Dark Night opened at the Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews, and filmmakers hope it will open to a wider audience this fall. Director Tim Sutton says the feature film, shot entirely in Sarasota, would not have been possible without the support of Ringling College of Art and Design. He expects the school’s willingness to take risks on student-professional ventures will lead to more artistic success in the future. “The ecosystem at Ringling is about experimentation,” Sutton said. “NYU is not going to get involved in a professional film mixed with students, or it has got to be directed by Spike Lee and two interns get to work on set.”

That’s a sharp contrast, Sutton says, to the work accomplished on Dark Night. The film, loosely based on the 2012 Colorado shooting at a midnight showing of The Dark Knight Rises, was cast and shot here with a micro budget and small crew.  “This film should be winning cinematography awards all over the country,” Sutton says. 

Sutton connected with the Ringling filmmaking program through Semkhor Productions, the company that has connected the Sarasota school this year with such respected filmmakers as Kevin Smith and Dylan McDermott. The Dark Night director returned to the Ringling campus this week. Sutton in early 2015 also held casting call here for local talent to fit major character archetypes in his script. “I looked for an Iraqi veteran. I looked for a fitness freak,” he said. After casting was done, Sutton says he encouraged the actors to naturally inhibit the roles, often having them come up with their own dialogue in favor of the words in the script.

The film held its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January. He has since been in contact with distributors, and hopes soon to announce a New York and international premiere for the film. 

Photo courtesy Rich Schineller, Ringling College: Director Tim Sutton (right) speaks with students at Ringling College's filmmaking program.

Spring in Sarasota is the perfect time to enjoy dinner on the patio, especially if that patio is at Indigenous Restaurant and that dinner is cooked by Chef Steve Phelps or his right hand chef, Chelsea Erickson. Indigenous produces a nightly roster of specials that showcase sustainable, organic ingredients and highlight the many reasons Chef Steve was selected to represent at this month’s James Beard Celebrity Chef Tour in Nashville. Last week, we enjoyed the appetizer special of “Smoked Cobia Belly, Dijon Crème Fraiche, Rye Crunch, Stadium Mustard, and Pastrami Spice” at a high top table in the courtyard surrounded by beautiful green foliage and a pleasant spring breeze. It always surprises me to learn that there are locals that have not yet experienced the pleasure of dining at Indigenous. I have two questions for you: “When are you going?” and “Will you take me with you?” 

Indigenous, 239 S Links Ave., Sarasota, 941-706-4740.

The Florida State University College of Medicine and Sarasota Memorial Health Care System were informed Tuesday that an Internal Medicine Residency Program was approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. The initial accreditation clears the way for SMH and FSU to begin reaching out to graduating medical students interested in enrolling in the program in the summer of 2017. The ACGME approved the program’s initial accreditation following the April 8-10 meeting of the internal medicine review committee. Once the Sarasota program has been operational two years, ACGME surveyors will conduct a second site visit to validate it is meeting the standards of ACGME, the sanctioning body of graduate medical education in the U.S. and Canada.  

Sarasota Memorial Hospital

The Board of Trustees of Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation announced the resignation of Alexandra Quarles, the Foundation’s president and CEO, who is living the organization to pursue outside interests. Foundation Chairman Art Wood credited Quarles with the formation of the foundation in ints current form 22 years ago. Under her leadership, the Foundation granted over $63 million to Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, while building Endowment Funds from $7 million to $26 million. A national search will be conducted to find a replacement, and Quarles will work closely with the board on the transition plan until the June 1 effective date of her resignation, and possibly beyond. 

Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation

Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate named Ellen C. O’Day as the new managing broker of the company’s Longboat Key office. O’Day will fill the role of former branch manager Bob Stanley, who has retired. O’Day served in a variety of managerial positions and was a successful entrepreneur. Her array of experience in property management, organizational growth and project oversight led to a successful start in real estate. O’Day relocated from Pennsylvania to Florida in 2012, where she began her career with Coldwell Banker. In her first year, she was named Rookie of the Year for the entire state of Florida. 

Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate