THE INSIDER: Join us IN CONVERSATION with Frank Langella and Todd Solondz!
If you've never been to one of our In Conversation presentations then you have been missing out in a major way. Ever watch Inside the Actors Studio? It's like that, only... wait for it... You. Are. There! You're sitting in that audience. You're seeing these extraordinary presentations unfold before you. You are a part of history in the making as the some of the film wolrd's greatest luminaries discuss their lives, their work, their place in the pantheon of enduring cinematic wonder. This is a feast for film lovers. Don't miss it! And this year we are proud to present...
IN CONVERSATION WITH FRANK LANGELLA
Hmmm. Is it going out on a limb to draw parallels between Mr. Langella's presence at SFF and what happened last year with Christopher Plummer? I don't think so! Come award season in 2013 the odds are in our favor that you will be seeing a lot of Frank Langella for his sensational and very moving work in our Opening Night Film Robot & Frank. People have asked me: "Is it sci-fi?" My answer is, "Only in the allegorical way Rod Serling handled speculative fiction in the Twilight Zone. There are no flying cars here. This is a film about communcation and generations. A son who doesn't know how to talk to and take care of his dad hires a machine to do it for him and an unlikely friendship evolves. This is an amazingly humanistic story with humor and drama, it's a gift you'll want to receive, believe me." So there you go, a little something to kick off a conversation between us.
Now imagine what it will be like to see Frank Langella, star of Robot and Frank, talk on stage about this film and his incredible career with New York Magazine and NPR's Fresh Air contributor David Edelstein. Me? I just like to chit-chat about film (don't we all?) These guys are geniuses!
Frank Langella first appeared on film in 1970's Diary of a Mad Housewife and later co-starred in Mel Brooks' The Twelve Chairs. He burst onto the cinematic scene as a star and leading man in the title role of Dracula in 1979, reprising his acclaimed Tony award-nominated Broadway stage performance. Since then he has remained a preeminent presence in American theatre and he has thrilled and delighted moviegoers in films as varied as Ivan Reitman's Dave, Adrian Lynne's Lolita, Roman Polanski's The Ninth Gate and George Clooney's Good Night, and Good Luck, to name only a few.
But it is for his dazzling performance as Richard M. Nixon in the film version of Frost/Nixon that you may remember him best, for which he was honored with a Best Actor Academy Award nomination and Golden Globe and SAG award-nominations. (I will be running a complete retrospective of his work shortly. He has accomplished so much; it's truly astonishing.)
I would also like to call your attention to Mr. Langella's upcoming booksigning at Sarasota's fantastic Bookstore1 (oooh, hyperlinked text, that means click it and go right to their site) where he will be autographing copies of his memoir Dropped Names: Famous Men and Woman as I Knew Them. That's Saturday, April 14th from 11 AM to Noon. Only books purchased from Bookstore1 will be signed and you can pre-order right now by calling 941-365-7900.
Wow, cutting it tight there, because his In Conversation will begin at 1 PM on Saturday, April 14th at Sarasota High School. But hey, he was in Superman Returns as Perry White, this superhuman feat should be easy for Frank! Seriously, this is one you don't want to miss. Everyone, come and have a great time! (Hey, it's a festival. We wouldn't be doing our job if it wasn't fun! ;D
IN CONVERSATION WITH TODD SOLONDZ
For a complete rundown of Mr. Solondz great body of work (complete with film trailers) click here. He is a writer/director of great renown and searing talent, a man who captures the hearts and minds of his unique and fascinating characters in ways that most storytellers can only dream of doing. From Welcome to the Dollhouse and Happiness to our Centerpiece film, Solondz's latest, Dark Horse, this man has brought us some of the most honest and challenging work the film world has ever seen.
On Sunday, April 22nd, at 12:00 PM at the Sarasota High School, you will have your chance to see Todd talk about his life in film and his choices as one of today's most exciting and important filmmakers.
And do you really, really think we're only going to have two of these? Hah! More announcements are coming soon!
The Insider
Wanted by motion picture executives for revealing industry secrets to a public with the Right to Know, "The Insider" has spent over 15 years working behind the scenes in almost every aspect of "The Biz" developing a secret network of contacts, spies, moles, and highly trained counter-intelligence operatives and movie ninjas whose only goal is to inform and entertain you-and help you make this the best year of the Sarasota Film Festival ever!
