Our little Film Festival begins on Friday night. I can't believe it's finally here. It seemed at once like the week would never arrive but also as if it was always just around the corner; deadlines coming and going, the clock counting down, films confirming, others falling away, guests saying yes, guests saying no. As a programmer, the fun for me lies primarily in, well, the programming. It's the thrill of the hunt; loving movies and working with my partner in crime (and, let's be honest, one of my best friends in the whole world) to bring the films that we're passionate about to the festival. Looking at this year's line-up, I feel both proud and lucky to have such an amazing group of films and filmmakers coming to share their stories with us.

This year also features a program I am particularly proud to have assembled; Face To Face: The Films Of Liv Ullmann and Ingmar Bergman is a complete twelve film retrospective of the creative relationship between these two amazing artists. I have been trying to put this program together for a few years now, and I am so deeply honored that Liv Ullmann will be joining us to receive our festival's Master of World Cinema Award (inaugurated in 2006 when we hosted Werner Herzog.) Ms. Ullmann will also be attending a Q&A after our screening of her film Faithless and we have an hour-long conversation with Ms. Ullmann planned for the Historic Asolo Theater, moderated by Sony Pictures Classics President Michael Barker. It should be special, so I hope you can join us.

The Films
Persona (1966)
Hour Of The Wolf (1968)
Shame (1968)
Passion Of Anna (1969)
Cries And Whispers (1972)
Scenes From A Marriage (1973)
Face To Face (1976)
The Serpent’s Egg (1977)
Autumn Sonata (1978)
Private Confessions (1996)
Faithless (2000)
Saraband (2003)

i wish wish wish i could be in sarasota with you this year! hope to see you next year though... i'll have 2 features ready for your consideration. have a wicked fest. love to holly too.