The 27th Anniversary edition of the Sarasota Film Festival celebrated its Closing Day of screenings and festivities on Sunday, April 2, after an exciting festival featuring diverse and unique films, inspiring panels, educational outreach, and more.
The 2025 festival concluded Sunday evening with a screening of Taylor McFadden’s LOVERS with a performance following from Executive Producer and singer-songwriter Nathaniel Rateliff. LOVERS follows two women who return to their hometown for the funeral of a friend who has taken his own life. They find themselves reconnecting with their old community at the local dive bar music venue, and are reminded of the power of coming together through music.
During the festival, SFF also honored Chris Brancato (GODFATHER OF HARLEM, NARCOS, HOTEL COCAINE) with the Innovation in Television Award, GODFATHER OF HARLEM’s Rome Flynn with the Rising Star Award, as well as acclaimed artist and filmmaker Harmony Korine with the Trailblazer Award.
MISTURA directed by Ricardo de Montreuil takes home this year’s Narrative Feature Jury prize. Foodies will flip for Ricardo de Montreuil’s precise character piece, “Mistura,” about a woman reinventing herself as a restaurateur following a divorce. If we could give a Best Performance Award we would, as well, for Barbara Mori’s extraordinary central turn, which anchors the entire film.
The Narrative Feature Jury also featured David Fortune’s COLOR BOOK with a Special Jury Mention. David Fortune’s “The Color Book” is a deeply moving first-feature about a widowed father raising his son with Down Syndrome.
THE LIBRARIANS directed by Kim A. Snyder was the Documentary Feature Jury prize winner. In a moment of capitulation of universities, law firms, tech platforms, and newsrooms, these improbable first responders are defenders of democracy and the freedom to read. May they remind, reimagine, and reinvigorate our constitutional rights and use this film for a moment of building – one district, school board, and town hall at a time. Thank your local librarians, protect our classrooms, and children – and thank you Kim A. Snyder for breathing necessary life into our first amendment.
The Documentary Feature Jury also recognized Sasha Wortzel’s RIVER OF GRASS with a Special Jury Mention. Director Sasha Wortzel gracefully weaves together the story of environmentalist Marjory Stoneman Douglas and present day activist Betty Osceola of the Miccosukee Tribe, giving us a glimpse into the important history of the Everglades National Park and the ever-present ecological issues there. This film is a poetic and informative look into the climate crisis that currently faces us all.
The festival’s Independent Visions Award went to THE BOOK OF JOBS directed by Kayci Lacob. The festivals annual HOLLYWOOD NIGHTS awards were given to Hazel Cozby, Leah Sheehan , Brixton Chavez, & Emily Schappert’s SUITCASE SABOTAGE, Jaxson Dean’s THE ALLERGIC SHARK, Kyan Correa & Cristian Lozano’s PRISON BREAK, and Synjin Englund’s THE INTERLOPE.
Festival patrons also awarded Jessica Palud’s BEING MARIA for best narrative film and Miles Larsen’s THE LIGHT THEY CAST for documentary, respectively.
The Sarasota Film Festival awarded MY GUARDIAN ANGEL, directed by Nya Chambless, Best US Narrative Short; and Best Documentary Short to TIGERS OF THE SKY directed by Ian Edward Meir.
“I’m honored to help close out the 27th anniversary of the Sarasota Film Festival by celebrating the outstanding and diverse films showcased this year. Congratulations to our award winners and the incredibly talented filmmakers behind these works. We’re also deeply grateful to our Jury members for their thoughtful recognition of these films.” said Mark Famiglio, President and Chairman of the Board of the Sarasota Film Festival. “As we mark this milestone, it’s important to reflect on why we continue this festival year after year. At its heart, the Sarasota Film Festival exists for the community — to champion the right of individuals from all backgrounds to express themselves through cinema. Film is a powerful tool for sharing perspectives, ideas, and beliefs, and we are proud to be part of that conversation. Thank you to all of our supporters and everyone who helps bring this festival to life each year.”
Congratulations to the 2025 winners of The Sarasota Film Festival Awards:
Jury Awards
Narrative Feature Competition Winner
“Mistura”
Director: Ricardo de Montreuil
Documentary Feature Competition Winner
“The Librarians”
Directors: Kim A. Snyder
Narrative Feature Jury Special Mention
“Color Book”
Director: David Fortune
Documentary Feature Jury Special Mention
“River of Grass”
Director: Sasha Wortzel
Independent Visions Competition Winner
“Book of Jobs”
Director: Kayci Lacob
US Narrative Short Competition Winner
“My Guardian Angel”
Director: Nya Chambless
Documentary Short Competition Winner
“Tigers of the Sky”
Director: Ian Edward Meir
Audience Awards
Narrative Audience Award Winner
“Being Maria”
Director: Jessica Palud
Documentary Audience Award Winner
“The Light They Cast”
Director: Miles Larsen
2025 Sarasota Film Festival Jury
Narrative Feature Jury
Christian Blauvelt, Digital Director, IndieWire
Jill Campbell, Director (Beyond the Gaze: Jule Campbell’s Swimsuit Issue)
Josh Braun, Co-Founder, Submarine
Michael Panes, Writer (Godfather of Harlem)
Documentary Feature Jury
Addie Morfoot, Variety and New York Times Contributor
Geralyn Dreyfous, Academy Award winning producer & Co-Founder, Impact Partners
Taylor McFadden, Director (Lovers)
About Sarasota Film Festival
Held annually in Sarasota, Florida, the Sarasota Film Festival emphasizes the best in cinema alongside exciting programs and events, with hundreds of films screened each year including features, documentaries, shorts, and kid-friendly picks. SFF brings the best new and established independent filmmakers to the Festival with local programs that showcase its idyllic community. The Sarasota Film Festival is a 501©3 non-profit arts organization. It is the largest film fest in the Southeast, one of the largest in North America, and draws over 50,000 ticket holders annually. The festival regularly hosts industry attendees and media and has been covered by The New York Times, Variety, GQ, Entertainment Weekly, Vanity Fair, IndieWire, The Hollywood Reporter, USA Today, Rolling Stone, The New York Post, and The New York Daily News, among others. For more information, please visit: https://www.sarasotafilmfestival.com/
