Florida Filmmakers

Chuck Owen and the Jazz Surge Present: The Making of Within Us -The 25th Anniversary Album

Sarasota Film Festival 2024

One of Central Florida’s most celebrated jazz ensembles embarks on the exciting journey of celebrating and recording their 25th Anniversary Album “Within Us”. While in the midst of the COVID uncertainty, we gain a fascinating and informative inside look at the creative process of how a jazz big band recording evolves. From finding inspiration, to reuniting with old friends, to performing extremely difficult music with technical issues and having the studio being shut down in the middle of recording, this inside look at the process of recording and releasing a big band jazz album moves through a range of emotions and gives insight into the creativity, patience and resilience of the band and their composer, Chuck Owens, who shows what “Within Us” means.


Bein' Green

Sarasota Film Festival 2024

Olivia, a talented biracial actress, participates in an audition through a Zoom call. While the director likes her performance, he comments on her hair, wondering if she’s willing to change her hair for the role. After the call, she reflects on her audition nervously. Her agent calls with positive feedback but tells her she needs to go back on tape and act more “authentically black.” After many unsuccessful attempts to re-tape, she seeks help from her friend Mariah, who doesn’t offer the help she wants. Olivia steps outside to smoke a cigarette, relieving her stress and giving her an idea. Returning inside, Olivia defiantly tapes herself, expressing her exhaustion with being judged, and chooses to embrace who she is whether they like it or not. Olivia’s agent calls, scolding her for risking her career, but the call gets cut off by a call from the director, offering her the role.


Screened as part of the Feel Good section.

Women of the Watershed

Sarasota Film Festival 2024

Women of the Watershed highlights the role women have played in the conservation of the Florida Everglades beginning with the earliest advocates of the 20th century and through insightful visits with present day scientists, advocates and artists, who are actively engaged in modern day conservation activities. We follow the journey of Chloe Barnett, who grew up along the edge of this massive sheet of water that gently glides down the Florida peninsula into Florida Bay. Her purpose is to engage with women who are actively involved in conservation activities throughout the watershed to better understand the water challenges we are now facing. Everglades National Park represents only a fraction of the entire Everglades system that also includes the various waterways that lead through the Kissimmee River Basin, Lake Okeechobee, the Southern Everglades and Florida Bay. Chloe recounts her experiences with coral restoration along with the problems of coral bleaching that now threaten the very survival of this coral reef system. This story begins at the end, and leads her on a journey upstream towards the headwaters of the entire Everglades system as she visits with the Women of the Watershed.


Preceded by the short Conservation Across Continents: Madagascar, a look at the efforts to preserve the lemur population in that country.


In Attendance: Scott Michael Barnett, Director; Johanna Vega, Executive Producer; Chloe Barnett

Title Sponsors
Presenting Sponsors

Sarasota Film FestivalSarasota Film Festival is devoted to supporting the art and elevating the craft of cinema.

Become a Member

Sarasota Film Festival
332 Cocoanut Ave.
Sarasota, FL 34236

Copyright 2024  Sarasota Film Festival  |  Web design by Sande Caplin & Associates | Web Accessibility

Skip to content