Woodstock Film Festival

"Paper Birds," "Semper Fi" Take Audience Awards at Woodstock Film Festival

Indiewire Staff — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 11:35:45 GMT

The 12th Annual Woodstock Film Festival concluded last night, handing out its Audience Awards to Emilio Aragón's post-war drama "Paper Birds" and Tony Hardmon and Rachel Libert's political documentary "Semper Fi: Always Faithful."

"Paper Birds" won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature. The film tells the story of a man struggling to survive in the final days of the Spanish Civil War after the deaths of his wife and son. "Semper Fi" received the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature. The film follows a former Marine's efforts to make the Marine Corps take responsibility for a contamination incident which is responsible for the death of his daughter.

The festival's top prizes were previously announced on Saturday. Best Narrative Feature went to "On the Ice" while "Semper Fi" picked up the Best Documentary Feature there as well.

The festival also honored Maverick Award recipients Ellen Barkin, Mark Ruffalo, Robin Bronk and Tony Kaye.

Woodstock 2011: "On the Ice" Takes Top Award as Mark Ruffalo Slams Cheney and Oil & Gas Industry

Brian Brooks — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 06:57:35 GMT

Director Andrew D. MacClean's "On the Ice" proved to be one of the hottest features at the 12th Woodstock Film Festival, which wrapped Sunday night after five days of movies, concerts, panels and parties.

The story of two Inupiat teenagers who make an ill-advised decision to cover up a tragedy took laurels for best narrative feature and for best cinematography (by Loi Crawley). It is set in MacClean's hometown, Barrow, Alaska, where the sun never rises from November to January and never sets from May to August.

“It’s really nice to be able to take the film to Woodstock and to be able to reach audiences,” said MacLean about his first feature.

Prize for best feature documentary went to "Semper Fi: Always Faithful," by directors Tony Hardmon and Rachel Libert. It tells of retired Marine Master Sgt. Jerry Ensminger quest to hold the Marines accountable for contamination of drinking water at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina that exposed thousands of soldiers and their families to carcinogens. One of the victims was Ensminger 9=year-old daughter, who died of a rare form of leukemia while he was stationed at the base.

Ensminger, a 20-year Marine vet, joined the movie's directors on stage at Saturday night's awards ceremony, and broke down when he said that that very day, Sept. 24, was the anniversary of his daughter's death.

The environment also played a part in the festival's presentation of its first Meera Gandhi Giving Back Award. It went to actor Mark Ruffalo for his efforts against hydraulic fracking - a controversial method of extracting natural gas from the land. "This needs to be stopped, and we're the generation to do it," Ruffalo said to cheers.

Backstage before the ceremony, Ruffalo told indieWIRE: "The award is very humbling experience, I never got anything like this. It's something I'm very grateful for, but I have to share it with hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who have taken up this fight against fracking."

"Fracking is a relatively new technology, and there have been no credible, long-term studies of what it does. The stuff's been there for hundreds of millions of years and will be there hopefully for another hundreds of million years, and I don't see a rush on why to get this going. Our air and water quality are at risk. If it wasn't for Dick Cheney's energy plan in 2005, this would be illegal, it wouldn't be happening. The oil and gas industry is such a pig."

Turning to movies, Ruffalo said he just wrapped "Avengers," playing the Hulk. "And I'm going to do a movie with Tim Robbins and Gwyneth Paltrow called 'Thanks for Sharing,'" he offered up.

Ellen Barkin was at the fest for an "excellence in acting" award and a screening of her newest movie, "Another Happy Day," the story of a dysfunctional family gathering for a wedding. It's directed by Berkin's boyfriend, Sam Levinson, whose dad, Barry Levinson, directed Barkin in her breakthrough movie, "Diner," back in 1982. At a screening attended by both Levinsons, Barkin said the movie was "about desperately trying to communicate." It features a standout performance by Ezra Miller as a drug-addicted teenager.

Barkin received her prize from a bearded Vincent D'Onofrio, who noted at the ceremony: "I don't go out a lot, but I wouldn't miss this for the world."

In the ceremony's most surreal moment, wild-bearded British director Tony Kaye ("American History X") accepted the festival's Honorary Maverick Award in a very-Woodstock way - with a song. Accompanying himself on acoustic guitar, he sang an original number, "Love Beats Death," after which he left the stage without further comment. Kaye's latest, "Detachment," was the closing-night film.

The fest was a mix of high-profile movies and hidden treasures. Among the former was Bruce Beresford's comedy "Peace, Love, & Misunderstanding," starring Jane Fonda as a hippie grandmother. Shot in Woodstock, it proved so popular that the festival added two screenings. "It was like watching a home movie because I saw so many people and places I know," one local was heard telling a friend.

Presenter Meera Gandhi and Meera Gandhi Giving Back Award receipient Mark Rufallo at 2011 WFF Maverick Award Ceremony. Photo by David Morris Cunningham, courtesy of WFF.

"This film is going to take you on quite a ride," festival executive director Meira Blaustein correctly predicted before a screening of one of the hidden treasures, Aimee Lagos' "96 Minutes,'' about four young people whose lives are forever altered by racism. "The movie was inspired by real events and is a real labor of love," Lagos said. The cast includes Evan Ross, son of singer Diana Ross.

Another small movie that won audience praise was "Ponies," directed by Bronx-born Nick Sandow, the gritty tale of two immigrants - one played by John Ventimiglia of "The Sopranos'' - whose lives cross in a New York City OTB parlor.

2011 Woodstock Film Festival winners with credits and information provided by the festival:

The Lee Marvin Award for Best Feature Narrative: "On The Ice," Dir. Andrew O. MacLean. Presented by Academy Award(R) Winning Actor Timothy Hutton, Academy Award(R) nominated Director Debra Granik, Marketing/Distribution Executive Richard Abramowitz.

The Maverick Award for Best Feature Documentary: "Semper Fi: Always Faithful," Dir: Tony Hardmon & Rachel Libert (Winner), Skateistan: Four Wheels and a Board in Kabul, Dir: Kai Sehr (Honorable Mention) and Dolphin Boy, Dir: Dani Menkin and Yonatan Nir (Honorable Mention). Presented by Academy Award(R) Winning Director Barbara Kopple, Producer Stephen Nemeth, Producer Deirdre Haj.

The Maverick Award for Best Animation: "Luminaris," Dir. Juan Pablo Zaramella. Presented by Academy Award(R) Winning Director Chris Wedge, Academy Award(R) Nominated Animator Bill Plympton, and Animator Signe Baumane.

The Diane Seligman Award for Best Short Narrative: "We're Leaving," Dir. Zachary Treitz (Winner), Block, Dir. Chadd Harbold (Honorable Mention). Presented by Producer/Talent Manager Marie Therese Guirgis, Casting Director Amy Devra Gossels, and Entertainment Lawyer/Producer Jonathan Gray.

The Diane Seligman Award for Best Student Short Film: "The Recorder Exam," Dir. Bora Kim (Winner), Manhattan Melody, Dir: Sasha Gordon (Runner Up), Babyland, Dir: Marc Fatello (Honorable Mention), Bayou Black, Dir. Jonas Carpignano (Honorable Mention), Gravity, Dir. Pamela Romanowsky (Honorable Mention). Presented by Writer/Producer Jospeh Muszynski, Golden Globe Winning Actor Lori Singer, and Producer/Marketing & Distribution Executive Isil Bagdadi.

The Diane Seligman Award for Best Short Documentary: "Poetry of Resilience," Dir: Katja Esson (Winner), The Thing That Happened, Dir. Andrew Walton (Honorable Mention). Presented by Director Lisa Gossels, Producer Todd Wider, and Director Hugo Perez.

The Haskell Wexler Award for Best Cinematography: "On The Ice," Director of Photography: Lol Crawley (Winner) Presented by Academy Award(R) Nominated Cinematographer Ellen Kuras.
"The selection of the best photography is very difficult. The one I have chosen, On The Ice, shot by Lol Crawley, is noteworthy in a number of ways. Shot where the sun doesn't set until August, we see people moving in frames of negaitve space in incredibly difficult and artfully conceived shots. The party interiors offer some smooth handheld work, where the style fits the visual storytelling in contrast with the formal, colder frames. All this is just me trying to give words to my subjective reaction to the visuals. And since I'm privilaged to give this award, you can see that Lol Crawley's work deserves this Woodstock Award." Haskell Wexler.

James Lyons Award for Best Editing of a Feature Narrative: "Tilt," Kostadin Kostadinov, Zorica Nikolova (Winners), 96 Minutes, Aram Nigoghossian (Honorable Mention).

James Lyons Award for Best Editing of a Feature Documentary: Bombay Beach, Alma Har'el, Joe Lindquist (Winners), Semper Fi: "Always Faithful," Purcell Carson (Honorable Mention)

The James Lyons Awards for Best Editing were presented by accomplished editors Sabine Hoffman, Sabine Krayenbuhl, and Doug Abel.

Honorary Trailblazing Award: CEO of The Creative Coalition Robin Bronk. Presented by actor/director Tim Blake Nelson.

Honorary Maverick Award: Director Tony Kaye ("American History X"). Presented by actor/director Tim Blake Nelson.

Meera Gandhi Giving Back Award: Actor Mark Ruffalo ("Reservation Road," "The Kids Are All Right"). Presented by Meera Gandhi.

Excellence in Acting Award: Actor Ellen Barkin ("Another Happy Day," "Sea of Love"). Presented by actor/director Vincent D'Onofrio.

Woodstock Reveals Lineup for 12th Fest with 62 Premieres

Brian Brooks — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 05:49:10 GMT

The Woodstock Film Festival revealed the full lineup for its 12th edition, with almost 150 exciting films, panels, performances and special events. The 2011 festival includes what it calls "a record 62 premieres," with 19 World, four North American, five U.S., 13 East Coast and 21 New York premieres on tap.

As previously announced, the U.S. debut of Bruce Beresford's "Peace, Love & Misunderstanding" will open five-day festival, while East Coast debut of “Another Happy Day” by Sam Levinson will screen as a Spotlight film with star Ellen Barkin receiving the fest’s Excellence in Acting Award. Also receiving WFF nods are actor Mark Ruffalo and the Creative Coalition's Robin Bronk who will receive the fest's Honorary Trailblazer Award.

"Each fall we have the honor to provide the Woodstock platform to so many talented, innovative and bold filmmakers, from distant places throughout the world to those who work right here in our own Hudson Valley backyard," commented Meira Blaustein, WFF co-founder and executive director in a statement. "This year is rich with new and exciting voices side by side with those who are prolific and accomplished. We can't wait to host them all together here in Woodstock this September."

Screenings and events will take place in the historic arts colony of Woodstock, and the neighboring towns of Rhinebeck, Rosendale and Kingston, in the Hudson Valley Catskills.

Highlights from the 2011 Woodstock Film Festival with descriptions and credits provided by the event:

"Peace, Love & Misunderstanding," directed by Bruce Beresford (U.S. premiere) - Opening Night Film
In this film by WFF 2010 Honorary Maverick Award recipient Bruce Beresford (Driving Miss Daisy, Tender Mercies) Oscar nominated actress, Catherine Keener, plays a conservative lawyer who takes her two teenage children to meet their estranged, hippie grandmother (Jane Fonda) in Woodstock. Shot and produced here in the Hudson Valley, the opening night film will take place Thursday, September 22, at the newly renovated Woodstock Playhouse. Beresford, along with writers, producers and select cast will attend the Q&A after the screening.

"Another Happy Day," directed by Sam Levinson (East Coast Premiere) - Spotlight Film
High-strung Lynn (Ellen Barkin) and her troubled grown children (Kate Bosworth and Ezra Miller) journey deep into the heart of domestic darkness to attend the wedding of her estranged eldest son. (Barkin will be the recipient of the WFF Excellence in Acting Award at the Saturday September 24th, Gala Maverick Awards Ceremony. She will be in attendance for the Q&A, and the Award ceremony.) Two-time Golden Globe Award Nominated actress and Emmy Award winner, Ellen Barkin is known for her remarkable roles in "Sea of Love" (1989), "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" (1998) and more recently "Ocean's Thirteen" (2007).

Special Screenings:

"Giving Back," directed by Meera Gandhi - Special Screening
International humanitarian, author and filmmaker Meera Gandhi explores the deeply personal and unique ways in which her friends from around the world "give back" to humanity. A conversation on global philanthropy will follow the screening of this riveting short documentary. (*Academy Award Nominated actor, Mark Ruffalo, will receive the very first honorary Meera Gandhi Giving Back award for his community activism involving safe water and hydro-fracking in the Catskills. Ms. Gandhi will present the award to Mark Ruffalo at the Saturday September 24th, Gala Maverick Awards Ceremony.) Academy Award Nominated actor, Mark Ruffalo, is a resident of the Catskills and an active supporter of the anti-fracking movement, traveling to Albany and Washington to protect safe water for the region. Easily moving between stage and screen his most recent roles include "Collateral" (2004), "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" (2004), "Shutter Island" (2010) and "The Kids Are All Right" (2010).

"Perfect Sense," directed by David Mackenzie, (East Coast Premiere)
Scientist Susan (Eva Green) has given up on love after dedicating herself to the study of epidemics. When she meets Michael (Ewan McGregor), everything changes. They experience new and unforeseen depths of feeling, as all around the world something strange is affecting everyone's emotions. A genre-busting, poetic sci-fi film with a life-affirming look at what it means to love and be loved in turbulent times. Screening Saturday, Sept. 24, 9:30p, Upstate Films, Woodstock and Sunday, Sept. 25, 7:30p, Rosendale Theater.

"Musical Chairs," directed by Susan Seidelman, (Sneak Preview)
A sexy, pulse-pounding romance set in the scintillating, competitive world of ballroom dancing. Upper East Side Mia (Leah Pipes) has a promising career as a dancer. Bronx-born Armando (EJ Bonilla) sweeps floors at the dance studio in exchange for lessons. He dreams of dancing with Mia, the love of his life. Their dreams are shattered when a tragic accident forever confines Mia to a wheelchair. Armando dedicates himself to helping Mia "dance" once more. Director Seidelman will be in attendance for the Q&A, Saturday, Sept. 24, 8p, Woodstock Playhouse.

"Coming Up Roses," directed by Lisa Albright, (World Premiere)
Young Alice (Rachel Brosnahan) and her theatrical mother, Diane (Bernadette Peters) desperately hold onto each other and the fantasy of a better life. A dangerous neighborhood, money troubles, even Diane's relentless depression will not defeat them. But is their love and determination enough? A striking dramatic role for Broadway superstar BERNADETTE PETERS. The directors and select cast will be attending the Q&A, Friday, Sept. 23, 5:45p, Woodstock Playhouse and Saturday, Sept. 24, 6:15p, Rosendale Theater.

Narrative Features:

"96 Minutes," directed by Aimee Lagos, (New York Premiere)
"An Ordinary Family," directed by Mike Akel, (East Coast Premiere)
"Another Happy Day," directed by Sam Levinson, (East Coast Premiere)
"Another Kind," directed by Jonathan Blitstein, (World Premiere)
"Answers to Nothing," directed by Matthew Leutwyler, (World Premiere)
"Coming Up Roses," directed by Lisa Albright, (World Premiere)
"Downtown Express," directed by David Grubin, (World Premiere)
"East Fifth Bliss," directed by Michael Knowles, (East Coast Premiere)
"The Inkeepers," directed by Ti West, (New York Premiere)
"Letters from the Big Man," directed by Christopher Munch
"The Lie," directed by Joshua Leonard, (New York Premiere)
"Losers Take All," directed by Alex Steyermark, (World Premiere)
"Musical Chairs," directed by Susan Seidelman, (Sneak Preview)
"The Off Hours," directed by Megan Griffiths, (New York Premiere)
"On the Ice," directed by Andrew O. MacLean
"Pájaros del Papel" (Paper Birds), directed by Emilio Aragón
"Peace, Love & Misunderstanding," directed by Bruce Beresford, (U.S. Premiere)
"Perfect Sense," directed by David Mackenzie, (East Coast Premiere)
"Ponies," directed by Nick Sandow, (World Premiere)
"Sahkanaga," directed by John Henry Summerour, (New York Premiere)
"Silver Tongues," directed by Simon Arthur, (New York Premiere)
"Tilt," directed by Viktor Chouchkov Jr., (East Coast Premiere)
"Union Square," directed by Nancy Savoca, (U.S. Premiere)

Narrative Competition Finalists: "96 Minutes," "East Fifth Bliss," "The Lie," "On the Ice," "Sahkanaga," "Silver Tongues," "Tilt"

Documentary Features:

"9 Pianos," directed by Gillian Farrel, (World Premiere)
"Adventures In Plymptoons," directed by Alexia Anastasio, (North American Premeire)
"Bombay Beach," directed by Alma Har'el
"Cape Spin: An American Power Struggle," directed by Robbie Gemmel and John Kirby, (World Premiere)
"Deaf Jam," directed by Judy Lieff, (North American Premiere)
"Dolphin Boy," directed by Dani Menkin and Yonatan Nir, (U.S. Premiere)
"Fat Cows, Lean Cows," directed by Men Elias, (World Premiere)
"Fightville," directed by Petra Epperlein and Michael Tucker, (New York Premiere)
"Freaks in Love," directed by Skizz Cyzyk and David Koslowski, (East Coast Premiere)
"Giving Back," directed by Meera Gandhi
"King's Park: Stories from an American Mental Institution," directed by Lucy Winer, (World Premiere)
"Kumaré," directed by Vikram Gandhi, (New York Premiere)
"More to Live For," directed by Noah Hutton, (New York Premiere)
"The Other F Word," directed by Andrea Blaugrund Nevins, (New York Premiere)
"Poetry of Resilience," directed by Katja Esson, (East Coast Premiere)
"Semper Fi: Always Faithful," directed by Tony Hardmon and Rachel Libert
"Skateistan: Four Wheels and a Board in Kabul," directed by Kai Sehr, (East Coast Premiere)
"Something Ventured," directed by Daniel Geller and Danya Goldfine
"Taking a Chance on God," directed by Brendan Fay, (World Premiere)
"Unraveled," directed by Marc H. Simon, (New York Premiere)
"The Welcome," directed by Kim Shelton, (New York Premiere)
"I'm Carolyn Parker: The Good, The Mad, The Beautiful," directed by Jonathan Demme, (U.S. Premiere)

Documentary Competition Finalists: "Bombay Beach," "Cape Spin: An American Power Struggle," "Deaf Jam," "Dolphin Boy," "Semper Fi: Always Faithful," "Skateistan: Four Wheels and a Board in Kabul," "Unraveled"

Friday Fright Night:

"The Inkeepers," directed by Ti West, (New York Premiere)
After more than 100 years of service, The Yankee Pedlar Inn is shutting its doors forever. The two last remaining employees are determined to uncover proof of what many believe to be one of New England's most haunted hotels. As the final days draw near, they experience strange and alarming events, compelling them deeper into the long-unexplained mysteries of the inn. The producers will be attending the Q&A, Friday, Sept. 23, 8:15p, Woodstock Playhouse and Saturday, Sept. 24, 9p, Rosendale Theater.

"Another Kind," directed by Jonathan Blitstein, (World Premiere)
A group of 20-something New Yorkers drive to the Catskills for a long weekend of winter camping. It soon becomes apparent they were better off staying home. Strange and inexplicable things begin to happen, they lose all sense of direction, and after a snowy frostbitten night, begin having strange visions. They can't distinguish dreams from reality, nor do they know a twisted surprise awaits them at the trailhead. Director Blitstein will be attending the Q&A, Friday, Sept. 23, 11p, Woodstock Playhouse and Saturday, Sept. 24, 10p, Upstate Films, Rhinebeck.

Exposure: Films of Social Responsibility:

"Semper Fi: Always Faithful," directed by Rachel Libert and Tony Hardmon
Master Sergeant Jerry Ensminger's loyalty belonged to the Marine Corps for 25 years. But when his nine-year-old daughter dies of a rare form of leukemia, he takes on a quest that leads him to a shocking discovery: the organization to which he had pledged his loyalty was responsible for one of the largest water contamination incidents in U.S. history. His fight, and this important doc, reveals a grave injustice at North Carolina's Camp Lejeune and a looming environmental crisis at military sites across the country. The directors will be attending the Q&A, Friday, Sept. 23, 11:45a, Upstate Films, Woodstock and Sunday, Sept. 25, 2p, Upstate Films, Rhinebeck.

"Cape Spin: An American Power Struggle" directed by Robbie Gemmel and John Kirby, (World Premiere)
"Give wind a chance," versus "not in my backyard" is the central conflict in this darkly humorous and profoundly serious tale of a community divided by green politics. In 2001, entrepreneur Jim Gordon proposed building a major wind farm in the middle of Nantucket Sound, fabled playground for America's rich and famous, billing the project as a clean, green power plant that should be welcomed by all. To his chagrin, "Cape Wind" became one of the decade's most confounding political battles. A gripping and entertaining study of eco-capitalism and grassroots democracy. The directors will be attending the Q&A, Friday, Sept. 23, 2:30p, Bearsville Theater and Sunday, Sept. 25, 11:15a, Upstate Films, Rhinebeck.

"The Welcome," directed by Kim Shelton, (New York Premiere)
A fiercely intimate view of life after war, the fear, anger and isolation of post-traumatic stress that affects vets and family members alike. As we join them for an unusual healing retreat, we witness how the ruins of war can be transformed into the beauty of poetry. Their inspiring examples of unflinching honesty, courage and love remind us of our common humanity, always the first casualty of war. The directors will be attending the Q&A.

"Taking a Chance on God," directed by Brendan Fay, (U.S. Premiere)
Follows the extraordinary life of 85-year-old Jesuit priest John McNeill, a former POW, co-founder of the GLBT Catholic group Dignity NY, author of The Church and the Homosexual, and loving partner of 45 years to Charles Chiarelli. McNeil has refused to let his voice be silenced despite being expelled from the Catholic Church after forty years of faithful service. This powerful doc explores the inspiring story of faith, love and perseverance in the face of oppression and rejection. Director Fay will be attending the Q&A, Saturday,

"Skateistan: Four Wheels and a Board in Kabul," directed by Kai Sehr, (East Coast Premiere)
"We build ramps, not bombs," say Oliver and Sharna, founders of Skateistan, an aid foundation whose goal is to bring education and equality to the overwhelmingly adolescent population of war-torn Afghanistan. Love of skateboarding reveals a rarely-seen side of Afghan culture. With the help of visiting professional skate boarders, and an outpouring of local enthusiasm, they construct a skate park in the center of Kabul. Touching on gender, ethnic and social mores in Afghanistan, Skateistan offers an exhilarating vision for the future.

"Poetry of Resilience," directed by Katja Esson, (East Coast Premiere)
War, genocide and oppression: unfathomable tragedies paint a dark portrait of the human condition. And yet, out of atrocity the beauty of poetry can flow, as those who lived it attempt to make sense of it all. Through the poems and words of six extraordinary artists, comes this deeply contemplative examination of violence, society, and the reality of being an artist and survivor. Shot by Academy Award-Nominated director Esson on location from Hiroshima to Rwanda. Director Esson will be attending the Q&A.

"The Thing that Happened," directed by Andrew Walton, (Short)
The Hope North Secondary School in Uganda provides a home and education for displaced children of civil war; school founder Sam Okelo's personal account is a poetic and moving tribute to the living and the dead. Screening prior to "Poetry of Resilience."

"I Now Pronounce You Husband & Husband," directed by Stephanie Donnelly, (Short)
In 2004, New Paltz Mayor Jason West was criminally charged for making many couples' dreams come true by performing two dozen same-sex marriages. Screening prior to "Taking a Chance on God."

[Editor's Note: An earlier version of this article included "Corman's World" in the lineup, it has since been removed from the Woodstock lineup.]

[For more information, visit the festival's website]

"Peace, Love & Misunderstanding" to Open 12th Woodstock Film Festival & Other Highlights

Brian Brooks — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 07:47:22 GMT

Unveiling what it calls a "sneak peak" Thursday, the Woodstock Film Festival announced some highlights of its upcoming event taking place in the scenic Catskills in upstate New York September 21 - 25.

Bruce Beresford "Peace, Love & Misunderstanding" will open the festival. The film stars Catherine Keener as a conservative lawyer who takes her two teenage children to meet their hippie grandmother, played by Jane Fonda in - naturally - Woodstock.

The East Coast debut of "Another Happy Day" by Sam Levinson will screen as a Spotlight film with star Ellen Barkin receiving the fest's Excellence in Acting Award, while Meera Gandhi's "Giving Back," a short about how her friends "give back" to humanity is slated. Oscar-nominated actor Mark Ruffalo will be on hand to discuss his community activism and will receive the first honorary "Meera Gandhi Giving Back" award.

Also set to receive Woodstock honors is Robin Bronk who will receive the festival's Honorary Trailblazer Award for her work as a public advocate for the arts.

"This year's program reflects the extraordinary works of filmmakers from far - flung places such as Bulgaria, Spain and Israel, to those from our backyard right here in the Hudson Valley," commented Meira Blaustein, WFF co-founder and executive director in a statement. "Today's filmmakers continue to carve their own interpretations of global events and individual nuances, pushing the envelope, delving into unchartered territories and unflinchingly exploring and bending genres, stories and characters. We are proud to provide the Woodstock platform for them and are eagerly awaiting to have them and their work with us this fall."

Now in its 12th year, the Woodstock Film Festival screens 150 films in addition to panels, performances and special events taking place in Woodstock, and the neighboring towns of Rhinebeck, Rosendale and Kingston, in the Hudson Valley Catskills.

Woodstock will announce its full lineup August 30th.

Thursday's announced Woodstock film lineup with descriptions provided by the festival and select programs:

"Giving Back," directed by Meera Gandhi - Special Screening
International humanitarian, author and filmmaker Meera Gandhi explores the deeply personal and unique ways in which her friends from around the world "give back" to humanity. A conversation on global philanthropy will follow the screening of this riveting short documentary. (*Academy Award Nominated actor, Mark Ruffalo, will receive the very first honorary Meera Gandhi Giving Back award for his community activism involving safe water and hydro-fracking in the Catskills. Ms. Gandhi will present the award to Mark Ruffalo at the Saturday September 24th, Gala Maverick Awards Ceremony.) Academy Award Nominated actor, Mark Ruffalo, is a resident of the Catskills and an active supporter of the anti-fracking movement, traveling to Albany and Washington to protect safe water for the region. Easily moving between stage and screen his most recent roles include "Collateral" (2004), "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" (2004), "Shutter Island" (2010) and "The Kids Are All Right" (2010).

2011 Honorary Trailblazer Award Recipient, Robin Bronk
Public advocacy for the arts pioneer Robin Bronk will receive the Honorary Trailblazer Award for her tireless fighting and commitment to believing in the power of creativity in the arts to effect social change. The award will be presented at the Saturday, September 24, Gala Maverick Awards Ceremony. Bronk is Chief Executive Officer of The Creative Coalition—the leading national, nonprofit, nonpartisan social and public advocacy organization of the arts and entertainment industry. Bronk is dedicated to educating, mobilizing and activating the entertainment industry and arts community on issues of public importance, particularly the First Amendment, arts advocacy and media literacy.

"Paper Birds," directed by Emilio Aragÿn (in conjunction with the Spanish consulate)
A Musician , a ventriloquist, a singer and an orphan named Miguel make up an unlikely family of lost souls, struggling to get by one day at a time, sharing their joys and sorrows and their only escape from the misery around them: their music. As it turns out, when bread is scarce, applause can really hit the spot. But right away they are put to the test and forced to make decisions that will place their lives in jeopardy.

"A Dolphin Boy," directed by Dani Menkin and Yonatan Nir (U.S. Preminere, in conunction with the Israeli consulate)
A documentary about a teenager from an Arab village in the north of Israel who disconnects himself from humans following a violent attack that he experienced. As a last resort before hospitalization in a Mental Institution, he is taken by his devoted father to be treated with Dolphins in the Red Sea. After months of silence, he begins to talk again, but erases his past and refuses to go home to his awaiting mother. This documentary, filmed over the course of four years, is about the devastating havoc that human violence can wreak upon the human soul, and about the healing powers of nature and of love.

"Fat Cows Lean Cows," directed by Meni Elias (World Premiere, in conjunction with the Israeli consulate)
On the Gaza Strip border, a Palestinian, an Israeli elderly man, and a Thai immigrant, work together on a struggling farm in Israel, at a time when industrial agriculture dominates and political tensions are rife. Their personal stories are a microcosm of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the state of small farms in an age of factory farming.

"Coming Up Roses," directed by Lisa Albright (World Premiere)
Young Alice (Rachel Brosnahan) and her theatrical mother, Diane (Bernadette Peters) desperately hold onto each other and the fantasy of a better life. A dangerous neighborhood, money troubles, even Diane's relentless depression will not defeat them. But is their love and determination enough? A break out dramatic role for Broadway superstar Bernadette Peters.

Paul Green Joins Woodstock Film Festival as Music Coordinator

Indiewire Staff — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 08:43:00 GMT

The Woodstock Film Festival has added Paul Green to their team as the new Music Coordinator. Green is best known for his establishment of School of Rock, originally a performance-based after-school music program for kids, is now also a camp, a festival, a documentary film and an All Star Program, and has now expanded into fifty-seven schools across the country and in Mexico.

"His contacts in the music industry will help bring more musical acts to this year's festival and beyond. We're confident that Paul's efforts on behalf of the Woodstock Film Festival will result in more music-related programs for the region," said WFF Co-Founder and Executive Director Meira Blaustein.

Full press release below:

(Woodstock, NY) - August 3, 2011: The Woodstock Film Festival is thrilled to welcome a new Music Coordinator to the team. Music guru and film buff, Paul Green, joins WFF with more than twenty years experience working different roles within the music industry. Green is a teacher, songwriter, musician, entrepreneur and the founder of School of Rock. He was also featured in Woodstock : Now & Then, a documentary directed by Academy Award winner, Barbara Kopple.
"Paul's wealth of knowledge and experience will contribute to the growth of the Woodstock Film Festival," said WFF Co-Founder and Executive Director Meira Blaustein. "His contacts in the music industry will help bring more musical acts to this year's festival and beyond. We're confident that Paul's efforts on behalf of the Woodstock Film Festival will result in more music-related programs for the region."
Paul is most renown for School Of Rock, a performance-based music program for kids, which he founded in 1998. This educational company operates and sponsors franchises for after-school music programs. First established in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, fifty-seven schools are now opened across the country and in Mexico.
Green expanded School Of Rock making it not only an after-school program but also a camp, a festival, a documentary film and an All Star Program, which allows top students to embark on an authentic rock and roll touring experience with travel, hotels, and real rock venues.
"After attending a couple WFF events I was blown away by the caliber of people involved with the festival, I'm honored to be joining Meira, Laurent and the rest of the dedicated team," said Green. "I'm jumping in with both feet as the new WFF Music Coordinator, hoping this year will be the first year of a long term partnership between WFF, my students and myself."
Green recently moved to Woodstock and is currently working with Michael Lang, co-creator of the 1969 Woodstock Music & Art Festival, on the early phases of building a world renown music college right here in Woodstock.

Keanu Reeves: The Face of Woodstock?

Eric Kohn — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 10:13:56 GMT

Over the last eleven years, the Woodstock Film Festival has honored numerous movers and shakers from across the spectrum of the international film community, but few guests have turned as many heads as Keanu Reeves. The recipient of Woodstock's inaugural Honorary Excellence in Acting Award, Reeves made a surprisingly personable visit to the festival over the weekend. Sans publicist or limousine as he strode down Woodstock's quaint center of town, a prototypical Hollywood face came down to Earth.

At the festival's awards ceremony on Saturday night, Reeves accepted his honor from a very pregnant Vera Farmiga, accepting it "on behalf of myself and everyone I've ever worked with," which sounded like an acknowledgment of Woodstock itself for plugging his latest endeavor. Slipping away from the New York City production of Mark Mann's "Generation Um…," Reeves journeyed upstate to spend two days in Woodstock for the U.S. premiere of "Henry's Crime," an understated comedy directed by Malcolm Venville from a screenplay originally conceived by Sasha Gervasi, whose last outing was the heavy metal documentary "Anvil! The Story of Anvil."

Despite Reeves' celebrity, "Henry's Crime" has very few Hollywood attributes. It's a romance posing as a heist movie with hardly any violence and no death. As the titular character, Reeves plays an uninspired tollbooth attendant whose salvation from boredom arrives when he gets imprisoned for a bank robbery he didn't commit, allowing for a handy exit strategy from his aimless marriage and generally purposeless existence.

Once out of jail, he enlists the help of a former cellmate (James Caan) to commit an actual bank robbery, guided by the dubious logic that, having done the time, he might as well commit the crime. Eventually, he finds a new romantic interest in struggling actress Julie (Farmiga), which naturally leads him to question his illegal goal. The story builds to a farcical conclusion in which Reeves, masked by a false beard, confronts Farmiga onstage and ad libs a new finale to Anton Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard."

Enjoyably lighthearted and marked by comedic wordplay reminiscent of early Hal Hartley, "Henry's Crime" sports a vintage Reeves performance, displaying his deadpan talents in constant close-ups. It makes sense, then, that the actor played a key role in bring it to fruition. The movie represents the first completed feature from Company Films, the production company that Reeves launched with Stephen Hamel nearly a decade ago. As a first-time producer, Reeves said he went to "the Lemore Syvan film school," crediting the "Henry's Crime" co-producer whose previous credits include "The Ballad of Jack and Rose" and "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee."

If Reeves was a disciple of the indie world, he did his homework. During a roving half hour conversation with indieWIRE on Sunday, the actor struck an inspiring tone when discussing his intention of getting "Henry's Crime" seen. "Right now, we're in the battle of trying to get domestic distribution," he said. "In this changing economy, a lot of traditional routes have been constricted." Having left the Toronto International Film Festival without securing a theatrical release for the movie, which cost under $10 million to produce, Reeves said at one point he considered releasing it himself.

"That ran across my mind," he said. "But in order to do that, with the cost of the infrastructure, you always want someone who has experience." He referenced the speech delivered the night before by FilmDistrict president Bob Berney, the winner of Woodstock's Maverick Award. "It's like what he said about being the messenger for a movie," Reeves explained. "We need to hire someone to be our Bob Berney to get this kind of film to exhibitors." (Syvan said they're hoping for a March release date.)

Meanwhile, Company Films has several projects on the burner, including a screenplay titled "Bloom" written by Mark Andrus, with Scott Ellis attached to direct. He's also developing the science fiction feature "Passengers," in which Reeves plays the only person awake on a spacecraft containing 500 passengers -- until his character chooses to wake up a woman. According to Reeves, "Passengers" represents a different kind of production hurdle. "It's a $60 million dark romance," he said. "It's hard to raise that kind of dough."

Additionally, he hopes to find time to make his directorial debut with a project tentatively "Man of Tai Chi," with the assistance of "The Matrix" fight choreographer Tiger Chen. Reeves intends to shoot the movie in Mandarin, although he'll play an English-speaking villain named Domico who convinces a poor young man to get involved in underground fighting.

Despite his indie efforts, Reeves still has Hollywood on his side. He plans to act in the Universal-produced samurai story "47 Ronin" next year, and spoke excitedly about the prospects of a long-awaited third installment in the "Bill and Ted" franchise. "People want me to do another one, and I think the script is worthwhile," Reeves said. "It's about these older guys, these positivists, who are always going against the forces of control -- whether it's the dad, the school system, time or god." The latest version of the sequel calls upon their musical talent to save the world. "These guys are almost fifty now and trying to write the perfect song," he explained. "They've neglected their children, they've neglected everything. They have this messianic outlook. It's going to have to be profound in order to get made."

A scene from Malcolm Venville's "Henry's Crime." [Photo courtesy of the Woodstock Film Festival]

Regardless of his dense schedule, Reeves insisted he would stay on board to ensure "Henry's Crime" gets noticed. "I'll promote it," he said. "I'll make time." Of course, his presence at Woodstock represented a part of that feat. When "Henry's Crime" premiered at Toronto, much of its exposure was buried by major awards season fare, and Reeves's press conference was an infamously aimless affair.

At Woodstock, the movie played to enthusiastic crowds, and its identity seemed to sync with many of the small scale projects dominating the program. Woodstock's narrative feature award winner, the gently moving British production "Stranger Things" (directed by Eleanor Burke and Ron Eyal), follows a lonely woman coping with the death of her mother and forming an unlikely bond with the homeless man she discovers squatting in her dead parent's home. Although quieter and more somber than "Henry's Crime," both movies epitomize the desire to tell an entirely unpredictable story without sacrificing the underlying romantic appeal of the narrative.

If it only takes one degree to connect Keanu Reeves with an ultra-low budget indie, it took even less to connect him with Woodstock's audience. After the first screening of "Henry's Crime," the actor engaged in a highly amusing Q&A, happily fielding off-the-wall questions about "Point Break" and Jack Nicholson. (The biggest laughs came from an anecdote about Nicholson's tendency to drink a lot of water before scenes where he has to cry.)

Safely hidden from the prying lens of paparazzi, Woodstock allowed Reeves to reflect on his career without the pressures of a mass audience. Asked about IMDb's description of him as "one of the most inscrutable actors to ever hit it big," he took an analytical approach. "That makes me feel like they must understand something about my characters," he said. "In terms of mainstream Hollywood studio pictures -- "Speed," "Point Break," the "Matrix" films, or even "Constantine" -- I don't really feel like those are inscrutable, but they have a strong interior life. These characters are on very internal journeys."

Reeves said he appreciated hearing from fans at Q&As and on the street. "Obviously, you want to have your privacy, but in terms of meeting folks and saying hi, for the most part it's a good experience," he said. "When people seem to enjoy your work and your films, that's easy." Woodstock's winning filmmakers would almost certainly agree.

[Editor's Note: indieWIRE updated FilmDistrict's Bob Berney's current title after this article was originally published.]

"White Irish Drinkers" and "Grace Paley" Doc Top Audience Winners at Woodstock

Nigel M Smith — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 06:55:33 GMT

John Gray's 1975 set Brooklyn tale "White Irish Drinkers," and Lilly Rivlin's documentary "Grace Paley: Collected Shorts," were the two big Audience Award winners last night at the Woodstock Film Festival. "Drinkers" nabbed the Audience Award for Narrative Feature, while "Grace Palley" walked away with the Audience Award for Feature Documentary. "Inuk," directed by Mike Magidson was the runner up for the Audience Narrative Feature award; Jeff Malmberg's acclaimed "Marwencol," the runner up for the Audience Feature Documentary award.

"Drinkers" tells the story of two brothers trapped in blue collar Brooklyn, and in a violent family household, where they live under the watch of their tyrannical, alcoholic father. Rivlin's film brings to life the momentous times of author and activist Grace Paley, as she reads from her short stories, poems and essays.

"Stranger Things" & "Marwencol" Take Top Prizes at 11th Woodstock Film Festival

Brian Brooks — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 05:02:35 GMT

Eleanor Burke and Ron Eyal's feature "Stranger Things" and Jeff Malmberg's doc "Marwencol" took top prizes Saturday evening at the 11th Woodstock Film Festival. Emceed by Oscar-nominated writer/director and Woodstock resident Ron Nyswaner ("Philadelphia"), the Gala Maverick Awards ceremony also honored writer/director Bruce Beresford ("Mao's Last Dancer") with its Honorary Maverick Award, veteran film distributor Bob Berney with the festival's Honorary Trailblazer Award, and actor Keanu Reeves, who received the festival's Honorary Excellence in Acting Award.

Of note, Berney was recently named President of Theatrical Distribution of the recently unveiled new outfit, FilmDistrict.

In other Woodstock prizes, Anthony Sheppard's "Music Scene" won the award for Best Animation, while John Cohen's "Roscoe Holcomb: From Daisy Kentucky" took Best Short Documentary. "Hirosaki Players" by Jeff Sausa won Best Short Narrative and Xavier Liberman and Franck Rabel won Best Cinematography for "Inuk," directed by Mike Magidson.

The full list of winners from the 11th Woodstock Film Festival, with information provided by the festival:

Lee Marvin Best Feature Narrative Award: "Stranger Things," directed by Eleanor Burke and Ron Eyal
Honorable Mention: "3 Backyards," directed by Eric Mendelsohn

Maverick Award for Best Feature Documentary: "Marwencol," directed by Jeff Malmberg

Maverick Award for Best Animation: "Music Scene," directed by Anthony Sheppard

Honorable Mention: "Down to the Bone," directed by Peter Ahern

The Diane Segilman Award for Best Short Documentary: "Roscoe Holcomb: From Daisy Kentucky," directed by John Cohen

The Diane Seligman Award for Best Short Narrative: "Hirosaki Players," directed by Jeff Sausa

Honorable Mention: "Junko Shamisen," directed by Solomon Friedman

The Diane Seligman Award for Best Student Short Film: "God of Love," directed by Luke Matheny

Honorable Mention: "Some Boys Don't Leave," directed by Maggie Kiley

The Haskell Wexler Award for Best Cinematography: "Inuk" - Cinematographers Xavier Liberman and Franck Rabel; directed by Mike Magidson

The James Lyons Award for Best Editing of a feature narrative: "Norman" - edited by Robert Hoffman, Editor; directed by Jonathan Segal

Honorable Mention: "3 Backyards," Morgan Faust andJ effrey K. Miller Editors; directed by Eric Mendelsohn.

The James Lyons Award for Best Editing of a Feature Documentary: "One Lucky Elephant" - edited by Kate Amend and Tchavdar Gerogiev, Editors; directed by Lisa Leeman

Honorable Mention: "The Disappearance of McKinley Nolan," edited by Kimberley Hassett and Eben Bull
Directed by Henry Corra

Honorary Prizes:

Honorary Maverick Award: Writer/director Bruce Beresford ("Driving Miss Daisy," "Mao’s Last Dancer")

Honorary Trailblazer Award: Bob Berney ("There Will Be Blood," "Monster," "The Passion of the Christ," "Whale Rider," "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," "Pan's Labyrinth")

Honorary Excellence in Acting Award: Keanu Reeves ("The Matrix," "The Private Lives Of Pippa Lee," "Something’s Gotta Give")

150 Films, Reeves, Beresford & Berney Set for 11th Woodstock Fest

Brian Brooks — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 06:39:24 GMT

Some 150 films are on tap for the 11th Woodstock Film Festival, with the New York premiere of John Curran's "Stone" set to close the event taking place September 29 - October 3 in the Upstate New York towns of Woodstock and neighboring Rhinebeck, Rosendale, Mt. Tremper, and Kingston in the Hudson Valley Catskills. Eleven world premieres, 20 U.S. and 14 East Coast debuts will screen during the fest along with 13 New York premieres (the festival will announce its opener later).

Malcolm Venville's "Henry's Crime" starring Keanu Reeves (U.S. premiere) will screen as a spotlight film along with Baltasar Kormakur's "Inhale." Reeves will be in Woodstock to receive the WFF Honorary Excellence in Acting Award during the festival's Gala Maverick Awards Ceremony on October 2nd. Jake Scott's "Welcome to the Rileys," meanwhile, will have its East Coast premiere as the festival's Centerpiece.

Other noted titles include "special screenings" of Michael Epstein's "Lennon NYC," Anthony Waller & Ray Kurzweil's "The Singularity Is Near," (East Coast Premiere) and an event dubbed, "Fright Night Friday! Double Horror Header!" with Vincent D'Onofrio's "Don't Go In the Woods" and Joe Maggio's "Bitter Feast."

In addition to Reeves, director Bruce Beresford ("Driving Miss Daisy," "Mao's Last Dancer") will receive the fest's Honorary Maverick Award, while distribution exec Bob Berney will receive the WFF Trailblazer Award.

Films screening in the Narrative Competition include "3 Backyards" by Eric Mendelsohn, "Cherry" by Jeffrey Fine, "The Colonel's Bride" by Brent Stewart, "The Locksmith" by Brad Barnes & Todd Barnes, "Norman" by Jonathan Segal, "Stranger Things" by Eleanor Burke & Ron Eyal, "The Tested" by Russell Costanzo and "White Irish Drinkers" by John Gray.

Films in Woodstock's Documentary Competition include "Camp Victory, Afghanistan" by Carol Dysinger, "The Disappearance of McKinley Nolan" by Henry Corra, "Gerrymandering" by Jeff Reichert, "Journey from Zanskar" by Frederick Marx, "Made in India" by Rebecca Haimowitz & Vaishali Sinha, "My So-Called Enemy" by Lisa Gossels and "One Lucky Elephant" by Lisa Leeman.

"We have an extraordinarily diverse program this year that challenges the way we perceive and think about the world," commented WFF co-founder and Executive Director Meira Blaustein in a statement. "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."

Selections from the 2010 Woodstock Film Festival lineup (with descriptions provided by the festival):

Arnold Schwarzenegger in a scene from Jeff Reichert's WFF doc competition film, "Gerrymandering." Image courtesy of WFF.

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.

(Woodstock's Opening Film will be announced at a later date.)

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 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 a WFF Honorary Excellence in Acting Award at the Saturday Night, Oct. 2 Gala 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.

Yoko Ono as seen in Michael Epstein's WFF special screening, "Lennon NYC." Image courtesy of WFF.

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. 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.

Fright Night Friday! Double Horror Header!

"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.

Exposure: Films of Social Responsibility:

"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 actorDanny 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.

"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: Lousiana 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.

A scene from Carol Dysinger's WFF competition doc, "Camp Victory, Afghanistan." Image courtesy of WFF.

Focus on Music:

"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.)

"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.)

"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.)

"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 70s - 80s 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.

"Drown" & "Junior" Win Top Woodstock Fest Honors; Hope and Linklater Take Fetes

Brian Brooks — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 15:03:35 GMT

In a lengthy ceremony that brought out some seminal figures in independent film, the Woodstock Film Festival handed out its honors Saturday night in somewhat nearby Kingston, NY with Cruz Angeles' "Don't Let Me Drown" winning the prize for best narrative feature, while Jenna Rosher's "Junior" took best documentary feature. Woodstock also turned the spotlight on two pivotal figures of American cinema, giving producer Ted Hope its Honorary Trailblazer Award, while director Richard Linklater received its Honorary Maverick Award. Both took the moment to offer their assessment of the transitional state of independent film.

"I am afraid we might lose this glorious and diverse and ambitious film culture," said Hope Saturday night before a large crowd that gathered for the 10th annual festival's awards event. "We might lose both that community and the opportunity to evolve it into a true force for social change if we don’t all start to act in new ways." Hope has frequently voiced his opinion of late that producers must embrace new technology and mediums of distribution, including a recent film financing conference at the Toronto International Film Festival. "He's angry, political, resolute, determined, and yet he's calm," said Tribeca Enterprises head Geoff Gilmore when introducing Hope. "You have to be tough - but yet he loves film..."

WFF opened its 10th event Thursday night with a screening of Oren Moverman's "The Messenger." The festival welcomed the director and cast members including Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster who took part in the round of parties and social events common at any festival. "Woody Harrelson - he knows how to have fun," said Meira Blaustein to a round of laughter Saturday night.

Blaustein recalled the creation of the Woodstock Film Festival on stage at the awards ceremony, saying another Hudson Valley town was initially the sight of the festival that eventually landed in the fiercely bohemian - yet clearly prosperous - Woodstock, NY. "Ten years ago, in 1999, my partner and I were thinking of doing a film festival, not knowing the amount of work it was going to take. It was going to be the New Paltz Film Festival, but it just didn't work. Then we heard about this creative community that celebrated music, painting, sculpture and theater, but it needed film..."

A one-time resident of the Hudson Valley, actor Ethan Hawke sat through the awards ceremony to introduce director Richard Linklater as this year's Honorary Maverick recipient.

"If there's something I could ask for, it would be to do one more movie with Richard Linklater. He is very special to me," said Hawke to a room of applause and some audible, "awws." Hawke has worked on six projects with the Austin-based director, including 2004's "Before Sunset" with Julie Delpy.

While the mood of the American independent world seems to mirror the general malaise of the U.S. still reeling from the effects of a long recession, Linklater expressed a rare positivity in his speech reflecting on the film community he has worked with for two decades. "There is a bedrock of optimism [here]," said Linklater. "People talk about negativism, but these are people who are trying to create - these are people of optimism."

2009 Wodstock Film Festival winners:

The Lee Marvin Best Feature Narrative Award: "Don't Let Me Drown" by Cruz Angeles

The Maverick Award for Best Feature Documentary: "Junior" by Jenna Rosher

The Maverick Award for Best Animation: "The Terrible Thing of Alpha-9!" Jake Armstrong, animator

Diane Seligman Award for Best Short Narrative: "Adelaide" by Liliana Greenfield-Sanders

Haskell Wexler Award for Best Cinematography: Juan Carlos Rulfo for "Those Who Remain"

James Lyons Award for Best Editing of a Feature Narrative: Andrew Hafitz for "Don't Let Me Drown"

James Lyons Award for Best Editing of a Feature Documentary: Kate Hirson and Jessica Reynolds for "Garbage Dreams"

Honorary Trailblazer Award: Ted Hope, presented by Geoff Gilmore

Honorary Maverick Award: Richard Linklater, presented by Ethan Hawke

Reitman's "Up in the Air" Set for Woodstock

Brian Brooks — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:05:21 GMT

Jason Reitman "Up in the Air" starring George Clooney and Vera Farmiga will close teh 2009 Woodstock Film Festival, organizers announced Tuesday. The Oscar-nominated director of "Juno"'s latest is the story of Ryan Bingham (Clooney) a corporate downsizer and consummate modern business traveler who, after years of staying happily airborne, suddenly finds himself ready to make a real connection.

When he falls for a simpatico fellow traveler (Farmiga), Ryan’s boss (Jason Bateman), inspired by a young, upstart efficiency expert (Anna Kendrick), threatens to permanently call him in from the road. Faced with the prospect, at once terrifying and exhilarating, of being grounded, Ryan begins to contemplate what it might actually mean to have a home.

"We are thrilled to close this year’s festival with the newest work by one of today’s sharpest directors,” stated Woodstock Film Festival co-founder/executive director Meira Baustein in a statement. “By exploring the lives of the people affected by socially relevant issues, Reitman’s films uncover the unexpected human aspect so easily overlooked. 'Up in the Air'’s beauty comes from that human perspective.”

Reitman’s screenplay for "Up in the Air" and co-written by Sheldon Turner, is based on the novel by Walter Kirn. The 10th Anniversary Woodstock Film Festival kicks off Wednesday Sept. 30 through Sunday October 4. with nearly 150 premieres panels, concerts and special events are featured including 51 premieres.

Woodstock To Turn 10 With 50 Premieres

Peter Knegt — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 07:56:10 GMT

Celebrating its first full decade, the Woodstock Film Festival has unveiled its 10th Anniversary line-up of nearly 100 films, panels, and events, all set to place September 30-October 4 in the arts colony of Woodstock, New York, and neighboring towns of Rhinebeck, Kingston and Rosendale.

"As we stand on the cusp of our 10th anniversary, we look back in wonder at all the incredible talents who have come through our doors during these wonderful years," WFF's Co-Founder and Executive Director Meira Blaustein said in a statement. "Each year brings a fresh class of amazing filmmakers who forge new paths and uncover new stories. We are proud to celebrate the extraordinary work of this year's filmmakers and are humbled by their ingenuity and perseverance. Their creativity and dedication illuminates our minds, expands our hearts, and gives us great hope for the future."

From nearly 2000 submissions from around the world, Woodstock's 2009 edition will present 50 premieres, the highest number since the festival's inception in 2000, including 10 World Premieres, 10 U.S. Premieres, 13 East Coast Premieres, and 17 New York Premieres.

"This year we have an exceptionally diverse program, with very high quality films and a number of important premieres, which demonstrates high regard for the Woodstock Film Festival within the industry" said Ryan Werner, WFF's senior programmer, and Vice President of Marketing at IFC Entertainment. "I'm pleased to be involved in the evolution of this very special festival, and look forward to see what we can do with the next ten years."

As previously announced, the festival will open with Oren Moverman's "The Messenger," while Miguel Arteta's "Youth In Revolt" will screen as the festival's centerpiece. The festival's closing night film has yet to be announced.

Other notable additions include Rebecca Miller's "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee," Grant Heslov's "The Men Who Stare at Goats," Richard Linklater's "Me and Orson Welles," Michael Palmieri and Donal Mosher's "October Counrty," AJ Schnack's "Convention," Mai Iskander's "Garbage Dreams," and Barbara Kopple's "Woodstock: Now & Then."

The festival also announced that veteran indie producer Ted Hope will be presented the 2009 Trailblazer Award by Christien Vachon at the festival's awards ceremony on Saturday, October 3, joining previously announced honoree Richard Linklater, who will recieve the 2009 Honorary Maverick Award.

A complete list of the Woodstock Film Festival's feature film lineup is available on the next page.

The following is the festival's complete line-up of feature films:

Narrative Features:

(Untitled) directed by Jonathan Parker

2B directed by Richard Kroehling

Against the Current directed by Peter Callahan

Caprica directed by Jeffrey Reiner

Children of Invention directed by Tze Chun

Dear Lemon Lima directed by Suzi Yoonessi

Don't Let Me Drown directed by Cruz Angeles

Easier with Practice directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez

The Eclipse directed by Conor McPherson

Entre Nos directed by Paola Mendoza and Gloria La Morte

Eyes Wide Open (Einaym Pkuhot) directed by Haim Tabakman

Harlem Aria directed by William Jennings

Harmony and Me directed by Bob Byington

Me and Orson Welles directed by Richard Linklater

The Men Who Stare at Goats directed by Grant Heslov

The Messenger directed by Oren Moverman

Motherhood directed by Katherine Dieckmann

The Overbrook Brothers directed by John Bryant

The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll directed by Scott D. Rosenbaum

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee directed by Rebecca Miller

Ricky directed by Francois Ozon

Splinterheads directed by Brant Sersen

White On Rice directed by Dave Boyle

Youth in Revolt directed by Miguel Arteta

Documentary Features:

After the Storm directed by Hilla Medalia

Convention directed by AJ Schnack

Cropsey directed by Joshua Zeman & Barbara Brancaccio

Garbage Dreams, director by Mai Iskander

Junior directed by Jenna Rosher

Mighty Uke directed by Tony Coleman

More Than A Game directed by Kristopher Belman

Neil Young Trunk Show directed by Jonathan Demme

October Country directed by Michael Palmieri and Donal Mosher

Racing Dreams directed by Marshall Curry

Shooting Beauty directed by George Kachadorian

The Time of Their Lives directed by Jocelyn Cammack

Those Who Remain directed by Carlos Hagerman and Juan Carlos Rulfo

Tiger Next Door directed by Camilla Calamandrei

Trimpin: The Sound of Invention directed by Peter Esmonde

When You're Strange: A Film About The Doors directed by Tom DiCillo

William Kunstler, Disturbing the Universe directed by Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler

Without A Home directed by Rachel Fleischer

Woodstock: Now and Then directed by Barbara Kopple.

"Messenger" Opening Woodstock

Peter Knegt — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 06:00:01 GMT

Oren Moverman's "The Messenger" will kick off the 10th Anniversary of the Woodstock Film Festival on October 1st at the Tinker Street Cinema in Woodstock. Starring Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton and Steve Buscemi, the film debuted to warm notices at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, and was recently picked up by Oscilloscope for release this Fall.

"The Messenger is a brilliant film, destined to be a classic, in which the darkest side of war is depicted without a single shot being fired" said WFF Executive Director and co-founder Meira Blaustein in a statement. "Grappling with all the pains and ethical dilemmas that war brings to the human spirit, this film is the perfect opener for the Woodstock Film Festival. We are thrilled to have it and are looking forward to share its perfectly nuanced and delicate composition with our audience."

The film marks the directorial debut of screenwriter Moverman (who wrote "I'm Not There"_, who will be attending the WFF screening/ "The Messenger ultimately deals with the desire to live, to let life into the darkness, even to laugh," said Moverman, in a statement. "It definitely makes the point that there are people who have to deal with war in a way that is not strategic or political, but personal."

The 10th Anniversary of the Woodstock Film Festival begins Wednesday Sept. 30th, and runs through Sunday Oct. 4th. The full schedule of events will be announced in Mid-September.

Hawke to Give Fall Fete to Linklater in Woodstock

Brian Brooks — Fri, 01 May 2009 13:31:05 GMT

Academy Award-nominated director Richard Linklater will be honored with the 2009 Maverick Award at the Woodstock Film Festival this Autumn. Linklater's frienda and collaborator Ethan Hawke ("Before Sunset") will present the award during a ceremony at the festival October 3rd in Upstate, New York. Additionally, his latest film, "Me and Orson Welles will screen as one of the Spotlight Films in this year's festival line up.

Woodstock's Honorary Maverick Award is given each year to an individual whose life and work is "based on creativity, independent vision, and social activism." Previous recipients include Kevin Smith, Christine Vachon, Barbara Kopple, Tim Robbins, Les Blank, D.A. Pennebaker & Chris Hegedus, Woody Harrelson, Mira Nair and Steve Buscemi.

Linklater's work includes: "It's Impossible to Learn How to Plow By Reading Books" (1988); "Slacker" (1991); "Dazed and Confused" (1993); "Before Sunrise" (1995); "Suburbia" (1997); "The Newton Boys" (1998); "Waking Life" (2001); "Tape" (2001); "Live From Shiva's Dance Floor" (2003); "School of Rock" (2003); "Before Sunset" (2004); "$5.15/Hr." (2004) (TV); "Bad News Bears" (2005); "A Scanner Darkly" (2006); "Fast Food Nation" (2006); "Inning By Inning: A Portrait of a Coach" (2008); "Me and Orson Welles" (2009).

"Richard Linklater's singular approach to filmmaking - always inventing and re-inventing the art in fresh and exciting new ways, coupled with his unwavering support of independent filmmakers - makes him the ideal recipient of our honorary Maverick Award." commented Woodstock Film Festival co-founder and executive director Meira Blaustein in a statement. "We're thrilled that he accepted our invitation and can't wait to host him here in Woodstock, where he'll find a thriving film community, reminiscent of the one in Austin, Texas which he so closely nurtured".

The Honorary Maverick Award is given each year to an individual whose life and work is based on creativity, independent vision, and social activism. Previous recipients include Kevin Smith, Christine Vachon, Barbara Kopple, Tim Robbins, Les Blank, D.A. Pennebaker & Chris Hegedus, Woody Harrelson, Mira Nair and Steve Buscemi. The 10th annual Woodstock Film Festival takes place Spetember 30 - October 4.

Check out indieWIRE's New Guide to Film Festivals (listings will be updated throughout the year):
JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC

DISPATCH FROM NEW YORK | Woodstock: A True American Maverick Among Fests; "Broadway" and "Dream" Tak

Eric Kohn — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 09:35:12 GMT

Woodstock is a town perpetually caught up in its funky mythology. However, the Woodstock Film Festival -- now on the verge of its tenth anniversary -- has a separate legacy in the works. The cozy scenery of this quaint artists' colony hides a passionate gathering of cinephiles and professionals alike. Founded in 1999 by Meira Blaustein and Laurent Rejto, the festival's ninth year culminated on Saturday night with an impressively upscale awards ceremony in the nearby city of Kingston, where the combination of guests in attendance looked like the set-up for a film industry geek joke: Ang Lee, James Schamus, Kevin Smith and Haskell Wexler walk into a bar...

Actually, the jokes at the podium (where Lee presented the festival's Trailblazer Award to Schamus, Smith accepted the Maverick Award and Wexler took the Honorary Lifetime Achievement Award) had a much broader topical bent. You might call it the Woodstock way. "We believe you're a heartbeat away from being the free leader of the world," said presenter Ron Nyswaner to Kevin Smith in his opening remarks for the evening. "Wouldn't it be great if Kevin Smith, James Schamus and Haskell Wexler ruled the country?" Later, Smith worked the mic with his characteristically spot-on raunchiness, but even the dick-and-fart-joke guy couldn't avoid stating the obvious about the political climate. "In any other year," he said, "it would be great to be called a maverick."

In her opening remarks, Blaustein urged attendees to vote, but noted that the festival had to remain non-partisan due 501(c)(3) regulations. Still, that didn't stop at least one filmmaker from relating his profession to the larger world surrounding it. "It feels like our industry is a little broken," said Sean Baker, director of "Prince of Broadway," the enthralling urban dramedy that won the Lee Marvin Narrative Feature Award. The movie continues to seek distribution even as Baker's first feature, "Take Out" opens in limited release in Los Angeles. "More importantly," he continued, "our country is a little broken. Let's get Obama in office, and then find new ways to get audiences to see independent films." The crowd went wild -- for Obama, for independent film, for the future of the creative class.

Focus Features head James Schamus is joined by directors Kevin Smith and Ang Lee with other honorees at the Woodstock Film Festival over the weekend. Photo by Eric Kohn

That combination of artistic yearning and a general appreciation for humanitarian ideals permeated many of the premieres at this year's festival. "Diplomacy: Responsibility to Protest," a concise documentation of the United Nations Security Council's 2006 attempt to send peacekeeping forces to Darfur, provides an insightful verite portrait of the inner-workings of the U.N. Danish filmmakers Rasmus Dinesen and Boris B. Bertram gained unprecedented access to private meetings and exchanges in the building.

The directors owe much to their native country, Denmark, which presided over the council during production and tends to be much more transparent with its media than other parts of the world. As a result, the movie offers a sharp account of the differing opinions hindering the operation ("the West is not willing to send its men off to die in the sands of Sudan," asserts one Danish employee) and the crippling effect of Darfur's disinterest in the peacekeeping council, which it perceives as a coalition force. Dinesen and Bertram said after the screening that they hope to set up a film festival dedicated to the Darfur situation in New York next spring.

It might be a stretch, but they could certainly bring along the marvelous animated short that preceded the film at its Woodstock premiere. "Only Love," directed by School of Visual Arts student Lev Polyakov, uses a delightful 2-D visual approach to tell the darkly humorous, virtually wordless account of a dictator combating the ghosts of his past misdeeds. Wielding a style reminiscent of Bill Plympton -- but packed with far richer metaphor -- Polyakov proves the ongoing versatility of the 2-D format and announces his arrival as a fresh talent in the animation scene.

Dictators weren't the only people in the crosshairs of Woodstock's socially relevant entries. "Blind Spot," an intellectually dense, but utterly gorgeous, look at mankind's dangerous obsession with fossil fuel, blames the whole world for its wastefulness. Although at times overbearingly verbose, Adolfo Doring's astute, thoughtful portrait has enough sweeping visuals to offset the barrage of scientific talking heads. In other words, it makes "An Inconvenient Truth" look like a sitcom.

Speaking of broadcast standards, the Woodstock world premiere "Gospel Hill" suffers from made-for-television conventions, but contains enough heart to at least meet that criteria and speak to its intended audience. First-time director Giancarlo Esposito (building on his extensive acting career) constructs an ensemble narrative about racial conflict in a small American town with a strong cast of familiar faces, including Danny Glover, Julia Stiles, and even Samuel L. Jackson, seen in flashback footage as a black activist who was mysteriously murdered twenty years earlier (Glover plays his beleaguered adult son).

Director Kevin Smith in Woodstock. Image provided by the Woodstock Film Festival.

Preachy and slow, the movie at times feels like sub-par John Sayles or less scandalous Tyler Perry, due to a series of unlikely plot twists and heavy-handed dramatic deliveries, but Esposito ekes out magnificent performances from his cast and occasional finds lyrical moments amid the chaos, which involves an attempt to level the town and make way for a golf course. Esposito captures the tragedy of gentrification in a single painful moment when a poor black resident with one leg falls down in the street and can't get back up. Should "Gospel Hill" impress the right people (it currently has a video deal with Fox and Esposito needs to raise $2 million to release the film in seventy theaters next year), the director shows the potential for stylistic growth.

One artist with enough ongoing versatility to build new audiences while maintaining many more from decades past spent the weekend in Woodstock pushing "Sunshine Superman: The Journey of Donovan," a detailed portrait of the legendary '60s pop icon directed by Hannes Rossacher. While not a trenchant expose on sixties counterculture -- who needs another one of those, anyway? -- the movie chugs along at a swift pace thanks to the survivability of Donovan's jumpy rock rhythms and his abilities as a natural storyteller. In the film, and throughout several speaking engagements at Woodstock, Donovan transformed into a fantastic guide to his own life. Rossacher shows Donovan speaking directly into the camera about the musician's early love for beat literature, the unfair accusation that his work ripped off Bob Dylan, and other great anecdotal details. The 120 minute running time makes the film somewhat inaccessible to those with little interest in the music, but clearly the filmmakers don't care, since a DVD of the 180 minute cut was for sale in the lobby following the premiere.

With far less lofty ambitions, the quaint Irish coming-of-age drama "32 A" possesses a sweetness to it rarely seen in modern youth dramas. Suggesting the "The 400 Blows" meets "Freaks and Geeks" with thirteen year old girls, the movie follows a troubled young woman named Maeve whose awkward growing phase leads her to date an older teenager and become estranged from her formerly devout clique. Marian Quinn, making her directorial debut, shows a flair for bittersweet teenage romance and burgeoning friendships with a refreshingly sincere approach. She plans to self-release the film in Ireland, but it could certainly survive in American theaters as a welcome reprimand to the male-dominated Apatow Universe.

Director Ang Lee presented James Schamus Woodstock's Honorary Trailblazer Award. Image courtesy of the Woodstock Film Festival.

While by no means a breakthrough accomplishment, the distribution possibilities of "32 A" demonstrate a truism about festivals set forth by James Schamus during a panel discussion on Friday. "The festivals maintain film culture," he said. "They form a kind curatorial class that does manage to break out a few movies a year." If the momentum keeps going through the end of its first decade, Woodstock will surely keep that traditional alive.

The full list of the 9th Woodstock Film Festival awards (with descriptions provided by the festival).

Best Feature Narrative: "Prince of Broadway" is the story of Lucky and Levon, two men whose lives converge in the underbelly of New York's wholesale fashion district. Set in the shadow of the Flatiron building and soaked in the colorful bustle of Broadway, the film is as much a brutal drama as it is a tender comedy. Shot in a fast-paced guerilla style that is akin to the hustler lifestyle, the film reveals the lives of immigrants in America seeking the ideals of family of love, while creating their own knock-off of the American Dream. (WFF East Coast Premiere).

Best Feature Documentary: "In a Dream," quickly turns from a character study to an incredible personal, powerful and stirring drama. It is an unparalleled visceral and emotional experience. Shot over the course of several years, Zagar's film is the kind of brutally honest and often beautiful look at the tumultuous time in his parent's marriage that only a son could have captured.

Best Short Narrative went to "Glory at Sea," directed by Benh Zeitlin.

Best Student Short Film went to "Sikumi" (On the Ice), directed by Andrew Okpeaha Maclean.

Best Short Documentary went to "Pickin' and Trimmin'" directed by Matt Morris.

The Maverick Award for Best Animated Film went to "Berni's Doll" directed by Yann J (Jouette).

Best Cinematography went to "At the Edge of the World," directed by Dan Stone and shot by Daniel Fernandez, Tim Gorski, Simeon Houtman, James Joyner, Jonathan Kane, Mathieu Mauvernay, and John "Rip" Odebralski.

Best Editing of a Feature Documentary went to "In a Dream" Keiko Deguchi and Jeremiah Zagar, Editors.

Best Editing of a Feature Narrative went to "Were the World Mine," Jennifer Lilly, Editor.

The Honorary Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to cinematographer Haskell Wexler, by writer/director/actor John Sayles, producer Maggie Renzi, and actor David Strathairn (award previously announced).

The Honorary Maverick Award was presented to director/screenwriter/actor/editor/comic book writer, Kevin Smith, by producer John Sloss (award previously announced).

The Honorary Trailblazer was presented to James Shamus, CEO of Focus Features and award winning writer/producer, by director Ang Lee and actor Melissa Lee (award previously announced).

iW NEWS | Woodstock Unveils Lineup

Indiewire — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 13:16:02 GMT

The Woodstock Film Festival unveiled the programming for its 9th edition, with a collection of 150 "fiercely independent" films, panels, concerts and special events to run from October 1-5, 2008. The festival will present 10 world premieres and 4 North American premieres. Opening night will offer three films, Gavin O'Connor's "Pride and Glory," Mike Leigh's "Happy-Go-Lucky" and Marc Abraham's "Flash of Genius," while the fest will close with two, the East Coast Premieres of Kevin Smith's "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" and Sean McGinly's "The Great Buck Howard." Other films screening at Woodstock include Kelly Reichardt's "Wendy and Lucy," the U.S. Premiere of Erick Zonca's "Julia," Larry Charles' "Religulous," Joo-ho Bong, Leos Carax and Michel Gondry's "Tokyo!," Barry Jenkins' "Medicine For Melancholy," Joe Swanberg and Greta Gerwig's "Nights and Weekends," Tom Gustafson's "Were The World Mine," PJ Raval and Jay Hodges' "Trinidad," and Wendy Key's "Milton Glaser: To Inform and Delight." "Each year brings with it a new crop of extraordinarily talented filmmakers who offer fresh and exciting approaches to filmmaking," said WFF Executive Director Meira Blaustein in a statement. "We are proud to celebrate the work of those who take on issues that effect our lives as they try to illuminate, in their own singular way, what lies in the dark, and what is hidden from our eyes and our hearts." The festival takes place in the arts colony of Woodstock, New York, and the neighboring towns of Rhinebeck and Rosendale. For the complete lineup, please visit the festival's website. [Peter Knegt]

iW NEWS | "Pride," "Lucky" and "Genius" to Open 9th Woodstock Film Festival

Indiewire — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:40:35 GMT

The U.S. premiere of Gavin O'Connor's "Pride and Glory," Mike Leigh's "Happy-Go-Lucky" and Marc Abraham's "Flash of Genius" will launch the 2008 Woodstock Film Festival October 2nd. Screening at three locations in and near Woodstock, New York, the films are the official openers of the ninth annual event, which will screen 150 films, panels and concerts October 1 - 5. O'Connor's "Pride and Glory", starring Edward Norton and Colin Farrell is a cop drama screening in Woodstock, while Leigh's "Happy-Go-Lucky" about a free thinking schoolteacher living in North London will screen in nearby Rhinebeck, New York. Opening the WFF in Rosendale, New York is "Flash of Genius," based on the true story of college professor and part-time inventor Robert Kearns (Greg Kinnear), whose long battle with the U.S. automobile industry, came at a heavy price. "You might say we hit the trifecta of quality films with the diverse slate of our three opening selections, and we are especially pleased to be able to offer the U.S. premiere of 'Pride and Glory," commented WFF executive director and co-founder Meira Blaustein in a statement. "For the past several years we have been screening films in Rosendale as well as Woodstock and Rhinebeck, and we have developed a strong following there, so we are delighted to celebrate with a great opening film in Rosendale as well." [Brian Brooks]

iW NEWS | Schamus To Be Honored at Woodstock Fest

Indiewire — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 09:23:55 GMT

Focus Features CEO James Schamus will be honored with the Trailblazer Award at the 9th annual Woodstock Film Festival on October 4, 2008. "We are honored and delighted to be presenting James Schamus with the 2008 Trailblazer Award," said Meira Blaustein, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the festival, in a statement. "The award was created with the intention of honoring those who have taken an innovative and transforming approach in the film industry. Mr. Schamus surpasses those objectives." Schamus is also a celebrated screenwriter ("Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," "The Ice Storm") and producer ("Brokeback Mountain"). His latest script, "Taking Woodstock," to be directed by longtime collaborator Ang Lee, begins shooting this month. "I'm touched to be receiving this honor from one of my very favorite film festivals - one that carries on the spirit of adventure and discovery that characterizes its hometown," said Schamus in a statement. During the day leading up to the evening ceremony, there will be an in-person discussion with Schamus at the Festival as well as a retrospective screening. [Peter Knegt]

iW NEWS | Woodstock To Honor Wexler

Indiewire — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:57:33 GMT

Award-winning cinematographer Haskell Wexler is set to receive the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award at the 9th Annual Woodstock Film Festival. "Haskell Wexler's outstanding talent as a cinematographer, his unique voice as a director, and his unwavering passion as a social activist have been an inspiration and a guiding light to the Woodstock Film Festival audience and to the film community at large," Woodstock Film Festival Co-Founder and Executive Director Meira Blaustein said in a statement. The award will be presented to Wexler at the 2008 Woodstock Film Festival Award Ceremony on Saturday, October 4, 2008, by his friends and colleagues John Sayles and Maggie Renzi. [Peter Knegt]

iW NEWS | Woodstock Fest Partners With STF

Indiewire — Tue, 06 May 2008 07:37:13 GMT

The Woodstock Film Festival will co-present three screenings as part of the Stranger Than Fiction series at the IFC Center in New York. On consecutive Tuesdays in May, directors Barbara Kopple ("My Generation"), Leon Gast ("When We Were Kings") and Jonathan Demme ("The Agronomist") will present and discuss their films. "We are thrilled to be able to show three amazing films as part of the Stranger Than Fiction film series at the IFC Center, and to offer the community a chance to meet and interact with these great filmmakers," said WFF executive director Meira Blaustein. [Peter Knegt]

iW NEWS | Ang Lee to Sing to "Woodstock"

Indiewire — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:03:49 GMT

"Taking Woodstock" is the next project for Academy Award-winning director Ang Lee, and Focus Features CEO James Schamus is writing the script, which is an adaptation of Elliot Tiber's memoir, "Taking Woodstock: A True Story of a Riot, a Concert, and a Life." Set in 1969, the true story focuses on Tiber who proved pivotal in allowing the Woodstock Music and Arts Festival to happen. As an interior designer in New York's Greenwich Village, he was also tied to his family's motel in the Catskills. As its part-time manager, he had become the local town's issuer of event permits, and he granted permission for what was originally thought would be a small event. Soon half a million people were on their way to Mr. Tiber's neighbor's farm in White Lake, New York, and Mr. Tiber found himself swept up in a generation-defining experience that would change his life, and American culture, forever. "Elliot's exuberant and heartfelt story is a perfect window onto the Woodstock experience, exploring an inspiring historical moment when liberation and freedom were in the air," commented Schamus in a statement. [Brian Brooks]