NEWS

SFF Town Hall: Q&A Roundup!

sff 2012 campaign SFF's first Town Hall was held Wednesday, February 8 at the Selby Library. The turnout was amazing and we were thrilled by the passion and enthusiasm of all who attended. Thank you. A recap of the event follows. But first, if you have questions for the festival, send them to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Your questions will be answered here on our blog.

The evening began with a presentation by SFF Director Tom Hall detailing the history and current state of the festival on a number of fronts including our financial status. The importance of community and education was highly stressed, as was accessibility and our desire to hear your feedback. "We want to provide information that empowers you to make the most of your festival experience."

Tom Hall SFF Town Hall SFF's sterling reputation as a filmmaker-friendly showcase and high-ranking position among national and international festivals (not to mention reviews such as Variety calling us "the acme of regional film festivals") was also touched upon. "Artists who attend SFF send their work again because they want to come back." Tom attributed the response of filmmakers and national journalists who return time and again to you, our loyal audience and supporters, "a community filled with great supporters of the arts and of film".

Allison Koehler, Director of Education, discussed our wonderful array of free educational programs for students eighteen and under. These include our Young Filmmakers Showcase, Reel Life Studio, Kids VIP Trip, and the

THE INSIDER: Are You the Voice of SFF?

SFF-campaign-2012 We certainly think you could be. To know for sure, we need you to come one, come all to our inaugural Town Hall from 5:30 to 7:30pm. on Wed., Feb. 8 at the Selby Public Library (1331 First St., downtown Sarasota). Let your voice be heard. If you have a question about SFF, ask it! If you've got an opinion, raise it! Heck, if you've got some rabble, rouse it!

Prepare to be enlightened and invigorated by a fun and fast-paced presentation about upcoming programs and as we drop the beat on a sizzling selection of tantalizing tidbits about how the festival is put together. Scheduled to appear are Tom Hall, our dedicated Director, Magida Diouri, our powerhouse Programmer, Veronica Pastore, our amazing Associate Director of Marketing, a cast of thousands, and at least 542 elephants. (Well, maybe just more wonderful staff from the festival.)

Afterward you'll have your chance to get all your burning questions answered, your opinions and ideas truly heard.

The buzzword behind the scenes at SFF 2012 is "inclusively". (See? Your friendly neighborhood Insider is always there to help you peak behind the curtain.) What does that mean? Veronica Pastore explains, "We want to include our entire community and are providing not only this forum but also new tools and media with which they can connect to us."

Speaking of which, I was privileged to attend our sensational launch event at the sumptuous Half Shell Oyster House on Main Street, just down the street from the Regal Hollywood