The Sarasota Film Festival, which takes place April 7-17th, 2011 announced that writer/director Mike Mills’ Beginners, a Focus Features release, has been selected as the Closing Night Film of the 13th Annual Festival, to screen on Sunday, April 17th. Beginners, which premiered at 2010 Toronto International Film Festival, stars Christopher Plummer who will be in attendance at the Festival to receive this year’s Cinema Master Award.

From writer/director Mike Mills comes a comedy/drama about how deeply funny and transformative life can be, even at its most serious moments. “Beginners” imaginatively explores the hilarity, confusion, and surprises of love through the evolving consciousness of Oliver (Golden Globe Award nominee Ewan McGregor). Oliver meets the irreverent and unpredictable Anna (Mélanie Laurent of “Inglourious Basterds”) only months after his father Hal (Academy Award nominee Christopher Plummer) has passed away. This new love floods Oliver with memories of his father who – following 44 years of marriage – came out of the closet at age 75 to live a full, energized, and wonderfully tumultuous gay life. The upheavals of Hal’s new honesty, by turns funny and moving, brought father and son closer than they’d ever been able to be. Now Oliver endeavors to love Anna with all the bravery, humor, and hope that his father taught him. | Official Site

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to close the 13th annual festival with a film as moving and powerful as Mike Mills’ Beginners,” says Mark Famiglio, President of the Festival.  “As our festival continues to grow, we are thrilled to be working with Focus Features to deliver the best in contemporary cinema to our audiences,” adds Tom Hall, the festival’s Artistic Director.  “Having the opportunity to recognize Christopher Plummer’s legendary body of work with our festival’s Cinema Master Award is a tremendous honor for us.”