Film festival brings Hollywood to Sarasota

SARASOTA - By this time next month downtown Sarasota will look more like Hollywood. Some “A” list celebrities are leaving the hills and heading south to help kick off this year’s Sarasota Film Festival.

Organizers of the event announced some of the guests the city will welcome this time around. They include actors Kevin Kline, Stanley Tucci, Steve Buscemi, and director John Landis.

Kline is the headliner for the festival and will walk down the red carpet when it kicks off on April 9th. He is best known for his Academy Award winning performance in “A Fish Called Wanda.”

Kline will join Vincent D’Onofrio (“Full Metal Jacket,” “Law and Order: Criminal Intent”) and several other big screen experts for a series of discussions during the festival.

Festival organizers say they’re also working on getting some Saturday Night Live alumni to participate in the event. James Franco’s documentary, “Saturday Night,” is one of 160 films that will be screened. It takes a look back at the early years of SNL and the effect it had on television.

The Sarasota Film Festival runs for 10 days, wrapping up on Sunday, April 18. For more information, visit SarasotaFilmFestival.com or watch the video below.