Anna Salinas, won Best U.S. Narrative Short; "Hidden Gems," directed by Marquis Dawsey, was named Best Documentary Short; and "Astroman," directed by Alistair Simpson, was awarded Best International Short.
For more information about the festival's films, visit SarasotaFilmFestival.com.
