Woodstock Film Festival

  • Watch Trailer for Jeff Roda’s 18 TO PARTY – Love Letter to Gen X, Awkward Teenagers

    18 TO PARTY directed by Jeff Roda
    18 TO PARTY directed by Jeff Roda

    Jeff Roda’s 18 TO PARTY, which will have its World Premiere at Woodstock Film Festival in early October is described as a spot-on love letter to Gen X, awkward teenagers, and the transcendent power of friendship.

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  • Shia LaBeouf’s HONEY BOY and Scarlett Johansson’s MARRIAGE STORY Bookend Woodstock Film Festival 20th Anniversary Lineup

    Marriage Story
    Marriage Story

    The Woodstock Film Festival will celebrate its landmark 20th Anniversary, from October 2 to 6, 2019 in the historic Hudson Valley towns of Woodstock, Rhinebeck, Kingston, Saugerties, and Rosendale. This year’s festival lineup will showcase more than 50 features from around the world, as well as many short films, and will include panels, live performances, and other special events.

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  • Documentary PARKLAND RISING to World Premiere at Woodstock Film Festival

    PARKLAND RISING. Artist and activist Manuel Oliver with Marjory Stoneman Douglas High student Tyra Hemans
    PARKLAND RISING. Artist and activist Manuel Oliver with Marjory Stoneman Douglas High student Tyra Hemans

    Timely and vital, the documentary Parkland Rising directed by two-time Emmy Award winner Cheryl Horner McDonough, follows the high-school students and families who became fierce leaders of the national movement for gun reform after the February 2018 shooting of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland, Florida. The documentary film, executive produced by Katie Couric and will.i.am, will World Premiere at the upcoming 20th anniversary Woodstock Film Festival, taking place October 2 to 6, 2019.

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  • Woodstock Film Festival Unveils 20th Anniversary Edition Poster

    Woodstock Film Festival 20th Anniversary Edition Poster

    The Woodstock Film Festival, widely known for its popular commemorative posters, unveiled its Official Commemorative Poster for its special 20th Anniversary edition taking place October 2 to 6, 2019, in Woodstock, Saugerties, Kingston, Rosendale and Rhinebeck, NY.

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  • 2018 Woodstock Film Festival Awards – WHEELS and THE FEELING OF BEING WATCHED Win Top Awards

    2018 Woodstock Film Festival Awards Winners After opening remarks from Roger Ross Williams, the first African American director to win an Academy Award, the 19th Woodstock Film Festival Maverick Awards Ceremony was held on Saturday, October 13.  Awards were presented to exceptional films and honorees in numerous categories with the Feature Narrative Award going to Paul Starkman for WHEELS, and the Best Documentary Feature was presented to Assia Boundaoui director for THE FEELING OF BEING WATCHED. Tony®, Emmy® and Grammy®-winning, and Oscar®-nominated filmmaker Julie Taymor received the Honorary Maverick Award; and Academy Award®-nominated and Emmy Award®-winning filmmaker Matthew Heineman received the Filmmaker Award of Distinction. for his debut feature narrative, A PRIVATE WAR. BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE The Gigantic Pictures’ Feature Narrative Award went to Paul Starkman for WHEELS. “We chose Wheels because it beautifully explores the powerfully precarious choices that brothers make that impact their lives and all of their relationships forever. Stunningly told and poignantly acted with depth and candor wheels stood out in a thrilling year of Woodstock film selections. It explores the fine line between constructive and instantly destructive decisions and their impact on our lives- in an instant everything changes.” Honorable Mention went to Brendan Walter for SPELL. A Special Award for ensemble cast went to John Stimpson for GHOST LIGHT. BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: The Best Documentary Feature, sponsored by Films We Like, was presented to Assia Boundaoui director for THE FEELING OF BEING WATCHED. Honorable Mention to director Juliane Dressner and Edwin Martinez for PERSONAL STATEMENT. Best Narrative Short sponsored by Gigantic Pictures, went to director Leonora Lonsdale for BEAST. Honorable Mention went to Alexis Gambis for MI HERMANO. Best Student Short sponsored by Gigantic Pictures, went to director Jisun Jamie Kim for A YEAR. The Woodstock Film Festival Ultra Indie Award, sponsored by Gray, Krauss, Stratford, Sandler, Des Rochers, LLP and Blackmagic Design, was presented to Alex Moratto for SOCRATES. Best Animated Short was presented to Mark C. Smith for TWO BALLOONS. Best Short Documentary, sponsored by Markertek.com, went to Skye Fitzgerald for LIFEBOAT. Honorable mention to Lynne Sachs for CAROLEE, BARBARA & GUNVOR. “We based our decision on what stories we felt most needed to be told, and what stories we hadn’t seen before. We put special emphasis on films that show underrepresented people (like the older women in Carolee, Barbara & Gunvor). We wanted to cite a local filmmaker for an honorable mention as a nod to the importance of our growing creative community upstate.” The Haskell Wexler Award for Best Cinematography, sponsored by Panavision, went to Eric Bader for SPELL. “Choosing a single film in this category was not easy. There’s been an explosion of great cinematography this year, and all of the films considered for the cinematography award stood out. But the cinematography in this particular film is resonant, drawn with a deft touch. It is consistent and well crafted. The color palette and the choice of shots and lenses allow us a proximity to the characters, which aptly draws us into the drama and plays on our expectations, our emotions as viewers.” The James Lyons Editing Award For Narrative Feature, sponsored by Technicolor Postworks NY, was presented to Kristina Davies editor for UNLOVABLE. The James Lyons Editing Award For Documentary Feature, sponsored by Technicolor Postworks NY, was presented to Rabab Haj Yahya editor for THE FEELING OF BEING WATCHED.  Special mention: WRESTLE. The World Cinema Award, was presented to Laurie Colbert and Dominique Cardona for KEELY & DU. A special mention to director Roxy Toporowych for JULIA BLUE. The Carpe Diem Andretta Award, sponsored by The Vincent J. Andretta Memorial Fund and presented to the film that best represents living life to the fullest, was awarded to director William Fichtner for COLD BROOK.

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  • ReRUN Starring Christopher Lloyd to World Premiere at Woodstock Film Festival

    ReRun ReRun, a new feature film directed by Alyssa Rallo Bennett and written by Gary O. Bennett of Stonestreet Studios, will world premiere on October 15th at the Woodstock Film Festival. In a modern day twist on ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’, George Benson, played by Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit) is haunted by tragedy, the loss of Violet, the ‘wayward girl’ who he had a soft heart for, due to an accident he may have been able to prevent. Humoring what he thinks is the youthful imagination of his grandson, George stumbles into an invisible portal hiding in his closet. Falling ‘to the other side’ into his younger body, he is able to face his conflicts and troubles with new light along with a temptation to try to change the past or possibly re-envision it. ReRUN, marks the Bennetts third feature film collaboration. The Pack , which they co-wrote and was directed by Alyssa, was accepted into the Tribeca Film Festival and a dozen other film festivals, winning multiple awards, it was released theatrically in NY & LA and distributed by FilmRise. The Bennetts first collaboration, Rain Without Thunder, and has become a cult classic. The film stars Jeff Daniels, Linda Hunt, Betty Buckley, Frederick Forrest, Graham Greene, Ming Na Wen, Austin Pendleton, and Steve Zahn. Rain was theatrically released and distributed by Orion Classics, featured in over a dozen major international film festivals from the Berlin Film Festival to the Toronto International Film Festival and now available on Amazon Prime. As a writer/director team, the Bennetts just completed a new pilot Leading Story and are in development with the new pilot DOT, an anthology series about women’s rights in 50 states that Danny Ramirez (Assassination Nation, Top Gun: Maverick) & Vanessa Marano (Switched at Birth) will star in. Many of their shorts have been been featured in festivals and distributed by HG Distribution and ShortsHD.

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  • 2018 Woodstock Film Festival to Showcase Over 100 Films + Opens with KARL BERGER – MUSIC MIND

    [caption id="attachment_31849" align="aligncenter" width="1000"]Karl Berger of Karl Berger - Music Mind Karl Berger of Karl Berger – Music Mind[/caption] The fiercely independent 19th Annual Woodstock Film Festival will showcase more than 100 films and open with a live performance by the Karl Berger Band following the screening of the feature documentary Karl Berger – Music Mind, which offers “an inside look into the creative process and unique approach toward music that makes Karl Berger”. Matthew Heineman’s feature narrative debut A Private War, starring Rosamund Pike, Jamie Dornan and Stanley Tucci will close the film festival on the evening of Sunday, October 14th. There will be a panel discussion after the film screening of Lessons from a School Shooting: Notes from Dunblane, featuring the filmmakers, as well as panelists from the documentary Newtown. In the wake of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre that took the lives of twenty first-graders and their teachers, local clergyman Father Bob Weiss receives a letter from a fellow priest in Dunblane, Scotland, whose community suffered an eerily similar fate in 1996. From across the Atlantic, the two priests forge a poignant bond through the shared experience of trauma and healing. Never before seen film clips of the filmmakers’ upcoming documentary about the mass shooting in Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland, Florida, will be shown during the panel. Roger Ross Williams is the first African American director to win an Academy Award with his short film Music By Prudence. Williams has directed a wide variety of acclaimed films including God Loves Uganda, which was shortlisted for an Academy Award, and Life, Animated, which was nominated for an Academy Award in 2017. Williams is on the Board of Governors for the Academy of motion pictures, Arts and Sciences, representing the Documentary branch, as well as being on the Diversity Committee for the Academy. This year Williams is our Special Guest Programmer whose selection spotlights some of his favorite contemporary works by filmmakers of color. Williams said, “I am thrilled to be a guest programmer at this year’s Woodstock Film Festival. The three films I have chosen demonstrate the scope, depth and creativity that is possible when we, as black filmmakers, tell our own stories.” These films include Hale County This Morning, This Evening, Shakedown, and Mr. SOUL!.

    NARRATIVE FEATURES

    Across The Universe, directed by Julie Taymor Almost Home, directed by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen Ask For Jane, directed by Rachel Carey Beyond the Night, directed by Jason Noto Cold Brook, directed by William Fichtner Dorst (Craving), directed by Saskia Diesing Dreams by the Sea, directed by Sakaris Stórá Fort Maria, directed by Thomas Southerland and S. Cagney Gentry Ghost Light, directed by John Stimpson Here and Now, directed by Roman Shumun Julia Blue, directed by Roxy Toporowych Keely and Du, directed by Dominique Cardona and Laurie Colbert Lez Bomb, directed by Jenna Laurenzo Little Woods, directed by Nia DaCosta Love Revisited, directed by Nicole van Kilsdonk Only A Switch, directed by Michael Vincent Paris Song, directed by Jeff Vespa A Private War, directed by Matthew Heineman ReRUN, directed by Alyssa Rallo Bennett Socrates, directed by Alex Moratto Spell, directed by Brendan Walter Swimming With Men, directed by Oliver Parker Then Came You, directed by Peter Hutchings Unlovable, directed by Suzi Yoonessi We Only Know So Much, directed by Donal Lardner Ward What They Had, directed by Elizabeth Chomko Wheels, directed by Paul Starkman Wildlife, directed by Paul Dano

    Younger Days, directed by Paula van der Oest

    DOCUMENTARY FEATURES

    2030, directed by Johnny Boston The Advocates, directed by Rémi Kessler Carmine Street Guitars, directed by Ron Mann Dreaming of a Vetter World, directed by Bonnie Hawthorne The Feeling of Being Watched, directed by Assia Boundaoui For The Birds, directed by Richard Miron Ghost Fleet, directed by Shannon Service and Jeffrey Waldron Give Us This Day, directed by Jeff and Michael Zimbalist Hale County This Morning, This Evening, directed by RaMell Ross In Our Bones, directed by Alex Kimura The Interpreters, directed by Andres Caballero and Sofian Khan Karl Berger – Music Mind, directed by Julian Benedikt Michelin Stars – Tales from the Kitchen, directed by Rasmus Dinesen Mr. SOUL!, directed by Melissa Haizlip and Samuel Pollard A Murder In Mansfield, directed by Barbara Kopple Netizens, directed by Cynthia Lowen Personal Statement, directed by Julianne Dressner Shakedown, directed by Leilah Weinraub Somaliland, directed by Harry Lee and Ben Powell Stay Human, directed by Michael Franti Suicide: The Ripple Effect, directed by Greg Dicharry and Kevin Hines Up to Snuff, directed by Mark Maxey What Is Democracy?, directed by Astra Taylor The World Before Your Feet, directed by Jeremy Workman

    WRESTLE, directed by Lauren Belfer and Suzannah Herbert

    SHORTS

    1-0, directed by Nada ElAzhary; 59 Seconds, directed by Mauro Carraro; After Her, directed by Aly Migliori;  Antouni (Homeless), directed by Alik Tamar; Are You Still Singing?, directed by Gillian Barnes; A Year, directed by Jisun Jamie Lee; Beast, directed by Leonora Lonsdale; Beautiful Things, directed by Dina Waxman; Black Spirit, directed by Chakib Taleb-Bendiab; Boy Boy Girl Girl, directed by Ross Kauffman; Carolee, Barbara & Gunvor, directed by Lynne Sachs; The Christmas Rabbit, directed by Christophe Lopez-Huici; The Crying Room, directed by Shalom Auslander; Del Rio, directed by Raj Trivedi; Dinner, directed by Anna Gilmore; Edith Piaf (Said It Better Than Me), directed by Joseph Wallace; Ego, directed by Mario Addis; The English Teecher, directed by Andy and Carolyn London; Even Ants Strive for Survival, directed by Ren Xia; Funeral, directed by Leah Shore; Gamble, directed by Chayadol Lomtong; Goose in High Heels, directed by John R. Dilworth; He’s Watching, directed by Arthur Metcalf; Homing In, directed by Parker Hill; Jo, directed by Justine Williams; One Small Step, directed by Andrew Chesworth and Bobby Pontillas; Last Requests, directed by Courtenay Johnson; The Last Seance, directed by Laura Kulik; Lifeboat, directed by Skye Fitzgerald; Lucy, directed by Ruben Gutiérrez; The Magical Mystery of Musigny, directed by Emmett Goodman and John Meyer; Martin, directed by Sholto Crow; Melt Down, directed by Amy Jingyi Xu; Mirror Mirror, directed by Jacob Internicola; Mother, directed by Amanda Palmer; Moved to Tiers, directed by Avery Herzog; The Movie House on Main Street, directed by Teresa Torchiano; My Brother (Mi Hermano), directed by Alexis Gambis; Pour 585, directed by Patrick Smith; Rooster and The Queen, directed by Aaron Weisblatt; Salam, directed by Claire Fowler; Lessons from a School Shooting: Notes from Dunblane, directed by Kim A. Snyder; Shiva Baby, directed by Emma Seligman; Sorceress, directed by Max Blustin; Trump Bites, directed by Bill Plympton; Two Balloons, directed by Mark C. Smith; Unnatural, directed by Amy Wang; The Velvet Underground Played at My High School, directed by Tony Jannelli and Robert Pietri; Vicarious Resilience, directed by Eva Tenuto; Voice, directed by Takeshi Kushida; Welcome to the New World, directed by Jerry Suen & Anni Sultany; The Winds of Downhill, directed by Jedd and Todd Wider; Your Face Global Jam, directed by Ken Mora

    YOUTH INITIATIVE

    This year, the Woodstock Film Festival will present films written, filmed, directed, produced, and edited by passionate teens. The Woodstock Film Festival’s Youth Initiative is supported by the Thompson Family Foundation. Three out of the ten films were created by students who participated in the Woodstock Film Festival Summer Youth Film Lab, a three week immersive program underwritten by an anonymous donor, that gives teenagers an opportunity to learn about the art of film and practice the full spectrum of the filmmaking process with guidance from accomplished film industry professionals.
    After The Collapse, directed by Youth Film Lab participant Ethan Laclaverie Past the Fear, directed by Youth Film Lab participant Samuel Levine Mirror Mirror, directed by Youth Film Lab participant Jacob Internicola Along the Water, directed by Marissa Gaylin Can’t Hurry Love, directed by Lola Cook The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Suburbia, directed by Alex Alford and Zak Denley I Am The Only One, directed by Aicha Cherif Inclusion On The Air, directed by Eli Canter Silence, directed by Camille Dobbs Wake Up, directed by Maura Palden

    MUSIC VIDEOS

    This year, the Woodstock Film Festival is highlighting 11 outstanding music videos from talented artists from the United States, Poland, the United Kingdom, and Luxembourg. These music videos will be screened online at the start of the festival.
    Boyish – Music by Japanese Breakfast Dumb Dumb– Music by Cipherella Found – Music by Toulouse Glendale– Music by Clans Land of the Fairies – Music by Rami Fortis Magic Meadow Music Video – Music by Journey Blue Heaven Mandarin – Music by Boogrov Paprika – Music by No Metal in this Battle Pora Sotunda – Music by The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices

    Solicitous– Music by Drekoty

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  • Matthew Heineman’s A PRIVATE WAR to Close 2018 Woodstock Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_31587" align="aligncenter" width="1000"]A PRIVATE WAR A PRIVATE WAR[/caption] Matthew Heineman will receive the Filmmaker Award of Distinction at this year’s 19th Woodstock Film Festival, and the festival will close with his feature narrative debut, A PRIVATE WAR, starring Rosamund Pike, Jamie Dornan and Stanley Tucci.  In addition, filmmaker, Julie Taymor will receive the honorary Maverick Award, and Taymor’s globally renowned ACROSS THE UNIVERSE will have a special tribute screening. The 19th annual Woodstock Film Festival takes place from October 10-14, 2018.

    Matthew Heineman

    Matthew Heineman is an Academy Award®-nominated and Emmy Award®-winning filmmaker, who has won two Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary Award from the Directors Guild of America (DGA), one of only three directors to win the prestigious honor twice. Known for his courageous documentaries, Heineman has now brought his empathetic sensitivity to his first narrative feature, A PRIVATE WAR, the story of legendary war reporter Marie Colvin. The film stars Oscar nominees Rosamund Pike and Stanley Tucci, as well as Jamie Dornan and Tom Hollander. Heineman recently directed and executive produced THE TRADE, an acclaimed five-part docu-series that chronicles the opioid crisis through the eyes of those most affected – growers, cartel members, users, and law enforcement. THE TRADE premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival before airing on Showtime. His 2017 documentary feature, CITY OF GHOSTS, follows a group of citizen-journalists exposing the horrors of ISIS. In addition to winning him a second DGA award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary, the film also won the Courage Under Fire Award “in recognition of conspicuous bravery in the pursuit of truth,” was listed on over 20 critic and year-end lists for Best Documentary, and was nominated for a BAFTA Award, PGA Award, and IDA Award for Best Documentary Feature. His 2015 DGA award-winning documentary, CARTEL LAND, explores vigilantes taking on the Mexican drug cartels. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, won three primetime Emmy Awards, garnered Heineman Best Director Award and Special Jury Prize for Cinematography at Sundance 2015, as well as the Courage Under Fire Award from the International Documentary Association, and the George Polk Award in Journalism. Previously, Heineman co-directed and produced the feature-length, Emmy-nominated documentary ESCAPE FIRE: THE FIGHT TO RESCUE AMERICAN HEALTHCARE, collaborated for two years on the Emmy-nominated HBO series The Alzheimer’s Project, and directed and produced OUR TIME – a feature length documentary about what it’s like to be young in today’s America.

    Julie Taymor

    As a Tony®, Emmy® and Grammy®-winning, and Oscar®-nominated filmmaker, Julie Taymor has conquered both stage and screen with her innovative direction. Her award-winning films include FOOL’S FIRE, OEDIPUS REX (starring Jessye Norman), TITUS (starring Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange), FRIDA (starring Salma Hayek), her musical ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, THE TEMPEST (starring Helen Mirren), and a cinematic version of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, filmed during her critically acclaimed, sold-out stage production at Theatre for a New Audience in Brooklyn. She is currently prepping a feature film of Gloria Steinem’s “My Life On The Road”, starring Julianne Moore, and a TV Series, Hackabout, based on Erica Jong’s book, “Fanny”. Perhaps most known for her Tony award winning Broadway adaptation of The Lion King, Taymor also received Tonys for Best Director and Costume Designer. The show has played over 100 cities in 19 countries, and its worldwide gross exceeds that of any entertainment title in box office history. Other theatrical achievements include Grounded (starring Anne Hathaway), Broadway’s Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, The Green Bird and Juan Darien: A Carnival Mass, which earned five Tony Award nominations, including one for her direction. Operas include Oedipus Rex, The Flying Dutchman, Salome, Die Zauberflote, The Magic Flute (which inaugurated a PBS series entitled “Great Performances at the Met”), and Elliot Goldenthal’s Grendel. Most recently, she directed M Butterfly, starring Clive Owen, on Broadway. Taymor is a recipient of the 1991 MacArthur Genius Fellowship, a 2015 inductee into the Theater Hall of Fame for Lifetime Achievement in the American Theater, the recipient of the 2015 Shakespeare Theatre Company’s William Shakespeare Award for Classical Theatre, and a 2017 Disney Legends Award honoree.

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  • Woodstock Film Festival Unveils 2018 Poster Designed by Illustrator John Cuneo

    2018 Woodstock Film Festival Poster The Woodstock Film Festival unveiled the official poster created by illustrator John Cuneo for the upcoming 2018 festival scheduled to take place from October 10 to 14, 2018, in Woodstock and other locations in the Mid-Hudson valley. John Cuneo is a humorous illustrator whose work appears in many national publications including The New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly and Esquire Magazine.
    “I tried to put together an image that spoke to the collaborative effort of filmmaking and alluded  to the Catskills and the eclectic whimsy of the Woodstock creative community. Also, I really wanted to draw dancing bears.” -artist, John Cuneo

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  • INFINITY BABY and SHINGAL, WHERE ARE YOU? Win Top Awards at Woodstock Film Festival

     2017 Woodstock Film Festival Awards On Saturday, the 18th Woodstock Film Festival Maverick Awards Ceremony took place at Backstage Studio Productions in Kingston, NY, with INFINITY BABY winning award for Best Narrative Feature, and Best Documentary Feature for SHINGAL, WHERE ARE YOU? Celebrated producer, talent manager, and film agent Shep Gordon was presented with the Trailblazer Award for his visionary approach to the arts. Actor Bill Pullman received the Excellence in Acting Award. Earlier in the day, following the East Coast premiere of THE BALLAD OF LEFTY BROWN, the actor discussed his role as the title character.

    18th Woodstock Film Festival Maverick Awards Winners

    BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE

    The GIGANTIC PICTURES’ FEATURE NARRATIVE AWARD went to Bob Byington for INFINITY BABY. In this absurdist comedy set in the near-future, Ben, a perpetual dater who is incapable to commit to any relationship, portrayed in a wonderfully wacky performance by Kieran Culkin, works for a company tasked with finding a forever home for genetically modified babies who don’t age, cry, eat or soil diapers. So-called Infinity Babies are a stylistic choice for parents who don’t want the responsibilities of raising a child. But somewhere along the way, one of these care-free babies almost dies of neglect and one of our characters discovers a need and knack for parenting. Featuring such supporting comedic veterans as Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally (both from Parks and Recreation) and Martin Starr (Freaks and Geeks, Silicon Valley), whose hilarious performances are essential to the whole, and assuredly directed by Bob Byington with beautiful black and white imagery, Infinity Baby is about trying to find our place in a world that is becoming increasingly artificial and the human relationships and connections that we hone along the way. – Evan Thomas Honorable Mention went to Bruce Thierry Cheung for DON’T COME BACK FROM THE MOON. A Special Award for Excellence in Acting by an Ensemble went to SUBMISSION.

    BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

    The Best Documentary Feature, sponsored by Films We Like, was presented to director Angelos Rallis for SHINGAL, WHERE ARE YOU? In 2014, the Yezidis, a persecuted minority in Iraq, were driven from their ancestral land by ISIS during a campaign of genocide in which more than 3,000 women and children were kidnapped. Caught in raw, sweeping cinematography, SHINGAL, WHERE ARE YOU? weaves together the dramatic stories of the remaining young boys and their families, relegated to an abandoned coal mine on the Turkish border and longing for their lost home. Honorable Mention to director Lillian Lasalle for MY NAME IS PEDRO.

    BEST SHORTS

    Best Narrative Short Sponsored by Gigantic Pictures, went to director Laura Beckner for (LE) REBOUND. Honorable Mention went to THE FOSTER PORTFOLIO. Best Student Short Sponsored by Gigantic Pictures, went to director Kevin Wilson, Jr. for MY NEPHEW EMMETT. Honorable Mention went to TV IN THE FISHTAIL. Best Animated Short was Presented to PatRick Smith for PITTARI. Best Short Documentary, sponsored by Markertek.com, went to Kyle Morrison for MOTT HAVEN. Honorable mention to Jon Bunning for THE TABLES.

    OTHER AWARDS

    The Woodstock Film Festival Ultra Indie Award was presented to Harris Doran for BEAUTY MARK. The Haskell Wexler Award for Best Cinematography went to David Kruta for THE SOUNDING. The James Lyons Editing Award For Narrative Feature was presented to editor Joe Murphy for DON’T COME BACK FROM THE MOON. The James Lyons Editing Award For Documentary Feature was presented to editor Toby Shimin for 32 PILLS: MY SISTER’S SUICIDE. The World Cinema Award, presented to Sandra Vannucchi for GIRL IN FLIGHT. The jury also gave a special mention to the young actress Lisa Ruth Andreozzi for her breakthrough performance. The Carpe Diem Andretta Award presented to the film that best represents living life to the fullest was awarded to director Lisa France and subject Gabriel Cordell for ROLL WITH ME.  

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  • Woodstock Film Festival Unveils 2017 Film Lineup, will Open with East Coast Premiere of STUCK

    [caption id="attachment_24630" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Stuck Stuck[/caption] The 18th Woodstock Film Festival, will open with the East Coast premiere of Stuck, a musical narrative about a group of six strangers trapped together on a stalled New York City subway car. The characters confront their assumptions of one another under the scrutinizing eye of a mysterious homeless man played by Giancarlo Esposito. This kickoff event will begin at 7PM October 11 at the Woodstock Playhouse. The Festival will present an outstanding lineup of films to be shown in Woodstock, Rhinebeck, Rosendale, Saugerties, and Kingston. “This year’s lineup is one that challenges our creative and intellectual boundaries and brings important social issues into focus, both locally and globally” said Woodstock Film Festival’s co-founder and executive director Meira Blaustein. “In today’s political climate it is particularly important to celebrate our differences and find our commonalities. This year’s participating filmmakers have gone above and beyond in capturing diverse moments of humanity that personify fierce independence.”

    NARRATIVE FEATURES

    The Bachelors, directed by Kurt Voelker The Ballad of Lefty Brown, directed by Jared Moshe Beauty Mark, directed by Harris Doran Becks, directed by Dan Powell and Elizabeth Rohrbaugh Cold November, directed by Karl Jacob Crash Pad, directed by Kevin Tent Don’t Come Back From the Moon, directed by Bruce Thierry Cheung Girl in Flight, directed by Sandra Vannucchi Holden On, directed by Tamlin Hall Infinity Baby, directed by Bob Byington Last Flag Flying, directed by Richard Linklater The Light of the Moon, directed by Jessica M. Thompson A Real Vermeer, directed by Rudolf van den Berg Revengeance, directed by Bill Plympton and Jim Lujan The Song of Sway Lake, directed by Ari Gold The Sounding, directed by Catherine Eaton The Square, directed by Ruben Östlund The Strange Ones, directed by Christopher Radcliff and Lauren Wolkstein Stuck, directed by Michael Berry Submission, directed by Richard Levine They, directed by Anahita Ghazvinizadeh Time Trap, directed by Mark Dennis and Ben Foster The Traveller, directed by Hadi Ghandour Us And Them, directed by Joe Martin Waterboys, directed by Robert Jan Westdijk What Children Do, directed by Dean Peterson

    DOCUMENTARY FEATURES

    32 Pills: My Sister’s Suicide, directed by Hope Litoff 40 Years in the Making: The Magic Music Movie,directed by Lee Aronsohn Against All Odds – The Fight for a Black Middle Class with Bob Herbert, directed by Bob Herbert Arthur Miller: Writer, directed by Rebecca Miller Bean, directed by Emilie Bunnell Becoming Who I was, directed by Moon Chang-Yong and Jeon Jin Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story, directed by Alexandra Dean The Chocolate Case, directed by Benthe Forrer The Cycle (America Divided), directed by Solly Granatstein, Lucian Read and Richard Rowley Happening: A Clean Energy Revolution, directed by Jamie Redford Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold, directed by Griffin Dunne La Chana, directed by Lucija Stojevic The Last Pig, directed by Allison Argo Mary Janes: The Women of Weed, directed by Windy Borman My Name is Pedro, directed by Lillian LaSalle Nat Bates for Mayor, directed by Bradley Berman and Eric Weiss The Organizer, directed by Nick Taylor The Rape of Recy Taylor, directed by Nancy Buirski Roll With Me, directed by Lisa France Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me, directed by Sam Pollard Shingal, Where Are You?, directed by Angelos Rallis Supermensch, directed by Mike Myers, Beth Aala A Symphony of Hope, directed by Brian Weidling Thank You For Coming, directed by Sara Lamm This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous, directed by Barbara Kopple To A More Perfect Union: U.S. v. Windsor, directed by Donna Zaccaro To the Edge of the Sky, directed by Jedd Wider and Todd Wider

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  • Actor Bill Pullman (THE BALLAD OF LEFTY BROWN) to Receive Acting Award at Woodstock Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_20966" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]The Ballad of Lefty Brown Bill Pullman (THE BALLAD OF LEFTY BROWN)[/caption] Actor Bill Pullman will receive the 2017 Excellence in Acting Award at the Woodstock Film Festival on Saturday October 14. Director Jared Moshe (The Ballad of Lefty Brown) will present Bill Pullman with the award In addition to receiving the award, the Woodstock Film Festival will screen The Ballad of Lefty Brown in which Bill Pullman gives a tour de force performance as the title character. Festival attendees will also have the opportunity to interact with Pullman, at the annual Actor’s Dialogue on Sunday, October 15. Bill Pullman commented that he was “Honored to be receiving the Excellence in Acting Award at this year’s Woodstock film festival. I am particularly looking forward to screening The Ballad of Lefty Brown at the Woodstock Film Festival in October – audiences there are ready for an unusually intimate Western that is the coming of age story of a sixty-something sidekick. It was shot in the fall in Montana, so we can see how it stacks up against the foliage colors in Woodstock – both so spectacular.” Bill Pullman’s versatile acting spans from dramatic roles to comedic roles. Pullman’s acting career also led him into the role of Clyde in Andrew and Alex Smith’s Walking Out, which recently screened as part of the Woodstock Film Festival’s summer screening series. “Bill Pullman is one of the finest and most versatile actors today,” said Woodstock Film Festival executive director Meira Blaustein. “His performance in The Ballad of Lefty Brown is absolutely outstanding. It is a privilege to recognize his diverse body of work at this year’s festival and we look forward to having him here with us this fall”.

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