Friday, April 20-----The Sarasota Film Festival reaches its climax this evening with its legendary Night of 1000 Stars Tribute, which will begin at 9:30pm tonight at Michael's On East (a venue change from the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall). The Festival will be paying tribute to a stellar group of film industry luminaries, including  an Excellence in Producing Award for IFC Entertainment president Jonathan Sehring (BOYS DON'T CRY, MEN WITH GUNS, WAKING LIFE, GRAY'S ANATOMY), a Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Filmmaking for director Norman Jewison (IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT, THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR, MOONSTRUCK, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF), a Breakthrough Performer Award for Michelle Trachtenberg (one of the stars of the Festival's Closing Night BEAUTIFUL OHIO) and the Heineken Red Star Award for first-time feature director Chad Lowe (for his direction of BEAUTIFUL OHIO, which also stars William Hurt, Julianna Marguiles and Rita Wilson).

Sandy Mandelberger, Sarasota FF Online Dailies Editor