Frank Langella Q&A, Photo by Becky Bolletti

Yep, I'm still banging this drum. See our movies with FILMMAKERS IN ATTENDANCE! How come? 'Cause there's nothing so cool as watching a film then having the people who made that film step right out to have a Q&A discussion with YOU about what you just watched. These are the superstar filmmakers of tomorrow and we have them for you today. What are some of the films that have FILMMAKERS IN ATTENDANCE today? Well, since ya twisted my arm about it... ;D

But first, PLAN AHEAD! CLICK HERE to get tickets now for Monday's IN CONVERSATION WITH RORY KENNEDY at 5:30 PM at the Sarasota High School. TICKETS ARE GOING FAST!

CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING FILM TITLES TO BUY TICKETS NOW!

ALL ME: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF WINFRED REMBERT

1:45 PM

A moving must-see documentary about a man consigned to a chain gang in the 1960s after being confronted by a lynch mob during a civil rights march. Painting on tooled leather (a unique form of folk art learned in prison) he now transforms the tragic circumstances of his youth into a unique and profoundly moving form of art.

Listen up for a Soundbyte Interview with the filmmakers!

ADVENTURES IN PLYMPTOONS!

4:00 PM

ADVENTURES IN PLYMPTOONS! explores the life and career of Oscar-nominated animator Bill Plympton. Plympton creates independent animation films faster than they can be released. This documentary mixes clips from Plympton's work and interviews with the likes of Terry Gilliam and "Weird Al' Yankovic, providing great insight into Plympton's work.

DANCING ON A VOLCANO

4:30 PM

DANCING ON A VOLCANO is the tale of Nadja Hammermann, a young Austrian Jew. She was a strong willed artist who, in 1939, came to Paris seeking exit visas for her family from the Chilean consul general, Armando Marine. A single kiss was the price Nadja had agreed to pay in exchange for Armando's help, a kiss that developed into a secret romance. Armando liberated hundreds of refugees from the Nazis under Nadja's influence. In 1941, Nadja and Armando left Paris and, through her great artistic talent, found a future in New York City, where she became a senior illustrator for the New York Times. But could love endure a life in exile?

QUEEN OF VERSAILLES

9:00 PM

The film everybody is talking about! If you liked Tabloid last year you must see Queen of Versailles this year. Imagine being a billionaire in Florida because of the real estate boom and deciding to build a 90,000+ square foot palace only to have the bubble burst and take all our dreams and riches with it. A surreal and fascinating true story with characters you will never forget!

And here are a few that may not have filmmakers in attendance but are more than worth your life!

SHORTS III: Misleading Appearances

11:45 AM

Everything isn't what it seems... This package features PATCH TOWN which will soon be turned into a feature. Director Craig Goodwill just might be here for the screenings. Fingers crossed!

YOUTHFEST ANIMATED SHORTS III

12:15 PM

From Germany to Portugal, Norway to France, travel the world through the curious, meaningful, and amusing adventures in these short films. Subtitles supplement some films, but reading is not required!

And be sure not to miss

Altina

2:45 PM 

ALTINA follows the story of Altina Schinasi, born in 1907, in the rarefied diaspora of Sephardic Jews in New York City. The daughter of a tobacco tycoon, Altina crafted fragments of her life into surreal sculptures. Her free spirit defied convention whether in Manhattan, Hollywood, Washington, D.C., or Santa Fe. She invented the glamorous Harlequin eyeglasses, worn by the likes of Lucille Ball and Peggy Guggenheim. Her art was also anchored in social issues: an Oscar nominated documentary took on the Holocaust and her friendship with Martin Luther King helped support his struggle. Relationships dominated her art.

Oslo, August 31

6:30 PM

Joachim Trier burst on to the international film scene with his debut film REPRISE, but he establishes himself as a truly important director with his sophomore feature OSLO, AUGUST 31ST. The film tells the story of Anders (Anders Danielsen Lie), a recovering addict who, after months in rehab, is given a single day to leave the hospital and try to begin the process of integrating back into his life. But Anders has something else in mind, using the day to track down friends and loved ones, hoping to reconnect and find some peace. OSLO, AUGUST 31ST is a powerful portrait of a lost soul.

Random Strangers

8:45 PM

Alexis Dos Santos explores the realities of relationships in the virtual world with his third short RANDOM STRANGERS. Rocky (Johnny Challah) a sex worker lives in Berlin and Lulu (Inés Efron) lives in Buenos Aires, they literally live on opposite sides of the planet. They bump into each other in ChatRoulette and decide to stay in touch. They enter a form of virtual relationship. Their daily lives are very different to the exciting, fun virtual world they create for each other. The film observes them as they get closer, but how real can their world be?

And don't forget, tonight we have youthFEST HOLLYWOOD NIGHTS from 5:00 PM to 8:30 PM tonight!

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!