Students from Sarasota Military Academy, a local, public charter school, recently learned they have received an inaugural award from the 2020 Sarasota Film Festival. The cadets submitted a film titled, “The Fate of the Oklahoma Riders,” and won the newly-established “Comedy Appreciation” category during the festival’s virtual competition.

"A sincere congratulations to the award-winning students at the Sarasota Military Academy for their creative and humorous film. It was a delight to our audiences, and we look forward to more shorts from the bright young minds of this school," said Mark Famiglio, Co-Founder and President of the Sarasota Film Festival.

“Our cadets are so incredibly gifted and we enjoy seeing the films they create for the festival each year. We are so grateful that festival staff created a way for the films to be showcased, adapting to ensure that our cadets and all participants had an opportunity to share their work,” said SMA-COL Christina Bowman, Sarasota Military Academy Executive Director. “The “Comedy Appreciation” category shows the community that we can always find light and joy, even and especially throughout this uncertain time. Congratulations to our SMA filmmakers, and thank you to the Sarasota Film Festival staff for their creative and heartfelt commitment to local art.”