New College takeover, Everglades, Florida foster care, noise-hating neighbors take the big screen.
By Gretchen Cochran
Original Air Date: April 4, 2025
Host: At the Sarasota Film Festival, it’s now back to film. The week before opening, the chair of the festival stirred up controversy with a supposedly funny map depicting Canada as the “51st state.” But it’s now opening night, the focus is back on cinema rather than threats to neighboring nations, and WSLR News intern Farah Vallecillo picked a few films for you.
Farah Vallecillo: Bring on the popcorn! The Sarasota Film Festival kicks off tonight, bringing a week ahead of short films, documentaries, and movies. This is an opportunity to experience the art of film and storytelling through diverse lenses, from those held by professionals to student-made films.
Poster for Marcella, via www.sarasotafilmfestival.com
The Film Festival begins at 6:00 p.m. with a documentary called Marcella, based on an Italian culinary icon whose passion for cooking started later in her life but flourished rapidly. Later, at 8:00 p.m, an opening party will promptly follow after the screening, at the Sarasota Modern Hotel.
A free short film screening at the Ringling College of Art begins this Saturday, April 5, at 11 a.m. at the Morganroth Auditorium. It highlights grassroot efforts from Florida filmmakers, local college students and alumni from Florida universities.
Sunday, April 6 at noon, environmental short films created by Ringling students will be spotlighting local environmental nonprofits: Longboat Key Turtle Patrol, Save Our Seabirds, Oyster River Ecology and SURF (Suncoast Urban ReForesters). These screenings are free and are followed by a panel discussion.
The Davion Effect is a documentary about a young Florida boy who lived in the foster care system since he was born. He made a plea to the world for his adoption at his local church.
Poster for The Davion Effect, via www.sarasotafilmfestival.com
Person 1: Instead of saying to a child, “Do you want to be adopted?” how about, “Do you believe that you deserve to have one person care about you?”
Davion Only-Going: Deep down, I still wanted a family even though, as I got older, I’m like, “Wow, I’m probably never going to find a family.”
Person 2: So, that was just remarkable—for me to just see him say, “Instead of aging out, I’m going to do anything I can to get a family.”
Person 3: He didn’t have anything written down. And I don’t know if he’d rehearsed it with Connie, but he just got up there and said he wanted a mom or a dad. He didn’t care if they were black, brown, white, purple—he’d take anybody.
DO: I just spoke from the heart. I’m like, “I’m up here. I might as well have them listen to how I feel. Just lay it out there.” So I did.
Poster for Culture War via www.sarasotafilmfestival.com
Person 2: He was taking his life into his own hands and saying, “I want a family. I want to be adopted.”
DO: After I spoke, I’m like, “Man, nothing’s really going to happen. I’m just going to go back to foster care and I’m probably going to age out.”
FV: You can catch the film this Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
The festival will also feature the local premiere of “Culture War,” a documentary chronicling the “Save New College” movement during pivotal moments amidst the New College takeover. Culture War will be screening Saturday, April 5, 3:00 p.m. at Ringling College’s Morganroth Auditorium.
Still from River of Grass, via www.sarasotafilmfestival.com.
Another film with a New College connection will run next Saturday. “River of Grass” connects an old world with a new world. The documentary is inspired by Marjory Stoneman Douglas’ “The Everglades: River of Grass.” The landmark 1947 book helped change perceptions of the Everglades from a useless swamp to life-sustaining river. Filmmaker and New College alumna, Sasha Wortzel captures the Everglades’ beauty as well as ongoing threats to this vital ecosystem. The documentary will be screening next Saturday, April 12 at New College’s Sainer Auditorium at 5:30 p.m.
Still from 1000 Days In: The Romelia Farms, via www.sarasotafilmfestival.com.
A wedding venue that ended up becoming a rescue farm? Romelia Farms opened in 2021 near Cape Canaveral when a family found a closed-down seemingly “exotic animal prison.” They took matters into their own hands and turned the cages into a sanctuary farm where animals could roam free and people could enjoy their presence. Romelia Farms have been under constant threat of being shut down by neighbors.
Person 1: We survive on events. We survive in this place so we can put on weddings and events and fundraisers, and our weddings are fundraisers. They’re a joyous occasion where people come to gather and raise money for animals. We call it weddings with a purpose.
Person 2: When you’re coming and doing something like this and then you keep coming up against all these obstacles, I think at a certain point you can’t help but question, “Why has this become so difficult when we’re just trying to do the right thing?”
FV: So what became of Romelia Farm? “1000 Days In: The Romelia Farms” will screen next Friday, April 11, at 2:30 p.m. in New College’s Sainer Auditorium.
You can find the complete schedule at www.sarasotafilmfestival.com.
Reporting for WSLR News, Farah Vallecillo.
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