Sarasota Film Festival announces opening night, closing night and centerpiece films

Sarasota Film Festival will begin with a documentary and close with a world premiere this year.

SFF announced March 13 that it will open with Israeli filmmaker Avi Belkin’s documentary “Mike Wallace is Here” at 7:30 p.m. April 5 at Sarasota Municipal Auditorium and will close with actor Greg Kinnear’s directorial debut film, “Phil,” at 6 p.m. April 13 at Sarasota Opera House.

“Mike Wallace is Here” follows the more than 50-year-long broadcast journalism career of “60 Minutes” correspondent Mike Wallace, and “Phil” is a dark comedy directed by and starring Kinnear, who plays a man struggling to discover the true meaning of “having it all.”

The same press release also announced the festival’s 2019 Centerpiece film, which will be Noble Jones’ “The Tomorrow Man,” starring Emmy Award-winning and Tony Award-winning actress Blythe Danner, at 2 p.m. April 13 at the Regal Hollywood 11. The film, which made its world premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, is an eccentric love story of two people nearing the end of their lives.

Danner will be presented the SFF Icon Award during the Awards Ceremony April 13, prior to the Closing Night Film, and Emmy Award-winning and Tony Award-nominated actress Anne Heche will be presented the SFF Career Tribute Award. Belkin, Kinnear, Danner, and Heche will all participate in the 2019 SFF Conversation With series.

“The Sarasota audiences are sure to enjoy two engaging and completely different films at the start and end of our festival,” Chairman and President of the Sarasota Film Festival Mark Famiglio said in the release. “Mike Wallace is a historic figure with a remarkable story, and we are delighted to have Greg Kinnear share the world premiere of his directorial debut.”

The full lineup for the 2019 festival has since been announced and can be accessed here.