2017 Cine-World Film Festival boasts strongest lineup in years
It’s been a difficult time for the Cine-World Film Festival.
In August, Barbara Caras, the president and chief financial officer of the the Sarasota Film Society, passed away after a short illness. Her death rocked the organization, which organizes Cine-World, just as its buyer was headed to Toronto to pick films for the festival. Her husband Nick Caras stepped in as the film society’s president.
“We had a hard time putting this year’s festival together, to tell you the truth,” said Tim Calandra, the film society’s director of community outreach and and public relations, and Barbara Caras’ brother. “It’s been a tough couple of months. Fortunately she put everything in place before she took ill.”
Even though it was a trying time, this year’s festival, which runs Nov. 3-12 at Burns Court Cinema in Sarasota, is going to be an exceptional one.
“It’s a great selection of films,” Calandra said. “I really believe it’s the best we’ve had to choose from in quite a few years.”
The Sarasota Film Society picks all the films for Cine-World from the prestigious Toronto Film Festival.
It’s a great selection of films. I really believe it’s the best we’ve had to choose from in quite a few years.
Tim Calandra
“None of the films were screened in the United States before Toronto,” Calandra said. “And I don’t believe any have been screened here since.”
That’s true most years, but this year there’s one notable exception. The festival includes the classic concert film “Stop Making Sense.” Jonathan Demme’s 1984 chronicle of a Talking Heads show is widely considered one of the best rock music films ever made. Demme died earlier this year.
This year’s festival has an exceptionally strong menu of films about music, Calandra said. Besides “Stop Making Sense,” the 2017 Cine-World features “Score: A Film Music Documentary,” which has major film composers discussing their work; “Long Time Running,” about the Canadian band the Tragically Hip; “Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary,” and “Sidemen: Long Road to Glory,” about Pinetop Perkins and other blues greats who played with Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf.
Other noteworthy movies this year are “Lady Bird,” an acclaimed comedy-drama written and directed by Greta Gerwig, which earned a standing ovation in Toronto, “Borg vs. McEnroe,” a narrative film about the classic tennis showdown at Wimbledon, “Wonderstruck,” a new film by Todd Haynes based on the novel by Brian Selznick, Richard Linklater’s “Last Flag Flying,” and the Spotlight Documentary “Bill Nye” Science Guy.”
It’s really a great festival. There’s something for everyone.
Tim Calandra
The 2017 Cine-World Film festival includes 32 films, and more than 60 screenings, because most of the films are shown more than once.
It’s not the kind of festival that puts emphasis on bringing in celebrities and filmmakers, Calandra said, because the price of films has risen steeply and the festival would rather focus its budget on acquiring great films than flying in celebrities.
The result, Calandra said, is a festival that this year was able to get the best films from an exceptional crop at Toronto.
“It’s really a great festival,” he said. “There’s something for everyone.”
Details: Nov. 3-12, Burns Court Cinema, 506 Burns Court, Sarasota. Single tickets $10.50 for Sarasota Film Society members, $13.50 for nonmembers. Black pass (10 tickets), $95 members, $125 nonmembers. Red pass (20 tickets) $180 members, $240 nonmembers. Silver pass (40 tickets), $340 members, $460 nonmembers. 941-955-3456, filmsociety.org.
Marty Clear: 941-708-7919, @martinclear
This story was originally published October 31, 2017 at 5:49 PM with the headline "2017 Cine-World Film Festival boasts strongest lineup in years."