Sarasota Fest Showcases Documentary Films as Producers Seek Distribution Deals
Addie Morfoot Contributor As the market for independently made documentaries continues to dry up, regional film festivals have become essential to filmmakers hoping to sell their docs. At this year’s Sarasota Film Festival, which kicks off on March 25, 36 documentaries are part of the lineup. Over 25 of them are seeking distribution. They include Luke Lorentzen’s “A Still Small Voice,” Alexandria Bombach’s “It’s Only Life After All” about the Indigo Girls, Ben Braun and Chiaki Yanagimoto “AUM: The Cult at the End of the World” and Bethann Hardison and Frédéric Tcheng’s “Invisible Beauty.” All four films premiered at Sundance in January. “From Submarine’s point of view, we’ve always encouraged great regional festivals like Sarasota, the Berkshires, Woodstock and the Hamptons partially because there is the possibility that awards voters are there,” says Submarine Entertainment sales agent Josh Braun, who reps both “AUM: The Cult at the End of the World” and “Invisible Beauty.” “There’s the possibility of industry being there in the form of a judge or on an industry panel.”