For the first time during Sarasota Film Festival’s opening weekend, SFF is proud to host the and Oscars Showcase of all five Live Action Short Film nominees at the 96th Academy Awards, which include Misan Harriman’s THE AFTER, Vincent René-Lortie’s INVINCIBLE; Lasse Lyskjær Noer’s KNIGHT OF FORTUNE; Nazrin Choudhury’s RED, WHITE AND BLUE; and the recipient of this year’s award: Wes Anderson’s THE WONDERFUL STORY OF HENRY SUGAR, which marked the first Oscar win for Anderson.
Family Beautiful caught up with Patrick Harrison who is thrilled to be moderating the Q & A at the festival. When asked what he thought of the importance of the Short Film subject (anything under 40 minutes) he was quite positive. All the films have completed ideas- from a beginning- story arc, conflict resolution and ending – just told in a shorter format. Many incredible filmmakers have started with the short format- and are currently working there such as Wes Anderson – who just received the Oscar for The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.
Sarasota Film Festival will hopefully be soon a qualifying festival for the “Shorts” category for the Academy Awards.
Why Sarasota??- Patrick remarked that it is an exceptional regional festival and a superb time of year to be in the growing area. A perfect place and time. We agree!
On April 12, the festival will also screen short film THE LAST REPAIR SHOP, the winner of the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film at the 96th Academy Awards. Editor Nick Garnham Wright will attend and participate in a post-screening Q&A.
Tells the story of four unassuming heroes who ensure no student is deprived of the joy of music. It is also a reminder of how music can be the best medicine, stress reliever and even an escape from poverty. It takes place in 1959, Los Angeles has been one of the few United States cities to offer and fix musical instruments for its public school students at no cost. Those instruments, numbering around 80,000, are maintained at a Los Angeles downtown warehouse by a handful of craftspeople. The film profiles four of them, each specializing in an orchestra section, as well as students whose lives have been enriched by the repair shop’s work. The film concludes with a performance by district alumni.
Also showcased is Roald Dahl’s The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, or simply The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, is a 2023 American fantasy short film written, co-produced, and directed by Wes Anderson, based on the 1977 short story “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” by Roald Dahl. It is the second film adaptation of a Dahl work directed by Anderson, following Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009). It stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the titular character alongside Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley, and Richard Ayoade. The story sees a rich man learning about a clairvoyant guru who could see without using his eyes through the power of a particular form of Yoga, then setting out to master the skill in order to cheat at gambling.
The film is the first of a four-part series of shorts adapted from Dahl’s short stories, including “The Swan“, “The Rat Catcher“, and “Poison“. Development on the project began in January 2022, with most of the cast signed on. Principal photography took place in London that month. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar was originally reported to be a feature film until Anderson clarified in June 2023 that it would be one of a collection of short films.
The Opening of Sarasota Film Festival is April 5 and runs through April 12, 2024
