Must-see cinema beckons fans to Sarasota

By STEVE PERSALL

© St. Petersburg Times, published November 3, 2000

Not many Tampa Bay area residents travel all the way to Sarasota to see movies. This is the time of year to make an exception.

[Photo by Marion Stalens] Katerina Golubeva, left, and Guillaume Depardieu in "Pola X," a sensual French film that could gain popularity in the United States.

The 11th annual Cine-World Film Festival begins today and continues through Nov. 12, showcasing films unlikely to be coming soon to a theater nearer you.

With a tank of gas and good planning, you can be on the cutting edge of current cinema. Fifty-four films are slated to be screened over the next 10 days, most of them twice. Burns Court Cinema is a fine venue, with three auditoriums built by the sponsoring Sarasota Film Society, each dedicated to art films only.

The multiplex is located at 506 Burns Lane near the Five Points shopping district in downtown Sarasota. The box office opens daily at 10 a.m., but it's wise to call ahead to (941) 955-9338 and reserve tickets with a major credit card. That number also provides show time information, or visit Cine-World's Web site (http://www.filmsociety.org) for the lineup.

Tickets are $6.50, although several events are free. Ticket packages ($78-$200) are offered. Discounts are available for Sarasota Film Society members. Some events may be sold out by the time you call or visit the box office. Early arrival is suggested.

For your convenience, here are 10 reasons to take I-75 south to exit 39 and downtown Sarasota. They're listed in no particular order:

The best reason to visit Cine-World is, of course, the movies. Each year, some film you never heard about before becomes a conversation piece during the awards season.

Best bets for sleeper success this year include Shadow of the Vampire, starring Willem Dafoe, based on the filming of the silent classic Nosferatu. State and Main is a promising satire of the film industry with William H. Macy (Fargo) as a pushy director invading a small town. Ed Harris' Pollock traces the creative process of the famed abstract artist.

You Can Count on Me earned Sundance Film Festival honors for its family drama. The coming-of-age comedy Just Looking marks the directing debut of former Seinfeld star Jason Alexander.

Foreign films that may cross over to U.S. markets include France's sensual Pola X, In the Mood for Love from Chinese romantic Kar-wei Wong, the Turkish drama Journey to the Sun and a kinetic South Korean action flick called Nowhere to Hide. Call or see the Web site for show times.

Director Richard Rush will present a free screening of his 1980 film The Stunt Man, a cunning little action-comedy about an escaped convict working for a megalomaniac filmmaker (Oscar nominee Peter O'Toole). Rush, film critic Hollis Alpert and screenwriter Stuart Kaminsky will discuss the film and show Rush's documentary on the making of The Stunt Man. (Nov. 11, noon.)

Portuguese filmmaker Joaquim Leitao hosts a minitribute to his country's cinema. He'll answer questions after a screening of Inferno, a violent buddy flick which broke that country's box office records (Nov. 5, 3:10 p.m.). Leitao will also introduce his films A Normal Life (Nov. 5, 6:15 p.m.), Temptation (Nov. 6, 2 p.m.) and Inferno again on Nov. 6 at 5 p.m.

Sarasota resident Jerry Wexler is a music legend for producing the Muscle Shoals sound with artists such as Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan. Immaculate Funk is a documentary of Wexler's storied career, created by Tom Thurman, enjoying its world premiere at Cine-World. After the show, Wexler and Thurman will chat about the movie and music. Admission is free. (Nov. 11, 6 p.m.)

The beat goes on with two more inviting music documentaries: Bittersweet Motel (today, 10:45 p.m.) should be a treat for fans of the rock band Phish. On the other end of the musical scale is Songcatcher (today, 2:30 p.m.) and its Appalachian rhythms.

French cinema has been a staple of Sarasota arts for years. Cine-World's Spotlight on France features 14 works from that country, including four works by Claude Lelouch. His latest film, One for All, will have its U.S. premiere at Cine-World on Nov. 10 at 5:30 p.m.

Other entries include Patrice Leconte's passionate Widow of Saint Pierre (today, 8 p.m.) and the multi-Cesar Award winner Venus Beauty Institute (Nov. 8, 5:30 p.m.). Director Didier Martiny will introduce Lulu Kreutz's Picnic on Nov. 10 at 7:20 p.m.

Student films from five Florida colleges and universities and several high schools will be shown in two Filmmakers Forums on Nov. 4 and 5. Both events begin at 9:30 a.m. A question-and-answer period will follow with these occasionally surprising young talents. Admission is free.

Alpert, Kaminsky and Rush will collaborate on another discussion panel on Nov. 12 after a 1 p.m. screening of The American Nightmare. Adam Simon's documentary focuses on shifting trends in horror films. Admission is free.

Family Values: The Mob and the Movies is a TNT cable network documentary aired a few months ago. A free screening on Nov. 4 at 8:15 p.m. will feature a discussion of gangster flicks with co-directors Sandra and Joseph Cosentino.

Fans of former St. Petersburg resident Angela Bassett have two chances to see her latest work in Boesman and Lena on Nov. 4 at 3:25 p.m. and Nov. 5 at 2 p.m. Bassett and Danny Glover play a combative couple coping with apartheid in South Africa. Judging from the film's lukewarm reception at the Telluride Film Festival, this may be your only chance before home video.

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.