Some hiccups, but no major glitches, as film fest wraps up

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Exhausted and relieved.

That was what both Mark Famiglio, the president of the board and Michael Dunaway, the first year director of programming, were feeling following the close of the 2015 Sarasota Film Festival. Not only were ticket sales up for the 17th annual event, which ended Sunday, but more significantly, a full slate of screenings, special events and parties went off without a serious hitch, despite a major transition in the organization’s staffing over the past year.

Sarasota Film Festival Director Michael Dunaway and board President Mark Famiglio at the closing night film and awards ceremony. (STAFF PHOTO  / THOMAS BENDER)

Sarasota Film Festival Director Michael Dunaway and board President Mark Famiglio at the closing night film and awards ceremony. (STAFF PHOTO / THOMAS BENDER)

“At the end of the day, it really worked out the way we hoped it would,” said a weary Famiglio. “Generally speaking, we didn’t miss a beat in the transition and, in my view, I think it actually improved.”

Famiglio said it’s too early to provide numbers on attendance or profits and that, due to additional screenings and some larger venues, there were more seats available than in years past. But he believed the number of “actual bodies in seats” was up (though not his own; he managed to squeeze in only three viewings). Donations, particularly to the education program, also increased.

Dunaway, an affable Georgia native whose spiked silver hair and white linen suit became a familiar sight to local cinephiles, said his inaugural experience was “much crazier than I realized it would be” despite his best efforts at being prepared.

He acknowledged this year’s festival was not without its flaws, though some — such as Cloris Leachman’s cancellation — were out of the organization’s control. But he added that the feedback he has received has been overwhelmingly positive.

“Certainly there are probably a thousand mistakes I made, but that’s what happens when you do something for the first time,” he said. “I think my fellow programmers and I built a festival that the industry had a lot of respect for and that the local audience loved. It can sometimes be a challenge to achieve both of those things so I’m incredibly proud of that.”

Neither Famiglio or Dunaway would confirm the current team will remain in place for the coming year. Though he praised Dunaway’s presence and poise, Famiglio said their contractual arrangement is still “an open-ended thing.”

“Michael did a great job of greeting and interacting with filmmakers and I think his personality is such that he’s a great asset for the festival,” Famiglio said.

Dunaway, who acknowledged he would “absolutely love to come back,” said discussions are still underway.

“To my knowledge, no one is yet under contract for next year,” he said. “Don’t read that the wrong way to say that anyone is leaving, but no one has signed a contract yet.”

In the wake of long-time program director Tom Hall’s resignation last fall, the organization altered its programming structure in January, opting for a four-person team headed by Dunaway, a film writer and editor and former SFF judge. Dunaway worked with Maggie MacKay (formerly with the Los Angeles Film Festival), Sarasota native Derek Horne (formerly with the Chapman University film school in California) and Caley Fagerstrom (a previous SFF programming assistant) to select the 285 feature and short films showcased over the 10-day event.

Famiglio said that structural change resulted in a broader and more diverse range of films that was generally well-received if, occasionally, controversial. (The jury selection of Hungarian director Kornél Mundruczó’s “White God” as the best narrative feature drew loud boos at the closing night award ceremony.)

“When you have four programmers as opposed to one, things change pretty dramatically,” Famiglio said. “With the ensemble effort, I think we had a great festival this year. At the end of the day, it really worked out the way we hoped it would.”

Famiglio was also pleased with the attention the female-centric festival got within the film industry. The biggest-name stars who visited Sarasota were all women — including Blythe Danner, Jane Seymour and Rachel Weisz — and 100 female filmmakers were represented, an unusually high number in comparison with similar events.

Asked if that was an intentional marketing ploy, Famgilio said, “No, not at all. We were aiming to create the best festival we could and that was an unintentional consequence of doing things the right way.”

Famiglio said there was still tweaking to be done with logistical operations, including weighing how the cost of bringing in industry VIPs affects the festival’s bottom line. He also expressed the hope that the community would come to embrace and support the festival in the same way it does its performing arts organizations.

“I think the town has to give it up a little bit for that 10 days, to own it and understand how important it is,” he said. “You have to keep working to help people understand the kind of attention this brings to the community.”

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Carrie Seidman

Carrie Seidman has been a newspaper features writer, columnist and reviewer for 30 years...and a dancer for longer than that. She has a master's degree from Columbia University Journalism School and is a former competitive ballroom dancer. Contact her via email, or at (941) 361-4834. Make sure to "Like" Arts Sarasota on Facebook for news and reviews of the arts.
Last modified: April 22, 2015
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