J.M. Harper’s documentary “Soul Patrol” won the top nonfiction award at the 28th Sarasota Film Festival. The documentary about the Vietnam War’s first all-black special forces unit premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
“Soul Patrol” producer Sam Bisbee, who was recently nominated for an Academy Award for “Perfect Neighbor,” said: “I’m very honored to win this award.” “I’ve always had a great experience in Sarasota since the 2012 movie ‘Robots & Frank.’ Sarasota’s film community is truly amazing.”
Despite receiving critical acclaim and winning the Sundance U.S. Documentary Director Award, “Soul Patrol” is still seeking distribution. The film’s sales agent, Submarine director Josh Brown, told Variety that the Doctor is “on his way” to find a home.
“Festivals in places like Sarasota, the Berkshires, the Hamptons and Woodstock are important pieces of infrastructure,” Brown said. “Especially if it’s a movie that doesn’t have a contract yet.”
Last month, Brown sold the Sundance 2026 title “Cookie Queens” to Roadside Attractions. The film, about the $800 million worth of cookies sold each year by Girl Scouts across America, won the SFF Special Jury Documentary Award.
Rory Kennedy returned to SFF for the fourth time with the documentary The Trial of Alec Baldwin. The film reveals Baldwin’s life after a tragic accident on the set of the film The Last, in which cinematographer Halina Hutchins was killed.
“We have long respected the Sarasota Film Festival and its loyal audience,” Kennedy said. “‘The Trial of Alec Baldwin’ is particularly suited to the big screen, where tension, complexity and disbelief unfold most powerfully as a shared collective experience.”
Kennedy said he has partnered with an “amazing distribution company” to release the doc in theaters this fall.
On April 19th, after the screening of In the Hand of Dante, director Julian Schnabel received the SFF Director’s Achievement Award. Kenny Anderson receives the Sports Achievement Award.
Libby Ewing won the SFF Narrative Feature Jury Award for “Charlie Bird.” The film previously won the Tribeca Festival 2025 Founders Award for Best U.S. Narrative Feature.
The Audience Award went to Ari Selinger’s On the End for Best Narrative Film and John H. Cunningham’s Occupational Hazard: The First Reef Keeper for Best Documentary.
SFF awarded “In Plain Sight” the award for Best Narrative Short Story in the United States. “40 Days at Saratoga” won Best Documentary Short, and “My Neighbor” won Best Animated Short.
“We are honored to help conclude the Sarasota Film Festival’s 28th year by celebrating the outstanding films shown this year,” said SFF President and Board Chair Mark Familio. “At its heart, the festival exists to serve the community and champion the power of diverse voices and storytelling.”
The festival, which featured 47 feature films and 39 short films, opened on April 10th with a screening of “Deep Water” and concluded on April 19th.
