Woodstock Film Festival Prefest Program by Woodstock Film Festival

Box Office: 13 Rock City Rd Woodstock, NY 12498 | 845.810.0131

WOODSTOCKFILMFESTIVAL.ORG The Woodstock Film Festival is a not-for-profit, 501c3 organization with a mission to present an annual program and year-round schedule of film, music, and art-related activities that promote artists, culture, inspired learning, and diversity.

N A R R AT I V E S TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 Narratives 9 Documentaries 16 Shorts 20 Music Videos Online 20 Panels 24 Performances 24 Awards 25 Tickets 26 Schedule at a Glance 27 Sponsors

EAST COAST PREMIERE

A REAL VERMEER

THE BACHELORS

Directed by Rudolf van den Berg

Directed by Kurt Voelker

THE BALLAD OF LEFTY BROWN

The Netherlands / 2016 / 105 minutes

USA / 2016 / 108 minutes

Directed by Jared Moshé

WOODSTOCK Playhouse

USA / 2017 / 111 minutes

In Dutch with subtitles Orpheum SAUGERTIES

Fri Oct 13  8:30pm

Upstate Films WOODSTOCK

Sun Oct 15  2:00pm

BUY TICKETS

Han van Meegeren is considered one of the most talented artists of the 1920’s Dutch art scene. But when he falls in love with the beautiful actress Jolanka Lakatos, wife of Holland’s most important art critic, van Meegeren makes a powerful enemy, intent on destroying him. Then, pouring salt on the wound, his wife and son leave him. Distraught, van Meegeren escapes to the south of France to work on one thing: revenge. He dedicates himself to forging a perfect Vermeer that will fool the art world and humiliate his nemesis. When it comes time to unveil the painting, however, Han must choose between revealing the truth and getting his revenge, or keeping quiet and winning Jolanka’s heart. In this period piece of high tension drama, madness and romance, A Real Vermeer is a fictionalized story of a man who, in real life, rose to infamy as one of the most ingenious art forgers of all time. Q&A PARTICIPANT: Rudolf van den Berg

Thur Oct 12  9:00pm

BUY TICKETS

Sat Oct 14  10:30am

Grieving over the death of his wife, Bill Palet (in a subtly charismatic performance by J.K. Simmons) makes a bold move, packing up his life and adolescent son to start anew in LA. With a striking performance by upand-coming actor Josh Wiggins as Wes, the father-son relationship permeates the story as they each contend with their grief, assisted by the relationships they build. Wes finds solace in new friends and pursuits, but this sense of “normal” is upended as Bill falls into a debilitating depression. Struggling to keep a grip on their lives, their story is intertwined with two women — a discerning French professor (Julie Delphy) who cares deeply for her students, and a troubled girl (impeccably played by Odeya Rush) whose kindness is obscured by a dark reputation. Witty, heartening and full of honest sentiment and fresh dialog, The Bachelors explores how grief can sabotage our ability for compassion, while love has the power to drive healing. – Colton Cox Q&A PARTICIPANT: Kurt Voelker

WOODSTOCK Playhouse ROSENDALE Theatre

Sun Oct 15  2:45pm

BUY TICKETS

In what is a uniquely American genre, director Jared Moshé takes us back to the world of cowboys and cattle barons. However, this time it’s not the hero, but his sidekick in the spotlight. After Eddie Johnson (Peter Fonda) is elected Montana senator, he appoints his bumbling pal Lefty (Bill Pullman) to take over his ranch. Everyone, including Eddie’s wife (Kathy Baker) thinks this is a bad decision. When things take an unexpected turn, and Eddie is gunned down, Moshé spins a stirring and compassionate yarn, as Lefty, thrown into an unaccustomed position, proves his loyalty, turning from clumsy sidekick into relentless avenger. Pullman’s Lefty Brown is an inspiring character, simple, stubborn, with an invincible courage that carries the film by his masterful performance. An oldfashioned Western accentuated with a cinematic eye and attention to details, this is a story that never becomes old: that of undying loyalty of one man for another. – Ben F Fischer COURTESY OF A24 Q&A PARTICIPANTS: Bill Pullman, Jared Moshé

All events are subject to change. For latest updates, visit

w w w. Wo o d s t o c k F i l m F e s t i v a l . o r g

WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL 2017

N A R R AT I V E S

EAST COAST PREMIERE

BEAUTY MARK

BECKS

Directed by Harris Doran

Directed by Elizabeth Rohrbaugh and Daniel Powell

USA / 2017 / 87 minutes Upstate Films WOODSTOCK

Sat Oct 14  3:00pm

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

COLD NOVEMBER LGBTQ FOC US

USA / 2017 / 92 minutes

CRASH PAD

Directed by Karl Jacob

Directed by Kevin Tent

USA / 2017 / 91 minutes

USA / 2017 / 95 minutes

Upstate Films WOODSTOCK

WOODSTOCK Playhouse

Fri Oct 13  4:00pm

Fri Oct 13 6:45pm

Upstate Films II RHINEBECK

WOODSTOCK Playhouse

Upstate Films II RHINEBECK

BUY TICKETS

Upstate Films I RHINEBECK

BUY TICKETS

Approaching womanhood, 12-year-old Florence experiences her first deer hunt, a traditional rite-of-passage in her matriarchal family. Drawing on his own experiences growing up in Northern Minnesota, director Karl Jacob has crafted an intimate portrait of the familial ritual of hunting, a subject that tangentially dovetails with contemporary concerns regarding firearms. As in many world cultures where preordained ceremonies historically usher adolescents into adulthood, the protagonist in Cold November transforms from a child playing with a cardboard village to a seeker alone in the woods, desperate for comfort, aid and the attainment of an elusive goal. The exquisite performance of Bijou Abas as Florence, the stillness, and the evocative beauty of the landscape provide a gentle counterpoint to the real life shooting, skinning and dressing of the majestic kill. In a world where guns equate with war and terrorism, Cold November reminds us that one’s relationship with guns is completely different when they are used to provide nourishment. – Ben F. Fischer

A hopeless romantic (Domhnall Gleeson) thinks he’s found true love with an older woman (Christina Applegate) only to learn that she’s married and their encounter was merely an instrument of revenge against her neglectful husband (Thomas Haden Church). Initially out for blood, the husband finds himself strangely sympathetic to the romantic’s plight and decides the best way for the two of them to get revenge is by moving in together, cutting her out and living a bachelor’s life.

Sun Oct 15  3:45pm

Angie, an impoverished single mother with a history of bad decisions, is determined to do better for her son. Discovering that the house she shares with her mother, a crude woman with a poor track record of her own, is being condemned, Angie begins a frantic search for a new home. When all other options fail, she fixates on solving the problem by confronting the one person she feels owes her: the man who sexually abused her as a child. A haunting story about an uncomfortable topic, Beauty Mark fe arlessly portrays the effects of sexual abuse. While some may question her methods of salvation, the raw and unflinching performance of Auden Thornton as Angie engenders a deep sense of compassion, even as she goes down a questionable path. Ultimately what is so refreshing and uplifting about Beauty Mark, is Angie’s choice to use the trauma and pain of her past to save someone else. – Monique Ray Q&A PARTICIPANTS: Harris Doran, Auden Thornton, Catherine Curtin

Thur Oct 12  3:15pm Sun Oct 15  3:30pm

You can’t go home again. Or, can you? When Becks (short for Rebecca, played by gifted Tony winner Lena Hall) leaves her Brooklyn boho life to follow her long term girlfriend to LA, only to be jilted when she gets there, seeking solace at ‘home’ seems sensible. So Becks drives to her mother’s house in St. Louis and the life she left behind years ago. Distraught by her breakup, the spurned Brooklyn singer-songwriter starts playing guitar for tips in an old friend’s bar and parading her sexuality. Mom, skillfully portrayed by Christine Lahti, attempts to be supportive but often comes up short and awkward. Chronicling her attempts and frustration to re-establish a life back in the Midwest, the fish-out-of -water narrative is supported by a winningly fresh, original musical score and some hysterically funny scenes. Will Rebecca find her niche in St. Louis? Maybe one can ‘go home again.’ – Jeff Morris Q&A PARTICIPANTS: Elizabeth Rohrbaugh, Daniel Powell

Sat Oct 14 7:00pm

COURTESY OF SONY PICTURES Q&A PARTICIPANTS: Kevin Tent, Bill Horberg, Jeremy Catalino

COURTESY OF VISIT FILMS Q&A PARTICIPANTS: Karl Jacob, Peter Ohs, Bijou Abas, Kubilay Uner

2017 WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL

All events are subject to change. For latest updates, visit

w w w. Wo o d s t o c k F i l m F e s t i v a l . o r g

N A R R AT I V E S

EAST COAST PREMIERE

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

DON’T COME BACK FROM THE MOON

GIRL IN FLIGHT Directed by Sandra Vannucchi

Directed by Bruce Thierry Cheung

Italy, Switzerland / 2017 / 78 minutes

USA / 2017 / 84 minutes Upstate Films WOODSTOCK

Thur Oct 12  6:00pm

Upstate Films II RHINEBECK

Sun Oct 15  6:15pm

BUY TICKETS

In a rundown desert town, the men begin to vanish one by one, leaving their families to wonder where they have gone and will they return. Is this some sci-fi abduction? After one father’s cryptic note, the kids start referring to the disappearances as ‘going to the moon.’ The supernatural atmosphere persists, enhanced by soft grainy camera work and a discordant soundtrack, the town starting to look post-apocalyptic, with barren land, tumble-down buildings, and kids lolling about with no options or hope. The real reason for the absentee fathers, however, is more mundane. Lacking job opportunities, they seek greener pastures. At the center of it all is fifteen-year-old Mickey, juggling teenage tomfoolery, his love for another forsaken kid, and acting the grown-up, providing for his younger brother and now single mom. In this beautifully executed story, what choice will Mickey make: remain to rebuild his world, or leave to find his own future? –Ben F. Fischer Q&A PARTICIPANT: Dean Bakopoulos

Italian with subtitles

Thur Oct 12  3:30pm

Orpheum Theatre SAUGERTIES

Fri Oct 13  6:00pm

‘Almost 11-year-old’ Silvia’s home life is dominated by her mother’s depression. Hoping for a break, Silvia pleads for a family trip to Rome. But when her father backs down yet again, she takes off on her own from their home outside Florence to fulfill her dream. Fearless and open to everything, she falls in with 13-year-old Emina, a Gypsy girl who reluctantly takes Silvia under her wing. And so the adventure begins. In a story that confronts such universal themes as the struggles of family life disrupted by mental illness, as well as a child’s innocence in relation to an outcast ethnic group, Girl in Flight is a film of compassion and beauty. Shot in a Roma camp with resident non-actors by an award-winning cinematographer, this tender, captivating and emotional indie gem is based on events in first-time director Sandra Vannucchi’s real life. – Barbara Pokras, ACE “

NEW YORK PREMIERE

HOLDEN ON

INFINITY BABY

Directed by Tamlin Hall USA / 2017 / 102 minutes

Directed by Bob Byington USA / 2017 / 70 minutes

Upstate Films WOODSTOCK

WOODSTOCK Playhouse

Orpheum Theatre SAUGERTIES

ROSENDALE Theatre

BUY TICKETS

Holden On is the true story of a teen from the small town of LaGrange, Georgia, struggling with mental illness and addiction in the mid ‘90s. Holden Layfield was cheerful, popular, a star athlete, kind, and compassionate… and he had a dark secret: he suffered from schizophrenia. As his condition deteriorated and his attempt to self-medicate turned into addiction, he disconnected from family and friends. On November 16, 1995, 19-year-old Holden committed suicide with a shotgun. Tamilin Hall was one of Holden’s schoolmates and in his phenomenal first film he shows that Holden’s life matters by exposing the stigma surrounding mental illness and encouraging those who are suffering to talk about it and seek help. His cinema verite style, iconic 90’s soundtrack, finely chosen cast, and obvious respect and empathy for his subject create a passionate testimonial to someone whose life was shattered before it even started. – Ben F. Fischer

In this absurdist comedy set in the near-future, Ben, a perpetual dater who is incapable of committing to any relationship, portrayed in a wonderfully wacky performance by Kieran Culkin, works for a company tasked with finding a forever home for genetically modified babies who don’t age, cry, eat or soil diapers. Socalled ‘Infinity Babies’ are a stylistic choice for parents who don’t want the responsibilities of raising a child. But somewhere along the way, one of these care-free babies almost dies of neglect and one of our characters discovers a need and knack for parenting. Featuring such supporting comedic veterans as Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally (both from Parks and Recreation) and Martin Starr (Freaks and Geeks, Silicon Valley), whose hilarious performances are essential to the whole, and assuredly directed by Bob Byington with beautiful black and white imagery, Infinity Baby is about trying to find our place in a world that is becoming increasingly artificial and the human relationships and connections that we hone along the way. – Evan Thomas

Sat Oct 14 5:30pm Sun Oct 15  5:00pm

Upstate Films WOODSTOCK

BUY TICKETS

NEW YORK PREMIERE

”

Q&A PARTICIPANTS: Sandra Vannucchi, Michael King

Q&A PARTICIPANT: Tamlin Hall

Thur Oct 12  1:00pm Sat Oct 14  8:00pm

Q&A PARTICIPANT: Bob Byington

All events are subject to change. For latest updates, visit

w w w. Wo o d s t o c k F i l m F e s t i v a l . o r g

WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL 2017

N A R R AT I V E S

NEW YORK PREMIERE

LAST FLAG FLYING Directed by Richard Linklater USA / 2017 / 119 minutes

EAST COAST PREMIERE

THE LIGHT OF THE MOON Directed by Jessica M. Thompson

ROSENDALE Theatre

USA / 2017 / 94 minutes

WOODSTOCK Playhouse

Upstate Films WOODSTOCK

BUY TICKETS

Upstate Films I RHINEBECK

Fri Oct 13  8:30pm Sat Oct 14  9:30pm

In 2003, 30 years after they served together in the Vietnam War, former Navy Corps medic Richard Doc Shepherd (Steve Carell) re-unites with ex-Marines Sal (Bryan Cranston) and Mueller (Laurence Fishburne) on a different type of mission: to bury Doc’s son, a young Marine killed in the Iraq War. Doc decides to forgo burial at Arlington Cemetery and, with the help of his old buddies, takes the casket on a bittersweet trip up the East Coast to his home in suburban New Hampshire. Along the way, Doc, Sal and Mueller reminisce and come to terms with shared memories of the war that continues to shape their lives. COURTESY OF AMAZON STUDIOS

Fri Oct 13  6:30pm

Sun Oct 15  1:00pm

BUY TICKETS

Walking home alone late at night after drinks with friends, listening to music on her headphones and unaware of her surroundings, a young woman is accosted and dragged into a dingy, Brooklyn alleyway. She is brutally beaten and violently raped. Staggering home to the apartment she shares with her boyfriend, the trauma becomes her new reality. Bonnie’s story is, sadly, not unique. While she admits to being mugged, deep shame prevents her from disclosing the rape to her caring co-workers and concerned Latina mother. Meanwhile, her sympathetic boyfriend Matt is guilt-ridden because he wasn’t there to protect her. As Bonnie struggles to regain her sense of self and rages at Matt’s wellmeaning attentiveness, we question if one can heal while avoiding the truth. From the impersonal rape kit to the fruitless attempt to identify the rapist, director Jessica Thompson’s compassionate and engaging filmmaking deftly guides us through the psyche of the victim. - Barbara Pokras, ACE COURTESY OF THE FILM COLLABORATIVE

REVENGEANCE Directed by Bill Plympton USA / 2016 / 76 minutes Woodstock Playhouse

Fri Oct 13 11:30am

Rosendale Theatre

Fri Oct 14  3:00pm

BUY TICKETS

Revengeance is the animated story of a low-rent bounty hunter named Rod Rosse, The One Man Posse, who gets entangled in a web of danger when he is hired by ex-biker/ ex-wrestler turned U.S. Senator Deathface to find a girl who stole a package. The 8th hand-drawn animated feature film from master animator Bill Plympton, it is the first collaboration between Plympton and his creative partner, writer/artist Jim Lujan, who together bring us this new outstanding animated work. Q&A PARTICIPANT: Bill Plympton

THE SONG OF SWAY LAKE Directed by Ari Gold

USA / 2017 / 101 minutes WOODSTOCK Playhouse

Sun Oct 15 2:15pm

BUY TICKETS

In this lyrical ode to nostalgia, time and place play an important role alongside the exceptionally strong cast. Set circa 1990 in the resort town Sway Lake, temperamental Ollie (Rory Culkin) and his duplicitous Russian friend (Robert Sheehan), visit his ancestral home to search for a rare record album collected by Ollie’s late father. There they face his icy grandmother (Mary Beth Peil) and distressed helper (Elizabeth Peña). Haunted by his father’s ghost, Ollie is driven to find the record as a keepsake, while his grandmother is similiarly searching, planning to sell it. In a complex story of loyalty, betrayal, love, and intrigue, set against a backdrop of big band sounds and raucous teens cavorting on the lake, we encounter both the falling apart and coming together of the players in what is an atypical boymeets-girl (and boy-meets-woman) summer romance, with full-on family dysfunction. The Song of Sway Lake is an impressive character study of everyone involved. – Ben F. Fischer Q&A PARTICIPANTS: Ari Gold, Elizabeth Bull, Ethan Gold, Michael Bederman

Q&A PARTICIPANTS: Jessica Thompson, Michael Cuomo, Carlo Velayo

2017 WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL

All events are subject to change. For latest updates, visit

w w w. Wo o d s t o c k F i l m F e s t i v a l . o r g

N A R R AT I V E S

THE SQUARE

THE SOUNDING

Directed by Ruben Ostlund

Directed by Catherine Eaton USA / 2017 / 93 minutes Upstate Films I RHINEBECK

Sat Oct 14  1:30pm

Upstate Films WOODSTOCK

Sun Oct 15  11:30am

BUY TICKETS

In Swedish and Danish with subtitles

Directed by Christopher Radcliff and Lauren Wolkstein

Upstate Films WOODSTOCK

USA / 2016 / 81 minutes

Sat Oct 14 8:15pm

BUY TICKETS

Why would a woman living on a remote Maine island choose to not speak? The Sounding is a beautifully envisioned film that explores this psychological mystery. With a hint of an Oliver Sachs case, the story of Liv (portrayed by director Catherine Eaton) eerily unfolds. After the death of her grandfather, a renowned neurologist who raised her, Liv, who has been silent for years, begins to speak in a language disquietingly her own. But when a driven neurologist, recruited to protect her, instead commits Liv to a psychiatric hospital, the once sedate women becomes a full-blown rebel. In a scenario that ebbs and flows from harsh to tender, romance to violence, Liv’s refusal to conform threatens to keep her locked up forever. A film as earnest as its protagonist, The Sounding is a voice for those who have the courage to be different. – Jeff Morris Q&A PARTICIPANTS: Catherine Eaton, Caitlin Gold, Jessica Vale, Bryan Delaney

Sweden, Germany, France, Denmark 2017 / 142 minutes

Christian is a sophisticated, liberal and respected curator of a contemporary art museum who is about to launch a daring new exhibit titled The Square, when in a blink of an eye, everything changes. One minute a successful man in control of his life and his surroundings, Christian becomes a victim of a theft of his wallet and phone and is pulled into a whirlpool of events that gets increasingly bizarre before his life regains balance. A rich and entertaining satire that takes on the Swedish art scene, politics and human nature, The Square boasts stellar performances by Claes Bang as Christian and Elizabeth Moss as Anne, as it takes you on a ride through individual and societal behavior. COURTESY OF MAGNOLIA PICTURES

NEW YORK PREMIERE

THE STRANGE ONES

STUCK Directed by Michael Berry USA / 2017 / 87 minutes WOODSTOCK Plahouse

Wed Oct 11  7:00pm

Upstate Films II RHINEBECK

Sat Oct 14  9:30pm

BUY TICKETS

WOODSTOCK Playhouse

Fri Oct 13 9:30pm

ROSENDALE Theatre

Sun Oct 15 5:45pm

BUY TICKETS

Two travelers, a young man and a boy, appear to be on an adventure across an undefined remote American landscape. (In fact, this unnamed place is the Hudson Valley, including Woodstock.) We assume they are two brothers on vacation, yet something feels off kilter. Who are these fellows and what are they after? The outstanding performances in this atmospheric thriller are a tour de force and the unforeseeable events furnish unsettling suspense. The often wet, blurry landscape, the repetitive background sounds of nature, and the determined facial expressions of the duo — one moment tender, hostile the next, with a guarded innocence on the face of the boy who falsely calls himself Jeremiah — coalesce into unease as we fear for the boy’s safety. Even when circumstances become dire, their relationship remains enigmatic as Jeremiah accepts the aid of sympathetic strangers without revealing the true nature of their connection. – Ben F. Fischer Q&A PARTICIPANTS: Lauren Wolkstein, Christopher Radcliff

Q&A PARTICIPANTS: Michael Berry, Giancarlo Esposito, Tim Young, Gerard Canonico

Trapped together on a stalled New York City subway car, six strangers confront their assumptions of one another under the scrutinizing eye of a mysterious homeless man, authentically played by Giancarlo Esposito. A musical for modern times, Stuck counterbalances its claustrophobic setting with impassioned songs and fully realized characters, each vocalizing their stories through memory and fantasy. The talented cast (which includes Ashanti, Amy Madigan, Tim Young, Aden Cho, Omar Chapparo, Gerard Canonico, and Reyna de Courcy) leaps through the screen and grips us with the realization that each of us carries some silent burden waiting to be proclaimed. The Manhattan underground is eerie and cold as a backdrop to the songs and stories, allowing Stuck to truly come alive through its characters. As they reveal their histories, struggles and prejudices, they also recognize their shared experiences, breaking the barriers between strangers on an urban metro. – Colton Cox KICKOFF NIGHT PERFORMANCE Sarah Joy Miller starts the evening. Following the Stuck Q&A, cast members perform some of the score. (see pg 25] OCT 11 - PRECEDED BY

A HAND OF BRIDGE Directed by David Miller and Frank Borin USA / 2017 / 15 minutes

All events are subject to change. For latest updates, visit

w w w. Wo o d s t o c k F i l m F e s t i v a l . o r g

WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL 2017

N A R R AT I V E S

EAST COAST PREMIERE

SUBMISSION Directed by Richard Levine USA / 2017 / 106 minutes ROSENDALE Theatre

Fri Oct 13 12:30pm

WOODSTOCK Playhouse

Sat Oct 14 6:45m

EAST COAST PREMIERE

LGBTQ TIME TRAP FOC US

THEY

Directed by Anahita Ghazvinizadeh USA, Qatar / 2017 / 80 minutess ROSENDALE Theatre

Sat Oct 14 12:30pm

BUY TICKETS

Upstate Films WOODSTOCK

Ted Swenson is a published author working as a creative writing professor, with a comfortable marriage and a passion for his work. But as the guidance he provides to a gifted student intensifies, Submission, based on the best-selling novel Blue Angel by Hudson Valley resident Francine Prose, delves into a deeper story, exploring issues as creative envy and the pressure of personal expectations as Swenson tries to navigate the slippery slope from teacher to Guru, admirer to manipulator.

BUY TICKETS

Director Richard Levine delivers a suspenseful human drama mixed with a risque blend of comedy making the film entertaining and compelling. Honest and authentic, with gifted leading actors Stanley Tucci and Addison Timlin carrying the film, supported by Kyra Sedgwick and Janeane Garafolo who deliver critical roles, Submission is a biting commentary on political correctness, gender politics and the witnessing of a decent man setting his life aflame. – Monique Ray

Sun Oct 15 4:45pm

In this succinct, enchanting look at modern-day identity issues, writerdirector Anahita Ghazvinizadeh’s They tenderly follows fourteen-year-old J, who goes by the pronoun ‘they,”’during a crucial three-day time span. J lives with their parents in the suburbs of Chicago and is exploring their gender identity, all the while taking hormone blockers to postpone puberty. After two years of medication and therapy, J has to make a decision whether or not to transition. Over a long weekend while their parents are away, J’s sister Lauren and her Iranian friend/partner Araz arrive to take care of they. With a haunting central performance by Rhys Fehrenbacher, the film is refreshingly non-judgmental in a way rarely seen in real life, much less on screen.

– Monique Ray

Q&A PARTICIPANTS: Anahitz Gazvinizadeh, Zoe Sua Cho, Simone Ling

COURTESY OF LUXBOX FILMS

Q&A PARTICIPANT: Richard Levine, Francine Prose

2017 WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL

Directed by Mark Dennis and Ben Foster USA / 2017 / 87 minutes WOODSTOCK Playhouse

Sun Oct 1511:45am

BUY TICKETS

The Premise: A group of archeology students, searching for their missing teacher, become trapped inside a mysterious cave where time passes at a different pace than in the outside world. The Realization: A time-bending science fiction adventure that is smart, entertaining and grips you from start to finish. Using a simple notion of time passing faster outside than inside the cave, what initially starts out as a straightforward rescue expedition soon becomes a spooky sci-fi mystery fraught with alarming threats and unforeseen twists and turns around every corner, making it impossible to guess what’s coming next. Danger imperils the lives of the characters and threatens their ability to return home. Will they be saved despite their ineptness? With an animated cast portraying the somewhat dysfunctional rescue team, Time Trap is a clever, fast-paced ride packed with imagination and fun. Suitable for children who aren’t easily scared and adults who long to still be kids. – Ben F. Fischer Q&A PARTICIPANTS: Mark Dennis, Ben Foster, Zachary Matz

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

THE TRAVELLER Directed by Hadi Ghandour Lebanon-France / 2016 / 100 minutes

Lebanese-French with subtitles Upstate Films WOODSTOCK

Fri Oct 13 9:00pm

Upstate Films I RHINEBECK

Sat Oct 14 4:00pm

BUY TICKETS

Adnan is a dreamer at odds with himself: a Lebanese travel agent who can describe the romances of the world to his clients, but has never left his own country. So when the opportunity arises for him to attend a business conference in Paris, he packs his suitcase and flies out, only to find himself tempted by a culture that challenges his sense of loyalty — both to family and nation. Wide-eyed in the City of Love, Adnan is seduced by Paris one moment, then drawn back to Lebanon the next, with worried phone calls from his wife counterbalancing his European enticements. As Adnan wonders where his heart truly lies, we are charmed by his emotional tug-of-war, stuck between a lifetime of caution and his latent yearnings. The Traveller is thoughtful and sweet, and Adnan, played with buoyancy by Rodrigue Sleiman, brings levity as his character stumbles into an unfamiliar world. – Colton Cox Q&A PARTICIPANTS: Hadi Ghandour, Stevan Lee Mraovitch

All events are subject to change. For latest updates, visit

w w w. Wo o d s t o c k F i l m F e s t i v a l . o r g

N A R R AT I V E S ABOUT WFF Programming at the WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL encourages those who use film as a way to explore social, environmental and political themes, while challenging their inherent boundaries. EAST COAST PREMIERE

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

EAST COAST PREMIERE

US AND THEM

WATERBOYS

WHAT CHILDREN DO

Directed by Joe Martin

Directed by Robert Jan Westdijk

Directed by Dean Peterson

United Kingdom / 2017 / 83 minutes

The Netherlands / 2016 / 93 minutes

USA / 2017 / 86 minutes

Upstate Films I RHINEBECK

WOODSTOCK Playhouse

Upstate Films WOODSTOCK

BUY TICKETS

Estranged sisters Amy and Shannon return to their hometown in upstate New York to care for their dying grandmother. After not speaking for three years, and knowing little about each other’s current lives, they come face-to-face with lingering childhood resentments, all the while trying to put aside the past to come together for Nana. With the kind of comedy that only sibling rivalry can generate, the failed actress and bored librarian sisters come across old flames, over-zealous pastors and overdue DVDs, as they work to heal their relationship with each other and the town they grew up in (Woodstock, that is!). – Monique Ray

In Dutch and English with subtitles

Upstate Films WOODSTOCK

Thur Oct 12 8:30pm

Upstate Films I RHINEBECK

Fri Oct 13 8:15pm

BUY TICKETS

Three rough and tumble British lads, intent on making a grand and brutish public statement on economic inequality in the UK, use one upper crust family as their sacrificial lamb. When disenfranchised Danny (Jack Roth) confronts wealthy banker, Conrad (Tim Bentinck), he plans to teach him a lesson he’ll never forget. When daughter Philippa comes home with her supposed boyfriend, her parents are shocked to see he is from the ‘wrong’ social class. They soon learn he is an imposter and thus begins this wild ride of a home invasion thriller. Tensions escalate as the intruders hold the family hostage and force the father to choose between wife and daughter in a game of Russian roulette. Danny’s seething anger is palpable and only countered by Conrad’s attitude toward privilege and entitlement. Briskly paced with wonderful acting, this well-crafted film is on the pulse of sociopolitical strife in the UK and reflects the current political unrest worldwide. – Gene Fischer

Fri Oct 13 12:30pm Sat Oct 14 12:30pm

Not your typical father/son bonding experience, a middle-aged crime novelist with a soft spot for the ladies and his awkward 20 year old son, both dumped by their partners at the same time, embark on a trip from Amsterdam to Edinburgh on the pretext of a publicity tour. Their strained relationship and personal demons begin to heal with the aid of two local women, while the music of the renowned (Dutch) band The Waterboys serves as the catalyst for the individual turning points of the two men. A double comingof-age film, Waterboys is a warm and amusing story of an estranged father who needed to be shaken up from his revelry and endless playboy adventures and do some growing up, and a son who had to learn to take life less seriously. Despite the levity, this charming and easy-going comedy is a movie of surprising depth. – Svetlana Krotek

Orpheum Theatre SAUGERTIES

Sat Oct 14 5:45pm Sun Oct 15  5:00pm

Q&A PARTICIPANT: Dean Peterson

Q&A PARTICIPANTS: Robert Jan Westdijk

Q&A PARTICIPANT: Joe Martin

FOCUS ON MUSIC showcases films about music and musicians, while at the same time exploring the role that music plays in film.

All events are subject to change. For latest updates, visit

w w w. Wo o d s t o c k F i l m F e s t i v a l . o r g

THE HUDSON VALLEY AND CATSKILLS have been a hotbed of creative energy and artistic vibrancy for over a century. In addition to attracting production talent from all over the world, many established and emerging filmmakers have now made the Hudson Valley their home. The Woodstock Film Festival is proud to present the World Cinema program to further our commitment to sharing experiences across continents.

LGBTQ FOCU S

Since its inception, the Woodstock Film Festival has explored and celebrated LGBTQ voices

The Woodstock Film Festival’s SPOTLIGHT ON WOMEN IN FILM & MEDIA initiative highlights exciting new works by some of today’s most talented, established and up-andcoming female directors. FOCUS ON DUTCH CINEMA Netherlands Consulate and the Department of Dutch Culture USA.

WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL 2017

D O C U M E N TA R I E S

NEW YORK PREMIERE

WORLD PREMIERE

NEW YORK PREMIERE

32 PILLS: My Sister’s Suicide

A SYMPHONY OF HOPE

USA / 2017 / 86 minutes

40 YEARS IN THE MAKING: The Magic Music Movie

Upstate Films WOODSTOCK

Directed by Lee Aronsohn

Upstate Films II RHINEBECK

USA / 2017 / 100 minutes

Directed by Hope Litoff

Thur Oct 12  1:00pm Sat Oct 14  4:30pm

USA, Haiti / 2017 / 87 minutes Fri Oct 13  1:45pm

Woodstock PLAYHOUSE

Orpheum Theatre SAUGERTIES

Sun Oct 15  12:30pm

Bearsville Theater WOODSTOCK

BUY TICKETS

In the wake of the catastrophic 2010 Haitian earthquake, composer Christopher Lennertz, inspired by his friendship with Hands Together founders Father Tom Hagan and Doug Campbell, thought to use music to reignite hope. Starting with a Haitian folk theme, Lennertz enlisted 25 award-winning Hollywood composers to create a symphony, writing sections sequentially, like a musical chain-letter. With composers of such films as Jurassic Park 3, Wonder Boys and Passion of the Christ, the music of live studio sessions is woven into a whole piece by filmmaker Brian Weidling, incorporating documentary footage of Haiti from its revolutionary beginnings, to the disaster, then its aftermath as Haitians rebuild their homes, and finally, a future of hope. Full of humanity, A Symphony of Hope confirms the importance of art, music and culture to reconstruct a country in crisis and affirms that the world is built stronger by people working hand in hand. – Colton Cox

Sun Oct 15  6:30pm

BUY TICKETS

How do you deal with the material objects left behind when you lose someone you love? Gifted photographer and artist Ruth Litoff, plagued by a lifetime of mental illness, committed suicide in 2008. It took her sister Hope six years to empty the packed storage bin. “I feel like I’ve trapped her in there,” says Hope. In an intimate, riveting and brutally honest film that delicately balances art and mental illness, director Hope Litoff — obsessed with the need to understand her sister’s madness and struggling with the guilt of not being able to save her — organizes the vast collection of exquisite photographs that share space with mountains of prescription medicines, journals and stuffed animals. Nearly devoured by her own demons, Hope works tirelessly to fulfill her sister’s final wish: that her work be seen by the world. 32 Pills is an extraordinary piece of filmmaking, beseeching us to empathize with Hope as she faces this daunting task. – Barbara Pokras, ACE

Boulder, Colorado, much like Woodstock, NY, was a mecca for peace, love and music in the 60s and 70s. Fresh out of the Woodstock Concert era, a band of hippies, with a sound reminiscent of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and the Grateful Dead, was roaming around Boulder, playing wherever they could and winning a dedicated following. Among those fans was university student Lee Aronsohn, who was deeply affected by the band, tracking them everywhere and memorizing their songs. Although the musicians played two of the earliest Telluride Bluegrass Festivals, they broke up in 1976 without ever releasing an album. Decades later, that same student, now a successful television producer (The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men) set out to find the scattered members of Boulder’s most influential and elusive jam band, Magic Music, hoping to get them to play one last show. This is his and their story. Indeed, a magical one. – Sveltana Krotek

Q&A PARTICIPANT: Hope Litoff

Q&A PARTICIPANT: Lee Aronsohn

2017 WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL

Directed by Brian Weidling

Q&A PARTICIPANTS: Brian Weilding, Christopher Lennertz

EAST COAST PREMIERE

AGAINST ALL ODDS: The Fight for a Black Middle Class with Bob Herbert Directed by Bob Herbert USA / 2016 / 76 minutes Bearsville Theater WOODSTOCK

Fri Oct 13  12:00pm

Upstate Films I RHINEBECK

Sat Oct 14  6:45pm

BUY TICKETS

A disappearing middle class is one of the hot button political issues of the day, but middle class black Americans are the hardest hit. Celebrated veteran journalist Bob Herbert takes us on an illuminating journey through American history, relating the past to the present through rare archival footage and in-depth interviews with some of the most influential thinkers of our time, effectively making the point that the American Dream, through its very design, is systematically and deliberately kept out of reach of black families. Precise, affecting and eye opening, Against All Odds: The Fight for a Black Middle Class with Bob Herbert drives the point home that we still have a long way to go before true economic equality is realized, while shedding light on our socioeconomic system that is disproportionately working against black Americans. However, as Bob Herbert says, “There are no barriers that can’t be overcome. When dreams remain unrealized, it simply means the fight goes on.” – Evan Thomas Q&A PARTICIPANTS: Bob Herbert, Sally Roy

All events are subject to change. For latest updates, visit

w w w. Wo o d s t o c k F i l m F e s t i v a l . o r g

D O C U M E N TA R I E S

EAST COAST PREMIERE

ARTHUR MILLER: Writer

BEAN

Directed by Rebecca Miller USA / 2017 / 102 minutes

LGBTQ BECOMING WHO I WAS FOC US

BUY TICKETS

Arthur Miller: Writer is an intimate portrait of the great American playwright and social critic, Arthur Miller, from the unique perspective of an award-winning filmmaker — his daughter, Rebecca Miller. The film contains material never before seen by the public, including indepth interviews and home-movie style glimpses into Miller’s persona, quite different from the face that was presented in formal interviews and to the press. Rebecca Miller opens the door to the man behind the icon, delves into the roots of his life as an artist, and explores his character — both its strengths and its weaknesses. COURTESY OF HBO DOCUMENTARIES

BOMBSHELL: The Hedy Lamarr Story Directed by Alexandra Dean

USA / 2017 / 66 minutes

Directed by Moon Chang-Yong and Jeon Jin

Upstate Films II RHINEBECK

South Korea / 2017 / 95 minutes

WOODSTOCK Playhouse,

Bearsville Theater WOODSTOCK

Hindi, Ladkahi, and Tibetan with subtitles

Upstate Films I RHINEBECK

BUY TICKETS

Bearsville Theater WOODSTOCK

BUY TICKETS

Lori and Alana were a perfect match on Tinder and quickly became best friends and lovers. Soon after, Lori discovered that Alana, a bright and endearing young woman suffering from Lupus, with her kidneys failing, was facing an uncertain but abbreviated lifetime of daily dialysis and myriad health issues. When Lori learns that she’s the perfect kidney donor match, she doesn’t hesitate to offer her healthy ‘bean.’ An athlete and cheerleader, Lori knows the sacrifice means she won’t be able to study kickboxing or martial arts. But if the transplant succeeds, Alana’s life expectancy could be doubled or tripled. Is it love, foolishness or the ultimate act of selflessness on Lori’s part? “What if the relationship ends?” asks Alana. “No matter what, you’ll always have a piece of me — what’s mine is yours.” How do you repay someone for something like this? “You don’t,” says Lori. “It’s a gift,” summing up what the film itself is to its viewer. – Barbara Pokras, ACE

Orpheum Theatre SAUGERTIES

America knew Hedy Lamarr as a Hollywood idol – a beauty queen and pin-up in cinema’s Golden Age– but few knew her as the inventor of the technology behind WiFi. Director Alexandra Dean offers an intimate look into the life of Austrian-born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler, who fled a dangerous marriage in the middle of the night and boarded passage to America. A chance encounter with Louis B. Mayer thrust her into the Hollywood limelight. But despite her newfound fame, Lamarr’s passion remained her knack for technology, whilst her adopted country preferred a woman selling bonds over one creating military technology. A story of suppressed genius, Bombshell taps into conversations with Lamarr’s family, Hollywood notables and the late star to reveal her frustrations with a world that would recognize her only for her beauty. A feast for our modern zeitgeist, and a cautionary tale for a society that still often denies the brilliance of women – Colton Cox

Directed by Emilie Bunnell

WOODSTOCK Playhouse Sun Oct 15  7:30pm

Q&A PARTICIPANT: Rebecca Miller

EAST COAST PREMIERE

Fri Oct 13  3:30pm Sat Oct 14  11:15am

Q&A PARTICIPANTS: Emilie Bunnell, Cheryl Horner, Molly McEwan, Film subjects Lori and Alana

Sat Oct 14  8:30pm Sun Oct 15  7:45pm

BUY TICKETS

In a sweeping story of a young Buddhist boy who discovers he is the reincarnation of a Tibetan spiritual master, Becoming Who I Was, follows his momentous trek across India to rejoin his monastic order. Accompanied by his aging godfather, the documentary captures Padma and Urgyan on their epic journey over eight difficult years, surmounting all odds to pursue his spiritual destiny. Focused on its two compelling central personalities, we are deeply moved by their unconditional love set against a backdrop of political and geographic adversity. Becoming Who I Was captures both the enormity of the Asian landscape and the quiet, private moments of boy and man as they endure their challenge. When Padma enters adolescence and becomes conflicted by the immensity of his undertaking, Urgyan remains a steadfast and kind mentor, propelling them toward their goal. Touching and uplifting, Becoming Who I Was is a universal story of compassion and love through adversity, and the reclaiming of a suppressed identity. – Colton Cox

USA / 2017 / 84 minutes Sat Oct 14  1:30pm Sun Oct 15  6:00pm

COURTESY OF ZEITGEIST FILMS Q&A PARTICIPANTS: Alexandra Dean, Susan Sarandon, Adam Haggiag

COURTESY OF CARGO RELEASING

All events are subject to change. For latest updates, visit

w w w. Wo o d s t o c k F i l m F e s t i v a l . o r g

WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL 2017

D O C U M E N TA R I E S

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

THE CHOCOLATE CASE Directed by Benthe Forrer Netherlands / 2017 / 90 minutes

Dutch, German, French with subtitles Upstate Films WOODSTOCK

Fri Oct 13  10:45am

Orpheum Theatre SAUGERTIES

Sat Oct 14  1:00pm

BUY TICKETS

The Chocolate Case opens with a horrifying premise: what if each time we purchase a bar of chocolate The we finance child slavery? documentary follows a group of intrepid Dutch journalists who’ve dedicated themselves to changing our perception of the $100 billion cocoa industry that fosters the exploitation of cacao farming communities in a vast global trading network. Using humor as its hook to create an exposé of massive implications, The Chocolate Case draws attention to the corporate institutions that create this injustice — from attempting to convict one of themselves for the crime of financing child labor through buying chocolate, to visiting the oppressed African communities that are victimized by this industry. Light-hearted moments steer the film’s optimism, as the good-natured journalists, tirelessly determined to effect change, become beacons of hope for a righteous cause. Chocolate lovers will undoubtedly take their next bite with a new mindset. – Colton Cox

NEW YORK PREMIERE

THE CYCLE (AMERICA DIVIDED)

HAPPENING: A Clean Energy Revolution

JOAN DIDION: The Center Will Not Hold

Directed by Jamie Redford

USA / 2017 / 94 minutes

USA / 2017 / 71 minutes

Upstate Films I RHINEBECK

Directed by Solly Granatstein Lucian Read and Richard Rowley USA / 2016 / 71 minutes Orpheum Theatre SAUGERTIES

Sat Oct 14  8:15pm

Bearsville Theater WOODSTOCK

Fri Oct 13  7:00pm

Bearsville Theater WOODSTOCK

Orpheum Theatre SAUGERTIES

BUY TICKETS

Sun Oct 15  1:45pm

“This is our America. And it isn’t what we promised.” For generations, the daily life of minority citizens has been in a state of crisis. Adapted from the EPIX docu-series and guided by such high-profile correspondents as Norman Lear, Jesse Williams, Common, and Zack Galifianakis, The Cycle examines the pervasive and longstanding structures of racial discrimination in America, reinforced by a political system that disenfranchises poor people and people of color. To their outrage and incredulity, they witness the damages of systemic inequality in housing, education, criminal justice, and politics, all the while highlighting individuals who’ve dedicated themselves to battling these issues. The Cycle intones that we are living in a pivotal moment — one in which we must decide how to combat corrupted systems that have long plagued our nation. Provocative and illuminating, this documentary raises the voices of those who seek to stamp out the fires of segregation as it endures today. – Colton Cox COURTESY OF EPIX Q&A PARTICIPANT: Richard Rowley

Sat Oct 14  3:30pm

CAN we make enough renewable energy to supply the world’s needs and replace fossil fuels? HOW will we do that? And, WILL we? In his convivial and earnest drive to understand the issues and solutions, Jamie Redford, co-founder of The Redford Center with his father Robert Redford, takes us on a country-crossing, three-year odyssey to get real, comprehensible answers to complex questions and technologies. Happening explores the current state of engagement of corporations, governmental departments, communities, entrepreneurs, and activists, with an enlightening look at what is being done to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. The film reveals some exciting developments in the dawn of the clean energy era as it creates jobs, turns profits and makes communities stronger and healthier all across the US. Appropriately titled, this topically relevant documentary is not only informing, but also uplifting, as we discover what is actually happening in America to reverse climate change. – Jeff Morris

Directed by Griffin Dunne

Fri Oct 13  5:45pm

BUY TICKETS

Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold is a biographical documentary featuring the life of influential American writer, Joan Didion. Directed by Joan’s nephew, Griffin Dunne, Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold enlightens the viewer with an unprecedented, intimate perspective on Joan’s life and career accomplishments. The film features interviews from Joan herself, as well as close family and friends, interwoven with contextual archival footage/stills to visualize Joan’s astute writing. Joan, famous for bringing order to disorder through her words, exposes, examines and divulges the most pivotal events in American history, making her one of the most recognizable and influential voices within the literary world. The story of this film not only considers Joan Didion the writer, but gives light to Joan Didion, the individual. COURTESY OF NETLFIX Q&A PARTICIPANT: Griffin Dunne

COURTESY OF HBO DOCUMENTARIES Q&A PARTICIPANT: Jamie Redford

Q&A PARTICIPANT: Benthe Forrer

2017 WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL

All events are subject to change. For latest updates, visit

w w w. Wo o d s t o c k F i l m F e s t i v a l . o r g

D O C U M E N TA R I E S

NEW YORK PREMIERE

EAST COAST PREMIERE

LA CHANA

THE LAST PIG

Directed by Lucija Stojevic

Directed by Allison Argo

Spain / 2016 / 83 minutes In Spanish with subtitles

USA / 2017 / 54 minutes

Upstate Films II RHINEBECK

Bearsville Theater WOODSTOCK

Orpheum Theater SAUGERTIES

Fri Oct 13  6:00pm Sun Oct 15  4:00pm

BUY TICKETS

La Chana was one of the greatest stars in the flamenco world, captivating audiences worldwide with her innovative style and breathtaking use of rhythm in the 1960s and 70s. Peter Sellers, with whom she is featured in The Bobo, invited her to Hollywood. Instead, at the peak of her career, she disappeared from the scene. La Chana takes us into the heart and mind of the self-taught Gypsy dancer Antonia Santiago Amador, aka La Chana, as she returns to the stage after a break of two decades to give a final seated performance. The secret behind her disappearance, we learn, is that for 18 years she was the victim of domestic abuse at the hands of her first husband. In this dramatic story about the process and power of creativity, aging, perseverance, and re-invention, La Chana crystallizes the inevitable clashes between her life’s extremes and contradictions; between the artist on stage and the woman behind the scenes. Q&A PARTICIPANTS: Deidre Towers, Greta Olafstottir, Susan Muska

Thur Oct 12  1:00pm Sun Oct 15  3:00pm

BUY TICKETS

The Last Pig is a lyrical meditation on what it means to be a sentient creature with the power to kill. Immersive, experiential and self-reflective, the film follows a pig farmer through his final season. Bob Comis lives a simple life on a bucolic farm in the Hudson Valley where he gives his pigs a high-quality life until it’s time to transport them for butchering. The film follows Bob’s internal reflections as he wrestles with his conscience between his superior farming practices, producing quality food, and coming to see pigs as intelligent, aware creatures. Filmed with exquisite cinematography showcasing the landscape in all seasons, The Last Pig doesn’t preach or try to convert. Instead, the viewer watches as Bob comes to a life-changing decision in his farming. A poignant story on the connection between man and animal that leaves both vegetarians and carnivores much to contemplate long after the film is over. – Gene Fischer Q&A PARTICIPANTS: Allison Argo, Joseph Brunette

MARY JANES: The Women of Weed

WORLD PREMIERE

MY NAME

LGBTQ IS PEDRO FOC US

Directed by Windy Borman

Directed by Lillian LaSalle USA / 2017 / 97 minutes

USA / 2017 / 85 minutes

Upstate Films I RHINEBECK

Bearsville Theater WOODSTOCK

ROSENDALE Theatre

BUY TICKETS

Who was your most inspirational teacher? For thousands of students in the Bronx and elsewhere, that teacher is a man named Pedro Santana. Yes, we’ve seen inspiring documen taries about the failings of our public education system before. Yes, we’ve seen stories of inspirational educators who bravely try to change the system. But if you don’t know Pedro.....well, you don’t know jack! Pedro may just be the definition of an iconoclast. In a story as uplifting as it is troubling, he is a man who throws a very wide shadow. This brilliant documentary might at first seem like déjà vu, before the story zigs and zags in ways that will leave you thinking ”OMG, didn’t see that coming.” Wonderfully human, yet epically important, My Name Is Pedro will challenge your notion of what it means to be “Fiercely Independent” as it brings into focus how seriously in jeopardy our country’s education system is. – Jeff Morris

Fri Oct 13  9:15pm Sat Oct 14  5:30pm

Ladies! Looking for a new career? One with gender parity, an emphasis on social justice and sustainability? Would you like to be a pioneer in the fastest growing female dominated economic sector in America today? Do you live in a state where marijuana is legal? Are you, would you like to be, or have you ever been a Puffragette? These highly regarded ganjapreneurs have successfully shattered the grass ceiling. Documentary filmmaker and pot virgin Windy Borman takes us to Colorado on an exhaustive and delightful foray into the world of legal pot and its myriad uses — recreational, industrial and medicinal. With a cameo by Melissa Elthridge passionately touting the healing effects of pot, Ms. Borman answers many of the questions you were afraid to ask your kids. Whether you unabashedly like getting high, want to try it but are hesitant, or use it in medicinal forms, this is an informative and entertaining trip you won’t want to miss. – Barbara Pokras, ACE

Thur Oct 12  7:00pm Fri Oct 13  2:15pm

Q&A PARTICIPANT: Lillian LaSalle

Q&A PARTICIPANTS: Windy Borman, Mariah Wilson

All events are subject to change. For latest updates, visit

w w w. Wo o d s t o c k F i l m F e s t i v a l . o r g

WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL 2017

D O C U M E N TA R I E S

EAST COAST PREMIERE

NAT BATES FOR MAYOR

THE ORGANIZER

RAM DASS, GOING HOME

Directed by Bradley Berman and Eric Weiss

Directed by Nick Taylor

Directed by Derek Peck

USA Canada / 2017 / 96 minutes

USA / 2016 / 32 minutes

Upstate Films WOODSTOCK

USA / 2017 / 76 minutes

Upstate Films WOODSTOCK

Woodstock Playhouse

Directed by Nancy Buirski

BUY TICKETS

Documenting the work of the brilliant community organizer Wade Rathke, The Organizer takes us through his process of founding ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now), the first of its kind community-based organization. Starting with a few driven welfare moms in Arkansas, ACORN quickly mushroomed into a highly energized and mobilized half-million strong constituency that influenced government and corporate policy on the local, state and federal levels. Through Wade’s leadership, ACORN created unprecedented voter registration drives and brought economic gains for countless low income families, changing the socio economic and political map of the regions it operated in. But amid increasing difficulties, Wade steps down, and two years later controversy and scandal resulted in the organization’s ultimate collapse. The Organizer is a story of particular relevance in these highly charged political times and one with a lot to teach us. – Svetlana Krotek

Ram Dass, Going Home is a profound and poetic encounter with cultural and spiritual icon Ram Dass at his home on Maui. In the final chapter of his life, the intimacy of the film imparts a sense that you are right there with him. Together with the beautiful music of remarkable composer Paul Cantelon, this is a rare opportunity to be in the presence of one of the most inspiring people to grace the planet. A meditation on life that adds meaning to our everyday experience.

Bearsville Theater WOODSTOCK

Thur Oct 12  6:00pm

ROSENDALE Theatre

Fri Oct 13  6:00pm

BUY TICKETS

Nat Bates For Mayor documents the outrageous 2014 mayor’s race in Richmond, CA, home to the second largest California refinery. In a brazen move, Chevron spent over $3 million to back 83-year-old African-American stalwart Nat Bates. Bates makes a Faustian bargain with the corporate behemoth to preserve the waning power of Richmond’s African-American working class community, whose rich history dates back to World War Two. It’s black against white; pro-development against eco-friendly; David versus Goliath. Is Bates the savior or stooge? A wacky ride with some entertaining and offbeat political personalities, the guerilla-style documentary follows the candidates as they lock horns in a battle for mayor and the future of the Bay Area oil town. With cameos by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and legendary civil rights leader Andrew Young, the film is a potent mix of corporate influence, race, gentrification, homophobia, political self-determination, and humor — all told through the stories of bigger-thanlife small-town characters. Q&A PARTICIPANT: Bradley Berman

2017 WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL

Sun Oct 15  7:00pm

Q&A PARTICIPANTS: Nick Taylor, Wade Rathke, Joey Carey

Sun Oct 15  10:15am

Q&A PARTICIPANTS: Derek Peck, Michelle Esrick

THE RAPE OF RECY TAYLOR

Sat Oct 14  10:00am

USA / 2017 / 91 minutes Woodstock Playhouse

Sun Oct 15  10:15am

BUY TICKETS

The numbers of women raped in Jim Crow South were staggering. In danger for their lives, they didn’t report the crimes and their stories went hidden. Not Recy Taylor, a 24-year-old mother who was gang raped by six white boys in 1944 Alabama. Unbroken, she spoke up, and with the help of Rosa Parks and legins of women, they worked to get Recy Taylor justice. Set against a backdrop of soulful music, documentarian Nancy Buirski masterfully crafts the mood as we witnes a terrified black woman running for her life. This powerful emotional charge persists throughout the film as we move back and forth in time. Weaving vintage clips of early race films — black stories told by black filmakers for black audiences — with mood-setting visuals from the actual locations and current interviews with her siblings more than 70 years after the event, the hurt, indignations and ultimate vindication go far beyond one woman’s story to expand on the history of race in America. Q&A PARTICIPANTS: Nancy Buirski, Susan Margolin

All events are subject to change. For latest updates, visit

w w w. Wo o d s t o c k F i l m F e s t i v a l . o r g

D O C U M E N TA R I E S

WORLD PREMIERE

US PREMIERE

EAST COAST PREMIERE

ROLL WITH ME Directed by Lisa France

SAMMY DAVIS, JR.: I’ve Gotta Be Me

SHINGAL, WHERE ARE YOU?

USA / 2017 / 90 minutes

Directed by Sam Pollard

Directed by Angelos Rallis

USA / 2017 / 100 minutes

Greece / 2017 / 99 minutes

English, Arabic with subtitles Upstate Films I RHINEBECK

Fri Oct 13  3:15pm

Bearsville Theater WOODSTOCK

Sat Oct 14  1:30pm

BUY TICKETS

Sat Oct 14  4:00pm

ROSENDALE Theatre

Sun Oct 15  12:00pm

Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me is the first major documentary to examine Davis’ vast talent and journey for identity through the shifting tides of civil rights and racial progress during 20th-century America. Davis’ career was legendary, so vast and multi-faceted it was dizzying in scope and scale. Yet his life was complicated and contradictory. A veteran of increasingly outdated show business traditions trying to stay relevant, Davis strove to achieve the American Dream in a time of racial prejudice and shifting politics, caught between the bigotry of white America and the distaste of black America. By embracing Judaism, he yoked himself to another persecuted minority. Featuring interviews with Billy Crystal, Norman Lear, Jerry Lewis, Whoopi Goldberg, and Kim Novak, unseen photographs from Davis’ vast collection, and excerpts of TV, film and concert performances, the film explores the life and art of a uniquely gifted entertainer whose trajectory blazed across America from the Depression through the 1980s. COURTESY OF AMERICAN MASTERS Q&A PARTICIPANT: Sam Pollard

In Kurdish with English subtitles Upstate Films Woodstock

Fri Oct 13 1:15pm

Upstate Films II Rhinebeck

Sat Oct 14 1:45pm

BUY TICKETS

When director Lisa France received a call from Gabriel Cordell, a paraplegic man looking for someone to document the challenge of his life, she had no idea how much this would change her own life and that of many others. France and her quickly assembled ragtag crew— all with their own issues — filmed Gabriel’s undertaking, rolling unassisted on his human-powered wheelchair from Santa Monica, CA to Long Island, NY in 99 days, aiming to set a world record. The journey was physically and emotionally arduous, not just for Gabriel but the entire team, herded in cramped quarters throughout the trip. And everyone, from Gabriel, his team, the film crew, to the thousands of bystanders who crossed paths with Gabriel, was transformed in some way forever. Roll with Me is a moving testimony to one man’s incredible and undefeated spirit, and to the power to rise up and meet whatever comes that is in us all. – Svetlana Krotek Q&A PARTICIPANTS: Lisa France, film subject Gabriel Cordell

WOODSTOCK Playhouse

BUY TICKETS

In 2014, the Yezidis, a persecuted minority in Iraq, were driven from their ancestral land by ISIS during a campaign of genocide in which more than 3,000 women and children were kidnapped. Caught in raw, sweeping cinematography, Shingal: Where Are You weaves together the dramatic stories of the remaining young boys and their families, relegated to an abandoned coal mine on the Turkish border and longing for their lost home. In this poignant and beautifully executed documentary, we witness one family’s desperate fight to buy back their daughter from ISIS, negotiating on the cell phone through various middlemen. Using technology to communicate confidential information in an area ravaged by terrorism, the ambiguity between powerlessness and power, hope and despair, all conveyed via digital communication, is as astonishing as it is heart breaking. While the plight of a persecuted people may seem unpleasant, director Angelos Rallis has created a touching film that is profound and compelling. – Ben F. Fischer COURTESY OF CARGO RELEASING

SUPERMENSCH: The Legend of Shep Gordon Directed by Mike Myers USA / 2015 / 85 minutes WOODSTOCK Playhouse

Fri Oct 13  4:15pm

BUY TICKETS

Shep Gordon, the 2017 Woodstock Film Festival Trailblazer honoree, is one of the most beloved and successful men in show business, and Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon is an entertaining and inspiring tribute to this unsung hero. Within the first few minutes of comedian Mike Myer’s directorial debut, you’ll find yourself enjoying getting to know this warm and congenial man, as the film reveals the history of his success — a mix of skill, personality and luck. At age 21, on his first night in Los Angeles, he fell in with Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix, and with determination and sheer chutzpah his future was launched. A life filled with sex, drugs women, and rock ‘n roll (and immense good works and generosity,) Supermensch chronicles Gordon’s trajectory with amusing anecdotes told by friends, a Who’s Who list of celebrities that includes Alice Cooper, Michael Douglas, Tom Arnold, and Sylvester Stallone, among others, along with the supermensch himself. COURTESY OF WEINSTEIN COMPANY Q&A PARTICIPANT: Shep Gordon

Q&A PARTICIPANTS: Angelos Rallis, Maria del Mar Rodriguez Yebra

All events are subject to change. For latest updates, visit

w w w. Wo o d s t o c k F i l m F e s t i v a l . o r g

WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL 2017

D O C U M E N TA R I E S

EAST COAST PREMIERE

WORLD PREMIERE

USA / 2017 / 84 minutes

TO A MORE THIS IS TO THE EDGE LGBTQ FOC US PERFECT EVERYTHING: OF THE SKY UNION: Gigi Gorgeous Directed by Todd Wider LGBTQ FOC US U.S. V. Windsor and Jedd Wider Directed by Barbara Kopple

Upstate Films II RHINEBECK

USA / 2017 / 91 minutes

THANK YOU FOR COMING Directed by Sara Lamm

Fri Oct 13  1:00pm

Bearsville Theater WOODSTOCK

Sat Oct 14  6:00pm

BUY TICKETS

Upon discovering as an adult that she was conceived by sperm donation, documentary filmmaker Sara Lamm embarks on a genealogical quest to uncover the truth of her parentage. Thank You For Coming follows her pursuit of her biological father, and eleven years, twelve DNA tests and 900 sixth-cousins later, she’s finally uncovering some answers. Through an online registry for donor-conceived people, she meets Jennifer — a woman conceived at the same clinic, in the same year, who shares Sara’s seasonal allergies. Imbued with hope, Sara journeys across the ocean to Hawaii to meet Jennifer and compare the results of their DNA test. From there, new revelations and new relationships begin to emerge. Moving, thoughtful and sometimes hilarious, Thank You For Coming is carried by the buoyant optimism of its filmmaker, whose journey is urged forward by her newfound friends and family, simultaneously becoming a meditation on love and loss. – Colton Cox Q&A PARTICIPANT: Sara Lamm

2017 WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL

Bearsville Theater WOODSTOCK

Thur Oct 12  8:30pm

Rosendale Theatre

Fri Oct 13  3:30pm

BUY TICKETS

This is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous portrays the intimate journey of Gigi Lazzarato, a fearless young woman who began life as Gregory Lazzarato, posting beauty and fashion videos to YouTube from his bedroom, only to later come out as a transgender female to an audience of millions. With never-before-seen personal footage, the film provides a raw and revealing look into a life that never compromises happiness, and spotlights a family’s unwavering and unconditional love for a child. Q&A PARTICIPANT: Barbara Kopple

Directed by Donna Zaccaro

USA / 2017 / 121 minutes

USA / 2017 / 63 minutes

Bearsville Theater WOODSTOCK

Sat Oct 14  4:00pm

Upstate Films II RHINEBECK

Sun Oct 15  1:15pm

BUY TICKETS

To A More Perfect Union: U.S. v Windsor tells a story of love, marriage and a fight for equality. The film chronicles unlikely heroes — octogenarian Edie Windsor and her attorney, Roberta Kaplan, on their quest for justice: Upon the death of her spouse, Edie had been forced to pay a huge estate tax because the federal government denied federal benefits to same-sex couples — and Edie’s spouse was a woman. Deeply offended by this disregard for her more than forty-year relationship with the love of her life, Edie decided to sue the United States government — and won. Beyond the story of this pivotal case in the marriage equality movement and the compelling personal, legal and political stories behind it, the film also tells the important story of our continued journey as a people, as a culture, and as citizens with equal rights.

Thur Oct 12  3:00pm

Upstate Films II Rhinebeck

Fri Oct 13  8:45pm

BUY TICKETS

To the Edge of the Sky is about the heroic and inspirational battle of four American mothers whose sons are diagnosed with the degenerative Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a fatal disease and the number one genetic killer of boys, as they fight the FDA to gain access to a potentially life-saving drug. The film intimately records the transformation of these four mothers into the country’s leading political activists pushing the government to allow access to a drug that may help save their sons’ lives and the children of hundreds of other parents. Their story of unrelenting strength in the face of institutional adversity shows us that change is possible if you are willing to fight for it. This is a film about the power of courage, hope against all odds and the unbreakable bond between parent and child. Q&A PARTICIPANTS: Jedd Wider, Todd Wider, Brian Ariotti

Edie Windsor passed away on September 12, 2017. May her memory and her fight for LGBTQ rights live forever. Q&A PARTICIPANT: Donna Zaccaro

All events are subject to change. For latest updates, visit

w w w. Wo o d s t o c k F i l m F e s t i v a l . o r g

S H O RT S Rosendale Theatre  Thur Oct 12  7:30pm Bearsville Theater WOODSTOCK  Sun Oct 15  11:30am

ANIMATION WITH JOY + NOELLE Runtime: 65 minutes + Q&A BUY TICKETS

FOR MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY

An Exquisite Task

Hi Stranger

Directed by Beck Underwood USA / 2017 / 4:45 minutes Some of the most difficult tasks in life can also be the most exquisite.

How to have a Romantic Date – Cartoon Box #4

In Winter

Directed by Joost Lieuwma The Netherlands / 2017 / 0:22 minutes A woman and a man are having a date. This will be a night that they remember for a very long time.

Cee Cee and the ExCalibahhh

Cop Dog

Directed by Bill Plympton USA / 2017 / 5:37 minutes Our plucky hero has a new occupation: patrolling our airports sniffing for illegal drugs.

Delicatessen Directed by Fenglin Chens USA / 2017 / 4:40 minutes

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago A romantic relationship blossoms between a man and a woman when they first meet in a delicatessen.

Directed by Tingting Liu China/ USA / 2017 / 4:38 minutes First Bloom tells the story of the budding love between a eunuch servant and a princess in ancient China.

Directed by Joy Buran and Noelle Melody USA / 2017 / 2:50 minutes School of Visual Arts An animated music video based on the Norse mythology of Skadi and Njord.

KCLOC

Directed by Joy Buran and Noelle Melody USA / 2017 / 1:26 minutes That time Cee Cee bought a sex toy called The Ex-Calibahhh. Based on a true story.

First Bloom

Directed by Kirsten Lepore USA / 2017 / 2:45 minutes This short breaks the fourth wall in an uncomfortable, yet hilarious way.

Directed by Ninaad Kulkarni

School of Visual Arts USA / 2017 / 2:50 minutes A 3D animated documentary on people’s perceptions of time.

Outside Hearing In

Directed by Dylan Reitz, Savannah Winchester USA / 2016 / 7:05 minutes Calvin discovers his ability to hear the soundtracks of lives far beyond his own doorstep.

The Realm of Deepest Knowing

Directed by Seung Hee Kim South Korea / 2017 / 3:30 minutes During a struggle. one digs beneath the surface of the other to reach the deepest place of his heart.

The Talk: True Stories About the Birds and the Bees

Directed by Alain Delannoy Canada / 2016 / 8:50 minutes There are things in life you never forget. One of them, like it or not, is The Talk.

Wednesday with Goddard

Directed by Nicolas Ménard UK / 2016 / 4:30 minutes A personal quest for spiritual enlightenment leads to romance and despair.

Pittari

Directed by Patrick Smith USA / 2017 / 4 minutes Satan’s boulder busting destruction is halted by a stubborn foe, who is testing his shape shifting abilities.

Portlandia: Squirrels

Directed by Rob Shaw USA / 2016 / 3:43 minutes The Portlandia Rats are back! Once more featuring the voices of Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein.

All events are subject to change. For latest updates, visit

w w w. Wo o d s t o c k F i l m F e s t i v a l . o r g

WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL 2017

S H O RT S BEDLAM

Runtime: 66 minutes + Q&A

Cocked and Locked Directed by Merav Elbaz USA / 2016 / 8 minutes

Community Center WOODSTOCK  Fri Oct 13  7:00pm  Sat Oct 14  3:30pm EAST COAST PREMIERE

In Hebrew with subtitles

An Israeli soldier learns that power is just an illusion.

Good Guys With Guns

EAST COAST PREMIERE

Two robbers try to hold up a gas station, but they face an unexpected situation.

Directed by Alexey Belkin Russia / 2017 / 5:40 minutes In Russian with subtitles

Directed by Willy Berliner USA / 2017 / 12:30 minutes

Columbia University A man finds a family of strangers in his house and has an extremely difficult time asking them to leave.

EAST COAST PREMIERE

Tobes

Directed by Kim Hardy UK / 2017 / 3:45 minutes High stakes drama in the world of finance unfolds, as our hapless hero, Tobes, struggles with the consequences of a terrible mistake.

US PREMIERE

American Film Institute Bass Reeves is the greatest hero of the Old West you’ve never heard of.

New York University On a dark night in 1955, a Mississippi preacher tries to protect his 14 year-old nephew, Emmett Till from two racist killers out for blood.

Crick in the Holler

Directed by Ariel Kavoussi USA / 2017 / 21:30 minutes A comedy about loneliness and love.

BUY TICKETS

My Nephew Emmett

Runtime: 55 minutes + Q&A FOR MATURE AUDIENCES

NEW YORK PREMIERE

A quest for traditional music and folklore takes the audience on a wondrous journey through beautiful Russian landscapes. It might just be, all about that tea.

Lawman

DETERMINATION

The Poet and the Professor

Community Center WOODSTOCK  Sat Oct 14  8:00pm  Sun Oct 15  1:45pm

NEW YORK PREMIERE

Directed by Matthew Gentile USA / 2017 / 13 minutes

EAST COAST PREMIERE

Oh Dusya, my Marusya

I’m in Here

Runtime: 60 minutes + Q&A

Directed by Maxime Pillonel Switzerland / 2016 / 9:25 minutes

FOR MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY

In French with subtitles

Directed by Jordan Ancel USA / 2017 / 5:00 minutes In an armed America, how do you know who the good guys are?

CONFLICT

Martien

BUY TICKETS

Directed by Kevin Wilson, Jr. USA / 2017 / 19:25 minutes

EAST COAST PREMIERE

The Pain Body

Directed by Gerson Oratmangoen The Netherlands / 2016 / 11.45 minutes In Dutch with subtitles

A short mosaic about three young lives that collide.

TV in the Fish Tail

Directed by Iesh Thapar USA, India, UK / 2017 / 13:30 minutes In Hindi with subtitles Columbia University

An adolescent boy faces his darkest hour amidst his most exciting. BUY TICKETS

Community Center WOODSTOCK  Sat Oct 14  10:00pm  Sun Oct 15  3:45pm WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by Ursula Ellis USA / 2017 / 17:45 minutes Columbia University The crisis that divides can bring us closer together.

2017 WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL

(le) Rebound

EAST COAST PREMIERE

Directed by Laura Beckner USA, France, Germany / 2017 / 19 minutes In English, and French, with subtitles A semi-French film, where the pursuit of pleasure is full of left turns.

Modern Houses

EAST COAST PREMIERE

Directed by Matthew Dixon USA / 2016 / 17:53 minutes A star architect hears the whisper that every artists fear.

All events are subject to change. For latest updates, visit

w w w. Wo o d s t o c k F i l m F e s t i v a l . o r g

S H O RT S

GROWING UP

Runtime: 69 minutes + Q&A

Daykwon

Community Center WOODSTOCK  Sat Oct 14  5:45pm  Sun Oct 15  11:30am WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by Patrick Letterii USA / 2017 / 8:48 minutes An arrogant, charismatic teenage boy goes to his first big audition and meets his match.

It’s Just a Gun Directed by Brian Robau USA / 2016 / 13:35 minutes

Chapman University When Gabe finds a .38 revolver, a series of events are set in motion that will change his life.

RESOLUTIONS Runtime: 65 minutes + Q&A

BUY TICKETS

Kalb

The Language of Ball

NEW YORK PREMIERE

Directed by Ramón Rodríguez USA / 2017 / 8:45 minutes A lonely teenager, new to the city, is forced out of his comfort zone on the basketball court.

Community Center WOODSTOCK  Fri Oct 13  2:15pm  Sat Oct 14  1:15pm

Directed by Michael Sládek USA / 2017 / 14:12 minutes A desperate couple navigates more than rough waters on a doomed kayaking trip.

Directed by John Sheedy Australia / 2017 / 16:30 minutes Tom loves to wear dresses. This causes problems in his new school.

NEW YORK PREMIERE

EAST COAST PREMIERE

Proxy

Directed by Eric Schuman USA / 2016 / 14 minutes A sick girl makes a lonely boy question his world.

BUY TICKETS

EAST COAST PREMIERE

WORLD PREMIERE

All Against the Sea

Mrs McCutcheon

Directed by Franz Quitt Austria / 2017 / 7 minutes A short film about the work ritual of a tyrolean farm boy and his grandfather.

US PREMIERE

The Foster Portfolio

Directed by Danielle Katvan USA / 2016 / 19 minutes Based on the short story by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

Center WOODSTOCK SHORT DOCS I Community  Fri Oct 13  4:30

New Year’s Eve at Sunny’s

Resolutions

Directed by Bob Giraldi USA / 2016 / 16:45 minutes A young man returning from the Vietnam War finds salvation in a woman he meets on New Year’s Eve.

Directed by Tamara Fisch USA / 2017 / 14:45 minutes As the clock counts down to midnight on New Year’s Eve, Frankie learns something that changes everything.

BUY TICKETS

Runtime: 80 minutes + Q&A

Upstate Films I RHINEBECK  Sat Oct 14  9:15pm

Knife Skills

NEW YORK PREMIERE

All events are subject to change. For latest updates, visit

Directed by Thomas Lennon USA / 2017 / 40 minutes A film about re-entry, second chances, and the healing power of fine food.

Mott Haven

Directed by Kyle Morrison USA / 2017 / 23 minutes Students of a ‘second chance’ high school in the Bronx, cope with grief, overcome obstacles and work towards graduating high school in a district where 49% of kids live below the poverty line.

w w w. Wo o d s t o c k F i l m F e s t i v a l . o r g

The Tables

Directed by Jon Bunning USA / 2017 / 15 minutes Rain or shine, they’ll be there.

WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL 2017

S H O RT S

SHORT DOCS 2 Runtime: 67 minutes + Q&A

Community Center WOODSTOCK  Fri Oct 13  9:15pm  Sun Oct 15  5:45pm

BUY TICKETS NEW YORK PREMIERE

WORLD PREMIERE

American Psychosis

Directed by Amanda Zackem USA / 2016 / 14:45 minutes Pulitzer-prize winning Journalist Chris Hedges, discusses modern day consumerism and totalitarian corporate power.

Blackbird

Little Potato

Directed by Paul Spaulding USA / 2017 / 14:01 minutes SUNY New Paltz It’s just a piece of cardboard until it gets into the hands of a puppeteer. Then, it comes to life.

TEEN FILMS

Bearsville Theater WOODSTOCK  Fri Oct 13  5:00pm

The Candidate

WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by Wes Hurley and Nathan Miller USA / 2017 / 13:50 minutes A shourt doc about a gay boy growing up in the Soviet Union, his mail-order-bride mom, and their adventurous escape to America.

Prince of Smoke

Directed by Matthew Gelbi Cuba / 2017 / 24 minutes In Spanish with subtitles

Cuban cigar maker, Hirochi Robaina, fights to preserve a family legacy that is more than 171 years old.

BUY TICKETS

Runtime: 55 minutes + Q&A

Lyric

Santa Woman

Directed by Alex DeRosa USA / 2017 / 4:10 minutes A hand-drawn animated film about a girl’s struggle with depression.

Directed by Tatum Lenberg USA / 2017 / 5:33 minutes Spark Media Project Santa Claus is coming to town and this young woman who just wants to be Santa.

Directed by Zenona Darrow USA / 2017 / 3:40 minutes

Metamorphosis

Sister

Woodstock Day School After a successful fishing trip, two friends cook their meal and try to eat it, only to realize their fish is not actually a fish.

Woodstock Day School After freeing himself from his cocoon like state, a man goes on to live a life of work and heartbreak.

Home Schooled A tween alien on the run finds sisterhood in a small town in upstate New York.

Directed by Parvati Santos USA / 2016 / 13:23 minutes The intricacies of a student government election.

Fishing

It Takes A Village

Directed by AJ Opuiyos USA / 2017 / 9:56 minutes In Spanish, with subtitles

Spark Media Project When the air and water of a village are threatened by a mining company, will people pull together for the greater good.

Directed by Hudson Perrin USA / 2017 / minutes

Pigeonhood

Directed by Partho Gupte India / 2016 / 5 minutes A film about the life cycle of a little pigeon.

Directed by Benny Rendell USA / 2017 / 15:43 minutes

The Raven

Directed by Zack Gibson USA / 2016 / 5 minutes A boy is haunted by the memories of his ex-girlfriend.

FILM CAREER DAY

Onteora High School Fri Oct 13  8:00am - 2:00pm

YOUTH ANITIATIVE

Each year over 150 students from schools throughout the region gather at Onteora High School in Boiceville for Career Day, where students meet with A-list film industry professionals in small groups, ask questions and learn about careers in film and new media. In addition to conversations with leading authorities on filmmaking, students are also treated to a film screening, which is followed by a Q&A session with the filmmakers.

2017 WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL

All events are subject to change. For latest updates, visit

w w w. Wo o d s t o c k F i l m F e s t i v a l . o r g

MUSIC VIDEOS ONLINE

GLOBES

140 Characters

Directed by Dean Winkler, Maureen Nappi and Donald S. Butler USA / 2017 / 5:35 minutes What happened to the future we were promised?

Shirley House

www.vimeo.com/216741804

BREAKIN’ POINT

GRAVITY

Directed by HochR Norway / 2016 / 4:14 minutes Left in the middle of nowhere, a forlorn human is up against his very own self-preservation.

Directed by Meghan McKnight and Maisie Jacobson USA / 2016 / 4:19 minutes A music video for Amelia Curran

https://youtu.be/vulyzQ6kXKU

DID YOU REALLY SAY NO Directed by Oren Lavie Israel / 2017 / 4:18 minutes A man and a woman are lost in a house too big for the size h t t p s : / / y o u t u . b e / S a K 4 t 6 h K K O 4 of their love, and haunted by the ghosts of their relationship.

Exquisite Corps

Directed by Stephen Mlinarcik USA / 2016 / 4:19 minutes Lonesome runaways attempt to elude their fate in a storybook world that is out to bring them to justice.

www. vimeo.com/158634032

MAGNETIC

w w w. v i m e o . c o m / 1 7 1 7 4 3 5 0 1

Mira Wunder

w w w. v i m e o . c o m / 2 1 6 6 6 5 0 0 2

Directed by Jonathan Chong Australia / 2016 / 3:45 minutes “He, She” questions the importance of gender roles in American culture and how they affect the outcomes of people’s individual lives through an experimental lens.

www.vimeo.com/185891294

METEORA Moostroo

FIRES

A Life is Better Blonde

Directed by Natalie Erika James, Benjamin Morgan USA / 2017 / 3:29 minutes https://vimeo.com/205974097 Consumed by virtual reality set in the 1950s, a player transcends the rules of the game.

GETTING OLDER

Retail Space

Directed by Judith C Posey USA / 2016 / 4:45 minutes Hit pause on life, and enjoy the fullness of a summer day.

The Whiskey Hollow

Dan Sultan

FAWN

Directed by Anuk Rohde Germany / 2017 / 3:39 minutes Shot in a miscanthus field in Germany, this music video is centered around the theme of the mother daughter relationship.

https://youtu.be/zpSAjO5Meyg

HUDSON HILL

Oren Lavie

Directed by Mitchell Rose USA / 2016 / 5:49 minutes 42 American contemporary choreographers link together on a chain love letter to dance.

https://youtu.be/b147QakJjQ8

Amelia Curran

Peter Bjorn and John

Directed by Tina Romero USA / 2016 / 3:58 minutes A non-narrative music video for shot in Brooklyn, NYC.

Directed by Francesco Pontiggia Italy / 2017 / 3:58 minutes A story of freedom and constraint in flesh, plasticine and stop-motion.

https://youtu.be/SsNyPn4NG68

TERROR

Steady Holiday

Joseph Armario USA / 2017 / 4:54 minutes While cleaning her house, a woman finds a creature living in her couch that will not die.

www.vimeo.com/206268037

https://vimeo.com/154455435

All events are subject to change. For latest updates, visit

w w w. Wo o d s t o c k F i l m F e s t i v a l . o r g

WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL 2017

PA N E L S CHAT WITH HONORARY TRAILBLAZER AWARD RECIPIENT

SHEP GORDON

CHAT WITH HONORARY MAVERICK AWARD RECIPIENT

Kleinert/James Center  Sat Oct 14  10:00am

SUSAN SARANDON

Kleinert/James Center  Sat Oct 14  12:00pm BUY TICKETS

BUY TICKETS

Join Susan Sarandon as she talks about her acting career, life and what she thinks about being named one of the new faces of L’Oreal in 2016, at age 70.

photo by Austin Hargrave

Come hear this year’s honorary Trailblazer Award recipient, Shep Gordon, as he chats about his legendary career as music manager, film producer and culinary arts visionary.

HOSTED BY

Ed Gerrard is a co-founder of Impact Artist Management and has supervised music for over 30 feature films. He won the 2017 Grammy Award for music supervision and for producing the soundtrack for the feature film Miles Ahead, starring Don Cheadle. Gerrard began his entertainment career some 30 years ago working as an apprentice to legendary music manager and film producer Shep Gordon. Ed became the first in-house music supervisor at Gordon’s Alive Pictures, finding key music for Gordon’s films and forming the beginnings of longstanding relationships with a slew of Hollywood directors, including Wes Craven, for whom he supervised music for over 10 films, including the Scream trilogy.

Shep Gordon, named one of the 100

most influential people in Rolling Stone magazine and the subject of Mike Myers 2013 hit documentary Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon, launched one of the first independent film companies and film distributors, Alive Pictures/Island Alive, managed such musicians as Alice Cooper, Teddy Pendergrass and Luther Vandross, and sparked the celebrity chef phenomenon, representing the likes of Emeril Lagasse, Wolfgang Puck, Nobu, and Daniel Boulud. He is known in the entertainment industry as having an eye for talent and an innate understanding of what people find entertaining. Island Alive distributed such films as Stop Making Sense, Koyaanisqatsi, The Whales of August, and Ridley Scott’s first film The Duelist¸ winner of the Cannes Film Festival. In all, Gordon has produced or executive produced 23 films, including Kiss of the Spider Woman, A Time of Destiny, Prince of Darkness, People Under the Stairs, and Shocker. Gordon has managed the careers of such diverse talents as Groucho Marx, Raquel Welch, Kenny Loggins, and countless others, and is credited as creating the celebrity chef, turning culinary arts into a multibillion-dollar industry. In addition to the impact he’s had on music, film and food, he is known for his philanthropic endeavors and sits on the board of the Tibet Fund for His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

2017 WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL

HOSTED BY

Griffin Dunne is an accomplished actor, director and producer. Dunne’s recent feature film credits include War Machine, starring Brad Pitt and Tilda Swinton, and Dallas Buyers Club, starring Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto. Dunne’s feature film directorial debut was 1997’s Addicted to Love, starring Meg Ryan and Matthew Broderick, which he followed one year later with Practical Magic , starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman. On television, Dunne can currently be seen on Jill Soloway’s new Amazon series I Love Dick, starring opposite Kevin Bacon and Kathryn Hahn. Previously, he recurred on the Showtime series House of Lies, playing opposite Don Cheadle and Kristen Bell, and the Fox series Red Band Society , opposite Octavia Spencer. In 2015, he completed a series long arc on WGN's Manhattan. ”

“

”

“

”

Susan Sarandon, known for her award-winning performances in such iconic films as Atlantic City, Thelma & Louise, Lorenzo’s Oil, and The Client, brings a unique presence to every role. From her fearless portrayal of Annie Savoy in Bull Durham to her Academy Award® and SAG® Awardwinning role as Sister Helen in Dead Man Walking, the hard-working veteran’s film work as actor and producer echoes through the industry. Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story, executive produced by Sarandon, is screening at the 2017 festival. Sarandon’s extracurricular life includes work with human rights organizations, social justice advocacy, including a 2006 Action Against Hunger award for her work as UNICEF goodwill ambassador, and advocate for victims of hunger and HIV/AIDS. In 2016, Cannes Film Festival awarded Sarandon, along with Geena Davis, the Women in Motion Picture Award for their contributions to the film industry and women’s rights. Recently seen as Bette Davis in Feud: Bette & Joan, upcoming projects include the current season of Showtime’s Ray Donovan, The Death & Life of John F. Donovan, and Going Places, with John Turturro, Bobby Cannavale and Audrey Tautou. Sarandon was named as one of the new faces of L’Oreal in 2016.

All events are subject to change. For latest updates, visit

w w w. Wo o d s t o c k F i l m F e s t i v a l . o r g

PA N E L S

THROUGH THEIR LENS

Kleinert/James Center  Sat Oct 14  2:00pm BUY TICKETS

THE AMERICAN CONDITION

Do the arts have a responsibility to society? In the current climate, as arts’ funding undergoes greater scrutiny, the purpose and function (if any) of art becomes ever more significant. Documentary films provide a lens through which audiences come face-to-face with all kinds of people in a variety of circumstances; films illuminating such issues as racial discrimination, inequality in education, voter rights, clean energy, same sex marriage, medical marijuana, gender equality, community organizing — all subjects of concern in America today. In this panel, top-notch documentarians come together to discuss their role in making films that help define the American Condition: the values, hopes, struggles, and victories of citizens all across the country.

MODERATOR: Nancy Abraham is Senior Vice President of Documentary Programming for Home Box Office. She is responsible for the development and production of HBO Documentary Films that have garnered numerous awards over the years including Primetime Emmy Awards, News and Documentary Emmy Awards, George Foster Peabody Awards, the Alfred I. DuPont Award and the Academy Award. Prior to joining the documentary division in 1995, Abraham was director of film acquisition for HBO, acquiring feature films and other programs for HBO8s international channels, and she spent three years in Budapest as Director of Programming for HBO Hungary. Prior to that, Abraham worked at Bravo Cable Network in both acquisition and production capacities. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Vassar College where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and attended Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.

Nancy Abraham Moderator

PANELISTS

Richard Rowley is an Academy Award-nominated director and Sundance Film Festival winning cinematographer, with 19 years experience producing and directing and 23 years shooting for screen and television. His documentary feature Dirty Wars pioneered a fusion of nonfiction reportage and dramatic narrative storytelling, winning him dozens of festival awards and an Academy Award nomination. His other theatrically released documentary features have been honored at scores of festivals around the world, from Berlin to Sundance. Rowley has directed, produced and filmed dozens of television documentaries for Channel 4, BBC, Canal +, ZDF, ARD, CBC, PBS, CNN International, Al Jazeera, and others. Recently, he was lead cinematographer for Showtime’s climate change series, Years of Living Dangerously, and one of the directors of EPIX’s America Divided.

Jamie Redford writes,

produces and directs for film and television. Prior to completing Happening: A Clean Energy Revolution for HBO, Jamies’ other HBO films included Toxic Hot Seat, The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia, Mann v. Ford, and The Kindness of Strangers. While completing Happening, Jamie traveled the world as an American Film Showcase ambassador with his two award-winning documentary films, Resilience: the Biology of Stress and the Science of Hope and Paper Tigers. Jamie, along with his father Robert Redford, co-founded and currently chairs The Redford Center, a nonprofit media entity that engages people through inspiring stories that galvanize environmental action.

Bob Herbert is the director and executive editor of Against All Odds: The Fight for a Black Middle Class. He is the author of Losing Our Way: An Intimate Portrait of a Troubled America, published by Doubleday, and the moderator of Bob Herbert’s OP-ED.TV, a weekly interview program on CUNY-TV. For nearly 20 years, Herbert was an oped columnist for The New York Times, writing about politics, urban affairs and social trends. Previously, he worked at The Daily News as general assignment reporter, national correspondent, consumer affairs editor, city hall bureau chief, and city editor before he became a columnist and a member of the Editorial Board. In addition to newspaper work, Herbert was a national correspondent for NBC News. He has won numerous awards, including the American Society of Newspaper Editors award for distinguished newspaper writing and the Ridenhour Courage Prize for ˝the fearless articulation of unpopular truths .˝

All events are subject to change. For latest updates, visit

w w w. Wo o d s t o c k F i l m F e s t i v a l . o r g

Sam Pollard is an

award-winning filmmaker whose work spans almost 30 years. He received an Emmy in 1989 for an episode of Eyes On The Prize II: America at the Racial Crossroads. Eight years later, his documentary series, I’ll Make Me A World: Stories of African-American Artists and Community, received a Peabody. Between 1990 and 2010, Pollard edited Spike Lee’s Mo’ Better Blues, Jungle Fever, Girl 6, Clockers, and Bamboozled. Pollard and Lee also co-produced a number of documentary productions for both small and big screen, including Spike Lee Presents Mike Tyson, which earned Pollard an Emmy. Other prestigious films include Four Little Girls, about the 1963 Birmingham church bombings, When The Levees Broke, a series that won a Peabody and three Emmys, Slavery By Another Name, August Wilson: The Ground On Which I Stand, Two Trains Runnin’, and The Talk: Race in America. His most recent is Sammy Davis Jr.,: I've Gotta Be Me.

Richard Rowley

“

”

Jamie Redford

Bob Herbert

“

”

“

Sam Pollard

WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL 2017

PA N E L S

MUSIC IN FILM

Kleinert/James Center  Sat Oct 14 4:00pm BUY TICKETS

CASE STUDY: A SYMPHONY OF HOPE

SPONSORED BY

A conversation between the principal creators of A Symphony of Hope — the music and the film.

MODERATOR: Doreen Ringer Ross is Vice President Film, TV & Visual Media Relations at Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), where she directs all activities serving composers for screen. She has established key programs for composers, including the Sundance Composer’s Lab and the BMI Film/TV Composers Conducting Workshop. She oversees BMI’s film scoring scholarships at USC, UCLA and Berklee College of Music, and has created artist development platforms with the Sundance Film Festival, IFP Filmmaker Labs, IFP Filmmakers Conference, Los Angeles Film Festival, SXSW Film Festival, and the Woodstock Film Festival. Ringer-Ross serves as Vice Chairman of the Board for The Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, is a member of the Peabody Awards Board, Advisory Board of the American Youth Symphony, Advisory Board for the IFP Filmmaker Labs, and is on the Board of the World Soundtrack Award.

On January 12, 2010, a powerful earthquake devastated Haiti, killing and injuring hundreds of thousands and leaving even more homeless. Christopher Lennertz, inspired by his friendship with Hands Together founders Father Tom Hagan and Doug Campbell, thought to use music to reignite hope. Lennertz conceived of a unique collaborative process: starting with a Haitian folk theme, 25 of Hollywood’s most award-winning composers wrote symphonic sections sequentially, like a musical chainletter, to tell the story of the tragedy, its horrible aftermath and the ongoing relief and recovery efforts. Documentary filmmaker Brian Weidling wove together the tragic events, the creative compassion of the Los Angeles musical community, and a story of hope through music in Haiti’s poorest slum, to bring to the screen the remarkable story of A Symphony of Hope.

PANELISTS

Christopher Lennertz:

Star Wars, Van Halen, and Bye Bye Birdie may be responsible for his love for movies, music and musical theater, but a chance meeting with Henry Mancini in college changed Christopher Lennertz’s life forever. Impressed by Mancini’s ability to compose and produce for any genre, Lennertz modeled his career to be similarly diverse. This eclectic ability has become his signature. Lennertz has written music for some of the greatest storytellers: futuristic dystopian Americana for J.J. Abrams’ Revolution; the lush orchestral melodies of Steven Spielberg’s Medal of Honor series; stark, out-oftune gospel piano for Thanks for Sharing; the powerful urban hip hop defining Ice Cube’s tough-as-nails cop in Ride Along; even soaring heroics for a hot dog saving the world in Seth Rogen’s Sausage Party. Working with writer/producer Eric Kripke led to an Emmy nomination for the cult hit Supernatural, and he earned a Grammy for his arrangements on Ozomatli’s Street Signs. Lennertz is one of the most important composers in Hollywood today.

Lucas Richman: Grammy

Award-winning conductor/composer Lucas Richman has served as Music Director for the Bangor Symphony Orchestra since 2010, and held the position as Music Director for the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra from 2003-2015. He has appeared as guest conductor with numerous orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Oslo Philharmonic, and the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. As a composer, Richman’s music has been performed by over two hundred orchestras across the United States, including the New York Philharmonic and Boston Pops. He has fulfilled commissions for numerous organizations, including the symphonies of Pittsburgh, San Diego and Knoxville. 2015 saw the Albany Records' release of a critically-acclaimed CD featuring the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra performing three compositions, including his Concerto for Piano and Orchestra: In Truth. ”

Brian Weidling: While a student at Emerson College, Brian Weidling created an award-winning documentary on the 1970 Kent State Shootings. His professional career began at Mutual Film Company on such critically acclaimed films as Hard Rain, The Jackal, Saving Private Ryan, and The Truman Show, and Direct Cinema Limited, which distributed numerous Oscar and Emmy award winning documentaries. Weidling produced and directed The GoalClaudio Reyna, following the captain of the US men’s soccer team’s 2002 ascent to the World Cup All Star Team that Sports Illustrated called a ‘soccer nut’s dream.’ His company Tumbleweed Entertainment has generated over 700 animatics for major companies. In 2007, he co-created Go Green for Discovery Channel’s eco-channel, and a similar series for the Sierra Club in 2008. Most recently, Weidling directed A Symphony of Hope, and is currently in production on Cashel: 21 and Counting, about a boy who has lived his entire life in bed because of a genetic disorder ”

”

Christopher Scott “Chris” Brooks: Music producer, edi-

tor, author, and film educator, Brooks is best known for his work with composer Michael Kamen. Beginning with the iconic Lethal Weapon, he forged a 25-year relationship with Kamen, editing and producing the scores for such Hollywood blockbusters as Die Hard (and sequels), Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Don Juan DeMarco, The Three Musketeers, and Mr. Holland’s Opus, for which he won the MPSE Golden Reel Award for music editing. Brooks early work includes many critically acclaimed films, with Scorcese’s Goodfellas at the top. Relationships with directors Francis Ford Coppola, Michael Mann, Richard Donner, and John Waters, and composers Randy Newman, Elliot Goldenthal and Thomas Dolby, fill his resume. He continues to work with some of the finest talents in the business, including Rob Reiner, Werner Herzog, Alan Menken, and Marc Shaiman. His latest projects include Rebecca Miller’s HBO documentary Arthur Miller: Writer and the Netflix feature Our Souls at Night,starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda.

Christopher Lennertz

Lucas Richman

Brian Weidling

Christopher Scott

2017 WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL

All events are subject to change. For latest updates, visit

w w w. Wo o d s t o c k F i l m F e s t i v a l . o r g

PA N E L S

ACTORS DIALOGUE Join this year’s Woodstock Film Festival’s Excellence in Acting honoree as he chats about his work in some of America’s most diverse and and interesting films.

Moderator

Martha Frankel is the

Executive Director of Woodstock Bookfest, the host of Woodstock Booktalk, celebrity interviewer, and published novelist.

Kleinert/James Center  Sun Oct 15  10:00am BUY TICKETS

PANELIST:

Bill Pullman,

2017 Woodstock Film Festival Excellence in Acting honoree, stars in the The Ballad of Lefty Brown, screening at the festival, and can also be seen in festival alumni Alex and Andrew Smith’s Walking Out, Fox’s Battle of the Sexes, and Electric Entertainment’s LBJ. Additionally, he can currently be seen on the hit USA television show The Sinner, this summer’s highest rated program. Pullman is most known for his role as President Thomas J. Whitmore in Independence Day, as well as his role as Lone Starr in Spaceballs. Additional movie credits include Trouble, Independence Day: Resurgence, The Equalizer, Surveillance, The Cove, Bottle Shock, Scary Movie 4, The Grudge, While You Were Sleeping, The Last Seduction, Mr. Jones, Malice, Sleepless In Seattle, A League Of Their Own, Newsies, Ruthless People, and Lost Highway. Additional television credits include 1600 Penn, Torchwood and Revelations.

CHAT WITH CLOSING NIGHT FILM DIRECTOR

REBECCA MILLER

Kleinert/James Center  Sun Oct 15  12:00pm BUY TICKETS

Join Rebecca Miller, director of this year’s Closing Night Film Arthur Miller: Writer, as she talks about making a film about her father and her own life as a filmmaker.

Rebecca Miller has

Hosted by

Logan Hill writes frequently

about arts and culture for many of the world’s best media outlets, including The New York Times, New York Magazine, Wired, Rolling Stone, Cosmopolitan, GQ, Esquire, Businessweek, and This American Life. When he’s not writing, he reviews films on the TV show Talking Pictures on Demand. He is also the host of the new TimesTalks monthly screening series Screen Times.

ASK THE PRODUCER

written and directed six feature films: Angela, winner of the Sundance Film Festival Filmmakers Trophy and Cinematography Award, and the Gotham Award; Personal Velocity, winner of the Sundance Grand Jury Prize and Cinematography Award, and the Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award; The Ballad of Jack and Rose, starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Catherine Keener; The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, starring Robin Wright, Alan Arkin and Keanu Reeves; Maggie’s Plan, starring Greta Gerwig, Ethan Hawke and Julianne Moore, and Arthur Miller: Writer, a documentary. Her books Personal Velocity, The Private Lives of Pippa Lee and Jacob’s Folly have been published in over thirty countries.

Kleinert/James Center

 Sun Oct 15  2:00pm

BUY TICKETS

Join some of today’s most accomplished and influential producers as they chat about the current role of a producer, with anecdotes and examples from their own experiences. PANELISTS

William Horberg is a film

producer whose company Wonderful Films is located in Kingston, NY. Among his many producing credits are Searching for Bobby Fischer, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Milk, The Kite Runner, Cold Mountain, The Quiet American, Black Nativity, Disconnect, The Promise, starring Christian Bale and Oscar Isaac, and Crash Pad, starring Domhnall Gleeson, screening at this year’s Woodstock Film Festival. He is currently the chair of the Producers Guild of America East and was previously president of Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, partner with Sydney Pollack and Anthony Minghella at Mirage Productions, and a Senior Vice President at Paramount Pictures.

Anne Carey: As an independent producer, Anne Carey has collaborated with filmmakers Ang Lee, Mike Mills, Bill Condon, Nicole Holofcener, Anton Corbijn, Liz Garbus, and Marielle Heller, among others. A24, Fox Searchlight, Universal Pictures, Sony Picture Classics, Focus Features, Miramax, and HBO have distributed Carey’s films and they have have premiered at all major domestic and international film festivals.

Peter Saraf’s producing

credits include Loving, Three Generations, The Kings of Summer, Me Him Her, Safety Not Guaranteed, Our Idiot Brother, Jack Goes Boating, Sunshine Cleaning, Away We Go, Is Anybody There?, Little Miss Sunshine, Everything Is Illuminated, The Truth About Charlie, Adaptation, Ulee’s Gold, and the feature documentaries Mandela and The Agronomist. He has been nominated for Academy and Golden Globe Awards and has won multiple awards, including the Spirit, Gotham and PGA Awards. He is the co-founder of Big Beach, a New York based independent film production and financing company.

Lee Aronsohn: Television producer Lee Aronsohn is credited for work on shows such as The Love Boat, Murphy Brown, Cybill, and is best known as one of the creative minds behind television’s beloved hit sitcoms Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory. A University of Colorado Alum, Aronsohn traveled back to Boulder for the ﬁrst time in 40 years to tell the story of Magic Music, his ﬁrst feature length documentary.

All events are subject to change. For latest updates, visit

w w w. Wo o d s t o c k F i l m F e s t i v a l . o r g

William Horberg

Anne Carey

Lee Aronsohn

Peter Saraf

WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL 2017

WEDNESDAY

A S P E C I A L C E L E B R AT I O N O F F I L M A N D M U S I C

A LIVE PERFORMANCE TO KICK OFF THE FESTIVAL

October 11 @ 7:00pm Woodstock Playhouse BUY TICKETS

The evening begins with an exceptional live performance by operatic soprano Sarah Joy Miller,

The feature film STUCK will follow the short.

star of the short film

Described as a musical for modern times, Stuck tells the story of six strangers trapped together on a stalled New York City subway car (for details see Narrative Features).

A Hand of Bridge. The film, a micro-opera in which two couples reveal their innermost desires, fears, and fantasies while playing Bridge, co-stars director/tenor David Miller, member of the internationally known band Il Divo, soprano Mary Dunleavy and tenor Ben Davis.

After the Q&A, cast members Giancarlo Esposito, Gerard Canonico and Tim Young will give LIVE PERFORMANCES from the score.

J O I N T H E W O O D S T O C K F I L M F E S T I VA L I N C E L E B R AT I N G

THE 18 TH ANNUAL MAVERICK AWARDS CEREMONY SATURDAY

IN KINGSTON

7:00pm Cocktail party in Gallery 8:00pm Seating for awards begins 9:00pm Award Ceremony with presentations to our honorary recipients and winning filmmakers in the following categories MUSIC COURTESY OF

The Paul Green Rock Academy will

be playing music from the greatest movies ever made (and some mediocre ones, too.) For more about Paul Green, visit www.rockacademy.com All trophies are handcrafted by Steve Heller, a self-taught artist who works in wood, found metal and Cadillacs from the 1950s. Visit Fabulous Furniture in Boiceville or online at www.fabulousfurnitureon28

OTHER AWARDS To be announced, INCLUDING  Gigantic Pictures FEATURE NARRATIVE AWARD  FEATURE DOCUMENTARY AWARD sponsored by Films We Like

photo by Austin Hargrave

October 14 at Backstage Studio Productions



MAVERKICK AWARD

TRAILBLAZER AWARD

SUSAN SHEP SARANDAN GORDON Susan Sarandon, known for her award-winning performances in such iconic films as Atlantic City, Thelma & Louise, Lorenzo’s Oil, and The Client, brings a unique presence to every role. From her fearless portrayal of Annie Savoy in Bull Durham to her Academy Award® and SAG® Award-winning role as Sister Helen in Dead Man Walking, the hard-working veteran’s film work as actor and producer echoes through the industry. Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story, executive produced by Sarandon, is screening at the 2017 festival.

Shep Gordon, named one of the 100 most influential people in Rolling Stone magazine and the subject of Mike Myers 2013 hit documentary Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon, launched one of the first independent film companies and film distributors, Alive Pictures/ Island Alive, managed such musicians as Alice Cooper, Teddy Pendergrass and Luther Vandross, and sparked the celebrity chef phenomenon, representing the likes of Emeril Lagasse, Wolfgang Puck, Nobu, and Daniel Boulud.

EXCELLENCE IN ACTING AWARD

BILL PULLMAN Bill Pullman stars in the Ballad of Lefty Brown, screening at the festival, and can also be seen in festival alumni Alex and Andrew Smith’s Walking Out, Fox’s Battle of the Sexes, and Electric Entertainment’s LBJ. Additionally, he can currently be seen on the hit USA television show The Sinner, this summer’s highest rated program.

(see page 24 for full bio)

(see page 21 for full bio)

2017 WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL

BUY TICKETS

All events are subject to change. For latest updates, visit

w w w. Wo o d s t o c k F i l m F e s t i v a l . o r g

WFF ULTRA INDIE AWARD sponsored by Gray Krauss Sandler Des Rochers and Blackmagic

 

WORLD CINEMA AWARD Gigantic Pictures

BEST NARRATIVE SHORT AWARD Gigantic Pictures BEST STUDENT SHORT AWARD SHORT DOCUMENTARY AWARD sponsored by Films We Like BEST ANIMATED SHORT Haskell Wexler Award for BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY sponsored by Panavision The James Lyons Editing Award for NARRATIVE FEATURE sponsored by Technicolor Postworks NY The James Lyons Editing Award for DOC FEATURE sponsored by Technicolor Postworks NY



 



THE CARPE DIEM ANDRETTA AWARD for living life to it’s fullest honors Vincent “Jay” Andretta III

TICKETS

PRICES

 Tickets ordered online or by phone between September 20 - October 8, WILL BE SHIPPED to the mailing address provided when ordering.  Online and phone orders will be charged a $6.95 shipping & PURCHASING & handling fee. PICKING UP TICKETS  All online and telephone orders placed after October 8 must be Internet Orders www.woodstockfilmfestival.org picked up at the BOX OFFICE at 13 Rock City Road in WoodBox Office Location stock. 13 Rock City Road  Student and senior discounts Woodstock, NY 12498 are available with ID at the Box (Across from the Office. Chamber of Commerce booth)  There are NO REFUNDS or phone 845.810.0131 EXCHANGES on tickets without exception. Box Office Hours  The best way to order tickets September 20 to October 8 and to see updated schedules, Wednesday-Sunday 12-6pm film descriptions and other Closed Mondays and Tuesdays festival information is online at October 11-14 www.woodstockfilmfestival.org 9am-7pm  Access to POST PRODUCTION Open everyday lounge at Center for Photography is complimentary.

October 15 9am-6pm

Please note that all events are subject to change. Check the website to:  Confirm venues and times  Find out what is SOLD OUT  Read updated information about screenings, events and panels

VENUES Pass & ticket holders MUST arrive 15 minutes prior to screenings or panels to guarantee admission. Empty seats will be made available to standby line.

Walk-Up Orders  Tickets for all venues will be available for purchase at the BOX OFFICE a few days prior to online sales.  The Rosendale Theatre and Upstate Films Rhinebeck may have a select number of tickets available for pre-sale. Please contact them directly.

VENUES WOODSTOCK

BEARSVILLE THEATER (films) 261 Tinker Street Woodstock, NY 12498 845.679.4406 www.bearsvilletheater.com

WOODSTOCK ARTISTS ASSOCIATION & MUSEUM (filmmaker lounge)

Telephone Orders

 The BOX OFFICE is manned by dedicated VOLUNTEERS who are simultaneously filling out Internet and walk-up sales. The phones can get very chaotic and they tend to be busy. If you are calling for tickets, please leave a message on our machine and someone will get back to you.  The last day for telephone

orders is October 8. Day of Event

 Tickets are available at the BOX OFFICE until four hours prior to the event. All unsold tickets are then available on the STANDBY line at the screening venue on a CASH ONLY basis.

 Full Festival Passes entitle entry to the Filmmakers’ Lounge.  Full Festival Passes are $750 and can be purchased online or at the BOX OFFICE.  Full Festival Passes are nontransferable and include a picture ID.  Passes must be picked up at Festival Registration at the Woodstock Artists Association & Museum(WAAM). Badge pick-up instructions will be sent after purchase.

 PLEASE leave plenty of time to pick up pre-ordered tickets at the BOX OFFICE or order online by October 8 to receive your tickets by mail.  When planning your festival schedule, please bear in mind that the driving distances from Woodstock to Rosendale and Rhinebeck are 35 minutes; Woodstock to Saugerties is 25 minutes.

All events are subject to change. For latest updates, visit

w w w. Wo o d s t o c k F i l m F e s t i v a l . o r g

WOODSTOCK PLAYHOUSE (films) 103 Mill Hill Rd Woodstock, NY 12498 845.679.69008 www.woodstockplayhouse.org 34 Tinker Street Woodstock, NY 12498 www.woodstockguild.org

WOODSTOCK COMMUNITY CENTER (shorts)

56 Rock City Rd Woodstock, NY 12498 (845) 679-7420 www.woodstockcommunitycenter.org

POST PRODUCTION LOUNGE @CENTER FOR PHOTOGRAPHY 59 Tinker Street Woodstock, NY 12498 www.postnewyork.org

ONTEORA HIGH SCHOOL (career day) 4166 Route 28 Boiceville, NY 12412

KINGSTON

BACKSTAGE STUDIO PRODUCTIONS (Maverick Awards Gala) 323 Wall Street Kingston, NY 12401

RHINEBECK

UPSTATE FILMS RHINEBECK (films)

ROSENDALE

ROSENDALE THEATRE COLLECTIVE (films) 408 Main Street Rosendale, NY 12472 845.658.8989 www.rosendaletheatre.org

SAUGERTIES designed by

 A STANDBY line will form for all shows that have tickets available. Five minutes prior to show time, available tickets will be sold on a CASH ONLY basis. Standby queues form no earlier than one hour prior to any event.

132 Tinker Street Woodstock, NY 12498 845.679.6608 www.upstatefilms.org

6415 Montgomery Street Rhinebeck, NY 12572 866.FILM.NUT www.upstatefilms.org

IMPORTANT DETAILS  Pass and ticket holders MUST arrive 15 minutes prior to screenings or panels to guarantee seating. Empty seats will be sold to those in the standby queue.  NOTE: Tickets ordered online or by phone after October 8 must be picked up at the BOX OFFICE at 13 Rock City Road in Woodstock. These tickets will NOT be sent to the venue.

UPSTATE FILMS WOODSTOCK (films)

KLEINERT/JAMES ART CENTER (panels)

FULL FESTIVAL PASSES

 Full Festival Passes offer the ultimate Woodstock Film Festival experience. A limited number of these passes are offered.  Full Festival Passes include guaranteed admission for the For the most up-to-date passholder to all screenings and information, please visit panels, with priority seating up www.woodstockfilmfestival.org until 15 minutes prior to the event, entry to all parties, plus souvenirs including a commemorative T-shirt, cap and poster.

28 Tinker St Woodstock, NY 12498 845.679.2940 www.woodstockart.org

ORPHEUM THEATER (films) 156 Main Street Saugerties, NY 12477 845.246-6561

WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL 2017

WED 10/11

WOODSTOCK Playhouse

7:00 Stuck follows

A Hand of Bridge

THUR 10/12

Bearsville Theater

1:00 3:00 6:00 8:30

The Last Pig To the Edge of the Sky Nat Bates for Mayor This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous

WOODSTOCK Playhouse

1:00 3:15 6:00 9:00

Infinity Baby Becks OPENING NIGHT FILM The Bachelors

Upstate Films WOODSTOCK

1:00 32 Pills: My Sister’s Suicide 3:30 Girl in Flight 6:00 Don’t Come Back From the

Moon

8:30 Us And Them

ROSENDALE Theatre

Upstate Films RHINEBECK I

7:30 SHORTS: Animation 7:00 My Name is Pedro

S C H E D U L E AT A G L A N C E SAT 10/14 SUN 10/15

FRI 10/13

Bearsville Theater

for a Black Middle Class with Bob Herberk My Name is Pedro SHORTS: Youth Films Happening: A Clean Energy Revolution Mary Janes: The Women of Weed

6:00 Thank You For Coming 8:30 Becoming Who I Was

12:00 Against All Odds- The Fight 2:15 5:00 7:00 9:15

11:30 1:45 4:15 6:45 9:30

WOODSTOCK Playhouse

Revengeance A Symphony of Hope Supermensch Crash Pad The Strange Ones

WOODSTOCK Community Center 2:15 4:30 7:00 9:15

SHORTS: Resolutions SHORTS: Short Docs I SHORTS: Bedlam SHORTS: Short Docs II

Upstate Films WOODSTOCK

10:45 1:15 4:00 6:30 9:00

The Chocolate Case Shingal, Where Are You? Cold November The Light of the Moon The Traveller

Orpheum Theater SAUGERTIES

Bearsville Theater

11:15 Bean 1:30 Roll With Me 4:00 To A More Perfect Union:

U.S. v. Windsor

10:00 PANEL: Chat With Honorary Trailblazer Award Recipient: Shep Gordon 12:00 PANEL: Chat With The Honorary Maverick Award Recipient: Susan Sarandon 2:00 PANEL: Through Their Lenses: The American Condition 4:00 PANEL: Music In Film - Case Study: Symphony Of Hope

Story 4:00 Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me 6:45 Submission 9:30 Last Flag Flying

6:00 Girl in Flight 8:30 A Real Vermeer

October 11

at Woodstock Playhouse

12:30 Submission 3:30 This Is Everything: Gigi

The evening begins with an exceptional live performance by operatic soprano Sarah Joy Miller

TO KICK OFF THE FESTIVAL WEDNESDAY

Followed by the film STUCK with Q&A. Followed by cast members Giancarlo Esposito, Gerard Canonico and Tim Young will give LIVE performances from the score.

ROSENDALE Theatre

at Backstage Studio Productions IN KINGSTON

Upstate Films WOODSTOCK

Kleinert James Art center WOODSTOCK  PANELS

10:00 PANEL: Actor Dialogue 12:00 PANEL: Chat With Closing Night Film Director: Rebecca Miller 2:00 PANEL: Ask The Producer

10:15 11:45 2:15 5:00 7:30

11:30 2:00 4:45 7:00

WOODSTOCK Playhouse

Ram Dass, Going Home Time Trap The Song of Sway Lake What Children Do Arthur Miller: Writer CLOSING NIGHT FILM

Upstate Films WOODSTOCK

The Sounding A Real Vermeer They The Organizer

WOODSTOCK Community Center 11:30 1:45 3:45 5:45

SHORTS: Growing Up SHORTS: Conflict SHORTS: Determination SHORTS: Short Docs II

Orpheum Theater SAUGERTIES

6:00 Nat Bates for Mayor 8:30 Last Flag Flying

Gorgeous

12:30 3:00 5:00 7:45

Upstate Films RHINEBECK I

Orpheum Theater SAUGERTIES

12:00 Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta

12:30 Waterboys 3:15 Roll With Me 5:45 Joan Didion: The Center Will

Not Hold

8:15 Us And Them

1:00 3:30 6:00 8:45

Upstate Films RHINEBECK II

Thank You For Coming Bean La Chana To the Edge of the Sky

MAVERICK AWARDS CEREMONY October 14

SHORTS: Resolutions SHORTS: Bedlam SHORTS: Growing Up SHORTS: Conflict SHORTS: Determination

SHORTS: Animation The Cycle (America Divided) La Chana 40 Years in the Making: The Magic Music Movie

The Rape Of Recy Taylor Waterboys Beauty Mark Holden On The Square

A N N U A L

SATURDAY

WOODSTOCK Community Center

Bearsville Theater

11:30 1:45 4:00 6:30

10:00 12:30 3:00 5:30 8:15

1:00 The Chocolate Case 3:30 Happening: A Clean Energy

Revolution

5:45 What Children Do 8:15 The Cycle (America Divided)

ROSENDALE Theatre

12:30 They 3:00 Revengeance 5:30 Mary Janes: The Women of

Weed 8:00 Infinity Baby

1 8 T H

WOODSTOCK Playhouse

10:30 The Ballad of Lefty Brown 1:30 Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr

1:15 3:30 5:45 8:00 10:00

P E R F O R M A N C E

Kleinert James Art center WOODSTOCK  PANELS

7:00pm: Cocktail party in Gallery 8:00pm: Seating for awards begins 9:00pm: Award Ceremony

Upstate Films RHINEBECK I

1:30 The Sounding 4:00 The Traveller 6:45 Against All Odds- The Fight

for a Black Middle Class with Bob Herbert 9:15 SHORTS: Short Docs I

1:45 4:30 7:00 9:30

Upstate Films RHINEBECK II

Shingal, Where Are You? 32 Pills: My Sister’s Suicide Cold November Stuck follows A Hand of Bridge

A Symphony of Hope The Last Pig Holden On Becoming Who I Was

ROSENDALE Theatre

Be Me

2:45 The Ballad of Lefty Brown 5:45 The Strange Ones

Upstate Films RHINEBECK I

1:00 Light of the Moon 3:30 Becks 6:00 Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr

Story

Upstate Films RHINEBECK II

1:15 To A More Perfect Union:

U.S. v. Windsor

3:45 Beauty Mark 6:15 Don’t Come Back From the

Moon

Please note that all events are subject to change. Check woodstockfilmfestival.org to confirm venues and times

All events are subject to change. For latest updates, visit 27 w w w . W o o d s t wow w. cWo k oFd s it olc km FF ees t isv atl . oir v Film g al.org

2017 WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL

GOLD SPONSORS

SILVER SPONSOR

BRONZE SPONSORS

Access to the POST NY ALLIANCE POST PRODUCTION LOUNGE @ Center for Photography is complimentary Oct 13-15 www.postnewyork.org

SUPPORTING SPONSORS

EVENT SUPPORT

MEDIA SPONSORS STATE SUPPORT The Woodstock Film Festival and Hudson Valley Programmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Group event is made possible in part with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency

FOUNDATION & PRIVATE SUPPORT David Baldwin

Nikola Duravcevic High Rock Charitable Trust Jen Hicks Family Foundation