10 must-see films from the Sarasota Film Festival

The 2015 edition of the Sarasota Film Festival is the largest ever, with 278 films over 10 days. That's an increase of about 15 percent from last year.

New director of programming Michael Dunaway knows them and loves them all. Ask him for his top 10 picks for the year and he launches into a rapid-fire stream-of-consciousness description, with details about plots and filmmakers. You get the sense he could go through all 268 with equal depth and enthusiasm.

But when he's limited to 10, these are the films Dunaway picks. If you can only see a few films at this year's festival, selecting ones from this list should be a safe bet. They're listed in the order Dunaway thought of them, not necessarily from the best to the 10th-best.

1. "Radiator." The U.S. premiere of a film that Dunaway calls "small," "quiet" and "brilliantly observed." Producer Rachel Weisz will be at the festival. "I think it's a film that people will be talking about for a long time," Dunaway said. Show times: 2:45 p.m. April 18, 3:30 p.m. April 19.

2. "White God." Unlike the intimate "Radiator," Dunaway said, "White God" is "epic," and it won an award at the Cannes Film Festival for its canine actors. Show times: 7:45 p.m. April 16, 7:15 p.m. April 19.

3. "Cartel Land." "My favorite documentary from Sundance," Dunaway said. It's the story of two vigilante groups, one in Texas and one in Mexico, both fighting the drug cartels. It's a documentary that feels like a narrative film, full of amazing characters. Show times: 5:15 p.m. April 16, 10:30 a.m. April 18.

4. "Apartment Troubles". SFF favorites Jennifer Predi

ger and Jess Weixler direct and star in a story about two roommates on the verge of eviction who head flee New York and head to LA. Megan Mullally also stars, and Jeffrey Tambor and Will Forte have smaller roles. Show times: 1 p.m. April 18, 10 a.m. April 19.

5. "Paradise, FL." Produced by Tom Stopperan of Ringling College of Art and Design and featuring lots of people form Ringling and Asolo Repertory Theatre, this narrative about struggling oyster farmers was shot around the Bradenton-Sarasota area. Show times: 4 p.m. April 11, 7:45 p.m. April 13, 8:15 p.m. April 18.

6. "Divine Access." The world premiere of a comedy about a man who goes onto a cable access show to debate a fundamentalist preacher and ends up attracting a following. Dunaway says it's a cross between "The Big Lebowski" and "Life of Brian." Show times: 6 p.m. April 11, 6:30 p.m. April 17.

7. "Tyke Elephant Outlaw." A documentary about the elephant who killed her trainer in front of thousands of people in Honolulu in 1994. It should appeal to people who loved "Blackfish," Dunaway said. Show times: 12:15 p.m. April 18, 7:45 p.m. April 19.

8. "Holbrook-Twain." A documentary about actor Hal Holbrook and his 60 years of portraying Mark Twain. Show times: 4:45 p.m. April 17, 12:45 p.m. April 19.

9. "Houses." Familiar actors from "Orange Is the New Black and "The Sopranos" star in this drama about Long Island residents rebuilding their lives after Hurricane Sandy. Floridians should relate, Dunaway said. Show times: 7:15 p.m. April 11, 12:15 p.m. April 19.

10. "Lamb." From a plot synopsis, most people probably wouldn't pick it out as a film they wanted to see, Dunaway said. He doesn't want to give away much about the plot, but it begins with a middle-aged man picking up an elementary school-aged girl and taking her for a cross-country trip. "For the whole film you're wondering if it's going to go where you don't want it to go," Dunaway said. Show times: 7:15 p.m. April 16, 5 p.m. April 17.

Marty Clear, features writer/columnist, can be reached at 941-708-7919. Follow twitter.co/martinclear.

This story was originally published April 5, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "10 must-see films from the Sarasota Film Festival ."