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History
In July, 1998, international and independent film enthusiasts founded the Sarasota Film Festival, Inc. (SFF). They sought to create a balanced festival of foreign and domestic film complemented by the participation of the film and entertainment industry. SFF’s mission “to present unique and high-quality cinema in a festival atmosphere for the purpose of educating, stimulating and entertaining audiences” remains its guide as it selects and organizes in-festival and year-round activities.
The following January, SFF launched its first festival. The “mini-festival” featured eight independent films, two premiere screenings, two educational symposiums and a gala fundraiser. Since then, SFF has grown in length, (from three to ten days), attendance (from 2,300 to over 45,000) and scope (from 10 screenings to over 200 films, and adding nationally-recognized education programs, over a dozen special events, and talkbacks and panels with some of the leading voices in film today). Beyond the Festival, SFF has expanded to include year-round activities like the free outdoor Moonlight Movies series in Sarasota, Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch and Venice; Monday Night Movies at the newly-restored Asolo Theater; Screenwriters’ Circle; and more.
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