It's springtime in Sarasota, which means two
things: The pollen is falling like snow and the
Sarasota Film Festival is about to start.
That's right; it's here again: The city's annual
celebration of cinema is set to run April 4-13,
with all the requisite parties and shindigs and
blowouts and a ton of quality films. Festival
staffers officially announced the complete
lineup this Thursday, and we've browsed the
catalogue to pick out a few highlights. Even
if none of my picks sound good, with 252
films, I'd bet you can probably find something
you'll like.
EMPTYING THE SKIES
1:15 p.m. Saturday, April 5, and 2 p.m.
Sunday, April 6
Based on a long essay by novelist Jonathan
Franzen, first published in The New Yorker and
then later in his collection Farther Away, this
documentary goes undercover with a squad
of European activists who are fighting the ille-
gal trapping of songbirds. Sounds boring, but
Franzen's reporting made for a thrilling read,
as he examined the cultural roots of dining
on small birds and the effect declining bird
populations may have on other species.
Novelist Jonathan Franzen in Roger Kass' Emptying the Skies. Contributed photo
JUST SOME OF WHAT'S WORTH SEEING AT THIS YEAR'S SARASOTA
FILM FESTIVAL
WHAT'S PLAYING
By Cooper Levey-Baker
Associate Editor
