10 Years of Magic

2007

Last year's star lineup of Edward Norton, Academy Award-winner Marcia Gay Harden, Emmy Award-winner Joe Pantoliano, Chad Lowe, Michelle Trachtenburg, and legendary film director Norman Jewison made it one of the most exciting to date!

2006

The Fest's 8th year sported one of the most impressive program of films to date and a guest list that included Robert Altman, Chevy Chase, William H. Macy, Felicity Huffman, Robert Towne, Paula Wagner and Allison Janney.

2005

With a grant from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, SFF offered an amazing array of films and added such Festival staples as Moonlight Movies, Young Filmmakers' Showcase, Hollywood Family Fair and Independent Visions.

2004

Attendance ballooned to 40,000. SFF hosted over 80 feature films, symposiums, parties and events that drew industry guests Patrick Stewart, Woody Harrelson, and Billy Crystal.

2003

Responding to over 600 submissions from around the globe, SFF extended its screening process offering six new categories, including Industry Spotlight and No Boundaries. The Fest's International Night was newly christened World Cinema Celebration, in an effort to commemorate multicultural fluency. SFF grew to a 10 day celebration of sun, cinema, and celebration.

2002

In order to keep up with growing demand, the SFF expanded its programming to a roomier eight days. Over 20,000 cinephiles attended in droves one of kind events such as a standing room only symposium with Sydney Pollack and Michael York. The Festival continued its impressive star line up with industry guests Shirley Jones, Vincent Pastore, and Jeff Probst.

2001

A testament to the Fest's growing reputation and exciting programming, SFF nearly doubled in size in 2001. Over 12,500 movie buffs came to see for themselves what the buzz was all about. Moonlight Movies, a free outdoor event, titillated audiences of all ages with its family-friendly films and outdoor locales. The legendary Alan Alda was honored with the prestigious Career Achievement Award.

2000

SFF expanded its already diverse film selection adding documentary, animated, short, and student films, much to the delight of its growing audience's eclectic tastes. In another first, the award-winning KidsFest program held its inaugural showing. KidsFest highlights socially relevant films and hosts the popular KidsFest Big Night Out, with the goal of reaching children of all ages with inspiring messages, stories from around the world and opportunities to stimulate learning.

1999

In only three days, our first mini-Fest hosted eight feature films, multiple symposiums, and a gala fundraiser. Despite SFF's small size, it still packed major star power. Award-winning actors Penelope Anne Miller and Jon Favreau were honored. The Festival was off to a promising start and would continue to grow at breakneck speed in the upcoming years.

1998

Film enthusiasts founded the Sarasota Film Festival in July 1998 with the goal of presenting a wide array of foreign, domestic, independent, and studio films with participation from the commercial film industry. With its mission statement serving as a strong foundation, SFF would soon grow into the 8th largest independent film festival in North America.