Outreach & Education

The breadth and depth of the Sarasota Film Festival's Outreach and Education Program is unprecedented. Our mission is to inspire, educate, and entertain the community through curriculum in FREE filmmaking, film critique, and movie screening programs. More than a dozen youth and senior programs, some revised and some brand new, have been designed and put into motion for this year's festival and are expanding into year-long operation with the Florida Film Consortium.

This year's youthFEST will reach thousands of community students with over 20 short and feature films and the Hollywood Nights Student Cinema Showcase, a youth event to remember!

Click here for details about the 2009 youthFEST

‘YOUNG AT HEART’ PROGRAM

In order to bring the Sarasota Film Festival to those who may be unable to attend in person, festival-related student programs and various classic film series will travel to local retirement communities and assisted living centers.

VIRTUAL CANNES

“Throw your Tux on over your shorts and enjoy!” (Tom Garrett, Director of Special Initiatives.)

SFF members, students, and the Sarasota community can be a part of this year's Cannes Film Festival (May 13th – May 24th,  2009) with this interactive exhibit. Showcased in local venues, the 24-hour all-access satellite coverage from Virtual Cannes will include daily workshops, panels, press conferences, photo calls, and Red Carpet screenings. While the program is underway in Sarasota, a handful of lucky student interns will be hosted at the festival in France.

FLORIDA FILM CONSORTIUM

The Outreach and Education Program continues its expansion into the community by the formation of The Florida Film Consortium. The FFC’s mission is to both appreciate and advance independent film and filmmaking through the fortification of the budding statewide film community. The Consortium seeks to reinforce Florida's commitment to involvement, exploration, and education in the Arts. Some of the organization’s many offerings include: yearlong community partnerships, event sponsorships, programs and workshops, youth, senior and special needs outreach, and project development support.

On the slate for Summer 2009 are several one-week and four-week student filmmaker camps, as well as in-house curriculum development for schools that would like to focus more on the media arts. The FFC will also sponsor conferences for the film and media industry, making Sarasota and the State of Florida a destination hub for professionals from around the world.