Jake Schreier’s ROBOT & FRANK will open the 2012 Sarasota Film Festival on Friday, April 13th.  Frank Langella and Mr. Schreier will attend the festival’s Opening Night.

Set in the near future, ROBOT & FRANK is the story of Frank (Frank Langella), a retired thief living alone and resigned to longing for the local librarian (Susan Sarandon). Concerned about his father’s health, Frank’s son brings him a new caretaker; a state of the art robot with a perfect memory and an inexhaustible desire to make Frank’s life better. Initially reluctant to accept help, Frank soon recognizes the benefits of his robot, treating his electronic helper like a true friend. So, when Frank decides to get back into the business of theft, who else to turn to but his newfound companion?

This year’s Centerpiece film is Todd Solondz’s DARK HORSE, the story of Abe (Jordan Gelber), a confident young man who is stuck in a rut. Living at home with his parents (Mia Farrow and Christopher Walken) and working for his father’s company, Abe can’t escape from his family’s expectations. But when he meets a young woman named Miranda (Selma Blair), things temporarily start looking up and Abe can’t help but believe he must be on the road to happiness. Director Todd Solondz will attend.

Academy Award® Nominee Joe Berlinger’s UNDER AFRICAN SKIES will close the festival.  In 1985, the singer-songwriter Paul Simon set out to South Africa to record with local musicians who could help him emulate the sound of their music, with which he had fallen in love. The result of that collaboration was the 1986 album Graceland, which went on to not only become Simon’s most successful album, but also launched the “world music” genre. But not everyone was happy; Simon was accused of violating the cultural boycott of South Africa, erected in an attempt to help bring down the nation’s racist apartheid regime.