Narrative Feature

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In Attendance: Acclaimed writer and director Harmony Korine, who will accept the Sarasota Film Festival’s Trailblazer Award.

BABY INVASION is an experimental thriller — “In a first-person shooter game leaked to the dark web, a group of mercenaries disguised with baby faces invades mansions of the wealthy and powerful with murderous intent. However, as gamers livestream the game, the protagonists’ gang of horrific murders may or may not be happening in real life.”

As a 20-year-old, Korine was discovered while skateboarding in Manhattan’s Washington Square Park by photographer Larry Clark. He went on to write the screenplay for the controversial film “Kids,” directed by Clark. That launched a career that continued with Korine’s own directorial debut, 1997’s landmark “Gummo,” followed by “Julien Donkey-Boy,” “Mister Lonely,” “Trash Humpers,” and finally 2012’s “Spring Breakers” (filmed partially in the Sarasota area). A fantasia of sex, violence, Skrillex, and one ostentatious shorts collection, it’s arguably one of the most influential movies of the 21st century.

Based in Miami ever since, Korine followed “Spring Breakers” with 2019’s “The Beach Bum,” and then 2024’s “Aggro Dr1ft.” The latter of these was the first feature release of the multimedia company he launched in 2023 called Edglrd, which seeks to expand the possibilities of visual storytelling, merging the experiences of cinema, gaming, XR, and short-form content

Don’t miss this opportunity to see Harmony’s brand new film followed up by a discussion.

From Director Andrew Ahn comes a joyful comedy of errors about a chosen family navigating cultural identity, queerness, and family expectations. Frustrated with his commitment-phobic boyfriend Chris and running out of time, Min makes a proposal: a green-card marriage with their friend Angela in exchange for her partner Lee’s expensive IVF. Elopement plans are upended, however, when Min’s grandmother surprises them with an extravagant Korean wedding banquet. Starring Bowen Yang, Lily Gladstone, Kelly Marie Tran, Han Gi-chan, Joan Chen, and Youn Yuh-jung, The Wedding Banquet is a poignant and heartfelt reminder that being part of a family means learning to both accept and forgive.

The angelically beautiful Catherine Deneuve was launched to stardom by this dazzling musical heart-tugger from Jacques Demy. She plays an umbrella-shop owner’s delicate daughter, glowing with first love for a handsome garage mechanic, played by Nino Castelnuovo. When the boy is shipped off to fight in Algeria, the two lovers must grow up quickly. Exquisitely designed in a kaleidoscope of colors, and told entirely through lilting songs by the great composer Michel Legrand, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, recently tutnrf 60, remains one of the most revered and unorthodox movie musicals of all time – and as beautiful as ever in this 4K restoration.

Claudia, 28 years old and raised in Silicon Valley, speaks at a book-signing event for her recently published memoir The Book of Jobs – that’s STEVE Jobs, the object of her hero worship. Claudia’s story takes us through powerful milestones: the dissolution of her parents’ marriage, her mother’s health struggles, an unexpected tragedy at her high school along with humorous obstacles any teenage girl faces. But she must come to terms with Jobs’ untimely passing, just as she suffers an identity crisis as a freshman in college. With Jobs gone, where will she go from here? In the autobiographically inspired seriocomedy of writer-director Kayci Lacob’s heartfelt debut feature, the irresistible force of Claudia’s ambition meets an unmovable object—reality—and she must learn “to become me,” not the Apple of an icon’s eye.

In Independent Visions Competition

“Epic Ambition. Major Delusion. Micro Budget.” When Terry (Patrick Noth) discovers he’s about to be a father, he does what any other sane person would do. He moves himself and his nine-months-pregnant wife from Iowa to Los Angeles to shoot a low-budget indie movie and sell it to a streamer for a “f-ing ton of money.” Documented by his cousin Devin’s behind-the-scenes camera crew, Terry suddenly finds that his beliefs about diversity, the #MeToo movement, and what technically qualifies as a properly financed film production put him at odds with, well, every single person who meets him. Featuring a cast of comedy MVPs (and a great bit by veteran Hal Linden), the uproarious Micro Budget follows Terry’s disastrous attempts to make a movie and his inability to serve a decent lunch.

In Independent Visions Competition

Set in the American West in the 1880s, Marcus Dollar (Blaine May) ages out of an orphanage intent on avenging the cold-blooded killings of his parents, but the love of a girl and psychological trauma lead him down a mystifying path. This story of psychology, moral complexity and compassion set against a classic Western backdrop marks the directorial debut of actor William Shockley (Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman) and includes Dermont Mulroney, who plays plays Dallas Garrett, a former outlaw gunslinger with the wisdom of regret, and who serves as a mentor to a young man trying to find his way in the world. Veteran actress Jacqueline Bisset and Dominic Monaghan (Lord of the Rings) also co-star.

In Narrative Competition

Ash is an aspiring writer in NYC, struggling with loneliness and a loss of creative inspiration. She gets a call from her best friend Tara with the news that their mutual friend and her ex Tommy has taken his own life. The two women decide to return to their hometown to attend his funeral and reconnect with their old close-knit group. They find themselves in the same old dive bar music venue where not much has changed, and the music is still the thing that brings everyone together. The group finds themselves having to confront the loss of their friend and the addiction issues that permeate artistic communities. They discover the power of coming together through music, and how healing it can be to have a space to grieve together. Ash is given the opportunity to see herself in a new way through the warmth and authenticity of the friends that have known her for so long. She slowly opens herself back up to the people she used to call chosen family, and to the possibility of finding love again. 

Expected Guests: Taylor McFadden, followed by a special performance from singer-songwriter Nathaniel Rateliff

In Narrative Competition

In this tender slice-of-life drama, the recently widowed Lucky (played with immense vulnerability by William Catlett) is adjusting to life as the now-primary caretaker of his son Mason, who has Down syndrome. Surrounded by grief and wanting to treat Mason to a perfect day out, Lucky decides to take him to his first baseball game at Truist Park. However, they’re a long way outside of metro Atlanta…what is meant to be a joyful day of father-son bonding turns into a day-long journey of setbacks and unexpected obstacles as they encounter various new people and places, all captured in potent black-and-white cinematography. In his feature debut, filmmaker David Fortune crafts an emotionally rich, sensitive portrait of the special bond between a devoted single father and his son. -Julia Kipnis, AFi Film Festival

In Narrative Competition

Maria Schneider (Anamaria Vartolomei) is a promising, young French actress. When she gets the lead in a feature film directed by an acclaimed Italian filmmaker and starring one of America’s most beloved actors, it seems like the opportunity of a lifetime. Her collaborators, director Bernardo Bertolucci and star Marlon Brando (Matt Dillon, in a spot-on performance) seem to be bringing out the best in Maria, sharing a warm rapport and mentorship with the 19-year old girl. Until one day, when the two men conspire to shoot a crucial sex scene as a harrowing assault without letting Maria in on the plan. The film goes on to be lauded as a fearless artistic breakthrough, but for Maria, it’s the beginning of a long-lasting struggle. Based on the behind-the-scenes true story of the making of Last Tango in Paris, Jessica Palud’s sensitive biopic centers Maria’s story for the first time.

Just off the heels of the Oscars…the Sarasota Film Festival is thrilled to bring the 2023 Academy Award© nominated Live Action short films to our festival goers. Join us, for the first time in Florida, for a special afternoon showcase featuring all five Oscar nominated films including the winner The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, directed by Wes Anderson who created films like The Royal Tenenbaums, Rushmore, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, and many more. This big screen presentation will include an introduction by Patrick Harrison, a 22-year veteran of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and a post screening conversation with filmmakers, subject to availability. You will also be able to participate in some fun Oscar trivia, cocktails and treats.

The Films

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar – WINNER

Wes Anderson and Steven Rales

The After

Misan Harriman and Nicky Bentham

Invincible

Vincent René-Lortie and Samuel Caron

Knight of Fortune

Lasse Lyskjær Noer and Christian Norlyk

Red, White and Blue

Nazrin Choudhury and Sara McFarlane

Patrick Harrison served at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as Vice President, Member Relations and Global Outreach in charge of designing and implementing all Academy programs and outreach initiatives on the East Coast, Midwest and South including retrospectives, tributes, member engagement activities and Oscar Night. Prior to the Academy, Patrick worked at Miramax Films where he managed awards campaigns and events including award winning titles like Il Postino, The Cider House Rules, The English Patient, Shakespeare In Love and Chocolat. In 2023, Patrick joined Frank Awards as partner, building the agency’s awards division.

Film elements provided by ShortsTV.

East Coast Premiere. Bull Street follows LouEster Sadie Gibbs (played by newcomer Malynda Hale), a 39-year-old small-town personal injury lawyer whose mother died in childbirth. Her grandmother, Mrs. Big-Gal (Loretta Devine), has raised her in their humble family home with love and a rich spiritual tradition. When an entitled Ivy League lawyer questions their ownership of the homeand its surrounding land, the stage is set for a clash of privilege against family. Judge Motley(Amy Madigan) must determine whether LouEster’s lifelong home really is her birthright or if the handshake transfer of land doesn’t hold up in court. From the Biblical roots of land ownership tao the contemporary struggle, preserving generational wealth is imperative. This stirring Southern drama is both a call to action and a tribute to undying determination. Never take your eyes off the prize.

In attendance Amy Madigan. Arielle Prepetit, Gary Ray Moore, Mathew Greer, Idella Johnson, Dir. Lynn Dow and Producer Wendy Tucker Tannock

At once a celebration and playful subversion of the action genre and a soulful exploration of aging and autonomy, Sundance hit Thelma is a showcase for our oldest generation, those rarely centered in life let alone on-screen. When 93-year-old Thelma Post (June Squibb) gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson, she sets out on a treacherous quest across the city, with the help of her good friend Ben (the late Richard Roundtree) to reclaim what she lost. The path to the perpetrator is anything but straight as Thelma must make an important stop or two and she encounters complications along the way. For first-time feature writer/director Josh Margolin, the film serves as a love letter to the exploits of his real-life grandmother. And after 70+ years of acting (perhaps most memorably as the henpecking wife in Nebraska) Thelma gives June Squibb, in a memorable performance, her first starring role to become the year’s oldest action hero.

In Attendance: Josh Margolin, Director; Zoë Worth, Co-Producer (April 7 only)

World Premiere. Curry Scent is a fresh tale of a young immigrant family that comes to Florida in search of the American Dream. As they navigate the pitfalls of their new life abroad, doing menial jobs that many new immigrants find themselves forced to do, they still find humor and an overriding desire to succeed in their new life. The story focuses on Geetha, the young daughter and center of her eight-member family as she navigates the dating world in hopes of finding a suitable match to legitimize her visa. In her journey she encounters the forces it takes to understand what she loves about her country and at what price she is willing to forsake it. Told with uplifting humor and a variety of situations, from their cramped living quarters to her various excursions on which the entire family seems to participate, Curry Scent is a genuinely feel-good story about a serious topic that will resonate with people of all ages and backgrounds.

East Coast Premiere. Puddysticks is a dark, joyously twisted comedy following Liz (Megan Seely), a workaholic at Braindead, a brutal, elite gaming company with the chance to be recruited by her gaming hero only if she’s the best at her job. One day she collapses from overwork and, despite the doctor’s warnings to take it easy, she chooses instead to join Puddysticks — a secret society that increases stamina and creativity, promising to make her the best at her work. She joins seeking a quick fix for work and instead revolutionizes her life but when she finally gains the courage to share her own deep-rooted shame, things don’t go as anticipated. Fresh, funny and smart, Puddysticks traces the odyssey of a young woman whose world turns upside down and who must find her own way to free herself of her past.

In Attendance: Megan Seely, Director

Florida Premiere. Nestled amongst the falling feathers of a chicken factory in industrial North Wales—and featuring the perennially uplifting music of Neil Diamond, Janis Ian, and Minnie Riperton—Chuck Chuck Baby follows Helen (Louise Brealey), a thirty-something woman packaging poultry by night and caring for her dying ex-mother-in-law by day. Her mundane routine is jolted when Joanne (Annabel Scholey), her secret childhood crush, returns home. As they reconnect, their romance begins to flourish, but can they move on from the weight of their pasts? With plenty of heart, director Janis Pugh delivers a joyful, honest story about finding the courage to let go and allow love to prevail.

Kevin Deeley (Max Deacon) has an intense passion for art and wants nothing more than to be a painter—though he unfortunately lacks the necessary talent. Broke, he is forced to steal, grift and lie to get by. He meets and forms a relationship with Olympia (Jacqueline Emerson), a gifted painter, over their shared love of art; but after his crimes catch up with him, he is thrown into the company of a convict (Chris Lazzaro) and an underworld figure (Lenny Clarke), who involve him in what will become the biggest art theft in modern history— and threatening his relationship with Olympia, his freedom, and even his life. Inspired by the true events surrounding the 1990 robbery of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Art Thief delves into the art world in entertaining, thrilling fashion.

In Attendance: Arthur Egeli

In this lyrical, truly original coming of age story two women from different generations, have more in common than they are willing to admit. An empathic, young plant doctor gifted with extrasensory powers and an emotionally fragile, isolated artist must rescue each other to rediscover the essence of living. The two women have the potential to help each other, if they are open enough and see what’s right in front of them. Natalie McMahon’s gentle direction pushes the two main actress, and the others in the 100% female cast, to develop an equally gentle, strong rapport to explore their emotional connections with nature and each other.

Florida Premiere. Philosophy lecturer Sophia is an expert on love. She can effortlessly wield quotes from Plato and Schopenhauer, among others, on the subject. She is happily married in an amicable if passionless relationship with fellow intellectual Xavier. But her theoretical and analytical grounding in matters of the heart hasn’t prepared her for the instant, electrical connection she experiences when she meets Sylvain, the rugged building contractor she and Xavier have retained to renovate their new lake cabin. Canadian actress-tuned-director Monia Chokri establishes a rattling screwball-style dialogue pace early on, and combines cynical smarts and deceptively light handling of some undeniably mature themes to deliver a sexy, witty examination of romantic passion in a real-world environment. Sophia may know the nature of love, but there never are easy answers.

Ethan Berger’s feature narrative debut is an engrossing contemplation of blind adherence to tradition through the lens of a fictional college fraternity. Tom (Alex Wolff), a passionate “brother” of this fraternity, is charmed by the promises of high social status and alumni connections that open doors. But as a classmate outside of his social circle named Annabelle (Halle Bailey) enters his life, his devotion begins to falter. Once the scheduled hazing of new fraternity members, a group most notably including the manipulative Gettys O’Brien (Sarasota’s Austin Abrams) comes to a disturbing head, Tom is faced with the decision of a lifetime. In this unique dive into traditions ingrained in American culture, Berger opens up a conversation that can be applied to any example of absolute loyalty to an institution. Wolff offers a gut-wrenching performance of a young man questioning every belief that had once comprised his being. He is joined by John Malkovich and Denise Richards as the corrupt, wealthy parents of his power-hungry roommate — an earlier generation perpetuating these same traditions.––Kylie Jost-Price, Tribeca Festival

Wracked by guilt after covering up a murder, Mona tries to make amends by taking in the deceased’s southern Sudanese widow Julia, and her son Daniel, into her home. Julia’s and Mona’s lives are starkly different. Julia leads a precarious existence with an otherwise happy son and husband, while Mona is childless with a controlling spouse, albeit enjoying relative luxury. As unrest breaks out, heightened racial prejudices shatter Julia’s life. She comes to be hired as Mona’s domestic worker, but even as their relationship deepens into that of confidantes, hidden guilt and secret dreams threaten to surface and unravel. Set in Khartoum during the years prior to South Sudan’s independence and beautifully shot with a soft warmth and authenticity, Goodbye Julia deftly weaves the personal into complex sociopolitical contexts, delivering a thoughtful drama at once tender and tense.

Florida Premiere. Beth (Tessa Thompson, in a masterful performance) is a helpline volunteer – part of the small army that gets on the phone every night across America, fielding calls from all kinds of people feeling lonely, broken, hopeless. Over the last year the tide has become a tsunami. As Beth goes through her shift, the stakes rise: is this the night she will lose someone? Save someone? Eventually, Beth’s own story comes to light, revealing why she does it. All along we remain with her: listening, comforting, connecting – patching the world back together, one stitch at a time. Directed by veteran actor Steve Buscemi, The Listener is that rare chamber piece that is often as tense as a globe-trotting thriller. Beth not only has to talk down those who are about to end their own life, but also deal with creeps over the phone. Thompson is joined by a number of well-known voices on the other end of the line, including Rebecca Hall, Jamie Hector, and Alia Shawkat. With its emphasis on conversation, The Listener proves itself to be a stirring testament to the power of empathy.

In Attendance: Steve Buscemi

East Coast Premiere. Bloom is a drama that follows the past and present life of Kate (a marvelous Kate Braun) and her poodle, Storm. Stirred by the desire to flee her small town Indiana life, this ambling Midwest tale begins with Kate in her 60s, on the eve of an impromptu vacation that quickly snowballs into an adventure across America. Driven by memories from her past, we come to learn how Kate once broke free from her hometown and toured with a band on the road. Unfortunately, this dream came to an abrupt end leaving her right back in the stagnant, small town life she so desperately yearned to escape from. With her children’s inadvertent guidance, Kate’s attempt to fulfill her freedom is met face to face with her life’s deepest regret. Surrounded by an interesting array of characters amid the changing backdrop of the Midwest, Great Plains and Southwest, Bloom takes us on a spiritual and quietly emotional journey through Kate’s open eyes and search for a new life.

Southeastern US Premiere. Sarah and Tom are in terrible financial trouble. On the brink of losing everything, they’ve managed to find a buyer for their stylish London home. When their best friends Richard and Beth come round for a final dinner, an uninvited old friend, Jessica, tags along. What could possibly go wrong? Well, plenty. This black comedy tells the story of two couples who find themselves having to move a dead body to ensure an imminent house sale doesn’t collapse. Rufus Sewell (The Diplomat, A Knight’s Tale), Shirley Henderson (The House Across the Street, Bridget Jones’s Diary) and Olivia Williams (The Ghost Writer, The Sixth Sense) star in the uproarious effort to hide the corpse, an undertaking which features a nosy neighbor and bungling cops. A blueberry clafoutis dessert also plays a significant role.

Florida Premiere. The Old Oak is the last pub standing in a once thriving mining village in northern England, a gathering space for a community that has fallen on hard times. There is growing anger, resentment, and a lack of hope among the residents, but the pub and its proprietor TJ are a fond presence to their customers. When a group of Syrian refugees moves into the floundering village, a decisive rift fueled by prejudices develops between the community and its newest inhabitants. The formation of an unexpected friendship between TJ and a young Syrian woman named Yara opens up new possibilities for the divided village in this deeply moving drama about loss, fear, and the difficulty of finding hope from master filmmaker Ken Loach, who at 87 announced this is his final film.

Fashion model Kelly-Anne (played to chillingly icy perfection by Juliette Gariépy)  wakes up every morning by the courthouse to secure a seat at the high-profile trial of Ludovic Chevalier, a serial killer commanding her attention. As days go by, the young woman bonds with another groupie (Laurie Babin), which momentarily breaks her out of her loneliness. But as the

proceedings drag on and she spends more time in the courtroom with the victims’ families, Kelly-Anne finds it increasingly difficult to maintain her psychological balance and assume her morbid fixation with the killer. She will then do whatever it takes to get her hands on the final piece of the puzzle: the missing video of a murdered girl, to whom Kelly-Anne bears a disturbing resemblance. Director Pascal Plante updates the psychological horror thriller to today’s tech world and weaves a nuanced, wonderfully creepy tale of the dark web, obsession, the seamy side of social media.