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As the market for independently produced documentaries continues to dry up, regional film festivals have become essential for filmmakers looking to sell documentaries.
This year’s Sarasota Film Festival kicks off on March 25 with 36 documentaries on display. More than 25 of these are seeking distribution. These include Luke Lorentzen’s “Still a Small Voice,” Alexandria Bombach’s “It’s Just Life After All” about the Indigo Girls, Ben Braun and Yanagimoto Chiaki Yanagimoto “AUM: Cult of the End of the World” and “Invisible” beauty by Bethann Hardison and Frédéric Tcheng. All four films premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January.
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“From a Submarine perspective, we’ve always encouraged local festivals like Sarasota, Berkshires, Woodstock and Hamptons, in part because of the potential there to reward voters,” said Josh Braun, a Submarine Entertainment sales agent who represents both” AUM: The Cult at the End of the World” and “Invisible Beauty”. “It is possible for industry to exist in the form of judges or industry panels.”
“These regional festivals are likely to become more important because the market is challenging right now,” he said.
According to Braun, SFF is now 25 years old and its stature continues to grow. “It’s been around long enough that enough filmmakers, producers, sales reps and other industry people have attended and realized the enthusiasm of the audience.”
SFF President and Chairman Mark Famiglio commented, “We have a seasoned audience here who are true film lovers.”
SFF is the second festival Hardison and Cheng will attend with “Invisible Beauty,” about Hardison and her struggle for a shift in representation in the fashion industry.
“Over the past few months, our priority has been to submit the film to as many regional festivals as possible – while developing an international strategy,” said Hardison.
Cheng added: “Bethann once told me that everything she does in her life is grassroots, and I think our film is part of the same approach of building an audience and interest from the ground up. After going through Sundance, we know the audience The response is our best asset.”
Dawn Porter’s “Cirque Du Soleil: Without a Net,” which opens at SFF in November, had its world premiere at DOC NYC but has yet to find a distributor.
“You want your film to be shown in a great place and the audience will appreciate it and talk about it,” said Porter, whose Hulu’s Diary of a Lady Bird Documentation Won an SXSW award earlier this month. “At Ringling Brothers in Sarasota, we thought there would be a good audience for circus films. We’re looking for a distribution for this beautiful film, and we hope buyers see it well outside of New York and Los Angeles repercussions.”
“The Conspiracy” by Maxim Pozdorovkin also had its world premiere at DOC NYC. Since then, this cartoon about a Jewish cabal’s heinous plot to somehow control the world has come to Cleveland International Airport. Film Festival. It will be released in SFF on March 31.
Producer Caroline Hirsch, founder of the now-defunct Carolines on Broadway comedy club, will be in Sarasota for a screening of the documentary. She explained that “The Conspiracy” was made because she wanted people to see the film and start talking about anti-Semitism.
“I’m very, very disappointed that the document didn’t sell because the topic is so important right now,” Hirsch said. “I will take this film to a hundred film festivals to promote it.”
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