Sundance Films Take Top Prizes at 26th Annual Sarasota Film Festival

Addie Morfoot
·3 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Emily Kassie and Julian Brave NoiseCat’s documentary “Sugarcane” garnered the top nonfiction honor at the 26th annual Sarasota Film Festival. About the abuse and death of Indigenous children at a Canadian-based Indian Residential School, the docu premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival (SFF), where it picked up the U.S. documentary directing kudo. In February, National Geographic Documentary Films acquired the film.

The doc feature jury made up of producer Wren Arthur, Indiewire’s Christian Blauvelt, NPR’s Eric Deggans, and DOC NYC artistic director Jaie Laplante said in a joint statement that they selected the film for “bravely tackling the legacy of trauma from the abuse of First Nations students at the St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School in British Columbia. The Catholic Church-run school closed decades ago, but the horrors there are still deeply felt by generations across an entire community. The filmmakers do not lose sight of the extraordinary culture of this community and balance major historical truths with profoundly intimate moments.”

More from Variety

The nonfiction jury also recognized Brendan Bellomo and Slava Leontyev’s “Porcelain War,” with a special jury mention. The portrait doc about Ukrainian artists-turned-soldiers also made its world premiere at Sundance, where it garnered the U.S. documentary grand jury prize. Fellow Sundance docu “Luther: Never Too Much” won SFF’s audience award.

Josh Margolin’s “Thelma” won the narrative feature jury prize. Thelma” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this year. The film follows 93-year-old Thelma Post (June Squibb) as she sets out on a quest to reclaim what was taken from her after being duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson. The film explores aging, family and autonomy based on a real-life experience of Margolin’s grandmother and marks Squibb’s first leading film role.

The narrative jury comprised of film executive Megan Colligan, filmmaker Alex Hedison, Warner Bros. Pictures communications executive Katie Martin Kelley, and production designer Wynn Thomas, said in a joint statement that they recognized “Thelma” for “celebrating what Hollywood cinema so infrequently does: age. First-time feature director Margolin introduces audiences to a powerhouse duo of Thelma and Ben (Richard Roundtree) two silver-haired dynamos who prove that age is merely a number. The extraordinary performances by June Squib and Richard Roundtree are at the center of “Thelma,” surrounded by an excellent supporting cast who serve as a surrogate for the audience in reminding them of the significance of living their best lives with the kind of action and adventure life affords us if we remain open to it — at every age.”

The festival’s Independent Visions award, which recognizes an independent feature from an emerging filmmaker, went to Arthur Egel’ narrative “Art Thief.” SFF awarded Shawn Butcher’s “Lessons,” with best narrative short and Alex Hedison’s “ALOK” with best documentary short. The kudo for best international short went to Volker Schlecht’s “The Waiting.”

Liam Jordan’s “Into the Spotlight: The Jake Ilardi Story” garnered the audience award for best local feature.

The 2024 SFF concluded on April 13 with a screening of Vertical Entertainment’s “The Listener,” directed by Steve Buscemi and produced by Buscemi and Wren Arthur for their Olive Pictures banner. Both Buscemi and Arthur attended the Florida-based festival.

“As the curtain closes on our 26th annual event, we at the Sarasota Film Festivtal are thrilled to continue bringing some of the year’s finest film offerings to our Florida Gulf Coast community,” said SFF President and Chairman of the Board Mark Famiglio. “I am proud to welcome and recognize filmmakers from around the world here in Sarasota, and it is our hope that they will continue serving as pillars of inspiration for the budding young creatives we have in our own backyard.”

Best of Variety

Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.