Sarasota A Top 5 Booming City with One of the Hottest Film Festivals

The Today Show recently listed Sarasota as one of the five Booming Cities in the United States. One of the big draws to the area is the “Hottest Film Festival,” bringing national attention to the Sarasota Film Festival (SFF), one of the big events in our town each year. The Festival emphasizes the best in cinema alongside exciting programs and events, with hundreds of films screened each year, including features, documentaries, shorts, and kid-friendly picks.

The Sarasota Film Festival is an annual tradition founded in 1998, is an international film festival hosted in Sarasota, Florida and viewable from around the world. The festival is typically held each April, in support of its mission: to celebrate the art of filmmaking and the contribution of filmmakers by hosting an international film festival and developing year-long programs for the economic, educational, and cultural benefit of our community.

Some of the highlights of the Film Festival in recent years include:

• The 25th annual SFF took place March 24 – April 2, 2023 with in-person events across Sarasota and complementary virtual programming.
• SFF President and Chairman of the Board Mark Famiglio presented Jay Leno with the Career Achievement Award in recognition of his illustrious career across television, comedy, and beyond, spanning nearly half a century.
• Roma Downey was the recipient of the 2023 SFF Lifetime Achievement Award, and Suncoast Post ran a great interview – read the entire thing HERE.
• On April 8, 2022, Jacqueline Bisset attended the SFF as a special attendee that year and gave a wonderful interview to the Suncoast Post. Her film Loren & Rose was the closing film of the 2022 festival, where she also accepted the lifetime achievement award for 2022.
• Kenny G was in Sarasota in 2022 for the premiere of the documentary about him, “Listening to Kenny G,” by director Penny Lane.

As the Today show reports to their audience, Sarasota has all the luxury of Miami without the prices and overcrowding. From the beaches to the amazing restaurants, wonderful entertainment options and events each year this town is making a splash nationally. The film festival is a highlight for followers of many genres of entertainment, and we can’t wait to see what new artists and films they bring to our amazing city in 2024.

Feature Photo Courtesy of Deposit Photo