2010 WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES LINEUP

The 2010 Woodstock Film Festival, taking place September 29-October 3, today announced their lineup of films, panels and special events (but not their Opening Night Film), and the festival appears packed to capacity with strong films. From the official press release:

The 11th annual Woodstock Film Festival today announced its 2010 line-up of nearly 150 fiercely independent films, panels, performances and special events, kicking-off Wednesday, September 29 through Sunday, October 3. Screenings and events take place in the historic, arts colony of Woodstock, and the neighboring towns of Rhinebeck, Rosendale, Mt. Tremper, and Kingston, in the Hudson Valley Catskills, just two hours from NYC.

“We have an extraordinarily diverse program this year that challenges the way we perceive and think about the world,” said Meira Blaustein, WFF co-founder and Executive Director. “We are proud to present a line-up that explores our innate desire to make personal connections, while reflecting on the cautionary aspects of the changing technological and environmental landscape. We need these talented filmmakers to illuminate the dark waters, helping us see beyond current perceptions, and like so many of our films, find hope and inspiration in the future.”

ONLINE SALES GO LIVE ON SEPTEMBER 6 at www.woodstockfilmfestival.com

The WFF Box Office will be open Friday, Sept. 3 – 26, Wednesday-Sunday from 12 noon-4pm. Closed Monday and Tuesday; on
Sept. 27-Oct. 2, the box office is open every day from 9am-7pm; on Oct. 3, from 9am-noon. The box office is located at 11-13 Rock City Road, in the heart of Woodstock.

Since its inception in 2000, WFF has firmly established itself as one of the foremost regional, independent film festivals in the world. The 2010 festival presents 60 premieres, the highest number since the festival began, consisting of 11 world premieres, 2 North American Premieres, 20 U.S. Premieres, 14 East Coast Premieres and 13 New York premieres. (See attached list.)

There were more than 1500 submissions, from Greenland and London, to Los Angeles and Brooklyn, representing a full spectrum of filmmakers, ranging from established, award-winning A-list directors and industry professionals, to young, emerging, indie filmmakers from under-served areas and under-developed countries.

PARTICIPANTS INCLUDE: Keanu Reeves, Edie Falco, Adrian Grenier, Danny Glover, Edward Burns,Vera Farmiga, Vincent D’Onofrio, Tess Harper, Larry Fessenden, Bruce Beresford, Bob Berney, Barbara Kopple, Signe Baumane, Bill Plympton, Bingham Ray, John Sloss, Doreen Ringer Ross, Lemore Syvan, Ted Hope, John Anderson, Gary Springer, Heidi Ewing, Joe Berlinger, John Murphy, Ray Kurzweil, Martine Rothblatt, Joslyn Barnes, Jeanne R. Berney, Jonathan Gray, Katherine Carpenter, Lydia Dean Pilcher, Mari-Jo Winkler, Michael Tucker, Richard Abramowitz, Ron Mann, Thelma Adams, Annie Sundberg, Amy Dotson, Elena M. Paul, Eva Radtke, Jon Bowermaster, Michelle Byrd, and many other stellar indie filmmakers.

This year brings a record number of attending filmmakers to Woodstock, reinforcing the notion that WFF nurtures and celebrates filmmakers, and is essentially a must attend stop on the international film circuit.

PARTICIPATING STUDIOS: IFC Films, Magnolia Pictures, Overture Films, Samuel Goldwyn Films, A&E Indie Films, Oscilloscope Laboratories, Arthouse Films, First Run Films, Film Movement, Overture Films, IFC Films, a.o.

LAUNCH PARTY: WFF will celebrate the 2010 line-up with many of this year’s filmmakers and industry friends at its official Launch Party on Tuesday, Sept. 7 in NYC.

WFF OPENING NIGHT FILM: to be announced.

CLOSING NIGHT FILM:

– STONE (New York Premiere) – Directed by John Curran. Robert De Niro and Edward Norton deliver powerful performances as a seasoned corrections official and a scheming inmate whose lives become dangerously intertwined in this thought-provoking drama by the director of We Don’t Live Here Anymore and The Painted Veil.
As parole officer Jack Mabry (De Niro) counts the days toward a quiet retirement, he is asked to review the case of Gerald “Stone” Creeson (Norton), in prison for covering up the murder of his grandparents with a fire. Eligible for early release, Stone needs to convince Jack he has reformed, but the line between lawman and lawbreaker becomes precariously thin. Director Curran will attend the Q & A following the film.
Sunday, Oct. 3rd, 6:45pm & 9:30pm, Upstate Films, Woodstock. Courtesy of Overture Films.

SPOTLIGHT FILMS:

– HENRY’S CRIME (U.S. Premiere) – Directed by Malcolm Venville. Sleepwalking his way through life, Henry (Keanu Reeves) gets an unexpected wake-up call when he becomes an unwitting participant in a bank heist. Rather than give up the names of the real culprits, he takes the fall and, having done the time, Henry reasons he may as well do the crime. Discovering a forgotten tunnel connecting the bank to a nearby theater, he recruits his old cellmate Max (James Caan) to aid in a robbery, all the while playing the lead in the theater’s production where he falls for his leading lady, Julie (Vera Farmiga). Keanu Reeves co-produced and will be in attendance for the Q & A following the film, along with Vera Farmiga. (* Keanu Reeves will be the recipient of an Honorary Excellence in Acting Award at the Saturday Night, Oct. 2 Maverick Awards Ceremony).

– INHALE (North American Premiere) – Directed by Baltasar Kormakur. Every day, rising Santa Fe District Attorney Paul Chaney and his wife, Diane, wait for word that there’s a lung donor for their daughter, Chloe, who suffers from a rare degenerative condition. When Paul learns of a doctor who performs transplants in Mexico, he heads south in a frantic search for the only man who may be able to save Chloe. He soon realizes the doctor’s medical ring runs deep into a criminal underworld where his patients aren’t donors – they’re victims. Kormakur is Iceland’s breakout director, having won acclaim for his many films worldwide. Cast/Featuring: Dermot Mulroney, Diane Kruger, Sam Shepard, Vincent Perez, Rosanna Arquette, and Jordi Molla. Director Baltasar Kormakur will be in attendance for the Q & A following the film. Courtesy of IFC Films.

CENTERPIECE FILM:

– WELCOME TO THE RILEYS (East Coast Premiere) – Directed by Jake Scott. The Rileys have been struggling in their marriage since losing their teenage daughter eight years prior. Once a happily married couple, Lois (Melissa Leo) and Doug (James Gandolfini) have grown distant, trapped in grief. Lois has become agoraphobic and won’t leave the house, while Doug tries to escape his pain with philandering. On a trip to New Orleans, Doug meets Mallory (Kristen Stewart), a teenage runaway. Doug recognizes an innocence in Mallory, which rekindles his paternal instinct, and brings new meaning to his life. He decides to stay in New Orleans to help Mallory. Meanwhile, Lois must summon all her courage to overcome her agoraphobia and venture south before her marriage is lost. Courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films.

SPECIAL SCREENINGS:
LENNON NYC – Directed by Michael Epstein. In 1971, John Lennon arrived in New York City and felt reborn: at last living in the country that had dominated his artistic imagination, Lennon and his new bride, Yoko Ono, found in the city the perfect blend of music, politics, culture, and lifestyle. Using remarkable, rarely seen footage and interviews with many who were close to John, filmmaker Epstein has created a moving, revealing portrait of the music legend’s New York years, detailing not only his triumphs but also some hard times over which he so beautifully recovered in the final years of his tragically curtailed life. Director Michael Epstein will be in attendance for the Q&A. 7pm, Wednesday, Sept. 29, Bearsville Theater. Courtesy of Arthouse Films.

THE SINGULARITY IS NEAR (East Coast Premiere) – Directed by Anthony Waller & Ray Kurzweil. This fascinating doc celebrates futurist Ray Kurzweil, who, along with emminent colleagues, present their visions of the approaching ‘singularity’ where artificial intelligence begins to surpass our own, changing the face of how the human race lives and interacts. While also delving into the potential dangers on a philosophical and technological level, Kurzweil delivers an outlook of the future that is both insightful and bewildering; and imaginative and hopeful. Ray Kurzweil will be in attendance for the Q & A. The film screens 1p, Bearsville Theater, followed by a Singularity panel discussion, 4pm Thursday, Utopia Studios.

– FRIGHT NIGHT FRIDAY! DOUBLE HORROR HEADER!
Simultaneous Screenings followed by WFF Filmmakers Party!
– DON’T GO IN THE WOODS – Directed by Vincent D’Onofrio. Described as Glee meets The Blair Witch Project, this ‘slasher/musical’ follows indie rock band seeking creative jam session in the woods, but people keep disappearing. Complete with solid rock soundtrack by Sam Bisbee, this offbeat horror film explores the lengths that people will go in order to make their dreams come true. Marks the directoral debut of actor D’Onofrio (Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Full Metal Jacket, Men In Black).

– BITTER FEAST – Directed by Joe Maggio (Paper Covers Rock, Milk and Honey, Virgil Bliss). Celebrity Chef Peter Gray (James LeGros) gets bad reviews and winds up fired and ruined. He uses his culinary skills to take revenge against his critic in a most macabre way. Horror genius Larry Fessenden produced and co-stars in this deliciously wicked tale featuring a cameo by celebrity Chef Mario Batali. There will be a pre-screening gourmet banquet dinner, catered by Mary Giuliani Catering & Events, with menu inspired by celebrity Chef Mario Batali, who has a cameo in the film.

D’Onofrio, Bisbee, Maggio and Fessenden will be in attendance for Q & A’s after their films. * Live Music Performance by the Don’t Go in the Woods Band will follow the screening, prior to the WFF Filmmakers Party. Screenings, feast and party, Friday, Oct. 1, at the Emerson Resort and Spa, Mt. Tremper.

EXPOSURE: FILMS OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY:

Politics, environment, religion, war and peace: Since its inception WFF has been committed to its Exposure program, in the forefront of showcasing ‘movies that matter’. This year’s selection is extraordinary in the diversity of its offerings, the immediacy & newsworthiness of its subjects, and the talent of its filmmakers. Highlights include:

– CAMP VICTORY, AFGHANISTAN (Director’s Cut) – Directed by Carol Dysinger. Providing an in-depth view of US/Afghan Army training on the ground in Afghanistan, the film confronts the American concept of victory at this critical point in US foreign policy, but it is also a story about friendship, and the unlikely bonds that form across cultural, political and social barriers.

– GERRYMANDERING – Directed by Jeff Reichert. Fast-paced and thoroughly entertaining documentary tracing the ever-changing battle lines that are drawn and redrawn as politicians often seek to literally draw their closest opponents out of their districts entirely, effectively eliminating the competition. Director Jeff Reichert will be in attendance for the Q & A.

– CLIENT 9: THE RISE AND FALL OF ELIOT SPITZER – Directed by Alex Gibney.
The Academy-Award winning filmmaker explores one of the most shocking scandals in modern American politics – the decline of crusading NYS Governor Eliot Spitzer, caught patronizing prostitutes. This intriguing doc provides unique access to the escort world as well as interviews with friends, colleagues and enemies of the ex-Governor to explore this important story of hubris, sex, and power.

– THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MCKINLEY NOLAN (New York Premiere) – Directed by Henry Corra, executive produced by actor Danny Glover. Touching and painful documentary showing the lengths family will go to in order to find the ones they love.
At the height of the Vietnam War, Pvt. McKinley Nolan mysteriously disappeared on the Cambodian boarder, assumed to be killed, captured or even defected. Forty years later, a Vietnam veteran, returning from a visit to Vietnam, claims to have seen the missing McKinley Nolan. An investigation begins that will unearth more than just the secrets behind one missing soldier. Executive Producer Danny Glover will attend the Q & A.

– MY LIFE WITH CARLOS (World Cinema) – Directed by German Berger-Hertz. A beautiful and haunting look into a political tragedy of the past through a personal lens. Director Berger-Hertz explores the repercussions of the murder of his father under orders from General Augusto Pinochet. Not satisfied with living in anger and hatred for past injustices, this doc presents a new and hopeful generation, unafraid to confront the tragedies of the past with the objective that they never be repeated.

– INUK (US Premiere) – Directed by Mike Magidson. Featuring an all Inuit cast (several of whom will be in attendance including adult lead actor Ole Jorgen Hammeken) and part of WFF’s environmental programming, Inuk tells the story of a sixteen-year-old boy placed in a home for troubled youth located in a small village in freezing north Greenland. Given the opportunity to go out and hunt seal with one of the local hunters, Inuk embarks on a dangerous journey into the wilderness and in doing so, confronts his troubled past. Breathtakingly beautiful. Cast members will attend the Q & A.

Other outstanding Exposure films include:
– JOURNEY FROM ZANSKAR (East Coast Premiere)- Directed by Fredrick Marx.
Buddhist monks lead children on harrowing journey across the Himalayas.
– WINDFALL (New York Premiere) – Directed by Laura Isreal. Exposes the advantages, and perhaps more importantly the disadvantages of wind power, as it examines wind turbine farms springing up across NY’s Delaware County.
– SOLA: LOUISIANA WATER STORIES (East Coast Premiere) – Directed by Jon Bowermaster. When author/environmentalist Bowermaster arrived in Louisiana in July 2008 to make a film about the relationship between man and water, he never expected that the reportage would end with the planet’s biggest ecologic disaster – the BP oil spill polluting the Gulf of Mexico.

– ONE LUCKY ELEPHANT (East Coast Premiere) – Directed by Lisa Leeman. Taking a unique look at the life of wild animals in captivity, One Lucky Elephant focuses on Flora the beloved circus elephant. Explores the consequences of taking wild animals away from their natural habitats.
– Each of these films will be followed by Q & A with attending director.

FOCUS ON MUSIC: What’s Woodstock Without Music? WFF’s popular music programming includes screenings and live performances, iconic musicians, music as political dissent, music videos, and bands struggling to be heard, along with the annual BMI Music panel.

– RAY CHARLES AMERICA (World Premiere) – Directed by Alexis Manya Spraic. Few American icons resonate on as many levels as Ray Charles. He was not only one of the greatest artists in American history, but had one of the greatest stories. Few came from less — dirt poor, blind and, ultimately, orphaned — to achieve more. This absorbing doc examines the social and political context of Charles’ work, and how his unique approach to music, and his ability to transcend racial barriers changed the cultural landscape as we know it. Containing unreleased music, and never before seen footage, this doc chronicles Charles’ impact in broader stories of love, politics, art and business.

– PHIL OCHS: THERE BUT FOR FORTUNE (World Premiere) – Directed by Kenneth Bowser. Music bio-documentary delves deep into the life of musical icon Phil Ochs. Civil rights. Freedom of Speech. The Vietnam War. Watergate. He wrote a song about them all, in large part creating the musical protest culture of the 60’s and 70’s. Through interviews with family and many well-known musicians who considered themselves fans of Phil Ochs, comes a vivid and compelling portrait of a controversial musical figure whose protest marked a generation. Director Kenneth Bowser will be in attendance for the Q & A, along with Michael Ochs, Phil’s brother.

– SOUNDS LIKE A REVOLUTION (U.S. Premiere) – Directed by Summer Love and Jane Michener. This powerful doc presents a unique historical perspective behind the new wave of protest music sweeping America and offers new hope for the future. Featuring interviews with David Crosby, Pete Seeger, Ani Difranco, Justin Sane, and Henry Rollins, the film focuses on the music and work of today’s politically-minded musicians, including Michael Franti, the Dixie Chicks and Paris, who, despite the daunting obstacles placed in their way, continue to motivate and inspire America’s youth for a positive revolutionary change.
* MUSIC PERFORMANCE by Justin Sane, lead singer of Anti-Flag will add his political punk rock sound to Woodstock’s long history of political music at The Bearsville Theater, 10pm Friday, Oct. 1, following the screening.

– DON’T QUIT YOUR DAYDREAM (East Coast Premiere) – Directed by Clark Stiles and Merritt Lear. A musical adventure featuring director Stiles and his band The Good Listeners, as they embark on a last ditch, cross country, album-recording extravaganza to save their musical identity and hopefully their careers. They collaborate with mostly local, unknown and eclectic talent across the USA, to create a diverse new album, featuring an amazing compilation of talented musicians and songs. Adrian Grenier (Entourage, Love in the Time of Money, The Devil Wears Prada) returns to the WFF as a producer of the film as well as a performer.

* MUSIC PERFORMANCE by The Good Listeners with Adrian Grenier at the Bearsville Theater, Thursday night, Sept. 30, following the screening of the film at 8:15pm.

– ROSCOE HOLCOMB: FROM DAISY KENTUCKY – Directed by John Cohen.
Director Cohen, a long- time member of the New Lost City Ramblers, explores the life, philosophy and music of Eastern Kentucky banjo player, coal miner and construction worker Roscoe Holcomb, who is becoming legendary in the bluegrass movement, and is cited as inspiration to many country and bluegrass greats.
* MUSIC PERFORMANCE by John Cohen, performing music by Holcomb featured in this short doc, following the Saturday, Oct. 2, 9:15pm screening at the Woodstock Community Center.

– NEDA’S EYES (WORLD PREMIERE/World Cinema) – Directed by Planet Pictures.
Last year the world’s attention was captured by the tragic killing of Neda Agha-Soltan, an iconic, young martyr of the Iranian election protests. A non-violent protester shot by the Iranian government on June 20th, 200, her face became an icon for the world peace movement. This short film beautifully depicts her sacrifice and the struggle of non-violent protest in Iran. This short screens before Sounds Like a Revolution.
* MUSIC PERFORMANCE by Sussan Deyhim, a composer, vocalist, and performance artist who combines her voice with technical wizardry in order to create a unique sonic and vocal language that summons rituals, and a sense of the unknown. Deyhim’s wide-ranging collaborations have included Peter Gabriel, Branford Marsalis, and Jerry Garcia. She has performed at the Lincoln Center Summer Festival, Carnegie Hall, The Old Vic, and other major venues. At the Colony Cafe, Friday, Oct 1, 10:00 pm.

– DON’T GO IN THE WOODS – (see Special Screenings/Fright Night)

* MUSIC PERFORMANCE by Don’t Go in The Woods Band, Friday, Oct. 1st, following the screening and Q & A, at the Catamount at the Emerson Resort and Spa.

Other outstanding Focus on Music films include:
– ROCKSTEADY (World Premiere) – Directed by Mustapha Khan. Set against the backdrop of a dirt-track racecourse, and to the sound of a thumping reggae score, by the Grammy Award-winning Reggae sensation Steel Pulse, Rocksteady is a heart-warming and highly enjoyable coming of age story.

– ARIAS WITH A TWIST: THE DOCUFANTASY – Directed by Bobby Sheehan. When outrageously original, gender-bending entertainer Joey Arias meets Basil Twist, a third generation boundary-breaking master puppeteer, the result can only be surrealistic, hallucinogenic extravaganzas, while the two perform cabaret chock full of fetishes, space aliens, B-movies and Aria’s pitch-perfect channeling of Billie Holiday. Traces the history of the 70’s – 80’s collaborative downtown NYC art scene, with rare archival footage.
– FIVE VARIATIONS ON A LONG STRING – Directed by Peter Esmonde.Over the past quarter century, composer/performer Ellen Fullman has developed and perfected her extraordinary ‘long string instrument.’ More than fifty feet long, the instrument envelops its audience in dense masses of sound. Recorded in multichannel surround sound, this short film is an intense musical exploration of Ellen Fullman’s creative process and her mind-blowing sound world.
– TARANTULA (World Premiere) – Directed by Barry Feinstein. A familiar Woodstock legend, Barry Feinstein is an internationally recognized world-class photographer, who shot this film in 1968, possibly the first music video ever! Screens before Don’t Quit Your Daydream. Director Barry Feinstein will be in attendance for the Q & A.

FILMS WITH HUDSON VALLEY TIES:
WFF is passionately committed to supporting regional filmmakers and film production. This year there are more than 15 films with strong links to the region, including several outstanding shorts, as well as features. Selections include:
– MARWENCOL (New York Premiere) – Directed by Jeff Malmberg
– THE HORROR AT GLEN ATTY – Directed By Brent Kunkle

– RESURRECTION MAN (U.S. Premiere) – Directed by Jonas Carpignano
– ROCKSTEADY (World Premiere) – Directed by Mustapha Khan
– DON’T GO IN THE WOODS – Directed by Vincent D’Onofrio.

Please contact the WFF Press office for background and details.

– NARRATIVE FEATURES: 3 BACKYARDS directed by Eric Mendelsohn; BITTER FEAST (East Coast Premiere), directed by Joe Maggio; CHERRY (New York Premiere), directed by Jeffrey Fine; THE COLONEL’S BRIDE, (/New York Premiere), directed by Brent Stewart; DON’T GO IN THE WOODS, directed by Vincent D’Onofrio; HELENA FROM THE WEDDING (East Coast Premiere), directed by Joseph Infantolino; HELLO LONESOME (East Coast Premiere), directed by Adam Reid; HENRY’S CRIME (US Premiere), directed by Malcolm Venville; THE IMPERIALISTS ARE STILL ALIVE (East Coast Premiere), directed by Zeina Durra; INHALE (North American Premiere), directed by Baltasar Kormakur; INUK (US Premiere), directed by Mike Magidson; THE LOCKSMITH ( New York Premiere), directed by Brad Barnes & Todd Barnes; NICE GUY JOHNNY, directed by Edward Burns; NORMAN (New York Premiere), directed by Jonathan Segal; ROCKSTEADY (World Premiere), directed by Mustapha Khan; SOME DOGS BITE (World Premiere), directed by Marc Munden; STAKE LAND (East Coast Premiere), directed by Jim Mickle; STRANGER THINGS (World Premiere), directed by Eleanor Burke & Ron Eyal; STONE (New York Premiere), directed by John Curran; TENDER MERCIES, directed by Bruce Beresford; THE TESTED (World Premiere), directed by Russell Costanzo; WELCOME TO THE RILEYS (Centerpiece Film/East Coast Premiere), directed by Jake Scott; WHITE IRISH DRINKERS ( US Premiere), directed by John Gray.

– NARRATIVE COMPETITION FINALISTS: 3 BACKYARDS; CHERRY; THE COLONEL’S BRIDE; THE LOCKSMITH; NORMAN; STRANGER THINGS; THE TESTED; WHITE IRISH DRINKERS

– DOCUMENTARY FEATURES: ARIAS WITH A TWIST, directed by Bobby Sheehan; BEAUTIFUL DARLING – THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ANDY WARHOL SUPERSTAR CANDY DARLING, directed by James Rasin; CAMP VICTORY, AFGHANISTAN, directed by Carol Dysinger; CLIENT 9: THE RISE AND FALL OF ELIOT SPITZER, directed by Alex Gibney; THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MCKINLEY NOLAN (New York Premiere), directed by Henry Corra; DON’T QUIT YOUR DAYDREAM (East Coast Premiere), directed by Clark Stiles & Merritt Lear; FIRST CIRCLE (World Premiere), directed by Heather Rae; GERRYMANDERING, directed by Jeff Reichert; GRACE PALEY: COLLECTED SHORTS (East Coast Premiere), directed by Lilly Rivlin; IN THE WAKE OF THE FLOOD (US Premiere), directed by Ron Mann; JOURNEY FROM ZANSKAR (East Coast Premiere), directed by Frederick Marx; THE KIDS GROW UP (New York Premiere), directed by Doug Block; LENNON NYC, directed by Michael Epstein; MADE IN INDIA (US Premiere), directed by Rebecca Haimowitz & Vaishali Sinha; MARWENCOL (New York Premiere), directed by Jeff Malmberg; MY LIFE WITH CARLOS, directed by German Berger-Hertz; MY SO-CALLED ENEMY (New York Premiere), directed by Lisa Gossels; ONE LUCKY ELEPHANT (East Coast Premiere), directed by Lisa Leeman; PHIL OCHS: THERE BUT FOR FORTUNE (World Premiere), directed by Kenneth Bowser; RAY CHARLES AMERICA (World Premiere), directed by Alexis Manya Spraic; THE SINGULARITY IS NEAR (East Coast Premiere), directed by Anthony Waller & Ray Kurzweil; SOLA: LOUISIANA WATER STORIES (East Coast Premiere), directed by Jon Bowermaster; SOUNDS LIKE A REVOLUTION (US Premiere), directed by Summer Love & Jane Michener; WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS: A MAN WITHIN, directed by Yony Leyser; WINDFALL (New York Premiere), directed by Laura Israel.

– DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION FINALISTS: CAMP VICTORY, AFGHANISTAN; THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MCKINLEY NOLAN; GERRYMANDERING; JOURNEY FROM ZANSKAR; MADE IN INDIA; MARWENCOL, MY SO-CALLED ENEMY; ONE LUCKY ELEPHANT.

– JURORS:
The Woodstock Film Festival has an outstanding group of industry leaders who make up the jury for each category of competition:
Feature Narrative: Amy Dotson, Griffin Dunne, John Anderson
Documentary Feature: Barbara Kopple, Molly Thompson, Leon Gast
Documentary Shorts: Petra Epperlein, Heidi Ewing, Ron Mann

Narrative Shorts: Joshua Zeman, Jonathan Gray, Ryan Piers Williams, Carly Hugo
Student Shorts: Amy Devra Gossels, Isil Bagdadi, Amos Poe
Animation: Bill Plympton, Signe Baumane
James Lyon Award for Best Editing Narrative: Sabine Hoffman, Craig McKay, Malcolm Jamieson

James Lyon Award for Editing Documentary: Sabine Hoffman, Sloane Klevin, Sam Pollard
Cinematography: Haskell Wexler

– WORLD CLASS SHORTS: The WFF has garnered a reputation for screening some of the most exciting films of the genre! The 2010 roster includes:
– Haitian Shorts Program, in association with Haiti’s Cine Institute. These 13 profoundly moving shorts, depict and explore the aftermath of the devastating January 2010 earthquake. From incredible, personal stories of survival and heroism in the face of extreme adversity, to the challenge of rebuilding broken lives, this program personifies and celebrates the determination of people everywhere to find hope and inspiration in the most heartbreaking of circumstances.

– Other popular WFF Shorts program topics include Animation; Music; Breaking Up is Hard to Do; Sex, Friends, Work; Short Docs; Shout & Twist; Journeys; and Teen Films, as well as shorts shown before features. For a complete listing of Shorts, visit www.woodstockfilmfestival.com.

-TRIBUTE FILM:
– TENDER MERCIES, directed by Bruce Beresford, 2010 Maverick Award recipient. Robert Duvall won an Oscar for his performance as Mac Sledge, a once-popular country-western singer and now exhausted alcoholic who collapses in a small, drab motel in the Texas Bible Belt. He finds peace with Rosa Lee (Tess Harper), a Vietnam War widow and mother, who agrees to let him work off his debt provided he does not drink on the job. With an Oscar-winning screenplay by Horton Foote, this film is a powerfully nuanced masterpiece of resurrection/redemption. A special talk with Beresford will precede the film, moderated by US Weekly senior editor Bradley Jacobs. Beresford and Tess Harper will be present for the Q & A following the film.

– PANELS: Stellar Discussions with Amazing Filmmakers-Always among our most in-demand events.
– MUSIC IN FILM – Music for Change, moderated by BMI’s Doreen Ringer-Ross.
– ACTOR’S DIALOGUE – with EDIE FALCO, moderated by Martha Frankel.

– THE SINGULARITY IS NEAR – Technology & Humans-What Does The Future Hold? Moderated by Paul Hoffman.
– FILM MARKETING AND PUBLICITY – moderated by John Murphy.
– AMAZING WOMEN IN FILM – moderated by Thelma Adams.
– NEW DISTRIBUTION PARADIGMS – moderated by Bingham Ray.

– LEGAL ISSUES IN FILM – moderated by Elena M. Paul.
– DOCUMENTARY WORKSHOP: THE CRAFT OF FILMMAKING – moderated by Heidi Ewing
– ENVIRONMENTALLY SPEAKING: IMPROVING OUR PLANET WITH THE POWER OF FILM – moderated by Lydia Dean Pilcher.

–WFF MAVERICK AWARDS CEREMONY:

The 11th annual Gala Maverick Awards Ceremony takes place Saturday, October 2 at 9pm, BSP Studios in Kingston. The event is open to the public, visit the WFF website for details. Award Ceremony highlights include:
– Actor Keanu Reeves will receive an Excellence in Acting award.
– Director Bruce Beresford (Breaker Morant, Tender Mercies, Driving Miss Daisy, Mao’s Last Dancer, Peace, Love & Misunderstanding), will receive the Honorary Maverick Award.
– Distribution guru Bob Berney (There Will Be Blood, Monster, La Vie En Rose, The Passion of the Christ, Whale Rider, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Pan’s Labyrinth, Mongol), will receive the WFF Trailblazer Award.