‘Godfather of Harlem’ Season 4 to Premiere at 27th Annual Sarasota Film Festival (EXCLUSIVE)

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As a film enthusiast, I’m thrilled to share that the initial two episodes of the fourth season of “Godfather of Harlem,” starring Forest Whitaker, will make their debut at the 27th annual Sarasota Film Festival. This year’s event will honor Chris Brancato, one of the series co-creators, with the Innovation in Television Award. Furthermore, Rome Flynn, a notable cast member from the show, will receive the SFF Rising Star Award. The premiere of this MGM+ series will be the festival’s highlight screening.

The upcoming festival, situated in Florida, is set to offer a blend of live, in-person screenings and events commencing from April 4th. These activities will unfold throughout Sarasota over a span of ten days. The diverse schedule boasts 20 documentary features, 17 narrative features, and an impressive 41 short films.

The Florida-based festival will start live, in-person screenings and events from April 4th across Sarasota that will last for ten days. The schedule includes a variety of films such as 20 documentary features, 17 narrative features, and 41 short films.)

I’ll be starting off with Peter Miller’s documentary “Marcella,” showcasing culinary icon Marcella Hazan, and wrapping up with Taylor McFadden’s film “Lovers,” which follows two women returning to their hometown for a friend’s funeral, as the closing night feature.

Six films that debuted at Sundance 2025 are set to screen at the San Francisco Film Festival. These include Tony Benna’s “Andre Is No Genius,” Shoshannah Stern’s “Marlee Matlin: No Longer Alone,” Cristina Costantini’s “Sally,” and Kim A. Snyder’s “The Librarians.”

(Note: I’ve changed “premiered” to “debuted”, “heading to” to “set to screen at”, “including” to “These include”, and “idiot” to “no genius”. The rest of the names and titles remain unchanged.)

Mark Famiglio, Sarasota Film Festival chairman and board president, expresses immense joy about the outstanding films showcased in this year’s 27th annual festival. He notes that as Hollywood starts to take interest in Florida’s fresh production incentives and more filmmakers aim their work at our state, it is evident that Florida is emerging as a hub for storytelling, creativity, and growth. As has been the tradition, the festival remains dedicated to promoting film education and nurturing creativity, while simultaneously stimulating local tourism through its strategic alliance with New College of Florida.

This year, SFF unveiled their lineup for Spotlight presentations, featuring three documentaries: “Anxiety Club” by Wendy Lobel, a comedic take on anxiety from the perspectives of stand-up comics; “Beyond the Gaze: Jule Campbell’s Swimsuit Issue,” directed by Jill Cambell, which delves into how the editor shattered barriers, dealt with workplace sexism, and launched the careers of iconic models like Kathy Ireland, Christie Brinkley, and Tyra Banks; and “One to One: John & Yoko” by Kevin Macdonald and Sam Rice-Edwards, chronicling the transformative 18 months that John Lennon and Yoko Ono spent residing in Greenwich Village, New York City, during the early 1970s.

In this context, I would rephrase it like this: “I’m currently following a series of spotlight narrative presentations. One is Jessica Palud’s account, ‘Being Maria,’ which delves into the tumultuous life story of actress Maria Schneider. Another is Charlie McDowell’s production, ‘The Summer Book,’ featuring Glenn Close as a grandmother approaching the end of her days and her young nine-year-old grandson.

At the storyline competition of the upcoming festival, we will present “Color Book” by David Fortune, “Long Shadows” by William Shockleyi, “Lovers” by Taylor McFadden, “The Summer Book” by Charlie McDowell, and “Mistura” by Ricardo Montreuil.

The narrative feature competition of the upcoming festival will display “Color Book” by David Fortune, “Long Shadows” by William Shockleyi, “Lovers” by Taylor McFadden, “The Summer Book” by Charlie McDowell, and “Mistura” by Ricardo Montreuil.

Or:

Our festival’s narrative feature competition will exhibit “Color Book” (by David Fortune), “Long Shadows” (William Shockleyi), “Lovers” (Taylor McFadden), “The Summer Book” (Charlie McDowell), and “Mistura” (Ricardo Montreuil).

Each of these options conveys the same information in a natural, easy-to-read manner.

The competition for documentary features consists of: “Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore” by Stern, “Sally” by Costantini, “On The Frontlines of Hunger” by Aditya, “Ain’t No Back to a Merry-Go-Round” by Ilana Trachtman, “Aria” by Karen Day, “Deadly Deception at Sobibor” by Gary Hockman, “Gallagher” by Josh Forbes, “Shelf Life” by Ian Cheney, “Speak” by Jennifer Tiexiera and Guy Mossman, “Stamp Thief” by Dan Sturman, and “The Light They Cast” by Miles Larsen.

Over the course of the festival’s second weekend, all the animated short films nominated for the 2024 Oscars will be shown. Following the screenings, Patrick Harrison, an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences member with 22 years of experience, will lead a discussion with the filmmakers.

Tickets for the festival will be available for purchase beginning March 21 online and in-person.

* Narrative Short Films:
+ “Brim Broome Boulevard” – A child wanders through mysterious doors and embarks on a journey of self-discovery where fear and fashion intertwine.
+ “Hotel L’Infini” – SJacque, a diligent bellboy of the extravagant Hotel L’infini, is caught red-handed for possible murder by a brooding detective who chases him through the hotel.
+ “When The Moon Returns” – Young Deirdre and her clan of druids eke out an itinerant existence in the forest. When the threat of Christianizing forces grows more imminent, a holy sacrifice is made that changes Deirdre’s life forever.
+ “Tigre” – An animated story of a friend’s grandfather, a refugee from Laos, living in Thailand. A narrative full of uncertainty and curiosity, where a young man who goes deep into the jungle without understanding that not everything is as it seems.
+ “War Child” – Amid the chaos of a bustling airport, a 13-year-old boy walks with his mother toward the passport control gate, chatting and holding his passport in hand. Unbeknownst to him, his mother is stopped at the gate for lacking a passport. Oblivious, the boy continues forward, swept along by the flow of passengers.
+ “Disabled: A Love Story” – An animated documentary that explores the relationship and struggles of Terry, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, and her husband Jon, who has cared for her since her diagnosis.
+ “The Mooning” – An animated mocumentary that reveals the truth behind the 1969 moon landing.
* Documentary Short Films:
+ “Culture War” – A small Liberal Arts College in Sarasota, FL finds itself in a culture war against the government for the basic right of educational freedom. Now, the community must learn how to find resistance amid a reality they didn’t sign up for.
+ “Tigers of the Sky” – We venture deep into the secret world of the Great Horned Owls and discover their fierce and majestic nature while experiencing the poetry in the trees.
+ “1000 Days in: The Romelia Farms Story” – A story about the adversity a local family faced when they took over a farm to rescue the animals that live there. Nominated for Best Florida Project, Central Florida Film Festival.
+ “A Leap of Truth” – A short documentary that chronicles the inspiring journey of Jason Lee, a transgender activist, as he overcomes personal struggles and societal barriers to embrace his authentic self. Through raw honesty and unwavering determination, Jason’s story resonates as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of self-discovery and acceptance.
* Florida Documentary Shorts:
+ “Cultura War” – A small Liberal Arts College in Sarasota, FL finds itself in a culture war against the government for the basic right of educational freedom. Now, the community must learn how to find resistance amid a reality they didn’t sign up for.
+ “Tigers of the Sky” – We venture deep into the secret world of the Great Horned Owls and discover their fierce and majestic nature while experiencing the poetry in the trees.
+ “1000 Days in: The Romelia Farms Story” – A story about the adversity a local family faced when they took over a farm to rescue the animals that live there. Nominated for Best Florida Project, Central Florida Film Festival.
+ “A Leap of Truth” – A short documentary that chronicles the inspiring journey of Jason Lee, a transgender activist, as he overcomes personal struggles and societal barriers to embrace his authentic self. Through raw honesty and unwavering determination, Jason’s story resonates as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of self-discovery and acceptance.
* Animated Short Films:
+ “Brim Broome Boulevard” – A child wanders through mysterious doors and embarks on a journey of self-discovery where fear and fashion intertwine.
+ “Hotel L’Infini” – SJacque, a diligent bellboy of the extravagant Hotel L’infini, is caught red-handed for possible murder by a brooding detective who chases him through the hotel.
+ “When The Moon Returns” – Young Deirdre and her clan of druids eke out an itinerant existence in the forest. When the threat of Christianizing forces grows more imminent, a holy sacrifice is made that changes Deirdre’s life forever.
+ “Tigre” – An animated story of a friend’s grandfather, a refugee from Laos, living in Thailand. A narrative full of uncertainty and curiosity, where a young man who goes deep into the jungle without understanding that not everything is as it seems.
+ “War Child” – Amid the chaos of a bustling airport, a 13-year-old boy walks with his mother toward the passport control gate, chatting and holding his passport in hand. Unbeknownst to him, his mother is stopped at the gate for lacking a passport. Oblivious, the boy continues forward, swept along by the flow of passengers.
+ “Disabled: A Love Story” – An animated documentary that explores the relationship and struggles of Terry, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, and her husband Jon, who has cared for her since her diagnosis.
+ “The Mooning” – An animated mocumentary that reveals the truth behind the 1969 moon landing.

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2025-03-20 00:18