The 2011 Woodstock Film Festival launches tomorrow, Wednesday, September 21, 2011 and runs through Sunday, September 25, 2011. Lucky for all us, the festival sent on a press release touching on the extra-long weekend’s programming for your easy perusal and festival attendance planning. From the official press release:
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The 2011 Woodstock Film Festival is only a few days away and we at the festival are completing the final preparations for what will surely be an outstanding gathering of some of the most exciting filmmakers and films today. This year’s lineup showcases a wealth of talent from many promising, emerging filmmakers, as well as some of the most accomplished and prolific directors, such as Bruce Beresford, Jonathan Demme, Barbara Kopple, Nancy Savoca, Susan Seidelman, and Tony Kaye. They will all be here soon to celebrate creativity, forward thinking and the art and craft of independent filmmaking. We invite you all to join them. Films not to be missed at WFF include the Opening Night Film Peace, Love, & Misunderstanding by Bruce Beresford, the Closing Night Film by 2011 Maverick Award recipient Tony Kaye Detachment, Jonathan Demme’s new documentary I’m Carolyn Parker: The Good, the Mad and the Beautiful, Susan Seidelman’s Musical Chairs, Nancy Savoca’s Union Square, and Barbara Kopple’s A Force of Nature. Other films not to be missed might include Jonathan Blitstein’s frightening Another Kind, shot right here in the Hudson Valley, the character driven The Lie by Joshua Leonard, the mesmerizing Sahkanaga by John Henry Summerour, Ponies by Nick Sandow, Bernadette Peters’ tour de force in Coming Up Roses and Andrew O. Maclean’s brilliantly stark and captivating On the Ice. This is just a taste of all of the wonderful works featured at the upcoming 2011 Woodstock Film Festival. We hope to see you at many of the screenings. WFF will present films with top stars like Ewan McGregor and Eva Green in David McKenzie’s dramatic sci-fi, romantic thriller, Perfect Sense. Another Happy Day shows off the talent of this year’s recipient of WFF Excellence in Acting Award, Ellen Barkin. She is joined on screen with Demi Moore, Thomas Haden Church, Ellen Burstyn and Kate Bosworth in this dramatic family debut film from Sam Levinson. Academy Award winner Adrien Brody leads an all-star cast in this year’s closing night film, the intense Detachment, also starring Bryan Cranston, James Caan, Tim Blake Nelson, William Peterson and Lucy Liu. Liu will also appear with Golden Globe winner Michael C. Hall (Dexter) in Michael Knowles’ twisted latent coming of age comedy East Fifth Bliss. The Opening Night Film, Bruce Beresford’s Peace, Love, & Misunderstanding (filmed here in Woodstock and the Hudson Valley), stars Academy Award winner Jane Fonda and Oscar nominee Catherine Keener along with rising stars Chace Crawford, Elizabeth Olson and Nat Wolff. The highly anticipated annual Maverick Awards Ceremony gives praise to our filmmakers and promises to be a feast of music and hilarity. The creator of Adult Swim’s Metalocalypse, Brendon Small will serve as the evening’s host, and music entertainment will be led by Paul Green and his Band of Monkeys. The evening also celebrates the paramount accomplishments of four honorary award recipients, including the Excellence in Acting Award to actor Ellen Barkin, the Trailblazer Award to CEO of The Creative Coalition Robin Bronk, the first ever Meera Gandhi Giving Back Award to actor and environmental activist Mark Ruffalo, and the Maverick Award to director Tony Kaye. The ceremony will also remember and celebrate the life and work of independent film innovator and beloved director/producer Gary Winnick, whose life was cut short too soon. The Maverick Awards Ceremony, Saturday, September 24th at 9:00PM, is open to the public and tickets can be purchased online. So come join us at the 2011 Woodstock Film Festival and celebrate another great year of Fiercely Independent Film! As you enjoy the films, scenery, and all the beauty and wonderment that is the Hudson Valley, please remember the continued effect Hurricane Irene has brought to many towns, villages, and neighbors nearby. They can always use your smile, support, and lending hand. For those of you still trying to find a gem to view this upcoming week, here’s a quick list of films playing this year. See you at the movies! |
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2011 WFF NARRATIVE FEATURES: |
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 AN ORDINARY FAMILY directed by Mike Akel (East Coast Premiere) A week of vacation… A lifetime to unpack. A humorous and poignant "coming out" drama. |
 ANOTHER HAPPY DAY directed by Sam Levinson (East Coast Premiere) You can sweep secrets under the rug for years, but reality has a way of asserting itself. |
 ANOTHER KIND directed by Jonathan Blitstein (World Premiere) Some city folk can’t even handle a weekend upstate…. |
 ANSWERS TO NOTHING directed by Matthew Leutwyler (World Premiere) Intertwining stories exploring the bad in the best of us and the good in the worst of us. |
 COMING UP ROSES directed by Lisa Albright (World Premiere) A mother-daughter duet of longing, fantasy and the struggle to live out their dreams. |
 DETACHMENT directed by Tony Kaye (Closing Night Film) "Brody delivers his finest performance since The Pianist an award-caliber turn." The Hollywood Reporter |
 DOWNTOWN EXPRESS directed by David Grubin (World Premiere) A classical violinist falls for an indie rock singer-songwriter putting everything he knows to the test. |
 EAST FIFTH BLISS directed by Michael Knowles (East Coast Premiere) If you are constantly thwarted in love, is it bad luck, bad timing, or something deeper? |
 THE INNKEEPERS directed by Ti West (New York Premiere) A Ghost Story For The Minimum Wage. |
 LETTERS FROM THE BIG MAN directed by Christopher Munch A gorgeous meditative piece on the unique relationship between a woman and a Sasquatch. |
 THE LIE directed by Joshua Leonard (New York Premiere) Lonnie tells a life-altering lie to escape his boredom, but finds that keeping up the lie might be worse. |
 LOSERS TAKE ALL directed by Alex Steyermark (World Premiere) A mid-80s punk/pop band blows a record deal, a tour, and their friendship, but can’t manage to shake success. |
 MUSICAL CHAIRS directed by Susan Seidelman (Sneak Preview) Can the power of Dance rescue a woman from tragedy. |
 THE OFF HOURS directed by Megan Griffiths (New York Premiere) Five lives intersect at a sleepy crossroads diner where their mundane existence yearns for something more. |
 ON THE ICE directed by Andrew O. MacLean The feature film version of Sikumi, winner of best short at 2009 Woodstock Film Festival |
 PÁJAROS DE PAPEL (PAPER BIRDS) directed by Emilio Aragón Who can be trusted when the enemy can be anyone? |
 PEACE, LOVE, & MISUNDERSTANDING directed by Bruce Beresford (U.S. Premiere. Opening Night Film) A Woodstock weekend getaway for an uptight city lawyer and her two children turns into a summer of romance and self discovery. |
 PERFECT SENSE directed by David Mackenzie (East Coast Premiere) Susan and Michael are experiencing moments of pure connection, is this because they are falling in love or is it because the world is falling apart? |
 PONIES directed by Nick Sandow (World Premiere) When freedom is on the line, you bet your life. |
 RIO directed by Carlos Sald (Special Screening) When Blu, a domesticated macaw from small-town Minnesota, meets the fiercely independent Jewel, he takes off on an adventure to Rio de Janeiro with this bird of his dreams. |
 SAHKANAGA directed by John Henry Summerour (New York Premiere) A teenager stumbles upon a gruesome discovery igniting a chain of secrets and impossible decisions. |
 SECRET SNEAK PREVIEW directed by Sara Driver Sara Driver’s restoration work-in-progress. A re-discovered 1981 film treasure based on a Paul Bowles story. |
 SILVER TONGUES directed by Simon Arthur (New York Premiere) A dark dance of deceit and betrayal; the games a couple play with the lives of strangers begins to backfire. |
 TILT directed by Viktor Chouchkov (East Coast Premiere) The world of illegal porn, prison and hustlers is the backdrop for a tale of pure love, Bulgarian style. |
 UNION SQUARE directed by Nancy Savoca (U.S. Premiere) A tumultuous tale of the reluctant, passionate reunion of two estranged sisters. |
 96 MINUTES directed by Aimee Lagos (New York Premiere) In a single shocking act, four young lives are irrevocably changed. |
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| 2011 WFF DOCUMENTARY FEATURES: | |||
 9 PIANOS directed by Gillian Farrel (World Premiere) A moving look at an inspirational piano man. |
 A FORCE OF NATURE directed by Barbara Kopple (World Premiere) Ellen Ratner, the award-winning journalist and philanthropist, defies easy description but never shies away from lending a strong opinion as a fierce advocate of free speech and social justice. |
 ADVENTURES IN PLYMPTOONS directed by Alexia Anastasio (North American Premiere) An inside look into the wildly wacky mind of animator Bill Plympton. |
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 BOMBAY BEACH directed by Alma Har’el Alma Har’el captures life in one of America’s poorest towns, a once-pristine recreation area near palm springs. Welcome to Bombay Beach |
 CAPE SPIN: AN AMERICAN POWER STRUGGLE directed by Robbie Gemmel and John Kirby (World Premiere) The dramatic clashes between the rich and famous as a man tries to bring wind power to the Nantucket Sound. |
 DEAF JAM directed by Judy Lief (North American Premiere) Slam poetry gets a whole new look and sound. |
 DOLPHIN BOY directed by Dani Menkin, Yonatan Nir (U.S. Premiere) A transcendent experience with the miraculous power of dolphins saves one young man’s life. |
 FAT COWS, LEAN COWS directed by Men Elias (World Premiere) A dairy farm on the Gaza border brings together three men from disparate worlds. |
 FIGHTVILLE directed by Petra Epperlein and Michael Tucker (New York Premiere) An inside look at the tough love world of MMA and those who risk everything to get into the cage. |
 FREAKS IN LOVE directed by Skizz Cyzyk and David Koslowski (East Coast Premiere) Twenty-five years in the world of underground rock, as seen through the eyes of cult band Alice Donut. |
 GIVING BACK directed by Meera Gandhi The movers and shakers of the humanitarian world discuss how philanthropy can change lives. |
 I’M CAROLYN PARKER: THE GOOD,THE MAD, THE BEAUTIFUL directed by Jonathan Demme (U.S. Premiere) How woman can still make a difference. |
 KING’S PARK: STORIES FROM AN AMERICAN MENTAL INSTITUTION directed by Lucy Winer (World Premiere) A woman confronts her harrowing past at Kings Park State Hospital. |
 KUMARÉ directed by Vikram Gandhi (New York Premiere) A newly minted American-Hindu guru sets out to prove that illusion is truth. |
 MORE TO LIVE FOR directed by Noah Hutton (New York Premiere) Only one person can save his life … It might be you. |
 THE OTHER F WORD directed by Andrea Blaugrund Nevins (New York Premiere) Can punk rockers and rebels make tender fathers? Ask the daddies of some of the top punk bands. |
 POETRY OF RESILIENCE directed by Katja Esson (East Coast Premiere) Six poets who survived some of the worst atrocities of the 20th century pass on their lessons of survival. |
 SEMPER FI: ALWAYS FAITHFUL directed by Tony Hardmon and Rachel Libert One Marine faces down his beloved Corps for answers to his daughter’s death and uncovers a conspiracy of immense proportions. |
 SKATEISTAN: FOUR WHEELS AND A BOARD IN KABUL directed by Kai Sehr (East Coast Premiere) Building ramps, not bombs. |
 SOMETHING VENTURED directed by Daniel Geller, Danya Goldfine Meet the men that backed America’s most revolutionary companies. |
 TAKING A CHANCE ON GOD directed by Brendan Fay (World Premiere) An inspiring story of faith, love and perseverance in the face of oppression and rejection. |
 UNRAVELED directed by Marc H. Simon (New York Premiere) A stunning portrait of one man’s self destruction amid a massive defrauding of Wall Street. |
 THE WELCOME directed by Kim Shelton (New York Premiere) Veterans still at war with themselves come to terms with their pain through poetry. |
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2011 WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL SHORTS Just because they’re short, doesn’t mean they lack substance | |||
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Animation: Each year, master animators Bill Plympton and Signe Baumane curate a fantastic program of animated shorts that are always a fest favorite. This year is no exception. Just a warning: don’t go to the Animated Shorts program expecting "Bambi." Our animated program is filled with wacky, witty, whimsical and warped shorts that tend to be more explicit than adorable. |
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Darkness Inside: It seems as though every year the films submitted to the fest get darker and darker in subject matter. While some people hate darker films, I love them, and they are often the most affecting films I see. The films in this program will keep you on your toes and have your heart racing until the very last shot. Films include: "Block," "Crazy BeatsStrong Every Time," "Dead in the Room," "Knife," and "The Strange Ones." |
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Docs: If you love documentaries (and even if you don’t), you’ll love our short docs program! This year’s short docs offer a wide variety of fascinating subjects—from building a bridge to escalating Muslim and Christian tensions in Florida—and people— like neon artist Fred Kress, photographer Elliott Erwitt and filmmaker Woody Allen. This year’s short docs are: "A Bridge Delivered," "Brother Rob," "Comeon Down and Pick Me Up," "Elliott Erwitt: ‘I Bark at Dogs,’" "Hurdy Gurdy," "Woody/before/Allen," and "You Have the Right to an Attorney." |
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Family Feuds– No family is perfect! While not all of the films in this program are overtly about families, they all have characters whose decisions drastically affect one or more family members, resulting in discord. One of my favorite programs, the short films in our Family Feuds program are: "Bayou Black," "Dying Every Day," "The Recorder Exam," "Stefan," and "Sunny Boy." |
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Life, Love, Death- This program was curated as a sort of triptych. "Babyland" is about a woman, who may or may not be pregnant, searching for love in all the wrong places. In "Angels" a sister tries to fix her newborn brother. An estranged couple is forced to put aside their differences and confront the imminent death of their terminally ill daughter in "The Sea is All I Know." |
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Lost & Found– Featuring three films that were shot here in the Hudson Valley, this program is all about people searching for answers, and finding them where they least expect it. The films featured in Lost & Found are: "Beatrice and Bob," "Bunny," "Mother’s House," and "New Skin." |
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Love is a Bitch!: If you take issue with the title of this shorts program, you can blame me since I’m the one who named it… In terms of tone, this program offers the widest array of films, from comedies to dark dramas. As the title obviously declares, each of these shorts is about relationships gone wrong. If you’ve never been to a shorts program before, I’d recommend this one! Films in this program include: "Bang," "Cataplexy," "Gravity," "Manhattan Melody," "True Colors," and "We’re Leaving." |
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Music Videos: Woodstock and music go hand in hand, and each year we enjoy programming an excellent slate of music videos. This year’s videos feature music by artists Gogol Bordelo, Bon Iver, Blondie and more! The 9/23 showing at the Bearsville Theater will be followed by a special concert. |
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Remember To Smile: And for those of you who think that film festival films are all too dark and gloomy, this shorts program will prove you wrong. Filled with feel good and funny films, you’ll be sure to smile! This program’s films include, "Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore," "Good Men," "Smile," "Special Things to Do" and "Time Freak." |
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Teen Films: A wonderful selection of films by tomorrow’s filmmmakers. |
| Several other shorts will be screened before features. This year, many of our shorts were shot and produced locally in the Hudson Valley! For a complete listing of Shorts, visit WFF Shorts | |
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"BETTY combines razor sharp wit and savvy bombshell lyrics with deceptively innocent, catchy tunes." –- "Entertainment Weekly" |
PANELS: Informative Conversations with Amazing Filmmakers
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Actor’s Dialogue Amazing Women in Film A Discussion with Blue Sky Studio Funding Your Project the 21st Century Way The Issue Documentary Music in Film Why Do Some Films Make It and Others Don’t? |
