Sarasota Film Society

Sarasota Film Society is an organization started in 1983 by Dick and Sue Morris, the mission of which is to bring classic, independent, and international films to the Sarasota and Manatee communities.  The Sarasota Film Society offers screenings of non-mainstream films at two area locations: Burns Court Cinemas, located just west of Pineapple Avenue in downtown Sarasota, and Lakewood Ranch Cinemas, on Lakewood Ranch Boulevard at the north end of Main Street.

Recent film offerings at the two Sarasota Film Society venues have included critically-acclaimed movies such as "Babel," "Little Children," "Notes on a Scandal," "Pan´s Labyrinth," "The Painted Veil," "The Queen," and "Volver," as well as lesser-known fine films such as "The Wind that Shakes the Barley," "Copying Beethoven," and "Venus."

Tickets may be purchased for individual shows at the box office or in advance online at the Society´s website, http://www.filmsociety.org, or by calling Burns Court Cinemas at (941) 945-3456 or Lakewood Ranch Cinemas at (487) 5880.  Various membership opportunities are also available, offering discount tickets to film screenings and other benefits.  Membership prices range are $30.00 for individuals, $50.00 for a dual membership, and $20.00 for students; sponsorship memberships are also available and offer additional benefits.  The price of admission to special events and festivals varies; information is available at http://www.filmsociety.org.

Sarasota Film Society hosts festivals throughout the year to bring films to the community that represent both domestic and international filmmaking.  The 2007 Polish Film Festival, for example, will include works from Poland, including "The Death of Cavalry Captain Pilecki," "Persona Non Grata," "The Collector," "Ode to Joy," and "Palimpsest."  The work "Solidarity, Solidarity" is a series of thirteen short films, and "Karol ? The Pope, The Man" is an ode to the late Pope John Paul II, a Polish native.

The Society offers facility rental of its theaters.  The auditoriums and attendant facilities can be reserved by businesses or other organizations, and private screenings can be reserved for up to 200 people.

Sarasota Film Society strives to educate as well as entertain.  A number of educational opportunities exist.  "Kindermusik ? Imagine That!" is an event for children ages 3 to 5 which integrates play with music, vocal development, storytelling, and physical movement.

Since 1999, as a result of the efforts of local high school student Shay Weiner, Sarasota Film Society has offered a series of free classic film screenings on Saturday mornings, allowing audiences to experience outstanding classical films that they may not have otherwise been exposed to free of charge.  The free Saturday screenings have included such works as The Battleship Potemkin," "The Birth of a Nation," "Breathless," "The Magnificent Ambersons," and "Un Chien Andalou." 

From October through April, local high school students work with Sarasota Film Society to create a series of classic films with a specific theme.  The goal of the endeavor is to offer to audiences of all ages exposure to classic movies and an appreciation for their artistic value.

Adults have a chance to experience filmmaking first-hand by meeting with local filmmakers at the Society´s Filmmaker´s Forum, a bi-monthly networking and exhibition event.  At Filmmaker´s Forum, local artists can present their works to get feedback from other filmmakers as well as the general public.  Amateur filmmakers are invited to submit their works for consideration.