Pictured: Barbara Kopple. Photo by Wyatt Kostygan.

Barbara Kopple’s newest documentary, This is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous, will likely be seen on the video sharing platform YouTube Red by far more people than ever purchase a ticket to see the movie in theaters. But she’s still excited to have brought the film to the Sarasota Film Festival this weekend. “Being on a screen is beautiful,” says Kopple, who still loves the idea of movies as a communal experience.

Of course, this week provides Sarasota cinephiles the chance to see many independent films at the Regal Hollywood 20 that most around the world will have to see on a streaming service. The Sarasota Film Festival opened Friday night at the Sarasota Opera House with a screening of Rory Kennedy’s newest film, Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton. Kennedy’s film tells the story of a surfing legend constantly pursuing the next watery frontier, while Kopple’s tracks the life of a YouTube star still in her early 20s who already boasts 2.5 million subscribers on her online channel. As the week continues, a feature directorial debut from actress Aisha Tyler will host a world premiere in Sarasota, and Academy Award nominees Diane Lane and Stanley Tucci will arrive in town to share their craft and recent works with audiences here.

Follow the festival at SRQBacklot.com, SRQ’s dedicated film site. 

Pictured: Barbara Kopple. Photo by Wyatt Kostygan.

SRQ Backlot