2015 Woodstock Film Festival program by Woodstock Film Festival

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TAB L E O F C O N TE NT S

“Woodstock is one of our favorite festivals, so we were pretty excited to be invited to illustrate the 2015 poster,” said Noelle Melody. “When I visited the Film Center, we talked about palette and detail ideas, like scratched up stickers with the names of winning feature directors over the years. I invited Joy up for a little Drink and Draw session, meaning we drank a lot of coffee and sketched out the cake.” Posters are available at WFF Box Office and online at www.woodstockfilmfestival.com

CONTACT INFO Woodstock Film Festival, Inc. email: info@woodstockfilmfestival.com website: www.woodstockfilmfestival.com facebook.com/woodstockfilmfestival twitter: woodstkfilmfest instagram.com/woodstockfilmfest

Box Office Location:

13 Rock City Road Woodstock, NY 12498 (Right in the center of town across from the Chamber of Commerce booth and next to two municipal parking lots) phone#: 845-810-0131 email: tickets@woodstockfilmfestival.com For TICKETS and the most up-to-date info including S CHEDULES, added screenings and OTHER EVENTS, visit

www.woodstockfilmfestival.com All information is subject to change.

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Introduction Staff Volunteers Special Thanks Advisory Board

WFF: Year-Round Programming

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About WFF Endorsements About Hudson Valley Film Commission Sponsors

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The official 2015 WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL poster was created by Joy Buran and Noelle Melody.

Awards Awards Jury Narratives Documentaries Shorts Panels Conversations with… Performances Two Mile Map Host Town - Woodstock Host Town - Kingston Host Town - Rosendale Host Town - Saugerties Thirty Mile Map Ticket Information Schedule

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I NTR ODU C T ION

WELCOME TO THE 16TH ANNUAL WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL Time for SWEET SIXTEEN

Natalie Portman, Darren Aronofsky, Meira Blaustein and Jennifer Connelly

Peter Gabriel

Daniel Day-Lewis and Rebecca Miller

Sonny Rollins

It’s hard to believe that the Woodstock Film Festival is turning sixteen. For all of us who never celebrated our Sweet Sixteen (and face it, most of us have not), now is our chance! As the festival gets on in years, we can get younger and more exuberant in spirit. Welcome everyone to the place where the thrill of film, the voices of innovative thinkers, and the visions of artists and explorers abound. After a full year of traveling across the globe, working with filmmakers near and far, scouting and sifting and thinking and rethinking, our team has assembled a program that is as diverse and inclusive in scope as it is exciting and provocative in substance and style. From the Netherlands to Bhutan, from Israel to Australia, from Columbia to Nepal, from Moscow to Havana, from Los Angeles to New York, and from the heartland of America to right here in the Hudson Valley, filmmakers have come to share their creations with us. As I think about the Woodstock Film Festival and what makes it unique, I am reminded of when I visited Bhutan earlier this year to help launch the first Bhutan International Film Festival. I was struck then by how authentic the country was. Thinking about the Woodstock Film Festival now, I believe that what makes it so special is its authenticity. From its genesis back in 1999 to this day, the festival has always been driven by the genuine love of the art of film, the support of independent filmmaking and the familial sense towards the creative and engaged community that it serves. When talented artists collide with art lovers, a fiercely independent film festival is birthed and nurtured. Sixteen years later, the festival still maintains its true, fiercely independent nature and, in part, it’s because it has never let go of the fortitude with which it was first created. And we plan to sustain that spirit for many more years. The Woodstock Film Festival has certainly grown over the past 16 years, and I’m thrilled to be expanding its international reach, adding a foreign cinema competition award this year. Our world has become so expansive and we have increasingly become citizens of the world. It is only fitting that the Woodstock Film Festival embrace that global spirit and bring to its fold outstanding films and filmmakers from many cultures, religions and nations. As the festival begins, I invite you to join me in welcoming the hundreds of filmmakers and artists who will converge in the Hudson Valley for five magical days of cinema celebration. Take in their work, talk to them, get to know them, and get inspired by them. Show them the great friendliness and hospitality that the Hudson Valley is so known for. And to the filmmakers I say, thank you for coming here this year. We are happy to have you.

Tim Robbins and Liev Schreiber

I invite everyone to come to the movies, panels, concerts, and parties, visit the local galleries, shops and restaurants, artists’ studios and recording studios, enjoy the creeks and lakes, mountains and fields. Get inspired and learn. We encourage you to be adventurous and attend an eclectic mix of films. Check out the shorts by teenage filmmakers, including Morgana McKenzie’s We All Go the Same. Or the shorts by accomplished artists, such as Welcome by Javier Fesser. Experience the feature narratives, such as the quietly moving The Grace of Jake or the beautifully nuanced There Should Be Rules, and documentaries like the provocative Deep Run or the

Woody Harrelson

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I N TR O D UCT IO N

stunning and surprising The Babushkas of Chernobyl. Hear what is happening in the lives of young people, as in The Student Body, and see life through the eyes of the aging in films such as Outliving Emily. As you delve into the wide-ranging selection, you will witness the exciting talent of directors, screenwriters and actors who are not afraid to reach for the undiscovered and challenge the norms. The outstanding array of films is complemented by a topnotch slate of panels and special talks: intimate chats with our honorary award recipients and The American’s showrunner; a frank examination of the state of women directors today and the fight for gender equality; the examination of the impact films can make on our world; and the exploration of musical collaboration in film at the BMI panel. And no Woodstock Film Festival would be complete without live music. This year we kick off the festival with a celebration of the recent bridging of cultures between the United States and Cuba with the film The Poet of Havana, followed by a performance by Cuba’s beloved musician and poet, Carlos Varela, joined by American musical icon Jackson Browne.

Jay and Mark Duplass

Kevin Bacon signs in at WFF

We are thrilled to bring you all of this and so much more, not only in the colony of the arts of Woodstock, but in the neighboring towns of Rhinebeck, Rosendale, Kingston, and Saugerties. This is a region-wide celebration and event. Before I sign off and wish you all a happy festival, I want to thank the countless individuals, organizations and companies who support us and make this festival happen. The hundreds of volunteers, our board of directors and our advisory board, the filmmaking community, as well as the local towns, businesses, individuals and communities, our filmmakers’ hosts, our sponsors and individual contributors and, of course, our staff. There would not be a Woodstock Film Festival without all of you. Thank you!

Paul Rudd at 2013 WFF

And now, welcome to the 2015 Woodstock Film Festival! We are happy you can join us. See you at the movies. Steve Buscemi signs in at WFF

Meira Blaustein Co-Founder / Executive Director Dedication: We would like to dedicate this year’s festival to Jay Andretta, whose life was cut too short earlier this year. Jay’s zest for life paralleled his philanthropic spirit. This year, the Woodstock Film Festival has established the Carpe Diem Andretta Award, to be given annually to a film that best exemplifies living life to the fullest through character and story development in a full-length narrative or documentary film. The award is but a mere token of our profound gratitude and appreciation of Jay and all that he’s done for the Woodstock Film Festival and other organizations. May he rest in peace and his spirit continue to soar.

Ellen Barkin, Vincent D’Onofrio and Meira Blaustein

We bid farewell to Vincent Albert Mussetto, a staple in the film industry and the beloved editor and film critic at the New York Post. Long bearded, wearing tie dye shirts, Vinnie looked like an old timer in Woodstock as he covered our festival each year, coming up with clever lines for Page 6 or writing in depth coverage for Indiewire. We will miss you Vinnie. Seann William Scott and Courteney Cox

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STAFF ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/CO-FOUNDER ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR/CO-FOUNDER DEPUTY DIRECTOR OFFICE MANAGER

Meira Blaustein Laurent Rejto Nikki Goldbeck Michael Burke

FESTIVAL PROGRAMMING FEATURES & DOCUMENTARIES SHORTS ANIMATION TEEN FILMS SCREENERS

PANELS, JURY & HONORARY AWARDS ADDITIONAL PANELS PROGRAMMING CONSULTANTS

Meira Blaustein, Nikki Goldbeck Laurent Rejto, Michael Burke, Sam Robotham Bill Plympton, Signe Baumane Michael Burke, Sam Robotham Michael Burke, Massoumeh Emami Osterhout, David Goldbeck, Meghan Graham, Angela Imperati, Laura Kulik, Wayne Pyle, Laura Revercomb, Sam Robotham Meira Blaustein Doreen Ringer-Ross (BMI), Cynthia Kane, Terry Lawler (NYWIFT) Massoumeh Emami Osterhout, Emily Rotschild, Benjamin Scott

FESTIVAL OPERATIONS OPERATIONS DIRECTOR OPERATIONS MANAGER OPERATIONS ASSISTANT PRODUCTION COORDINATOR VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR ART DEPARTMENT EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT COMMUNICATION SERVICES PRINT TRAFFICKING COORDINATOR SPECIAL EVENTS MAVERICK AWARDS PRODUCER TECHNICAL DIRECTOR TECHNICAL-PROJECTIONISTS TRAILER YOUTH INITIATIVE COORDINATOR AUDIO ENGINEER FOR UPAC KICK OFF AUDIO ENGINEER @ BSP INTERNS

Michael Burke Sam Robotham Jeremiah Wenutu Jacob Hutchings Priya Gupta Stacey Anderson, Vinny DeBellis, Tim Bruno Devin Caron Greg Carttar, Char Harner (3rd St R&D Production Services) Sam Robotham Lauri Andretta, Donna Parisi, Russell Parisi Pamela Cederquist Jeff Kantor (Canus Major Prods) Lisa Burklund (asst) Arby Schulman, Alex Donaldson, Tim Sullivan, Jake Haisley, Justine Peone Joy + Noelle (www.joyandnoelle.com) David Nelsen Epstein, Onteora High School Dave Cook (Area 52 Studios) Ron Kuhnke (K-Town Studio) Chaeli Barbaro, Haley Carroll, Jennifer Hussein, Laura Kulik, Casey Silvestri, Evan Thomas

FESTIVAL SERVICES GUEST RELATIONS DIRECTOR GUEST RELATIONS HOSPITALITY CATERING REGISTRATION BADGEMASTER LEGAL COUNSEL CPA

Nikki Goldbeck Nancy Caigan, Gabrielle Kleinmann, Maggie Mitchell, Barbara Silver Deb Markes Tracy Kamien Sam Kandel Richard J. Goldman, Esq., Pattison, Koskey, Howe & Bucci, CPAs, PC

BOX OFFICE BOX OFFICE

Linda Stewart (Manager) Wynn Eggleston, Joan Quigley

PROGRAM GRAPHIC DESIGN (PROGRAM & ADS) GRAPHIC DESIGN INTERN ART WORK PUBLICATION EDITOR DATA SOLUTIONS WEBSITE

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Naomi Schmidt (Naomi Graphics) Nicole Striffolino Joy + Noelle (www.joyandnoelle.com) Nikki Goldbeck Diana Simonson Laurent Rejto

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STA F F PUBLIC RELATIONS PRESS DIRECTOR DEPUTY PRESS DIRECTOR PRESS CONSULTANT PRESS ASSISTANTS SOCIAL MEDIA VIDEOGRAPHY PHOTOGRAPHY COORDINATOR PHOTOGRAPHERS

Alana Davis Ashley Windrow Ilene Marder Hinchey Jennifer Hussein, Sandyra O’Meara Gia Farruggia Gregory Bray PhD, Joe Vlachos, and SUNY New Paltz Students Naomi Schmidt Anjali Bermain, Bill Barrett, Erika Fkiaras, Sylvia Forni, Peggy Fusco, Rick Gilbert, Chris Hallman, John Mazlish, Dion Ogust, Laura Revercomb, David Rosenberg, Angela Schapiro

SITE MANAGEMENT BEARSVILLE THEATER KLEINERT/JAMES ART CENTER ORPHEUM THEATER ROSENDALE THEATRE UPSTATE FILMS RHINEBECK WOODSTOCK PLAYHOUSE

Sydelle Freed, Sherry Threlkheld Donna & Russell Parisi Howard & Irene Hurst Charlene Boswell, Jessica Pierce, Marlena Stella Elaine Fernandez Virginia “Ginny” Neidermier

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT AWARD TROPHIES

Steve Heller (Fabulous Furniture) Caralee Moor

TOYOTA LIAISON

STAFF

All credits as of August 29

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Lauri Andretta

Claude dal Farra

Wynn Eggleston

Eva Marie Graham

(see top left page 4) Stephen Hays

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Joan Quigley

Ilene Marder

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Brigid Walsh

Meira Blaustein Laurent Rejto

V O L U N TEER S Volunteers as of August 29

VOLUNTEERS

Norman Aaronson Marilyn Acquafredda Debbi Adelman Ron Aja Sandi Albelli Marcia Albert Beth Alfeld Laraib Ali Carrie Allmendinger Anne Ames Carol Anderson Laura Arias Jerilynn Babroff Hali Barthel Henry Bates Jowin Batoon Jeff Bauml Liza Belmont Frank Beresheim Sarah Berger Andrea Bindereif Susan Black Joellen Blas Alicia Bonadonna Deb Brindis Bob Broder Nicole Brossar Kevin Brown Claudia Brumbaugh Georgia Burnside Ann Byer Kevin Callahan Michael Calvo Carissa Cancel Michael Carroll Genevieve Casey Barbara Cazakoff

Dannah Chaifetz Michael Cheski Jason Cohen Jay Cohen Anna Compton Tamara Cooper Charlene Craig Stephen Croce Chris Cutolo Adrianne Davis Lee Denman Lynn Dennison Joan Denyse Ottulich Diana Devlin Marlyn Dewitt Lora Lee Ecobelli Dillon Egyes Renee Englander Victoria Engstrom Paul Escudero Lee Finlay Tara Flanigan Tesa Flores Rick Folger Billie Golan Lynn Golan Madison Gomo Alina Gonzalez Megan Greenfeld Margie Greve Sarah Grinberg Tracey Griner Leif Grund Stacy Hager Casey Hall Aidan Hamid Gary Harnischfeger

Beverly Harris Sandra Harris Claudine Heller Edwina Henderson Jean Hendrickson Leslie Hill Jennie Hirsch Trevor Hockley Kathryn Hodge Mary Holmes Matthew Immergut Allison Irwin Denise Jensen Laura Jensen Marcus Jones Kimberly Jorgensen Matt Kamien Glenda Kantor Mercedes Karabec Emily Karol Bob Katz Laura Katz Katie Kelley Tod Klebanoff Janet Klugiewicz Cecilia Korman John Kruppa Lou Laconture Betsy LaPolla Deborah Lawrence Jennifer Lawrence Amanda Leaseburge Deana Leblanc Lucia Legnini Julie Lennon Alice Lotosky Deb Lukaszewski

Kiana Macclellan Marilyn Macclellan Zynab Makki Daniela Malavé Marijo Mallon Annie-hannah Mancini Barry Marks Sherry Masters Mike “chocolate” Mccabe Sean Mccabe Siena Mccabe Suki Mccarty Bennett Melley Bill Melvin Eleanor Minsky Julius Minsky Ashley Montesano Melanie Moser Anastasia Mosher Lydia Murray Andy Mundi Randy Mundi Stacy Nagelberg Susan Nathan Julie Nicholls Jennifer Nolan Barbara O’Brien Jeanette O’Callaghan Gerald Obourn Margo Obourn Megan Ott Carmine Paladino Cindy Park Ron Parker Bryony Percy Steve Perfit Donna Perry

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Lauren Piperno Emma Sophie Pittelman Arianna Pogact Alexis Polokoff Diondra Primus Glenn Quillen Kevin Ramirez Andrew Rector Sharon Reich Fern Revzin Karen Rich Christian Rigby Tommy Rinaldo Michelle Rissolo Geri Ritchie Abigail Robin Scott Ross Dena Roy Alex Rubin Saeger Rubinstein Tara Ryan Greg Safris Eva Santos Brandon Sawhill-Aja Suzanne Scalzi Rachel Schabot Patricia Scheff Ujjala Schwartz Theresia Schoonmaker Ani Schroeter William Schwartz Isobel Seabrook Chloe Sehr Carmen Senski Brendan Sheridan Julie Sheridan Paula Silbey

Diane Silverberg Linda Sirkin Sam Slotnick Michael Sokoloff Jan Sosnowitz Melissa Spiegel Tamara Stafford Elizabeth Stella Daniela Sumerano Dorothea Swiac Jamieson Tall Elizabeth Ten Dyke Nicole Terpening Sherry Tesler Rich Threlkeld Teresa Tokarska Stacey Trapani-Barber Orlando Trotter Nicholas Turco Tyler Usavich Noel Van Etten Chris Van Houten Barbara Velazquez Michael Waldron Matthew Weaver Kristi Jo Weber-Mccabe Mike Wendel Thomas Whigham Willis Williams Johnny Witter Andrew Wolfson Andrew Woltman Sue Worthman Laura Zinn

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S P E C I AL T H A NK S SPECIAL THANKS If we forgot to thank you, please forgive our oversight and know that your help and support is very much appreciated. PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS

Mark Braunstein Stephen Hays Mark Hubler Charmer Sunbelt Group

A24 Richard Abramowitz James Ayers James Casey Wynn Eggleston SUPERSTARS Mary Anne & Richard Erickson Jonathan Gray Fedway Associates Brian S. Devine Wendy Fehse PRODUCERS Kenta Hayashi Lauri Andretta Scott McDonald Eva Marie Graham Scott Mitchell Doreen Ringer-Ross Rondout Savings Bank SCREENWRITERS Christopher Salo Joan Quigley Jeffrey Slade Wells Fargo Gregory Tetrault Efren Puente Robert Trostel CINEMATOGRAPHERS Town of Woodstock Susan Fowler-Gallagher SPECIAL THANKS Herzog Building Supply Adam & Daniel Nick Rashby (AJA Video) Nancy & Steve Abrams Ted Thurmond John Amaroso GAFFERS Terry & Mark Antman Jeff Bauml Tim & Helen Atkinson Carmen Castaldi & Andrew Block Atlantic Pictures Cheryl Davis Roz Balkin Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union Lorraine Bell Bill Topazio, Jennifer Halpern Jan & Warren Bernhardt Robert L. Seigel, Esq. Ikutiel Blaustein Gayle Burbank Crista Burke Delilah Burke Kieran Burke Maggie Cammer Anne & Matt Canzonetti Gary Chetkoff Dolma Choso Tracy Christian

Joan Clancy Gayle Burbank & Kenny Cohen Paul Covello, Dylan Hotel Colleen Cruikshank Diane Davis Dietz Stadium Diner Bill Dineen Thinley Dorji Palden Joni Elenson Film Fatales Collective James Fitzgerald Judy Flynn Fu Works Rebecca Fundis FX Ginny Galloway Ruth Garbus Leon & Geri Gast Joyce Gelb Alice Goodman & David Gillis Greg Goodman Ryan Giuliani, Woodstock Way Go2Films David Goldbeck Harris Goldberg Susan & Dick Goldman Marie & Ed Gordon Lisa Gossels Perry & Martin Granoff Roger Green Rachelle Gura Bob Hausman, Woodstock Therapy County Executive Mike Hein John Hendicott Gill Holland David Laub Kino Lorber

Vivian & Stuart Margolis Hodges Richard & Amy Hutchings Jackeline Kellachan, The Golden Notebook Bryn Kelsey Dede Lieber Steve Lieber Haynes Liewellyn Marina Lopez-Mena Bob Malkin Ron Mann Dan May (Blackmagic Design) Jim McCune Katharine McKenna Catherine McNamara Sarah Mecklem Deanie Melniker Erin & Martin Mills, White Dove Rockotel Caralee Moor Dr. Bruce Moor David Nelsen Epstein Steve Nemeth Brian Newman Margo Obourn Ric Orlando Dominic Pagone Darya Panesoff Marlyn Park Karen Pignataro, Woodstock Inn on the Millstream Sony Pictures Steve & Elise Pittleman Barbara Pokras Quigley Landscaping Debra Ramsden Leann & Neil Ratner Michele Rejto

Rhinebeck Chamber of Commerce Rhinebeck Lisa Richie Doreen Ringer-Ross Randy & Barbara Rissman Roadside Attractions Ed Romanoff Rosendale Chamber of Commerce Gail Miller & Billy Rothberg Emily Rothschild Leah & Dan Rubenstein Ilene & Neil Rubenstein Michael Ruger Stephanie Schacter Yvonne Sewall-Ruskin Dean Sickles Roland Smith Judy Steinfeld Malcom Taub Joe & Avis Toochin Johanna Trimboli Lucas Verga Chuck Wagor Brigid Walsh Kayla Weisdorf Bruce Weiss Bob Whitcomb Wolfe Releasing Woodstock Chamber of Commerce Woodstock General Supply Bob Wyatt Laurie Ylvisaker Allen & Ellen Zerkin Diana & Dale Ziegenfelder

SPECIAL THANKS

MOVIE STARS

ADVISORY BOARD Judy Arthur - Publicity/Consultant (Philadelphia, The Silence of the Lambs) Signe Baumane - Animator (Rocks in My Pockets) Joe Berlinger - Director (Brother’s Keeper, Paradise Lost Trilogy, Crude, Under African Skies, Hank: 5 Years from the Brink) Robin Bronk - CEO of The Creative Coalition Vincent D’Onofrio - Actor (Jurassic World, Daredevil, Full Metal Jacket) Griffin Dunne - Director/Producer/Actor (Touched With Fire, Fierce People)

Bill Plympton - Animator (Cheatin’, Idiots & Angels, Horn Dog) Aidan Quinn - Actor/Producer (Elementary, Legends of the Fall) Peter Saraf - Producer, Executive Producer, Big Beach Productions (Our Idiot Brother, Little Miss Sunshine)

Leon Gast - Filmmaker (Sporting Dreams, Smash His Camera, When We Were Kings)

Liev Schreiber - Actor/Director (Ray Donovan Salt, The Painted Veil)

Jonathan Gray - Senior partner at Gray Krauss Stratford Des Rochers LLP

Lori Singer - Actress (Footloose) Dancer, Cellist

Ethan Hawke - Director/Actor (Boyhood, Before Sunrise, Chelsea Walls)

John Sloss - Attorney/Producer, Sloss Law & Cinetic Media (Boyhood, Bernie Pieces of April, Far From Heaven)

Sabine Hoffman - Editor (Maggie’s Plan, The Ballad of Jack and Rose) Gill Holland - Producer, The Group Entertainment (Deep Run, Mariachi Gringo) Ted Hope - Producer (Adventureland, 21 Grams) Barbara Kopple - Director (Hot Type: 150 Years Of The Nation, Shut Up & Sing, My Generation, Harlan County USA) Michael Lang - Producer/Promoter (1969, 1995, 1999 Woodstock Festival)

Fisher Stevens - Founding Partner, Greene Street Films, Actor/Producer/Director (The Grand Budapest Hotel, Awake) David Strathairn - Actor (Oliver’s Deal, Lincoln, Good Night and Good Luck)

Lemore Syvan - Producer, Elevation Filmworks (Man of Tai Chi, Henry’s Crime, Stephen Nemeth - Executive Producer / Producer (The Three Hikers, Fields of The Ballad of Jack and Rose) Fuel, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) Christine Vachon - Producer and founder of Killer Annie Nocenti - Journalist/Screenwriter/Teacher/Filmmaker Films (Kids, I Shot Andy Warhol, Boys Don’t Cry, Far from Heaven) Ron Nyswaner - Screenwriter/Director (She’s The Best Thing In It, Freeheld, Philadelphia) Melissa Leo - Actor (The Fighter, Frozen River, 21 Grams, Treme)

2015

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

W F F YEA R - R OUND PR OGR A MMI N G

YEAR-ROUND PROGRAMMING

The Woodstock Film Festival celebrates emerging and established voices in independent film with screenings, panels and concerts throughout the MidHudson Valley.

The Woodstock Film Festival, Hudson Valley Film Commission and the Hudson Valley Programmers Group are committed to working year round, offering screenings, mixers, economic development initiatives and special events from New York City to the Capital Region and beyond.

The festival is centered in the historic arts colony of Woodstock, New York, with additional events and screenings taking place in the nearby towns of Rhinebeck, Rosendale, Boiceville, Saugerties and Kingston.

Street Journeys Screening Woodstock Film Festival in Bhutan

WFF PROGRAMMING

As a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organization, Woodstock Film Festival’s mission is to present an annual program and year-round schedule of film, music and art-related activities that promote artists and culture and inspired learning and diversity. The Hudson Valley Film Commission promotes sustainable economic development by attracting and supporting film, video and media production.

The range of films presented includes feature narratives, documentaries and shorts, many of which are premieres from the U.S and abroad. Filmmakers often attend and follow up screenings with Q&As. Specialty programming includes Exposure, Films of the Hudson Valley, Focus on Music, LGBTQ, Spotlight on Women, World Cinema and Teen Films.

Photo: Sam Falconi

Every fall, film and music lovers from around the world gather in Woodstock for an exhilarating variety of films, concerts, celebrity-led seminars, workshops, an awards ceremony and superlative parties. Visitors find themselves in a relaxed, receptive atmosphere surrounded by some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world.

William GreavesFood Tribute Chains Q&A

In February, executive director Meira Blaustein traveled to Bhutan in the capacity of Official Head Consultant of the first annual Bhutan International Film Festival. WFF Technical Director Jeff Kantor assisted with their technical needs. T his international, artistic event was the first of its kind in Bhutan, a small South Asian country where tourism is rare and success is measured by gross national happiness. In March, the Woodstock Film Festival presented a screening of Sanjay Rawal’s Food Chains. The screening was followed by an in depth panel discussion with (pictured on left) Heriberto Gonzalez (Rural & Migrant Ministry) Bob Dandrew of the Local Economies Project, Sanjay Rawal, and New World Home Cooking’s Ric Orlando. A month later, the Woodstock Film Festival hosted the 3rd Annual Taste of Woodstock. The event has become a popular annual spring staple happening. Almost every restaurant and eatery in Woodstock, as well as some from Kingston and Saugerties, came out to participate with a wide variety of delicious selections. Over the summer, there were a number of offerings for film goers. First up was a sold-out screening of Brett Morgan’s

Taste of Woodstock 2015 winner - New World Home Cooking

Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

Rockets in My Pockets screening with Signe Baumane

2015

Photo: johnmazlish.com

W F F Y E AR - R O U N D P R O G R AM M ING

Special screening of Alex Gibney’s Steve Jobs - The Man in the Machine

Poster unveiling with JOY + NOELLE

As the calendar turned to August, three screenings made their way to Woodstock including Alex Gibney’s documentary, Steve Jobs: The Man In the Machine, which treated the audience to a film that delves into the larger-than-life myth of Steve Jobs. Also in August, the Woodstock Film Festival unveiled its 2015 poster with artists Joy Buran and Noelle Melody, JOY + NOELLE.

Special screening of Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution

Photo: Richard Hutchings

We also screened Stanley Nelson’s documentary Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution, an in depth look into the rise and fall of the Black Panther party and the spark that helped ignite a cultural revolution. The Woodstock Film Festival’s sister organization, The Hudson Valley Film Commission, held several mixers in 2015, as they continue to promote and assist regional filmmaking. As in year’s past, several locally produced films will premiere at the Woodstock Film Festival

WFF PROGRAMMING

Photo: John Koar

brilliant documentary, Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck. The film is the first fully authorized bio-pic of the legendary Nirvana frontman. In July, The Hudson Valley Programmers Group presented a pair of screenings with Woodstock Film Festival animation programmer Signe Baumane’s feature debut Rocks in My Pockets.

HVFC MIXER at Rhinecliff Hotel

TASTE OF WOODSTOCK PARTICIPANTS While visiting Woodstock, savor the delicacies at these Taste of Woodstock establishments: Bistro-toGo, Black-Eyed Suzie’s, Bread Alone, Catskill Mountain Pizza Company, Garden Cafe, The Green Palate: VegeTerranean Grill, Joshua’s Café, Landau Bar and Grill, little Apple, Maria’s Bazaar, Mountain Gate Indian Restaurant, New World Home Cooking, Oriole 9, Santa Fe, Shindig, Sunflower Café, The Tea Shop of Woodstock, Woodstock Emporium, Woodstock Wines & Liquor, and Yum Yum Noodle Bar. Beer was generously provided by Keegan Ales. Gracious hosts included Loominus Handwovens, Center for Photography of Woodstock, Mirabai Books, Lily Boutique, and Westwood Metes and Bounds.

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Taste of Woodstock

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

A B OU T WFF

Programming at the Woodstock Film Festival encourages Incorruptible those who use film as a way to explore social, environmental and political themes, while challenging their inherent boundaries. This year’s Exposure Program is a depiction of that goal. We are proud to present a lineup of films that represent the myriad challenges our world faces in these times of uncertainty. This year’s films are the voices of our diverse planet and reveal the heroes who dedicate themselves to changing the worldview against the status quo. Among others, this year’s program includes Incorruptible, Buried Above Ground, and After the Spill. Additional programming, including panels and year-round events, cover a broad range of socioeconomic and political topics. Select participants have included Josh Fox, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Tim Robbins, Arlo Guthrie, and many others.

Focus on Music

ABOUT WFF

showcases films about music and Poet of Havana musicians, while, at the same time, exploring the role that music plays in film. Many of the films emphasize how music can be an important and powerful tool for expression and conflict resolution. The BMI Music Panel and concerts play a critical role in Focus on Music programming. Participants over the years have included Steve Earle, David Broza, Pinetop Perkins, Donovan, Levon Helm, Bernie Worrell, Bela Fleck & Edgar Meyer, Mike Gordon & Trey Anastasio of Phish, Kate Pierson, Arlo Guthrie, Peter Rowan, Marshall Crenshaw, Rahat Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, and others. 2015 Focus on Music feature films include Poet of Havana, 1 Giant Leap II, Paradise Is There, Lee’s 88 Keys, and Mavis!

The Woodstock Film Festival’s Spotlight

Adderall Diaries

on Women in Film & Media initiative highlights exciting new works by some of today’s most talented, established and up-andcoming female directors. The aim is to feature the works of female directors, while empowering both teens and women who want to work in film and media to follow their dreams and carve their path in an industry that is still dominated by men. The initiative includes a panel featuring women in the director’s chair and explores relevant issues. In addition, the Tangerine Entertainment Juice Award will be presented for Best Female Director. 2015 highlights include Scout, Adderall Diaries, It Had To Be You, and Silver Skies.

The Hudson Good Ol’ Boy 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 2015 WFF schedule has programmed several locally produced films, including the feature films I Dream Too Much, Good Ol’ Boy, How He Fell In Love, and the short film Mountain Low.

As technology makes our world seem smaller Moscow Never Sleeps and increasingly accessible, we are given the rare opportunity to expand our global consciousness. Film remains one of the highest forms for such expression, offering audiences the scenery, sounds and personalities of faraway places. WFF is proud to present the World Cinema program to further our commitment to sharing experiences across continents. 2015 highlights include Moscow Never Sleeps, There Should Be Rules, I Will Not Be Silenced, and Family Matters.

Focus on Dutch Cinema

Meet Me in Venice

sponsored by the Netherlands Consulate and the Department of Dutch Culture USA. The program features three outstanding selections from top Dutch filmmakers: Summer by Colette Bothof, Rendez-Vous by Antoinette Beumer and Eddy Terstall’s Meet Me in Venice.

LGBTQ FO C U S Since its inception, the Woodstock Film Deep Run Festival has explored and celebrated LGBTQ voices with an exciting slate of films, concerts and special guests. 2015 highlights include Deep Run, Summer and All About Amy

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

2015

ENDORSEMENTS

E N D O R S E M E NT S

2015

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

A B OU T H V FC Photo: Emily Carracgher

On location with The One Armed Man

Join us Sept 30 - Oct 4, 2015, then come back to shoot your next film in the beautiful Hudson Valley/Catskills.

SELECT PROJECTS THAT HAVE SHOT IN THE HUDSON VALLEY  The Ticket Directed by Ido Fluk  Good Ol’ Boy Directed by Frank Lotito

ABOUT HVFC

 Cold In July, We Are What We Are & Stake Land Directed by Jim Mickle  Late Phases Directed by Adrián García Bogliano  The Better Angels Directed by A.J. Edwards  The Sisterhood of Night Directed by Caryn Waechter  Our Idiot Brother Directed by Jesse Peretz  Martha Marcy May Marlene Directed by Sean Durkin  Peace, Love, & Misunderstanding Directed by Bruce Beresford  Higher Ground

Directed by Vera Farmiga

On location with I Dream Too Much

On location with Ad Inexplorata

The Hudson Valley Film Commission (HVFC) creates JOBS and sustainable economic development by attracting, supporting and promoting local film, video and media production in the Hudson Valley/Catskills. Conservative estimates indicate that 2015 projects will create more than $8 million in regional revenue. Production spending includes hiring local crews, cast members, extras, lodging, car & truck rentals, locations, catering, production supplies, equipment, administrative facilities, post production offices and a variety of other expenditures.

2014-15 productions feature over 100 media projects, including:

In addition to professional crews and exceptional actors, the Hudson Valley offers many post production facilities and 9 New York State qualified film production facilities including:

 Orange County Choppers: American Made Directed by Thomas Dekker

 Backstage Studio Productions  Basilica Hudson  Newburgh Armory Unity Center  SPAF Studios  Tech City Properties  Umbra of Newburgh Stage

 Jack Goes Home Directed by Thomas Dekker  The Seagull Directed by Michael Mayer,  Look Away Directed by Monty Whitebloom  Amy Makes Three Directed by Josh Sternfeld

 HAPPYish SHOWTIME TV series  My First Kiss Directed by Luigi Campi  How He Fell in Love Directed by Marc Meyers  The Inherited Directed by Devon Gummersall  Ad Inexplorata Directed by Mark Elijah Rosenberg

HVFC provides services free of charge with support from  Ulster County IDA - Whether you’re interested in relocating, expanding, starting a business or producing

your next film, you’ll find Ulster County a great place to work and live. Nestled between the Hudson River and the Catskill Mountains, Ulster County boasts a strong and diversified economy that encourages collaboration, innovation, and growth.  Dutchess County IDA - Dutchess County Economic Development Corporation (DCEDC) is a business-led, nationally recognized economic development corporation, whose mission is to attract, retain, and expand for-profit and not-for-profit businesses for the benefit of Dutchess County. Dutchess County Tourism (DCT) brings tourism dollars to area businesses by marketing and promoting the assets of Dutchess County to the nation and the world.  Orange County IDA - The Orange County Industrial Development Agency has assisted numerous companies and not-for-profit organizations with new business and capital expansions. As a direct result of the assistance provided by the IDA, companies have become more competitive by locating or expanding their facilities within Orange County, NY.  Markertek.com is a video/audio supply house serving the media industry with over 60,000 unique solutions at reasonable prices, supported with dependable advice from actual pro-audio and video professionals.

 American Gangster

Directed by Ridley Scott

 Taking Woodstock Directed by Ang Lee  Michael Clayton Directed by Tony Gilroy  War of the Worlds Directed by Steven Spielberg

Photo: Greg Meola

On location with Mountain Low

On location with The Ticket

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

On location with Good Ol’ Boy

2015

SP O N SO RS GOLD SPONSORS

SUPERSTAR SPONSORS

SPONSORED BY

GRAY KRAUSS STRATFORD SANDLER DES ROCHERS LLP

The WFF Ultra Indie Award is presented to an outstanding film with a budget of less than $200K. The films nominated raise the art of low budget filmmaking to a remarkable level and we are proud to partner with Gray Krauss Stratford Sandler Des Rochers LLP to reward the best of these ultra low budget selections from the 16th Annual Woodstock Film Festival.

WORLD CINEMA AWARD New in 2015, the World Cinema Award recognizes the jury’s choice for best foreign language film made by a director outside the U.S.

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

2015

AW A RDS HASKELL WEXLER AWARD FOR BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY The Woodstock Film Festival HASKELL WEXLER AWARD FOR BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY, with support from Panavision, provides film camera equipment rentals to the winner of this esteemed award. Panavision is the leading designer, manufacturer and supplier of high precision camera systems, comprised of cameras, lenses and accessories for the motion picture, television series and television commercial markets in North America, Europe and the Asia Pacific region. The Haskell Wexler Award for Best Cinematography is selected by Haskell Wexler, A.S.C. (Bound for Glory, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Coming Home, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolfe, The Secret of Roan Inish). Wexler is a five-time Academy Award® nominee and the recipient of a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame.

THE JAMES LYONS EDITING AWARD Originally established by editor Sabine Hoffman, the JAMES LYONS EDITING AWARD was named in honor of the accomplished editor who had a home near Woodstock. James Lyons was best known as a film editor and particularly for his long collaboration with Todd Haynes on the award-winning features Poison, Safe, Velvet Goldmine (for which he also co-wrote the story) and Far from Heaven. He also edited Sofia Coppola’s The Virgin Suicides, Jesse Peretz’s First Love, Last Rites and The Chateau, Tom Gilroy’s Spring Forward, Peter Friedman’s Silverlake Life and more than a half-dozen other features and documentaries. The award is sponsored by Technicolor Postworks NY, a cornerstone of the New York film and television industry, providing essential post-production services and expertise to motion picture studios, broadcasters, television producers, and independent filmmakers worldwide.

AWARDS

THE MARKERTEK AWARDS Woodstock Film Festival founding sponsor Markertek.com, rewards, supports and encourages the next generation of inspired filmmakers with a cash award for Best Short Narrative, Best Short Doc and Best Student Short.

BEST FEMALE DIRECTOR AWARD SPONSORED BY TANGERINE ENTERTAINMENT The Tangerine Entertainment Juice Award, now in its third year, celebrates the Best Female Director of a feature narrative. Tangerine Entertainment is an innovative film production company and community builder focusing on commercially viable, critically acclaimed stories for all audiences, with an emphasis on female filmmakers and strong roles for women. Created and headed by Anne Hubbell and Amy Hobby, Tangerine has a clear and specific agenda aimed at increasing the presence of smart, complex women both behind and in front of the camera.

THE CARPE DIEM ANDRETTA AWARD The Carpe Diem Andretta Award will honor longtime area resident Vincent “Jay” Andretta III, who passed away in December 2014. The Glenford resident will be remembered as a successful businessman, a driven, avid athlete and a loving, dedicated husband, father, son and great friend to many including the Woodstock Film Festival. Jay’s favorite quote was Carpe Diem (Seize the Day). His life was a testament to the phrase. The Carpe Diem Andretta Award will be presented to a film that best exemplifies living life to the fullest through character and story development in a full length narrative or documentary film.

ANIMATION AWARD The ANIMATION AWARD is presented for Best Animated Short. Acclaimed animators Signe Baumane and MTV and Nickelodeon producer’s Linda Beck will select the top film. Previous winners have included Junkyard (2012), Feral (2013), which went on to win the Academy Award®, and last year’s winner My Kingdom.

2015

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

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A full-service entertainment law firm concentrating in film, television, music and intellectual property. The firm has served as production counsel for more than 500 films and television series, guiding clients through rights acquisition, financial structuring, contract negotiation, physical production, and distribution. The firm’s talent practice counsels performers, music artists, comedians, writers, directors, and producers on a wide variety of transactions with leading film studios, television networks, and production companies. The firm also represents institutional and private lenders in all aspects of motion picture lending. 207 West 25th Street Suite 600 New York, NY 10001 phone: 212.966.6700 contact@gksd-law.com

FILM · TELEVISION · MUSIC · NEW MEDIA · PUBLISHING · FASHION

A WA R DS JOIN THE WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL IN CELEBRATING

the 16th Annual Maverick Awards Ceremony Saturday, October 3 at Backstage Studio Productions IN KINGSTON

MAVERICK AWARD

Sophie Giraud © Remember Productions Inc.

/mav·er·ick / 1. Being independent in thought and action or exhibiting such independence. 2. One who refuses to abide by the dictates of a group.

ATOM EGOYAN

AWARDS

With fifteen feature films and related projects, Atom Egoyan has won numerous prizes at international film festivals, including the Grand Prix and International Critics Awards from the Cannes Film Festival, two Academy Award® nominations, and numerous other honors. His films have won twenty-five Genies - including three Best Film Awards – and a prize for Best International Film Adaptation from The Frankfurt Book Fair. Egoyan’s films have been presented in numerous retrospectives across the world, including a complete career overview at the Pompidou Centre in Paris, followed by similar events at the Filmoteca Espagnol in Madrid, the Museum of The Moving Image in New York, and the Royal CINEMATEK in Brussels. He was recently presented with the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo Award. Egoyan’s body of work – which includes theatre, music, and art installations – delves into issues of memory, displacement, and the impact of technology and media in modern life. Among his films are the groundbreaking Exotica, the multi award-winning The Sweet Hereafter, Felicia’s Journey (starring Bob Hoskins), Where the Truth Lies (with Kevin Bacon and Colin Firth), Devil’s Knot (with Reese Witherspoon and Colin Firth), and the forthcoming Remember (starring Christopher Plummer). Egoyan’s art projects have been presented around the world including, the Venice Biennale and Artangel in London. Steenbeckett became part of The Artangel Collection, an innovative alliance with the Tate. His installation, Auroras, was recently on view at the Maxim Gorki Theater in Berlin in a program commemorating the centennial of the Armenian Genocide. Egoyan’s adaptation of Samuel Beckett’s Eh Joe was presented by The Gate Theatre in Dublin, where it won The Irish Times/ESB Award for Best Direction before transferring to London’s West End and the Lincoln Center Festival in New York. Egoyan directed the contemporary Chinese opera Feng Yi Teng for the 2012 Spoleto Festival in Charleston and the Lincoln Center Festival, New York. It was performed at the Luminato Festival in 2013, following the remount of Richard Strauss’s Salome with the Canadian Opera Company. Egoyan directed a new production of Mozart’s Così fan tutte for the COC in 2014. His award-winning production of Wagner’s Die Walküre was performed in early 2015, earning Egoyan the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Best Direction. Egoyan is a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Directors Guild of Canada, the Directors Guild of America, the Writers Guild of Canada, the Writers Guild of America, and the Royal Canadian Academy of Art. He is an Officer of the Order of Canada. Egoyan is honored with a 2015 Governor General’s Performing Arts Award.

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

2015

AW A RDS F I E R C E LY I N D E P E N D E N T A W A R D

GUY MADDIN Guy Maddin is one of Canada’s most celebrated filmmakers. He has directed numerous shorts and eleven feature-length movies, including The Saddest Music in the World (2003), My Winnipeg (2007), and The Forbidden Room (2015). His most distinctive quality is his penchant for recreating the look and style of silent or early-sound-era films. He has also mounted over seventy performances of his films around the world, featuring live elements – orchestra, sound effects, singing, and narration. In early 2016, Maddin will launch his major internet interactive work, Seances, enabling anyone online to “hold séances with” or view randomly combined fragments of canonical lost films remade by Maddin on sets installed in public spaces, most notably during three weeks of shooting at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. In the summer of 2015, the Tibor de Nagy Gallery in New York mounted a twoperson show featuring the poet John Ashbery and Maddin’s collages. He has twice won America’s National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Experimental Film: Archangel (1991) and The Heart of the World (2001). Other awards include the Telluride Silver Medal in 1995, the San Francisco International Film Festival’s Persistence of Vision Award in 2006, and an Emmy for his ballet film Dracula – Pages from a Virgin’s Diary (2002). To round out his resume, Maddin is also a member of The Order of Canada and The Order of Manitoba.

AWARDS

As a filmmaker, Maddin drew inspiration from the films of John Paizs and experimental shorts by Stephen Snyder. Other early influences include Luis Buñuel’s L’Age d’or and David Lynch’s Eraserhead. Maddin has stated in numerous interviews that these films, along with the work of Paizs and Snyder, “were movies that were primitive in many respects. They were low budget, they used nonactors or nonstars, they used atmospheres and ideas, and were unbelievably honest, frank, and, therefore, exciting to me. They made moviemaking seem possible to me.” He has held to that ideal ever since. Accoding to colleagues, “[Maddin is] the most reluctantly radical and humorously tortured maverick working in the movies today” (John Waters). And, “He belongs in the tradition of obsessional, poetic tale spinners and studio craftsmen such as Erich von Stroheim, F.W. Murnau, Josef von Sternberg, Jacques Tourneur, and Michael Powell, who bend public materials toward private ends and take us on a feverish ride” (Jonathan Rosenbaum). The Fiercely Independent Award to Guy Maddin is presented with special thanks to Lorraine Bell.

15 YEARS - 15 MAVERICKS • 2000 - Les Blank • 2001 - D.A. Pennebaker & Chris Hegedus • 2002 - Tim Robbins • 2003 - Woody Harrelson • 2004 - Mira Nair 2005 - Steve Buscemi • 2006 - Barbara Kopple (pictured w/ Rosie Perez) • 2007 - Christine Vachon (pictured w/ Ted Sarandos) • 2008 - Kevin Smith • 2009 - Richard Linklater 2010 - Bruce Beresford (pictured with Tess Harper) • 2011 - Tony Kaye • 2012 - Jonathan Demme (pictured with Peter Saraf) • 2013 - Peter Bogdanovich • 2014 - Darren Aronofsky

2015

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

ith over 150 years of championing social and economic justice, The Nation will connect your film with compassionate, activistminded adults who will help you make a difference! Greenlighters, awards voters, above and below the line professionals read The Nation .

The Nation offers multiple tablet and mobile applications—the most widely used provide enhanced

versions of the print and web content with multimedia and interactive options for advertisers. Nation apps are available on iPhone, iPad, and Android phones and tablet operating systems, and on Kindle and Nook. All web content is mobile-optimized. In a recent survey, over 95% of The Nation ’s readers said that documentary/social impact films “taught them things about the world that they needed to know.”

YOU TELL US YOUR STRATEGY, WE WILL CREATE A CUSTOMIZED PLAN For more information, please contact Ellen Bollinger at 212-209-5415 / ellen@thenation.com

A WA R DS J U R Y

AWARDS JURY

FEATURE NARRATIVE

FEATURE DOCUMENTARY JURY

STEPHEN LANG is an award-winning actor who has been cast in a recurring role as Waldo in the upcoming AMC series Into the Badlands. He will also be reprising his role as Colonel Miles Quaritch from James Cameron’s Avatar in the three upcoming sequels. Lang can currently be seen starring in WGN America’s hit series Salem. Other credits include The Men Who Stare at Stephen Lang Goats, Tombstone, Public Enemies, Last Exit to Brooklyn, and Gettysburg. | THELMA ADAMS is a writer and leading New York-based film critic whose second novel, The Secret History of Mrs. Earp, will be published by Amazon Publishing in 2016. She covered the Oscars for Yahoo! Movies for three seasons. Previously, she was the film critic at Us Weekly (2000 – 2011) and the New York Post (1993 – 2000). She has written for O: Thelma Adams The Oprah Magazine, The New York Times, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety and The international Herald Tribune. | JOANA VICENTE has been the executive director of the IFP and the Made in NY Media Center by IFP since December 2009. Before, Vicente and her partner Jason Kliot produced/ executive produced over forty films, including Coffee and Cigarettes, Enron: The Smartest Guy in the Room and Welcome to the Dollhouse. Vicente Joana Vicente co-founded three separate film production entities with Kliot: Open City Films, Blow Up Pictures and HDNet Films.

SIMON KILMURRY is the executive director of the International Documentary Association (IDA), where he oversees all IDA programs and operations, including filmmaker services, educational programs, the IDA Awards, and advocacy. Prior to IDA, he served for nine years as executive producer of POV, the PBS documentary series where he received 13 Simon Kilmurry Emmy Awards, more than 60 Emmy nominations, five Peabody Awards, and four Du Pont Columbia Awards. | ALAN BERLINER’s uncanny ability to combine experimental cinema, artistic purpose, and popular appeal in compelling film essays has made him one of America’s most acclaimed independent filmmakers. Berliner’s films have become part of the core curriculum for documentary filmmaking and film history classes at universities worldwide, Alan Berliner and are in the permanent collections of many film societies, festivals, libraries, colleges, and museums. | SARA BERNSTEIN is senior vice president, HBO Documentary Films, for Home Box Office, responsible for overseeing the development and production of various documentary films and nonfiction programming for the network. Recent films include the Oscar winner Citizenfour, Emmy®-nominated Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, Kurt Sara Bernstein Cobain: Montage of Heck, and The Case Against 8; the Emmy®-nominated The Crash Reel and countless more.

SHORTS NARRATIVE

SHORTS DOCUMENTARY

Over the last 15 years, BENJAMIN SCOTT has worked as a producer, writer and content creator in film and TV. As VP of Development at Eclectic Pictures, he co-produced Lovelace, starring Amanda Seyfried, Peter Sarsgaard, James Franco, Sharon Stone, Eric Roberts, Chris Noth, and Chloe Sevigny. In 2013, Benjamin opened the doors to Beneficial Entertainment to find and nurture up-and-coming writers/directors. Benjamin Scott | MARY STUART MASTERSON’S 4 decade film, TV and theater career, includes roles in At Close Range, Some Kind of Wonderful, Fried Green Tomatoes, Benny and Joon, and the Broadway musical, Nine. Mary Stuart directed the award-winning The Cake Eaters starring Kristen Stewart, released in 2009 and Mary Stuart produced micro-budget feature Tickling Leo. After a long hiatus to begin her family, Mary Stuart is currently developing her next directing project Stupid Mary Stuart Masterson Fast. | NANCY COLLET’s experience in the film industry spans over twenty years. With her extensive knowledge of working with studios and film festivals, she founded Cinema Collet in 2007, offering strategic consulting services to large conferences, film festivals, educators, distributors, and independent filmmakers. From 1997 to 2007, Collet worked for the American Film Institute’s AFI FEST. She was promoted to Director of Programming in 2000 and produced seven Nancy Collet editions in this capacity.

HUGO PEREZ is a director, producer and writer of fiction and nonfiction, whose work often focuses on his Cuban heritage. His feature documentaries include Neither Memory nor Magic and Summer Sun Winter Moon. Perez recently served as executive producer of Rodrigo Reyes feature documentary Purgatorio. His work has aired on HBO, PBS, Showtime, and he is currently serving as a Cultural Envoy for the U.S. State Department. | CYNTHIA KANE Senior Commissioning Producer- Documentaries, Al Jazeera America www.aljazeera.com/ajampresents Kane serves as Senior Commissioning Producer for documentaries at Al Jazeera America. Prior: ITVS (Independent Television Service) managing the International Initiative for Funding, Sundance Channel, where she co-created DocDay. | TODD WIDER, with his brother, Jedd, has produced numerous critically and commercially successful documentary films including Academy Award® nominated King’s Point, multiple Primetime Emmy Award and Peabody Award-winning Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God, Emmy Award nominated Semper Fi: Always Faithful, multiple Emmy Award®-nominated Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer, and Academy Award®winning Taxi to the Dark Side.

Hugo Perez

Cynthia Kane

Todd Wider

FOREIGN CINEMA CLAUDE DAL FARRA is a French producer and co-President of BCDF Pictures, a Hudson Valley-based company that has produced a number of feature films, including Higher Ground, Peace, Love & Misunderstanding, Liberal Arts, Bachelorette, Why Stop Now, and The Outskirts, which is set for wide release this fall. | An Emmy and Golden Globe-winning producer, LUCY BARZUN’s credits include Grey Gardens, starring Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore, Pieces of April, starring Katie Holmes, Patricia Clarkson and Oliver Platt, and Maggie’s Plan, starring Ethan Hawke, Julianne Moore and Greta Gerwig. Most recently, Lucy produced Look Away, starring Matthew Broderick, Chloë Sevigny, Aidan Turner, Benjamin Walker, and Shannon Tarbet.

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

Claude Dal Farra

Lucy Barzun

2015

STUDENT SHORTS

EDITING–NARRATIVE

DAVID F. SCHWARTZ is a founding partner of Feldshon & Schwartz, LLP, an entertainment law firm concentrating in theater and independent film. Recent film projects as production counsel include The Humbling directed by Barry Levinson. As producer, Broadway theatrical projects (with producing partner Orin Wolf) include Once, A View from the Bridge, and Broadway-bound The Band’s Visit. For more info visit www.feldshonschwartz.com. | ISIL BAGDADI is an indie film producer, distributor, programmer and publicist. In 2001, Bagdadi and her business partner Michael Sergio started CAVU Pictures to produce and distribute cutting-edge, critically acclaimed and award-winning independent films. CAVU specializes in theatrical distribution, consulting and publicity services for indie filmmakers. As President of Distribution & Marketing, Bagdadi oversees all of CAVU’s marketing, PR, social media and distribution campaigns. | MARJOE AQUILLING is an Emmy Award-winning producer with notable success driving a broad range of film and television productions. Marjoe picked up his first Emmy Award by the age of 30 for a short film he produced and directed entitled Horizon. Marjoe is currently the Director of Content Production for CNN in New York.

MICHAEL BERENBAUM, ACE is an Emmy and ACE award-winning editor whose feature work includes both Sex and the City movies, What to Expect When You’re Expecting, and Hollywoodland. His television credits include The Americans, Marco Polo, Happyish, Nurse Jackie, Desperate Housewives, The Comeback, Sex and the City, Ed, and The Wire. | MEG RETICKER is an accomplished editor in both film and Michael Berenbaum television. Her television credits include the awardwinning shows Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, True Detective, 30 Rock, Big Love, and The Wire. Meg’s feature film credits include Winter Passing, Heavy and Wet Hot American Summer. Meg’s documentary work includes A Decade Under the Influence directed by Ted Demme and The Big One directed by Michael Moore. | SABINE HOFFMAN, ACE, has edited independent feature films for 20 years. Her credits Meg Reticker include Rebecca Miller’s films Personal Velocity, The Ballad Of Jack and Rose, The Private Lives Of Pippa Lee, and the upcoming Maggie’s Plan. She also edited Richard LaGravenese’s The Last Five Years, and James Ponsoldt’s Off the Black. Sabine is a consultant and story advisor and has edited numerous documentary films, including Academy Award®-nominated Ferry Tales and The Twelve Disciples of Nelson Mandela. Sabine Hoffma

David F. Schwartz

Isil Bagdadi

Marjoe Aquilling

EDITING DOCUMENTARIES

ULTRA INDIE

KATHRYN BARNIER has worked in film and television production as editor and coproducer. Her credits include: My Brooklyn; The Mystery of Love (PBS); Broadway Legends (Trio Cable); Bill Moyers’ Journal (PBS); and Bravo Chad Beck Kathryn Barnier Profiles, (Gene Hackman). All About Looking (Jim Dine) and Banished screened theatrically in New York City. Her awards include several Emmy nominations. | CHAD BECK is a documentary editor and writer. He edited and co-wrote the Academy Award®-winning Inside Job, for which he won the Writer’s Guild Award for best documentary screenplay. Other credits include the Academy Award®-nominated No End in Sight, Page One: Inside the New York Times, South Park: Six Days to Air, Park Avenue: Money, Power, and the American Dream, as well as a number of other feature documentaries and television specials. | SABINE HOFFMAN, ACE

LARRY FESSENDEN is an actor,producer, and director of the art-horror movies No Telling, Habit, Wendigo, and The Last Winter, as well as the TV films Skin and Bones and Beneath. He has produced dozens of movies including The House of the Devil, Stakeland, Wendy and Lucy, and The Comedy. Fessenden has operated the production shingle Glass Eye Pix since 1985, with the mission of supporting individual voices in the arts. | LORI SINGER, a Golden Globewinning actress, has starred in films and television series, including Footloose, Shortcuts and The Last Ride. In 2015, she will appear in Experimenter. She has also produced a number of projects, most recently, Mea Maxima Culpa; Silence in the House of God, which won three Primetime Emmys and a Peabody in 2014. She’s currently in preproduction for the indie series Jacobs HomeI. | LEAH MEYERHOFF is an award-winning filmmaker whose debut feature film I Believe in Unicorns was released theatrically in June 2015, after winning multiple awards. Meyerhoff’s previous short films have screened in over 200 film festivals and won multiple awards. Meyerhoff is also the founder of Film Fatales, a female filmmaker collective based in New York, with ten local chapters around the world.

ANIMATION SIGNE BAUMANE was born in Latvia, educated in Moscow, and lives in Brooklyn, NY. After making 15 animated shorts she has finally released her first feature Rocks In My Pockets, a funny film about depression, into the wilds of Signe Baumane Linda Beck the world. | LINDA BECK is a Producer and Development Scout with a passion for connecting artists and executives. She has produced content for children (Nickelodeon, Disney) and grown ups (History Channel, A&E, PBS) and is equally at home in both animation boutiques and major networks. Linda is Co-President of ASIFA-East, the east coast chapter of the International Animated Film Association. Linda also illustrates, sews, builds props, makes art, writes, directs, animates, and is a SAG-AFTRA voiceover artist.

2015

AWARDS JURY

AW AR D S JU RY

Larry Fessenden

Lori Singer

Leah Meyerhoff

CINEMATOGRAPHY Two-time Academy Award®-winning cinematographer HASKELL WEXLER is one of the most influential cinematographers in movie history. He won his Oscars in both black and white and color for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) and Bound for Glory (1976). In 1993, Wexler was awarded a Lifetime Achievement award by the Haskell Wexler American Society of Cinematographers. He received five Oscar nominations for his cinematography, in total, plus one Emmy Award in a career that has spanned six decades. His other films include One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The Secret of Roan Inish and Coming Home. He has a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame.

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

Congrats to the filmmakers at this year’s

Woodstock Film Festival Join us for the

CAVU Karaoke Throwdown at the “Sweet 16” WFF Opening Night Party Thursday, October 1st @ 10pm at New World Home Cooking

... an autumn escape. World Famous Main Streets, Acres of Apple Trees and Pumpkin Patches to Pick, 350 Miles of Hiking Trails, Hundreds of Restaurants, Art Galleries, Theaters, A Renowned Wine Trail and Much More. To Book Your Stay in Ulster County, visit UlsterCountyAlive.com today.

1411 Route 212, Saugerties, NY

CAVU Pictures is a NYC-based film distribution company specializing in the theatrical distribution, marketing & PR of indie films

Hudson Valley/Catskill Regions

www.CAVUPICTURES.com

At CAVU we take our films & our karaoke very seriously!

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

2015

Photo: Greg Meola

SHOOT & EDIT

Jack Goes Home

YOUR FILM

Emily Carragher

IN THE

HUDSON VALLEY

Stray Bullets

Peace, Love & Misunderstanding

First Winter

Photo: Greg Meola

Mountain Low

Mother - Blondie Music Video

HudsonValleyFilmCommission.org HVFC is supported in part by the Ulster County IDA, Dutchess County Tourism, Orange County IDA and Markertek.com

HELP KEEP OUR A

D R E A M

REALITY

the FILM CENTER needs your help

The Woodstock Film Festival and Hudson Valley Film Commission

To keep growing, we need your support!

What the FILM CENTER means for WFF, HVFC & YOU  Space for casting calls and office space

for local film productions  Encourage economic growth in our community

YES! $25 contribution

 A revitalized space for conferences,

classes and workshops  WFF operations, communications center and tech headquarters

 Centrally located WFF and HVFC

administrative office  Generous benefits for contributors

I’d like to make a tax-deductible contribution to the Woodstock Film Festival & Hudson Valley Film Commission CAPITAL CAMPAIGN $250 contribution

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N AR R AT IVE S

2015

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

NARRATIVES

32 The Adderall Diaries 33 The Americans 34 The Automatic Hate 35 Band of Robbers 36 Blunt Force Trauma 37 Bob and The Trees 38 The Forbidden Room 39 Good Ol’ Boy 40 The Grace of Jake 41 Homeless 42 How He Fell In Love 43 I Dream Too Much 44 It Had To Be You 45 Lamb 46 Love & Taxes 47 Meet Me in Venice 48 The Missing Girl 49 Moscow Never Sleeps 50 Oliver’s Deal 51 Outliving Emily 52 Remember 53 Rendez-Vous 54 Scout 55 Silver Skies 56 Summer (Zomer) 57 There Should Be Rules 58 Touched With Fire 59 Waffle Street 60 The Walk 31

N A R R ATIV ES

THE ADDERALL DIARIES NARRATIVES

Directed by Pamela Romanowski USA / 2015 / 87 minutes MAIN CREDITS CAST

James Franco Ed Harris Amber Heard Christian Slater Cynthia Nixon

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

Robert Redford Ryan Dorff Bill Kiely Leo Kiely

PRODUCERS

James Reach Joseph McKelheer Vincent Jolivette James Franco

SCREENWRITER

Pamela Romanowsky

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Bruce Thierry Cheung

EDITORS

Myron Kerstein Marc Vives

COMPOSER/MUSIC

Michael Andrews

Adapted from Stephen Elliott’s true crime memoir of the same name, The Adderall Diaries tells the unflinchingly honest story of Elliott (James Franco), a once-successful novelist paralyzed by writer’s block and in the thrall of an Adderall addiction, who becomes fascinated by a high-profile murder case as a way to escape his personal struggles. As Elliott delves into the twisted case and its motley crew of suspects, he is haunted by the memories of his own tortured childhood and his cruel, estranged father (Ed Harris). When his father mysteriously resurfaces and claims that his son’s nightmarish memories were fabricated, Elliott’s past is further thrust under the microscope. He embarks on a journey to separate fact from fiction, amidst a backdrop of self-medication and false confessions. In 2013, Pamela Romanowski was selected by the Sundance Institute to participate in four fellowships: the Screenwriter’s Lab, the Director’s Lab, the Producer’s Summit, and the Film Music and Sound Design Lab at Skywalker Sound. She was also selected as an NYU Purple List honoree, a Film Society of Lincoln Center Artist’s Academy participant, and the recipient of the Indian Paintbrush Feature Film Grant. In 2012, she wrote and directed a piece for TAR (James Franco, Mila Kunis, Jessica Chastain, Zach Braff), a multi-director narrative film based on the life and poetry of C.K. Williams, which premiered at the Rome International Film Festival and is awaiting a US theatrical release. In 2011, Pamela won the National Board of Review’s Student Grant Award and NYU’s prestigious Wasserman/King Award for excellence in filmmaking for her short film Gravity. Pamela is an avid yogi, a bit of a pyromaniac, and retains just enough o f her pre-med education to talk you down from your WebMD diagnosis.

BIO

Q&A ATTENDEE *subject to change Pamela Romanowski

COURTESY of

SHOWING AT WOODSTOCK PLAYHOUSE

Fri Oct 2 • 10:00 pm

ORPHEUM THEATER SAUGERTIES

Visit www.a24films.com

Sat Oct 3 • 5:00pm

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

2015

N AR R AT IVE S

THE AMERICANS Directed by Larysa Kondracki

Season 3, Episode 10 Stingers

MAIN CREDITS

Philip and Elizabeth deploy a plan for the C.I.A. Mujahideen visitors. Tensions at the Jennings home escalate.

CAST Keri

Russel Mathew Rhys Noah Emmerich Lev Gorn Annet Mahendru

GUEST STARS

Michael Aronov Svetlana Efremova Julia Garner

A Costa Ronin Keidrich Sellati Holly Taylor Richard Thomas Alison Wright Jefferson Mays Kelly AuCoin Frank Langella

PRODUCER

Mary Rae Thewlis

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

Daniel Sackheim Justin Falvey Darryl Frank Graham Yost Joel Fields Joe Weisberg

SCREENWRITER

Joel Fields & Joe Weisberg

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Richard Rutkowski

EDITOR

Daniel Valverde

COMPOSER/MUSIC

Nathan Barr

PRODUCTION DESIGNER Diane

NARRATIVES

An episode from the the critically acclaimed show followed by an in depth discussion with showrunner Joe Weisberg

Hosted by Indiewire Deputy Editor and Chief Film Critic, Eric Kohn. Explore the ins and outs of this “hide in plain sight” story through an intimate and in-depth conversation with the show creator Joe Weisberg, who worked in the CIA’s Directorate of Operations in the early 1990s. Emily Nussbaum, TV critic at the New Yorker calls The Americans “possibly the best current drama out there.” Joe Weisberg is the creator, executive producer and writer of The Americans. Nominated for numerous awards and two-time winner of the AFI Best TV Program of the Year, The Americans is an exciting Cold War series about two Soviet intelligence agents posing as a married couple to spy on the American government. This superb suburban spy thriller, staring Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys, balances the escapades of espionage with the tribulations of parenting and, in the process, achieves what might appear unimaginable — empathy for the enemy.

Lederman

COURTESY of SHOWING AT UPSTATE FILMS WOODSTOCK

Sat Oct 3

2015

• 2:15pm

Visit www.fxnetworks.com/shows/the-americans

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

N A R R ATIV ES EAST CO AST PR E M IE R E

THE AUTOMATIC HATE NARRATIVES

Directed by Justin Lerner USA / 2015 / 97 minutes

How would you react if you discovered everything you thought you knew about your family turned out not to be so? After an enigmatic visit to his dying grandfather and the

CAST

Joseph Cross Adelaide Clemens Deborah Ann Woll Ricky Jay Richard Schiff Yvonne Zima Vanessa Zima Catherine Carlen Caitlin O’Connell

surprise appearance of an alluring and whimsical young woman claiming to be his cousin, Davis Greene discovers a family he never knew existed. Gingerly, he allows himself to be seduced into uncovering the past. But as estranged cousins Davis and Alexis grow close to each other, they discover the dark secret that shattered the relationship of their fathers. The second feature film from director Justin Lerner, The Automatic Hate is an intimate and gripping portrait of a family told with spectacular pacing and assured direction, offering plenty of surprise turns along the way. Starting out as a simple indie drama, where Davis and his girlfriend are struggling to understand their relationship, The Automatic Hate evolves into a heartbreaking romance that spans two generations of families broken apart. – Sam Robotham

PRODUCERS

Alix Madigan Lacey Leavitt Justin Lerner

Lerner is an Emmy and Gotham Award-winning writer/director born in BIO Justin State College, Pennsylvania. He studied Theater Arts and Film at Cornell Univer-

SCREENWRITERS

Justin Lerner Katharine O’Brien

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Quyen Tran

EDITOR

Jeff Castelluccio

PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Alexandra Regazzoni

COMPOSER/MUSIC

Hunter Brown

SOUND DESIGNER

Jeffery Alan Jones

MAIN CREDITS

sity, where he graduated cum laude. In 2007, he received his MFA in Directing at UCLA Film School, where his thesis film The Replacement Child was awarded with two student Emmys, one for Best Drama and the other for Best Director. His first feature film, Girlfriend, made its World Premiere at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival and went on to win three other festivals and the 2011 Gotham Independent Film Audience Award. The Automatic Hate is Lerner’s second feature. He currently lives in Los Angeles.

Q&A ATTENDEES *subject to change Justin Lerner and several cast members SHOWING AT UPSTATE FILMS WOODSTOCK

Thur Oct 1 • 9:00pm

ORPHEUM THEATER SAUGERTIES

Sat Oct 3 • 7:30pm

Visit www.theautomatichate.com

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

2015

N AR R AT IVE S EA ST CO AST PR E M IE R E

BAND OF ROBBERS USA, France / 2015 / 92 minutes Spanish and English MAIN CREDITS CAST Kyle

Gallner Stephen Lang Adam Nee Johnny Pemberton Matthew Gray Gubler Beth Grant Hannibal Buress Lee Garlington Melissa Benoist Maria Blasucci Daniel Mora Cooper Huckabee Eric Christian Olsen Creed Bratton EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS Nick Morton Bert Kern John Miller Margo Miller Tims Johnson Matthew Gray Gubler Nalit Patel Noah Lang Evan Buxbaum PRODUCERS

John Will Rick Rosenthal Matt Ratner Arun Kumar

SCREENWRITERS

Adam Nee Aaron Nee

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Noah Rosenthal

EDITORS

Adam Nee & Aaron Nee

PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Rodrigo Cabral

COMPOSER/MUSIC

Joel P. West

SOUND DESIGNER

William McGuigan

Expertly adapting the characters from Mark Twain’s seminal stories into the 21st century, Band of Robbers is a clever escapade that truly honors the essence of its source material. We meet thrill-seeking Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer as young boys pursuing adventure. But the authorities have a different concept of fun, and after being released from his latest stay in prison, petty crook Huck hopes to leave his criminal activities behind. But lifelong friend and corrupt police officer Tom has a different idea in mind. In a final endeavor to achieve their childhood dreams, Tom pulls the gang back together in the hopes of discovering a legendary treasure. Little do they know, this new caper will send them into more unexpected and dangerous territories than they ever faced as children. The sophomore feature from brother’s Aaron and Adam Nee, with its impressively talented cast, comes together to create a slightly dark, but always witty comedy-adventure. – Sam Robotham Adam and Aaron Nee’s first feature film, The Last Romantic (distributed by IFC), premiered at the South By Southwest Film Festival in Austin and won the Grand Jury prize at the Starz Denver International Film Festival. They were then named by Filmmaker Magazine among their 25 Filmmakers To Watch. The Brothers Nee are also known for their music video work, including Dawes’ When My Time Comes, A Fine Frenzy’s Happier and Almost Lover, and the Yahoo Music Video Award-winner, Terrene’s Unwelcome. As directors, the brothers’ client list has included Amazon, Comedy Central, Funny or Die, EMI, Capitol Music Group, Virgin Records, ATO, and more.

BIO

Q&A ATTENDEES *subject to change Adam Nee & Aaron Nee SHOWING AT UPSTATE FILMS WOODSTOCK

Fri Oct 2 • 7:00pm

ROSENDALE THEATRE

2015

NARRATIVES

Directed by Adam Nee & Aaron Nee

Sat Oct 3 • 2:15pm

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

N A R R ATIV ES WO R L D PR E M I E R E

BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA NARRATIVES

Directed by Ken Sanzel Columbia / 2015 / 96 minutes MAIN CREDITS CAST

Ryan Kwanten Freida Pinto Carolina Gomez Mickey Rourke

PRODUCERS

Gary Preisler Eric Brenner

SCREENWRITER

Ken Sanzel

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Paulo Perez

EDITOR

Matt Mayer

PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Hernan Garcia

COMPOSER/MUSIC

Darren Jackson

SOUND DESIGNER

Rusty Dunn

Against the backdrop of a South American underculture of Kevlar-vested duelists, two lovers travel together on very different paths. John is in a quest for a mythical opponent, with its promise of a moment of “unambiguous perfection;” Colt seeks the catharsis of revenge against the man who killed her brother in a duel gone wrong. As the violence escalates in intensity and implication, sex and damage — both physical and emotional — bind these two broken people together as their very different existential journeys rip them apart. Writer/director Ken Sanzel impressively weaves a yarn of loss, longing, alienation, and revenge, right up to the climactic moment of fleeting satisfaction when John finally meets the fight champion, impeccably played by Mickey Rourke. Blunt Force Trauma is a visual masterpiece and a must-see film for anyone with an interest in realistic action dramas. -Woodstock Film Festival

Sanzel is a ten-year veteran of the New York City Transit Police Department. BIO Ken Sanzel has written several pilots and created the FOX-TV series Lawless. He also co-created the FOX TV series Jonny Zero, and wrote and directed Dodge’s City, an MTV productions series pilot for UPN. Ken was the executive producer and showrunner on the successful CBS show Numb3rs for several seasons. In film, Sanzel’s original screenplay, The Replacement Killers, was Hong Kong actor Chow Yun-Fat’s Hollywood debut.

Q&A ATTENDEE *subject to change Ken Sanzel

SHOWING AT UPSTATE FILMS WOODSTOCK

Fri Oct 2 • 9:30pm

ORPHEUM THEATER SAUGERTIES

Sun Oct 4 • 12:30pm

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

2015

N AR R AT IVE S NEW YO R K PR E M I E R E

BOB AND THE TREES USA, France / 2015 / 92 minutes MAIN CREDITS CAST

Robert Tarasuk Matthew Gallagher Polly McIntyre Winthrop Barrett Nathaniel Gregory

PRODUCERS

Rob Cristiano Christie Molia

SCREENWRITERS

Diego Ongaro Courtney Maum Sasha Statman Weil

CINEMATOGRAPHERS

Chris Teague Danny Vecchione

EDITOR

Benoit Sauvage

COMPOSER/MUSIC

Brian Mc Bride

SOUND DESIGNER

Julien Ngo Trong

Bob is a handsome, rugged logger who spends his days either cutting trees in the silent, majestic Massachusetts woods or listening to hardcore rap music and playing golf. But this routine life is rudely interrupted when one of his beloved cows

NARRATIVES

Directed by Diego Ongaro

gets brutally wounded and his work suffers a financial blow following a bad business deal. Suddenly Bob finds himself facing some hard decisions. Despite family opposition, the unyielding winter woods ultimately push Bob to do whatever it takes to keep his failing business alive. Just how much is he willing to sacrifice to hold his life together? Bob and the Trees thrives on ultra-realism. With non-actors portraying fictionalized versions of themselves, debut feature director Diego Ongaro succeeds in getting impressively honest performances from his cast, especially lead Bob Tarasuk, who plays himself in the film. The arresting Berkshires and slow-building tension add to this story of struggle that pays tribute to a declining population still holding onto their rural dreams. – Sam Robotham Diego Ongaro is a French director living in rural western Massachusetts. In 2005, he wrote and directed Me, My Bag and My Ball, a short film that won the Canal+ Award at the 2006 Clermont Ferrand International Short Film Festival. He has since directed three other short films, Return to Labradoria, Rice and Meat and Bob and Trees, the latest being the inspiration for the feature film bearing the same name. Bob and the Trees, his feature film, had its world premiere at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival in the NEXT section, and its international premiere at Karlovy Vary Film Festival. Diego likes carpentry, sausages, playmobils, and raking leaves.

BIO

Q&A ATTENDEE *subject to change Diego Ongaro SHOWING AT ROSENDALE THEATRE

Fri Oct 2 • 3:30pm

UPSTATE FILMS WOODSTOCK

Sun Oct 4 • 11:30am

2015

Visit www.bobandthetrees.com

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

N A R R ATIV ES CLOSING NIGHT FILM

THE FORBIDDEN ROOM NARRATIVES

Directed by Guy Maddin Co-director: Evan Johnson CANADA / 2015 / 120 minutes MAIN CREDITS CAST

Roy Dupuis Clara Furey Louis Negin Celine Bonnier Karine Vanasse Caroline Dhavernas Paul Ahmarani

PRODUCERS

Phoebe Greenberg Penny Mancuso Phyllis Laing David Christensen

SCREENWRITERS

Guy Maddin Evan Johnson Robert Kotyk

CINEMATOGRAPHERS

Stephanie Weber-Biron Ben Kasulke (Paris)

EDITOR

John Gurdebeke

PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Galen Johnson

SOUND DESIGNER

John Gurdebeke

Q&A ATTENDEE *subject to change Guy Maddin

The Forbidden Room is Guy Maddin’s ultimate epic phantasmagoria. Honoring classic cinema while electrifying it with energy, this Russian nesting doll of a film begins (after a prologue on how to take a bath) with the crew of a doomed submarine chewing flapjacks in a desperate attempt to breathe the oxygen within. Suddenly, impossibly, a lost woodsman wanders into their company with his tale of escaping a fearsome clan of cave dwellers. From here, Maddin and co-director Evan Johnson take us high into the air, around the world and into dreamscapes, spinning tales of amnesia, captivity, deception, murder, skeleton women, and vampire bananas. Like some glorious meeting between Italo Calvino, Sergei Eisenstein and a perverted six year-old, The Forbidden Room is Maddin’s grand ode to lost cinema. Created with the help of master poet John Ashbery, the film features a high profile cast playing a cavalcade of misfits, thieves and lovers, all joined in the joyful delirium of the kaleidoscopic viewing experience. Be prepared for a trip like nothing you’ve taken before! Guy Maddin is an installation and internet artist, lecturer at Harvard, writer and filmmaker, the director of eleven feature-length movies, including My Winnipeg (2007), The Saddest Music in the World (2003), The Forbidden Room (2015), and innumerable shorts. He has also mounted around the world over seventy performances of his films featuring live elements — orchestra, sound effects, singing and narration. Twice, Maddin has won America’s National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Experimental Film, with Archangel (1991) and The Heart of the World (2001). He has been bestowed many other awards, including the Telluride Silver Medal in 1995, the San Francisco International Film Festival’s Persistence of Vision Award in 2006, and an Emmy for his ballet film Dracula - Pages from a Virgin’s Diary (2002). Maddin is a print journalist and author of three books. He is also a member of The Order of Canada and The Order of Manitoba.

BIO

COURTESY of

SHOWING AT WOODSTOCK PLAYHOUSE

Visit www.kinolorber.com

Sun Oct 4 • 7:30pm

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

2015

N AR R AT IVE S EA ST CO AST PR E M IE R E

GOOD OL’ BOY USA / 2015 / 102 minutes MAIN CREDITS CAST

Jason Lee Anjul Nigam Brighton Sharbino Hilarie Burton Roni Akurati Poorna Jagannathan Samrat Chakrabarti Jake Busey Tim Guinee Alison Wright

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

Aaron L. Gilbert Paul Quinn Winson Ho

PRODUCERS

Anjul Nigam Frank Lotito Steve Straka

SCREENWRITERS

Anjul Nigam Paul Quinn Gregory Scott Houghton

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Thomas Scott Stanton

EDITOR

Joshua Rathmell

PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Sam Lisenco

COMPOSER/MUSIC

Michael Lira

SOUND DESIGNER

Diana Sagrista

The year is 1979, when life was simpler but families were still complex, and an Indian family moves to America hoping to live the American Dream. Reminiscent of

NARRATIVES

Directed by Frank Lotito

The Wonder Years, Good Ol’ Boy is an endearing coming-of-age story, where 10-year-old Smith falls for the girl next door and is caught between his family’s Hindu traditions and his desire to become a “good ol’ boy.” While the children and their stories take the lead, Good Ol’ Boy challenges the stereotypical notion of both traditional Indian and predictable redneck families, as the patriarchs help tell a compelling tale of the struggles of parenthood and married life for anyone of any race or background. By initially treating the characters as caricatures of themselves, we’re given the chance to laugh with them as we watch how the depth of their characters and love for their families evolve. Adding to the mix, director Frank Lotito brilliantly incorporates the soundtrack as a character throughout, including Johnny Cash’s Don’t Take Your Gun to Town, when allAmerican dad Butch takes his vegetarian neighbor on a big game hunting trip. No matter what your background, all it takes to fall in love with this movie is a an open mind and an open heart. – Benjamin Scott an actor/comedian from Australia, Frank Lotito has produced TV and BIO Originally feature films, including Big Momma’s Boy, which he also wrote and starred in; The Lookalike, starring Justin Long and Jerry O’Connell; and Good Ol’ Boy, which is Frank’s directorial debut. Next up, Frank is producing and directing the romantic comedy The Crook and the Critic with producing partner Anjul Nigam.

SHOWING AT WOODSTOCK PLAYHOUSE ROSENDALE THEATRE

2015

Fri Oct 2 • 2:00pm Sun Oct 4 • 2:30pm

Q&A ATTENDEES *subject to change Frank Lotito, Anjul Nigam

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

Visit www.goodolboythemovie.com

N A R R ATIV ES EAST CO AST PR E M IE R E

THE GRACE OF JAKE NARRATIVES

Directed by Chris Hicky USA / 2015 / 91 minutes MAIN CREDITS CAST

Michael Beck Jordan Sparks Lew Temple Ravi Kapoor Jake La Botz

PRODUCERS

Steven Brown Chris Hicky Jake La Botz Michael Wiebler

DIRECTOR

Chris Hicky

SCREENWRITER

Chris Hicky

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Blake McClure

EDITOR

Ryan Kendrick

COMPOSER/MUSIC

George Stanford

Just out of prison, drifter/musician Jake steals a car and hits the road for small town Arkansas, intent on extracting revenge from the father he never knew. Although he never met the man, Jake blames him for all of life’s troubles, starting with his mother’s death. Arriving in this dustbowl town with only a guitar to sustain him, Jake discovers nothing is as he imagined. The Grace of Jake is, at its core, the story of a man who finds redemption through friendship, faith and his deep-rooted love of gospel music, which bonds him with the locals and sets him on a righteous path. Religion, however, is backdrop to the music. Grammy-nominated director Chris Hicky proves his musical aptitude by wisely casting Jake La Botz, who learned his trade from old Mississippi bluesmen, as lead man. The soul-filled music is extraordinary, the acting genuine, and the tempo in perfect harmony with the surroundings. From crop dusters to gospel churches, this compassionate film captures the essence of the Arkansas delta. – Ben F. Fischer Chris Hicky is a Grammy-nominated music video director from Forrest City, Arkansas, best known for directing many of Keith Urban’s videos. Hicky has also directed videos for many other artists in the country music genre, including Dierks Bentley, Kellie Pickler, Deana Carter, Carrie Underwood, Lady Antebellum, Faith Hill, and Miranda Lambert. Awards won include 2010 ACM Video of the Year, 2010 CMT Female Video of the Year, and 2005 CMT Video of the Year. This is his first feature film.

BIO

Q&A ATTENDEE *subject to change Jake La Botz SHOWING AT BEARSVILLE THEATER WOODSTOCK

Sat Oct 3 • 5:00pm

UPSTATE FILMS I RHINEBECK

Sun Oct 4 • 12:30pm

Visit www.facebook.com/TheGraceOfJake

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

2015

N AR R AT IVE S EAST CO AST PR E M IE R E

HOMELESS USA / 2015 / 92 minutes MAIN CREDITS CAST

Michael McDowell Lance Megginson Julie Dunagan Hosanna Gourley Parker Townsend J.W. Burriss Michael Francis Paolucci

PRODUCER

Tif Hassler

SCREENWRITERS

Anna Fields Clay Riley Hassler

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Clay Riley Hassler

EDITORS

Josh Beasley Clay Riley Hassler Sam Smartt

PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Jillian Anzalone

COMPOSER/MUSIC

Carlin Salmon

SOUND DESIGNERS

JT Dekker Npall Audio

Filmed in a real shelter with real people, Homeless tells the story of Gosh (Josh), a teenage boy lost in the bleak routine of life in a shelter. After his father is sent to jail

NARRATIVES

Directed by Clay Riley Hassler

and his grandmother passes away, Gosh, unable to pay rent, is forced onto the streets with only the clothes on his back and his iPod. If this were a Hallmark production, we’d expect some kindhearted soul to rescue Gosh. And indeed, after weeks of loneliness and setbacks, he is befriended and lands a job. But Homeless isn’t a family-TV movie. Based on a real life story, made on a shoestring budget, debut director Clay Riley Hassler manages to truly portray a sense of what being homeless is like. With heartbreaking honesty, we are pulled into the world in which it is set. But despite the stark realism, Homeless is a tender story, told in quiet yet deep beats that slowly pierce our hearts. – Ben F. Fischer

Riley Hassler is a writer, director and director of photography of feature BIO Clay films, documentaries, and media content for brands, agencies, and distributors. His commercial resume includes over a dozen spots for Walmart’s national Moms’ Story campaign in partnership with Mark Burnett’s (Survivor, The Voice) media and advertising agency, VIMBY, as well as collaborations with Toyota, Chevron, The Peoples Choice Awards, and an Olay Fresh Effects spot featuring actress Ashley Madekwe (Revenge, Salem).

Q&A ATTENDEES *subject to change Clay Riley Hassler, Tif Hassler SHOWING AT UPSTATE FILMS I RHINEBECK

Fri Oct 2 • 3:00pm

UPSTATE FILMS WOODSTOCK

Sun Oct 4 • 4:45pm

2015

Visit www.homelessthefilm.com

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

N A R R ATIV ES NEW YO R K PR E M I E R E

HOW HE FELL IN LOVE NARRATIVES

Directed by Marc Meyers USA / 2015 / 108 minutes MAIN CREDITS CAST

Matt McGorry Amy Hargreaves Britne Oldford Mark Blum

PRODUCER

Jody Girgenti

SCREENWRITER

Marc Meyers

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Ruben O’Malley

EDITOR

Jamie Kirkpatrick

COMPOSER/MUSIC

Jay Lifton

A romantic drama about forbidden romance, How He Fell in Love is a story of love doomed to failure. Struggling young musician Travis (Matt McGorry of Orange is the New Black) has fallen head over heels for the beautiful, older, married yoga teacher Ellen (Amy Hargreaves of Homeland). Alternating between vulnerability and pulsating sexuality, McGorry and Hargreaves seduce the audience with an impossible love story that is mesmerizing to watch. With New York City as the backdrop to their love, and a steamy getaway to the country as added spice to their already hot relationship, the lovers traverse this dangerous road with alternating abandon and control. Supported by veteran character actor Mark Blum, who delivers a touching performance as Henry, the jilted husband, the film peaks when husband and lover confront each other in the park. Will new love or old relationships persevere? Come see for yourself. – Svetlana Krotek

Meyers graduated from Franklin & Marshall College and began his career BIO Marc as a development consultant for the IFP Market & Gotham Awards. His debut feature, Approaching Union Square, premiered at the Montreal World Film Festival and was broadcast on Sundance Channel. Marc was part of the team behind the 9/11-themed documentary Witnessing, which premiered at Tribeca and aired on MSNBC. His 2011 film Harvest, starring Oscar nominees Robert Loggia and Barbara Barrie, with original music by Grammy and Tony Winner Duncan Sheik and David Poe, was released theatrically in 2011, aired on Showtime, and is available on major digital platforms. He is an alumnus of various theater collectives and part of the producing team for the inaugural NY Documentary Festival (docfest). My Friend Dahmer, based on the award-winning novel of the same name, is his next film. Marc lives with his wife and producing partner Jody Girgenti and their daughter in Brooklyn, NY.

Q&A ATTENDEE *subject to change Marc Meyers

COURTESY OF

SHOWING AT UPSTATE FILMS I RHINEBECK

Fri Oct 2 • 6:00pm

UPSTATE FILMS WOODSTOCK

Sat Oct 3 • 10:00pm

Visit www.howhefellinlove.com

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

2015

N AR R AT IVE S

I DREAM TOO MUCH USA / 2015 / 93 minutes MAIN CREDITS

Danielle Brooks Diane Ladd James McCaffrey Casper Andreas Eden Brolin

CAST

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Richard Linklater

PRODUCER

Ed McWilliams Jay Thames

SCREENWRITER

Katie Cokinos

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Alex Rappoport

PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Lisa Myers

COMPOSER/MUSIC

Heidi Rodewald

Like many recent college grads, Dora (Edith Brolin) doesn’t know what to do with her life. She spends most of her time in daydreams about traveling the globe and becoming a

NARRATIVES

Directed by Katie Cokinos

romantic poet, while her overly practical mother is more focused on her daughter staying at home in New Jersey to prepare for the LSATs. After learning her great-aunt Vera (Oscar Winner Diane Ladd) is injured and requires assistance at her home in Upstate NY, Dora jumps at the chance to escape, hoping to find her true calling. I Dream Too Much, the sophomore feature from director Katie Cokinos, is a light-hearted, dreamy story of self-discovery that initiates a candid relationship between two artistic, intelligent women two generations apart. In the time they spend together, both Dora and Vera will learn that no matter your age, now is always a good time to follow your dreams. - Sam Robotham Katie Cokinos has a history of supporting independent film, starting in Texas where she was an administrator for SWAMP and managing director of the Austin Film Society. She has made five short films and her film Portrait of a Girl as a Young Cat premiered at SXSW. Katie currently resides in Saugerties, New York, with her husband and two children.

BIO

Q&A ATTENDEE *subject to change Katie Cokinos

SHOWING AT ORPHEUM THEATER SAUGERTIES

Fri Oct 2 • 6:00pm

2015

Visit www.idreamtoomuch.com

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

N A R R ATIV ES WOR L D PR E M I E R E

IT HAD TO BE YOU NARRATIVES

Directed by Sasha Gordon USA, Italy / 2015 / 82 minutes MAIN CREDITS CAST

Cristin Milioti Dan Soder Halley Feiffer Mark Gessner Kyle Mooney Kate Simses Erica Sweany Nick Mennell Danny DeFerrari

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Chris Columbus

PRODUCES

Rachel Brenna Richard Arlook Benjamin Kruger Levi Abrino

SCREENWRITER

Sasha Gordon

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Bobby Webster

EDITOR

Amanda Laws

PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Kendall Fleisher

COMPOSER/MUSIC

Sasha Gordon

SOUND DESIGNER

Zach Goheen

Sonia is a neurotic and utterly charming jingle writer who has always dreamt of a big and exciting life. Surprised by a sudden proposal of marriage and subsequent ultimatum from her easygoing boyfriend, Chris, Sonia has to decide whether she’ll join the ranks of her married friends or take a leap and pursue her fantasies. Director Sasha Gordon, who worked on past Woodstock Film Festival favorites Dear Lemon Lima (2009), God of Love (2010) and I Believe in Unicorns (2014), brings the same sensitivities to It Had To Be You, her directorial debut. In this whimsical and edgy romantic comedy that is raunchy yet gentle, she explores the choices women face today, while at the same time satirizing cultural expectations of gender and romance. – Woodstock Film Festival

Gordon is an award-winning filmmaker and composer. Born in St. BIO Sasha Petersburg, Russia, Sasha immigrated to the US in 1989. Sasha has scored over 50 features and shorts (among them the Oscar-winning God Of Love); directed several award-winning shorts (including Manhattan Melody, which premiered at the Telluride Film Festival and went on to play all over the world, including the Woodstock Film Festival); and is thrilled to have just completed her debut feature, It Had To Be You, a subversive romantic comedy starring Cristin Milioti and Dan Soder. Sasha is currently scoring Amazon’s Gortimer Gibbon’s Life On Normal Street and writing her next feature.

Q&A ATTENDEE *subject to change Sasha Gordon SHOWING AT UPSTATE FILMS WOODSTOCK

Thur Oct 1 • 6:30pm

UPSTATE FILMS I RHINEBECK

Fri Oct 2 • 9:00pm

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

2015

N AR R AT IVE S NEW YO R K PR E M I E R E

LAMB USA / 2015 / 97 minutes MAIN CREDITS CAST

Ross Partridge Oona Laurence Scoot McNairy Jess Weixler

Executive Producers Ross Partridge William Ruch Producers

Mel Eslyn Taylor Williams

Screenwriter

Ross Partridge

Cinematographer

Nathan M. Miller

Editor

Christopher Donlon

Production Designers Lanie Faith Marie Overton Composer/Music

Daniel Belardinelli

Sound Designer

Kelsey Wood

Lamb, based on the novel by Bonnie Nadzam, traces the self-discovery of David Lamb in the weeks following the disintegration of his marriage and the death of his father. Hoping to regain some faith in his own goodness, he turns his attention to

NARRATIVES

Directed by Ross Partridge

Tommie, an awkward and unpopular yet adventurous eleven-year-old girl played beautifully by rising young star Oona Laurence. Lamb is convinced that he can help Tommie avoid a destiny of apathy and emptiness, and takes her for a road trip from Chicago to the Rockies, planning to initiate her into the beauty of the mountain wilderness. Never quite certain where Lamb is going, the film maintains a slow-burning intensity as the unfolding circumstances threaten to veer into very disturbing territory. But Lamb is not Lolita and Ross Partridge masterfully directs and stars in what is truly a provocative psychological drama of two lonely strangers, one a grown man, the other a mere child, who use one another to find direction and purpose in their lives. – Woodstock Film Festival Ross Partridge is the writer and director of Lamb, in addition to starring in it. He has co-produced The Duplass Brothers’ The Do-Deca Pentathlon, was a producer of the HBO documentary Uncle Frank, and executive produced the PBS 9/11 documentary America Rebuilds: A Year at Ground Zero. He directed the feature film Interstate 84, starring Kevin Dillon and executive produced by Kevin Spacey, as well as the webseries Wedlock with Mark Duplass, Rob Corddry, and Jennifer Lafleur.

BIO

Q&A ATTENDEE *subject to change Ross Partridge SHOWING AT UPSTATE FILMS II RHINEBECK

Fri Oct 2 • 9:30pm

UPSTATE FILMS WOODSTOCK

Sun Oct 4 • 7:15pm

2015

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

N A R R ATIV ES EAST CO AST PR E M IE R E

LOVE & TAXES NARRATIVES

Directed by Jacob Kornbluth USA / 2014 / 88 minutes MAIN CREDITS CAST

Josh Kornbluth Anthony Nimerovsky Sarah Overman

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Lisa Kleiner Chanoff

PRODUCER

Brian Newman

SCREENWRITER

Josh Kornbluth

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Hiro Narita

EDITOR

Lisa Fruchtman

PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Darin Hunt

SOUND DESIGNER

James Lebrecht

Love & Taxes is a riveting comic account of seven years of tax avoidance. Direc-

tor Jacob Kornbluth takes on the role of “biographer,” following the exploits of his brother Josh, who is an autobiographical monologist (think Spalding Gray). The child of a radical upbringing, Josh prides himself on living “outside the system.” Thus, despite working for a high-powered tax attorney, he hasn’t filed his taxes in seven years. When he decides to go legit, everything in his life takes an upward turn. Or does it? Part documentary, part narrative, Love & Taxes blends Josh’s solo performances with scripted scenes to bring the subjective reality of the storyteller hilariously to life. What is real, what is exaggerated, we may never know. Nor does it matter. In this tale of procrastination, making movies and growing up, we are privy to a middle-aged coming-of-age story that is, quite possibly, the first ever pro-tax romantic comedy. A perfect antidote for these troubled financial times. – Woodstock Film Festival Jacob Kornbluth is an award-winning writer and director of feature films, TV and theater. He has had three feature films premiere at Sundance, Haiku Tunnel (Sony Pictures Classics), The Best Thief In the World (Showtime Independent) and Inequality For All (Radius/Weinstein). Inequality, won the special jury prize for excellence in filmmaking at Sundance 2013, did the best box office for an issue doc since Waiting For Superman and is out on DVD now. In 2014, he worked on the Showtime series about climate change, Years of Living Dangerously, executive produced by James Cameron, Arnold Swartzenegger and Jerry Weintraub. His work on that show won an Emmy. “

”

BIO

Q&A ATTENDEES *subject to change Jacob and Josh Kornbluth, Brian Newman SHOWING AT UPSTATE FILMS II RHINEBECK

Fri Oct 2 • 3:30pm

BEARSVILLE THEATER WOODSTOCK

Sun Oct 4 • 7:45pm

Visit www.loveandtaxesmovie.com

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

2015

N AR R AT IVE S US P R E M I E R E

MEET ME IN VENICE Co-Director by Erik Wünsch Netherlands / 2015 / 93 minutes In English, and Dutch with English subtitles MAIN CREDITS CAST

Beppe Costa Roberta Petzoldt Nikola Rakocevic

PRODUCERS

San Fu Maltha Peggy Stein Bruno Felix Femke Wolting

SCREENWRITERS

Eddy Terstall Erik Wünsch

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Gabor Deak

EDITOR

Ben Isaacs

COMPOSERS/MUSIC

Michel Banabila Beppe Costa

SOUND DESIGNER

Marco Vermaas

Q&A ATTENDEES *subject to change Eddy Terstall, Erik Wünsch

The parent-child relationship is a popular theme in film; typically there is friction between the generations, but gradually each realizes they have more in common than previously thought. Meet Me in Venice adds a new voice to this story. Recounted

NARRATIVES

Directed by Eddy Terstall

by Lisa through a video she makes for her son, this Dutch father-daughter story of reconciliation unfolds between a woman and the father she first meets in adulthood. When the absentee Mauro invites Lisa to join him in Venice, she decides to go. But the journey doesn’t stop there, and the father-daughter road trip takes them from Italy to Istanbul along the Orient Express route, with breathtaking imagery of the Balkans and heartwarming musical interludes. In getting to know her father, Lisa gets to know herself. She shares this experience with her son so when he is older, he will understand her decisions and life choices. Anguish and charm combine to make watching Meet Me in Venice enjoyable and enlightening at the same time. – Ben F. Fischer

Terstall was born in 1964 in Amsterdam. Terstall studied political sciences BIO Eddy at the University of Amsterdam and started working in the film industry as an electrician in 1983. In 1992, he directed his first feature film and has made 11 movies since. Nowadays, Eddy is a renowned Dutch director and writer, known for the movies Rent-a-Friend, Voxpopuli and Simon. Eddy is capable of directing heavy themes in a light way; that signature is one of the reasons why his films won several awards. At the Valencia International Film Festival in 2005, Simon won the Canal and International Award. At the Tribeca Film Festival Simon was nominated for Best Narrative Feature. His films won many other awards at various international film festivals, such as the Dutch Film Festival. Besides directing and writing, Eddy Terstall aspires to a political career in the Netherlands.

COURTESY OF

SHOWING AT UPSTATE FILMS WOODSTOCK

Thur Oct 1 • 4:00pm

UPSTATE FILMS II RHINEBECK

Fri Oct 2 • 6:30pm

2015

Visit www.meetmeinvenice.nl

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

N A R R ATIV ES EA ST CO AST PR E MIE R E

THE MISSING GIRL NARRATIVES

Directed by A.D. Calvo USA / 2015 / 89 minutes MAIN CREDITS CAST

Robert Longstreet Alexia Rasmussen Eric Ladin Thomas Jay Ryan Shirley Knight Kevin Corrigan Sonja Sohn

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Albert Subbloie, Jr.

PRODUCER

Mike S. Ryan

SCREENWRITER

A.D. Calvo

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Ava Berkofsky

EDITOR

Michael Taylor

PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Meredith Lippincott

COMPOSER/MUSIC

Joe Carrano

SOUND DESIGNER

Joe Carrano

When watching writer/director A.D. Calvo’s The Missing Girl it is hard to find anything, well... missing. The Missing Girl follows quintessential comic book store owner, Morty, who has a hard time letting go of the past. His humdrum existence is dramatically changed when he hires the too-beautiful-to-be-working-as-a-clerk Ellen, a burgeoning artist and satirist with an appreciation of his meticulous yet grumpy nature. Integrating illustrations and split scenes in classic graphic novel layout, details of the characters’ desires are symbolically displayed in dream sequences or drawings by Ellen, who uses her art and her new day job to try and escape her former life as an erotic dancer. ’I can’t figure you out. Are you really a dweeb or are you just hiding?’ Ellen says to herself while looking around Mort’s apartment — a question that coincides with the major theme of the film. When Ellen seemingly disappears, our emotionally stunted hero transforms into a detective. The Missing Girl cleverly balances tension and suspense, fantasy and intrigue, as we search for a girl who perhaps isn’t missing at all. – Benjamin Scott A.D. Calvo (b. Buenos Aires) completed his debut feature, The Other Side of the Tracks, in 2008. The film was released in 2010 by Showtime and internationally by FOX Television. His second feature, The Melancholy Fantastic, starring Robin Taylor of FOX’s Gotham, remains unreleased. In 2013, Calvo completed two young-adult horror films, The Midnight Game, which premiered at the Miami International Film Festival, and House of Dust; both were released by Anchor Bay Entertainment. The Missing Girl, a dark comedy, is a departure from Calvo’s usual genre. Calvo is currently working on another horror film, his second collaboration with producer Mike S. Ryan.

BIO

Q&A ATTENDEE *subject to change A.D. Calvo SHOWING AT ROSENDALE THEATRE

Fri Oct 2 • 9:00pm

BEARSVILLE THEATER WOODSTOCK

Sat Oct 3 • 7:30pm

Visit www.themissinggirlmovie.com

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

2015

N AR R AT IVE S NORT H AM E R I CAN P R E MIE R E

MOSCOW NEVER SLEEPS Ireland / 2014 / 100 minutes Russian with English subtitles MAIN CREDITS CAST

Alexey Serebriakov Yuriy Stoyanov Mikhail Efremov Alena Babenko Oleg Dolin Evgenia Brik Lubov Aksenova

PRODUCERS

Katie Holly Johnny O’Reilly

SCREENWRITER

Johnny O’Reilly

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Fedor Lyass

EDITORS

Dermot Diskin Nico Leunen

PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Ekaterina Zaleteava

COMPOSER/MUSIC

Roman Litvinov

SOUND DESIGNER

Nikki Moss

Moscow Never Sleeps is a multi-narrative drama that dives headlong into the volatile intersections of Moscow itself and the intimate lives of five Muscovites from diverse backgrounds. The film tracks an oligarch forced to leave Russia, a young man

NARRATIVES

Directed by Johnny O’Reilly

conflicted about sending his grandmother to a nursing home, a famous comedian on his death bed, a woman powerless in her marriage, and an aspiring singer. The characters are connected by past relations, as well as chance, and while they don’t always physically cross paths, all experience a certain element of Moscow at the same time. The city, in fact, is one of the main characters. Opening with stunning panoramas of Moscow at dawn, the calm gives way to the hustle and bustle of Moscow City Day, an annual festival celebrating the biggest metropolis in Europe, which is the backdrop for the 24-hour rollercoaster encounter. – Ben F. Fischer A graduate of Russian at Trinity College, Dublin, Johnny O’Reilly worked as a journalist in Moscow and in Dublin in the early 1990s and then attended postgraduate studies in film at New York University. His first short film, Empire State, was written and directed by Johnny in New York in 1997. Since then, Johnny has worked solidly in the TV and film industry, building up credits as a writer and director of documentaries, TV commercials and films, including the short film, The Terms, which won 21 prizes at international film festivals, including the Woodstock Film Festival, and was shortlisted for the 2003 Oscars. As a scriptwriter, he has been selected to the Moonstone and North by Northwest programs. Since 2006, Johnny has lived in Moscow, working as a producer and director on a variety of Russian and foreign co-productions. Most recently, he co-wrote and directed the Russian-language thriller The Weather Station. To date, the film has been across the world in territories that include Japan, Germany and Spain.

BIO

Q&A ATTENDEE *subject to change Johnny O’Reilly SHOWING AT WOODSTOCK PLAYHOUSE

Sat Oct 3

• 11:00am

ORPHEUM THEATER SAUGERTIES

Sun Oct 4 • 3:00pm

2015

Visit www.facebook.com/moscowneversleepsfilm

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

N A R R ATIV ES NORT H AM E R I CAN P R E MIE R E

OLIVER’S DEAL NARRATIVES

Directed by Barney Elliott Peru, USA / 2014 / 97 minutes English, Spanish with English subtitles MAIN CREDITS CAST

Stephen Dorff Elsa Olivero Amiel Cayo Marco Antonio Ramírez Alberto Ammann Carlos Bardem David Strathairn

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

Richard & Kathleen Perkal Louis & Amie Kreisberg Christine Vachon Stephen Dorff Marina Fuentes Ángel Durández

PRODUCERS

Darren Goldberg Christopher Marsh Ibon Cormenzana Ignasi Estapé

SCREENWRITER

Barney Elliott

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Bjørn Ståle Bratberg FNF

EDITORS

J.L. Romeu Roberto Benavides

PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Guille Isa

COMPOSERS/MUSIC

Jesús Díaz Fletcher Ventura

SOUND DESIGNER

Fabiola Ordoyo

Visit www.thedreamcatchers.eu/50/olivers-deal

Set against a backdrop of international finance and intrigue in New York and Peru, Oliver’s Deal weaves an intricate tapestry of exploits, corruption, familial bonds, and human redemption that is as heartrending as it is troubling. Oliver Campbell, an American businessman played sympathetically by Stephen Dorff, finds himself torn between the icy corporate CEO portrayed to the tee by Academy Award®- nominee David Strathairn, and the poverty stricken Peruvian boy who tends the family’s sheep and llamas while dreaming of a new life. Though cold hard greed propels the story, the suffering that eventually seeps in alters the trajectory and softens the hearts of some of the more hardcore characters. In this intense drama that keeps you speculating throughout the interwoven stories, we see people from vastly different walks of life facing situations no one has prepared them for. With a gifted international and American cast and outstanding cinematography, director Barney Elliot tells a story that is unpredictable, emotional and ultimately questioning whether the end can justify the means. – Svetlana Krotek Due to the international success of his first short film, True Colours, Barney Elliot was one of six filmmakers selected for the prestigious Cannes Cinefondation Writing Fellowship (La Residence), where he lived in Paris for five months (October 2007 - February 2008) and wrote the first two drafts of his feature script Oliver’s Deal. Barney resides in Lima, Peru, where he works as a commercial director. His most recent short film, Ultimo Recurso (Last Resort), premiered in November 2010 at FENACO, one of Peru’s largest film festivals, and won the Best Short Fiction Film award. It made its US film premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Barney completed his post-graduate degree at The London Film School in 2003.

BIO

Q&A ATTENDEES *subject to change Barney Elliott, Darren Goldberg SHOWING AT ROSENDALE THEATRE WOODSTOCK PLAYHOUSE

Thur Oct 1 • 7:30pm Fri Oct 2 • 7:30pm

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

COURTESY of

ATLANTIC PICTURES

2015

N AR R AT IVE S EAST CO AST PR E M IE R E

OUTLIVING EMILY USA / 2015 / 87 minutes MAIN CREDITS CAST

Zosia Mamet Thomas Mann Alexis Bledel Kal Penn Cara Buono Dominic Fumusa Malcolm Gets David Pittu Phylicia Rashad Andre Braugher Olympia Dukakis Louis Zorich

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

Linda Moran Rene Bastian Bob Quinn

PRODUCERS

Josh Sugarman Eric Webber Adam Folk

SCREENWRITER

Eric Weber

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Timothy Naylor

EDITOR

Adam Mack

PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Alexandra Schaller

COMPOSERS/MUSIC

Ronan Coleman, Charles Goodan

SOUND DESIGNER

Aaron Mason

This is the story of the tumultuous marriage of Tim and Emily Hanratty, from the night they meet in a bar to their twilight years half a century later. The Hanrattys

NARRATIVES

Directed by Eric Weber

are cleverly portrayed by six diverse pairs of actors in six acts, with real-life husband and wife Louis Zorich and Olympia Dukakis playing the couple in the final stage of their life together. Tim and Emily wrestle with the extraordinary push and pull of a long-term relationship — the feelings of attraction and antagonism, the desire to please and the desire to dominate. The Hanratty marriage demonstrates that no matter who we are — man, woman, black, white, gay, straight — we all love the same. starting his career as an ad writer and penning the international bestseller BIO After How To Pick Up Girls, Eric Weber has become an award-winning Sundance filmmaker, writing and directing four feature films, including Second Best starring Joe Pantoliano. His films have screened at festivals around the world, including Sundance, SXSW, Palm Springs, and Bangkok.

Q&A ATTENDEES *subject to change Eric Weber, Sean Devaney, Josh Sugarman SHOWING AT UPSTATE FILMS I RHINEBECK

Sat Oct 3 • 12:30pm

WOODSTOCK PLAYHOUSE

2015

Sun Oct 4 • 5:00pm

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

N A R R ATIV ES OPENING NIGHT FILM

US PR E M I E R E

REMEMBER NARRATIVES

Directed by Atom Egoyan CANADA / 2015 / 95 minutes MAIN CREDITS CAST

Christopher Plummer Martin Landau Bruno Ganz Jurgen Pruchnow Heinz Lieven Henry Czerny Dean Norris

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

Moises Cosio Matt D. Geller Lawrence Guterman

PRODUCERS

Robert Lantos Ari Lantos

SCREENWRITER

Benjamin August

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Paul Sarossy

EDITOR

Christopher Donaldson

PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Mathew Davies

COMPOSER/MUSIC

Mychael Danna

Q&A ATTENDEE *subject to change Atom Egoyan

wife Ruth, he suddenly gets a mysterious package from his close friend Max (Academy Award®-winner Martin Landau), containing a stack of money, a gun, and a letter detailing a shocking plan. Both Zev and Max were prisoners in Auschwitz, and the same sadistic guard was responsible for the death of both their families—a guard who, immediately after the war, escaped Germany and has been living in the U.S. ever since under an assumed identity. Max is wheelchair-bound but in full command of his mental faculties; with his guidance, Zev will embark on a cross-continental road-trip to bring justice once and for all to the man who destroyed both their lives. With fifteen feature films and related projects, Atom Egoyan has won numerous prizes at international film festivals, including the Grand Prix and International Critics Awards from the Cannes Film Festival, two Academy Award®-nominations, and numerous other honors. His films have won twenty-five Genies - including three Best Film Awards – and a prize for Best International Film Adaptation from The Frankfurt Book Fair. Egoyan’s films have been presented in numerous retrospectives across the world, including a complete career overview at the Pompidou Centre in Paris, followed by similar events at the Filmoteca Espagnol in Madrid, the Museum of The Moving Image in New York, and the Royal CINEMATEK in Brussels. He was recently presented with the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo Award. Egoyan is honored with a 2015 Governor General’s Performing Arts Award. His body of work – which includes theatre, music, and art installations – delves into issues of memory, displacement, and the impact of technology and media in modern life. Among his films are the groundbreaking Exotica, the multi award winning The Sweet Hereafter, Felicia’s Journey (starring Bob Hoskins), Where the Truth Lies (with Kevin Bacon and Colin Firth), Devil’s Knot (with Reese Witherspoon and Colin Firth), and the forthcoming Remember (starring Christopher Plummer).

BIO

COURTESY of

SHOWING AT WOODSTOCK PLAYHOUSE

Remember tells the story of Zev Guttman (Academy Award®-winner Christopher Plummer), a 90-year-old struggling with memory loss who is living out his final years in a bucolic retirement home. A week following the death of his beloved

Visit www.a24films.com

Thur Oct 1 • 6:30 pm

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

2015

N AR R AT IVE S EA ST CO AST PR E MIE R E

RENDEZ-VOUS The Netherlands / 2015 / 100 minutes Dutch with English Subtitles MAIN CREDITS CAST

Pierre Boulanger Mark van Eeuwen Loes Haverkort Peter Paul Muller Jennifer Hoffman Eva Duijvestein

PRODUCER

Rachel van Bommel

SCREENWRITERS

Marjolein Beumer Dorien Goertzen

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Jeroen de Bruin

EDITOR

Marc Bechtold

PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Kurt Loyens

COMPOSER/MUSIC

Merlijn Snitker

Simone needs a change. Together with her husband Eric and their two children, she

NARRATIVES

Directed by Antoinette Beumer

buys a decrepit mansion in the south of France to turn it into a home and B&B. While the chaos of the renovation grows, Simone flees into a thrilling affair with one of the French construction workers, the gorgeous twenty-year-old Michel. She slowly loses control of her life and the French dream turns into her worst nightmare. Exquisitely shot and acted, this whilrwind tale of forbidden and dangerous passion is one you will not be able to keep your eyes off.

Beumer is a multi-award-winning Dutch director. Before RendezBIO Antoinette Vous, she directed Soof, a massive commercial success at the Dutch box office.

Her earlier feature, Jackie, stars Holly Hunter and Carice and Jelka van Houten. It premiered internationally at Toronto International Film Festival (2012). In the Netherlands, it won the Golden Film Award. Her 2010 feature Loft won the Golden and Platinum Film Award, as did her other 2010 success The Happy Housewife. Antoinette’s TV successes include In Therapy and Willemspark, among others. She also directed See You in Vegas, a documentary about illusionist Hans Klok.

Q&A ATTENDEE *subject to change Antoinette Beumer SHOWING AT BEARSVILLE THEATER WOODSTOCK

Fri Oct 2 • 7:15pm

UPSTATE FILMS II RHINEBECK

Sun Oct 4 • 1:00pm

2015

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

N A R R ATIV ES EA ST CO AST PR E M IE R E

SCOUT NARRATIVES

Directed by Laurie Weltz USA / 2015 / 92 minutes MAIN CREDITS CAST

Ellen Burstyn India Ennenga James Frecheville Danny Glover Tim Guinee Shelley Hennig Nikki Reed Jane Seymour Onata Aprile

PRODUCERS

Beverley Gordon Dwjuan Fox Nicolas Emiliani

SCREENWRITER

Laurie Weltz

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Austin Schmidt

EDITOR

Jim Mol

PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Megan Hutchison

COMPOSER/MUSIC

John Dragonetti

SOUND DESIGNER

Matthew Polis

Despite a disregard for convention and lax parenting, rebellious 15-year-old Scout is willing to risk everything for her little sister. When this charming con-artist enlists a wealthy mental patient to help her find Lulu, we embark on a road trip across Texas in search of their estranged carnie father who has kidnapped his young daughter. The characters in this film are as unpredictable as the story. Twenty-one-year-old India Ennenga as Scout and child star Onata Aprile (What Maisie Knew) as Lulu are supported by a stellar cast: James Frecheville as the convincing suicidal side-kick, Jane Seymour as his overbearing mother, Danny Glover as the misleadingly menacing Red, Tim Guinee as the malevolent dad, Nikki Reed as his religious zealot wife, and Ellen Burstyn as sympathetic but erratic Gram. In spite of its wit and dysfunction, at its heart, Scout is a touching tale of deep sisterly bonds and two misfits who come together to create a new kind of family. – Ben F. Fischer Laurie Weltz’s first film, Wrestling With Alligator, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where it was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize before going on to a theatrical, television and video release. Laurie has written two other optioned feature scripts, Watermoon, a ghostly thriller, and Monkey River, which won the Grand Prize in the PAGE Screenwriting Competition. She has worked as a freelance director and editor on numerous documentaries, television shows and industrials, and twice been nominated for ACE awards. She is a graduate of NYU Grad Film and her award winning thesis film, At Five and Twenty-Five, aired on USA.

BIO

Q&A ATTENDEE *subject to change Laurie Weltz SHOWING AT BEARSVILLE THEATER WOODSTOCK

Fri Oct 2 • 10:00pm

UPSTATE FILMS II RHINEBECK

Sat Oct 3 • 3:30pm

Visit www.scoutthemovie.com

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

2015

N AR R AT IVE S US P R E M I E R E

SILVER SKIES USA / 2015 / 96 minutes MAIN CREDITS CAST

George Hamilton Valerie Perrine Jack McGee Barbara Bain Jack Betts Alex Rocco Mariette Hartley

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

Fred Roos Arthur Sarkissian Nestor Rodriguez

PRODUCERS

Enrico Natale Rosemary Rodriguez

SCREENWRITER

Rosemary Rodriguez

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Nancy Schreiber

EDITOR

Francis Zuccarello

PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Rand Sagers

COMPOSER/MUSIC

Jim Coleman

SOUND DESIGNER

Nathan Ruyle

Silver Skies chronicles a group of seniors whose lives turn upside down when their Los Angeles apartment complex threatens to be sold out from under them. Director

NARRATIVES

Directed by Rosemary Rodriguez

Rosemary Rodriguez has assembled a high-profile cast to play some very complicated roles. With humor and compassion, she brings these old-timers to a place of fear, a little romance and deep caring for each others’ well-being. Long term pals Phil and Nick (George Hamilton and Jack McGee) tenderly face Phil’s descent into Alzheimer’s. Ethel (the sexy Valerie Perrine) finds friendship trumps love. Mariette Hartley’s Harriet discovers life is good when you let down your guard. And with incredible moxie, Eve (Barbara Bain) demonstrates that age is no impediment when it comes to defending what’s right. The story is easily relatable, as our aging population confronts a downturn in health, money and self-esteem. Now in their twilight years, facing the unknown, these underdogs will have you rooting for them all the way. – Ben F. Fischer Rosemary Rodriguez wrote and directed the Sundance feature Acts of Worship, nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards. Her TV work includes The Good Wife, Rescue Me, where she was first woman director in five seasons, Empire, Marvel’s AKA Jessica Jones for Netflix, and Outsiders. Rosemary’s next feature is Loose Girl, based on the memoir by Kerry Cohen. She’s developing the Showtime series Florent, starring Alan Cumming.

BIO

Q&A ATTENDEES *subject to change Rosemary Rodriguez, Nestor Rodriguez

SHOWING AT WOODSTOCK PLAYHOUSE

Visit www.facebook.com/SilverSkiesMovie

Sat Oct 3 • 4:00pm

2015

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

N A R R ATIV ES NY PR E M I E R E

LGBTQ FOCU S

SUMMER (ZOMER) NARRATIVES

Directed by Colette Bothof The Netherlands / 2014 / 89 minutes Dutch with English Subtitles MAIN CREDITS CAST

Sigrid ten Napel Jade Olieberg Lisa Smit Ella-June Henrard Martijn Lakemeijer Rik Verheye

PRODUCERS

Rene Goossens Annemiek van Gorp

SCREENWRITER

Marjolein Bierens

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Goert Giltay

EDITOR

Michiel Reichwein

PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Vincent de Pater

COMPOSER/MUSIC

Fons Merkies

SOUND DESIGNER

Mark Glynne

Q&A ATTENDEES *subject to change Colette Bothof

Zomer (Summer) is sweltering in a Dutch village where everyday life is dominated by the continually droning power plant. Sixteen-year-old Anne, her brother and their friends spend the days biking through winding roads that lead nowhere and everywhere. It is a time of adventure and youthful awakening. Anne, however, a quiet girl who longs to escape the confines of her small town, often feels like an outsider — until she meets Lena, a new girl in town who rides a motorbike, wears leather and is different from everybody else. With the awkward tenderness of youth and innocence, the two girls quickly form a bond, and the audience gets to watch as young love unfolds. Authentic performances and cinematography that captures the languor and heat of summertime create a beautiful story of sexual awakening and a girl daring to be different. For those who have traveled beyond the teenage years, it is a reminder of the possibilities life holds. – Woodstock Film Festival While studying psychology and communications, Colette Bothof started making short films and news items. After graduating cum laude, she attended the Dutch Film and Television Academy. Since 1994, she’s been working as a screenwriter and director for film and television and on various multidisciplinary and transmedia projects. With her films, she has won numerous awards, including the Panorama Award at the International Film Festival Berlin for One Way Ticket to Oblivion, a Golden Calve for best TV film for Dwaalgast at the Dutch Film Festival, a Golden Calve and four nominations for Black Swans at the Dutch Film Festival, and The Europrix Toptalent Award for the trans-media series Kika and Bob. Besides her film work, Colette has been on the board of the Dutch Directors Guild and VEVAM (CMO for film/tv), an advisor for the Media Fund, the Dutch Film Fund and The Amsterdam Arts Council, and working as a teacher/ consultant in screenwriting and directing. The past three years, she has been head of the directing department at the Dutch Film Academy. She lives in Amsterdam and has two children.

BIO

COURTESY of

SHOWING AT BEARSVILLE THEATER WOODSTOCK

Sat Oct 3 • 10:00pm

ROSENDALE THEATRE

Sun Oct 4 • 5:00pm

Visit www.wolfereleasing.com/info/title/summer/

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

2015

N AR R AT IVE S EA ST CO AST PR E M IE R E

THERE SHOULD BE RULES Sweden / 2015 / 89 minutes Swedish with English subtitles MAIN CREDITS CAST Anna

Hägglin Lo Salmson Ludvig Särnklint Annika Hallin Fredrik Gunnarsson Mads Korsgaard Magnus Schmitz Konstantinos Vlastaras Osvald Harryson

PRODUCER

Helene Mohlin Leif Mohlin

SCREENWRITER

Linda-Maria Birbeck

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Klas Karterud

EDITOR

Ulrika Rang

PRODUCTION DESIGNERS Ulrika

Fredriksson Philip Ivarsson

COMPOSERS/MUSIC

Jens Lindgård Petter Lindgård

SOUND DESIGNER

Samir Dounas

ANIMATOR

Charlotte Rodenstedt

Mia and Mirjam, two passionate, free-spirited 14-year-olds, along with Karl, who is inventive and wise beyond his years, are a close knit threesome in a small town

NARRATIVES

Directed by Linda-Maria Birbeck

in Sweden where nothing ever happens. Although the young friends spend nearly every waking hour together, each attempts to discover a unique path to coming of age. In the center is Mia, torn between youth and adulthood, family and friends. Mia wishes there were no rules and tempts life again and again. Mirjam, seeking love, finds her road to adulthood in a steamy romance with an older man who claims he loves her. Karl, supporting Mia’s sense of loss as her best friend is pulled away by new love, helps concoct ways to bring Mirjam back to them. While friendship and family bonds are tested and facades eventually crumble, the teens declare, “we are never becoming ordinary.” And they don’t. Beautifully shot and acted, and superbly written, There Should Be Rules exemplifies fine Swedish cinema, where nuances are everything and delicate stories unfold in their own tempo and style. – Svetlana Krotek Born 1974 in Karlstad, Sweden, Linda Maria Birbeck’s first time holding a camera was at the age of 22, and with that roll of film she entered the Utrecht School of Fine Arts in Holland. She had a successful career as a documentary photographer for many years. Around 2008, she envisioned a story and started to write about two boys. Just Like Zorro was her first short script. She directed it herself and won the audience award and the jury-prize in 2012 at the Gothenburg Film Festival. There Should Be Rules is her first feature film.

BIO

Q&A ATTENDEE *subject to change Linda-Maria Birbeck SHOWING AT UPSTATE FILMS WOODSTOCK

Fri Oct 2 • 4:30pm

ORPHEUM THEATER SAUGERTIES

Sat Oct 3 • 12:00pm

2015

Visit www.facebook.com/detbordefinnasregler

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

N A R R ATIV ES EA ST CO AST PR E MIE R E

TOUCHED WITH FIRE NARRATIVES

Directed by Paul Dalio USA / 2015 / 101 minutes MAIN CREDITS CAST

Katie Holmes Luke Kirby Christine Lahti Griffin Dunne Bruce Altman

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Spike Lee

PRODUCERS

Kristina Nikolova Jeremy Alter Jason Sokoloff

SCREENWRITER

Paul Dalio

CINEMATOGRAPHERS

Kristina Nikolova Alexander Stanishev

EDITORS

Paul Dalio Lee Percy

PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Kay Lee

COMPOSER/MUSIC

Paul Dalio

SOUND DESIGNER

Brandon Proctor

Dedicated to a long list of bi-polar artists, Touched With Fire propels us into the roller coaster lives of Marco and Carla, two young poets drawn to each other’s mania. Is it a gift? An illness to be cured? An entry into fierce creativity? Does mania inspire fierce genius, and if so, is it worth the price of the crushing depression that inevitably follows the high? Writer-director Paul Dalio tells his story from the inside-out, using Van Gogh’s Starry Night as the backdrop to an alternate reality. Katie Holmes and Luke Kirby strike just the right note as the manic young lovers, and Christine Lahti’s Sara is perfect as Carla’s mother, navigating the difficult terrain between protecting and alienating her daughter. Lighting is used to great effect in this harrowing story of lovers spinning in and out of control and a cameo by Kay Jamison, author of Touched with Fire, the definitive work on creativity and madness, lends even more authenticity. – Barbara Pokras, ACE Paul Dalio studied screenwriting at the NYU Tisch School dramatic writing program for his BA. He received his MFA at the NYU graduate film making program, where he met his wife, Kristina Nikolova. Touched with Fire is Paul’s debut, which he wrote five years after overcoming his own struggles with bipolar disorder.

BIO

Q&A ATTENDEES *subject to change Paul Dalio, Kristina Nikolova

COURTESY of

SHOWING AT UPSTATE FILMS I RHINEBECK

Thur Oct 1 • 7:00pm

WOODSTOCK PLAYHOUSE

Sat Oct 3 • 1:30pm

Visit www.touchedwithfire.com

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

2015

N AR R AT IVE S EA ST CO AST PR E M IE R E

CARPE DIEM ANDRETTA AWARD RECIPIENT

Directed by Eshom Nelms and Ian Nelms

Directors Eshom and Ian Nelms (Lost On Purpose, 2013) return to Woodstock with their newest feature, Waffle Street, based on the memoir of James Adams, former VP

USA / 2015 / 90 minutes

of a $30 billion hedge fund, who loses his job and unexpectedly winds up in the world of the unemployed. In this genuine riches-to-rags story, Jimmy, played by a charming James Lafferty, finally finds work waiting tables at a chicken & waffles chain, where the hectic pace and general mayhem become both comedic and endearing. Under the tutelage of master grill man Edward (Danny Glover in a stunningly earnest performance), Jimmy learns some hard lessons about life, finance and making grits. But the foremost thing he discovers is carpe diem, as he begins to enjoy the pleasures of the moment and realize that the measure of a man is far more than luxury homes and expensive cars. Fundamentally, Waffle Street is an authentic account of what it means to rediscover yourself. – Ben F. Fischer Eshom and Ian Nelms grew up in central California, waging two hundred man G.I. Joe wars and dreaming in John Ford Landscapes. They’ve made multiple award-winning short and feature films. In 2005, their feature, Night of the Dog, won the Golden Vision Award at the Santa Barbara Film Festival, Audience Award at the Palm Beach Film Festival, and Audience Award and Best Screenplay at the Smash Film Festival. Their film Lost On Purpose, starring Jane Kaczmarek, C. Thomas Howell, James Lafferty, Aaron Hill, Dale Dickey and Academy Award®-winner Octavia Spencer, received rave reviews and multiple festival wins, including Best Film at Beverly Hills Film Festival, Best Directors at FirstGlance Film Festival, Best Film at Reelheart Film Festival, Best Film at TrindieFest, and Best Actress for Jane Kaczmarek at the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Fest.

MAIN CREDITS CAST

James Lafferty Danny Glover Julie Gonzalo Dale Dickey Marshall Bell Ernie Lively William Knight Adam Johnson Yolanda Wood Aubrey Reynolds

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

Steven A. Lee and Michael McAlpin

PRODUCERS

Autumn McAlpin John J. Kelly Brad Johnson

SCREENWRITERS

Autumn McAlpin and Ian Nelms & Eshom Nelms

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Johnny Derango

EDITOR

Traton Lee

PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Lauren Spalding

COMPOSER/MUSIC

Will VanderWyden

SOUND DESIGNER

Dave West

NARRATIVES

WAFFLE STREET

BIO

SHOWING AT ROSENDALE THEATRE WOODSTOCK PLAYHOUSE

2015

Fri Oct 2 • 6:30pm Sun Oct 4 • 12:30pm

Q&A ATTENDEES *subject to change Eshom and Ian Nelms

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

Visit www.wafflestreetmovie.com

N A R R ATIV ES

THE WALK NARRATIVES

Directed by Robert Zemeckis USA / 2015 / 100 minutes MAIN CREDITS CAST Joseph

Gordon-Levitt Ben Kingsley Charlotte Le Bon James Badge Dale

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

Cherylanne Martin Jacqueline Levine Ben Waisbren

PRODUCERS

Steve Starkey Robert Zemeckis Jack Rapke

SCREENWRITERS

Robert Zemeckis & Christopher Browne

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Dariusz Wolski, ASC

EDITOR

Jeremiah O’Driscoll

PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Naomi Shohan

COMPOSER/MUSIC

Alan Silvestri

SOUND DESIGNER

Randy Thom

Twelve people have walked on the moon. Only one has ever, or will ever, walk in the immense void between the World Trade Center towers. Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), guided by his real-life mentor, Papa Rudy (Ben Kingsley), is aided by an unlikely band of international recruits who overcome long odds, betrayals, dissension and countless close calls to conceive and execute their mad plan. Robert Zemeckis, the master director of such marvels as Forrest Gump, Cast Away, Back to the Future, Polar Express and Flight, again uses cutting edge technology in the service of an emotional, character-driven story. With innovative photorealistic techniques and wizardry, The Walk is genuine big-screen cinema, a chance for moviegoers to viscerally experience the feeling of reaching the clouds. It is also one of the rare live-action films that is a PG-rated, all-audience entertainment for moviegoers 8 to 80 — and a true story to boot. It is unlike anything audiences have seen before, a love letter to Paris and New York City in the 1970s, but most of all, to the towers of the World Trade Center. – Woodstock Film Festival Robert Zemeckis was born in 1952, in Chicago, Illinois. He graduated from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Art, where his film A Field of Honor won a Student Academy Award®. His breakthrough film was the popular Michael Douglas adventure comedy Romancing the Stone. He followed with the hugely successful Back to the Future trilogy starring Michael J. Fox, and in 1994, won an Academy Award® for Best Director for Forrest Gump. He also helmed the HBO series Tales from the Crypt from 1989–1996, and re-teamed with Tom Hanks for Cast Away in 2000. Additional films include Who Framed Roger Rabbit and the CGI-animated The Polar Express.

BIO

COURTESY of

SHOWING AT WOODSTOCK PLAYHOUSE

Sat Oct 3 • 6:30pm

Visit www.sonypictures.com/movies/thewalk

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

2015

Introduced by a graceful gated drive set just-off a peaceful country lane, Cobbleskyll enjoys a blissful compound setting just minutes from the Village of Woodstock. Features an artfully transformed Farmhouse brimming with flare and architectural delight. The private surroundings are also complemented with a lap pool with bluestone terrace, phenomenal artistsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; studio, a five-acre wildflower meadow, a peach orchard, and a breathtaking rose garden with walkways.

Local Market Leadership. World Wide Network.

THE FUTURE OF REAL ESTATE SINCE 1888

DO CU M EN TA R IE S 63 64

1 Giant Leap II: What about me? 3 Still Standing Followed by a Rare Live Performance

Will Durst & Johnny Steele

65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72

A Woman Like Me After the Spill The Babushkas of Chernobyl Buried Above Ground Deep Run

PRECEDED BY All About Amy

Drawing The Tiger Family Matters Hot Type: 150 Years of The Nation Followed by a conversation with

Katrina vanden Heuvel & Barbara Kopple

DOCUMENTAIRES

73 I Will Not Be Silenced 74 Incorruptible 75 Lee’s 88 Keys 76 Left on Purpose 77 Look At Us Now, Mother! 78 Mavis! 79 Monty Python: The Meaning of Live 80 Paradise Is There 81 The Poet of Havana Wednesday’s screening followed by a live performance Carlos Varela and Band with special guest Jackson Browne

82 Reconquest of the Useless 83 She’s The Best Thing In It 84 Shelter 85 Sporting Dreams 86 The Student Body 87 The Three Hikers

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

2015

D O C U ME N TA RIE S WOR L D PR E M I E R E

Directed by Duncan Bridgeman and Jamie Cato USA / 2015 / 85 minutes MAIN CREDITS FEATURING

Noam Chomsky Eckhart Tolle Tom Robbins Daniel Lanois Tim Robbins Stephen Fry Bob Geldof Billy Conolly Marrianna Williamson Gabrielle Roth Deepak Chopra

Ram Das Michael Stipe Michael Franti Baaba Maal Maxi Jazz Carlos Santana Stewart Copeland Rokia Traore Lila Downs Oumou Sangare KD Lang

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

Simon Fuller Steve Brenman

PRODUCERS

Duncan Bridgeman Jamie Catto

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Ben Cole

EDITORS

Will Ingham Ze’ev Gillad

COMPOSER/MUSIC

Duncan Bridgeman

DOCUMENTARIES

1 GIANT LEAP II: WHAT ABOUT ME? 1 Giant Leap: What About Me? is a unique music, TV and film project, the culmination of four years of directors Duncan Bridgeman and Jamie Catto visiting 50 locations around the world, collecting wisdom and musical jewels. It’s an inspiring and alarming look at our collective insanity: how we are ego-driven, needy in relationships, insatiable in desire, addicted to status, wounded by childhood, and unable to stop thinking, but still manage to be inspired and creative. At its core is the music, starting with pre-composed backing tracks and seamlessly layering on international stars like Alanis Morissette, KD Lang, Michael Franti, Michael Stipe, Khrisna Das, and Stewart Copeland, Bedouin musicians, Chinese rappers, Gabonese pygmies, Tuvan throat singers, Egyptian folk musicians, Japanese taiko drummers, and more. Along with Noam Chomsky, Eckhart Tolle, Stephen Fry and other renowned thinkers, writers, and entertainers, everyday folks speak out — gravediggers, taxi drivers, brain surgeons, street kids. These unscripted conversations reveal how we are connected by not only creativity and beliefs, but primarily through our madness! An unforgettable and completely unconventional musical and cinematic journey that will leave you stunned and inspired. – Woodstock Film Festival Duncan Bridgeman has composed and produced music for 30 years. His first break into filmmaking came from Palm Pictures owner Chris Blackwell, making the Grammy-nominated cult hit 1 Giant Leap. In 2004, Simon Fuller produced the second 1 Giant Leap project What About Me? Bridgeman followed with the award-winning film Hecho en Mexico (2012). He most recently directed Mystical Journey (2013) for The Smithsonian Institution, about the Hindu festival Kumbh Mela, with Dominic West (The Wire, 300, The Affair) as presenter. Bridgeman is currently in production with The Magic Plant, a documentary about the religion Bwiti in Gabon.

BIO

Q&A ATTENDEES *subject to change Duncan Bridgeman, Krishna Das, Stewart Copeland SHOWING AT WOODSTOCK PLAYHOUSE ROSENDALE THEATRE

2015

Fri Oct 2 • 5:00pm Sat Oct 3 • 5:00pm

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

DO CU M EN TA R IE S EAST CO AST PR E MIE R E

DOCUMENTAIRES

3 STILL STANDING Directed by Robert Campos and Donna LoCiero

3 Still Standing follows three veteran stand-up comics as they struggle to survive the downfall of comedy in a changing world. Contemporaries of Robin Williams, Dana

USA / 2014 / 90 minutes

Carvey and others in the hotbed of San Francisco during the heady 1980s, success seems to be just one great set away for Will Durst, Larry “Bubbles” Brown and Johnny Steele. Now that the heyday is over and comedy seems to have taken a hiatus, the skilled live performers must seek new ways to reinvent their acts in an unfamiliar landscape of social media and online celebrity. With surprisingly serious intent — after all these men are comedians — the “3” pursue creative ways to make their comebacks. 3 Still Standing is a 30-year rollercoaster ride through comedy’s boom and bust, with recollections from contemporaries and close colleagues Rob Schneider and Paula Poundstone. And on a poignant note, we get to hear one of Robin Williams last recorded interviews. – Woodstock Film Festival Robert Campos is a journalist, writer and documentary filmmaker. As a staff producer for ABC News, he covered the civil wars in Nicaragua and El Salvador. He is the recipient of a National Emmy, a Peabody Award and a Robert F. Kennedy Award for journalism.

MAIN CREDITS FEATURING

Larry ”Bubbles” Brown Will Durst Johnny Steele

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Simon Rose

PRODUCER

Donna LoCicero

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Brandon Dumlao

EDITOR

Eli Olson

BIO

Donna LoCicero is a writer, producer and documentary filmmaker with more than 15 years experience. A true innovator, Donna brought shark conservation to the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week. By creating portraits of shark attack victims who have joined forces to protect shark populations, she has brought the plight of the world’s sharks to millions of viewers. Visit www.cargofilm-releasing.com/home/films/3-still-standing/ Thursday’s screening FOLLOWED BY A RARE LIVE PERFORMANCE

COURTESY of

Q&A ATTENDEES *subject to change Will Durst, Johnny Steele, Robert Campos, Donna LoCicero

WILL DURST & JOHNNY STEELE Bearsville Theater Woodstock

SHOWING AT BEARSVILLE THEATER WOODSTOCK

Thur Oct 1 • 8:00pm

ROSENDALE THEATRE

Fri Oct 2 • 1:00pm

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

2015

D O C U ME N TA RIE S

Directed by Alex Sichel USA / 2015 / 84 minutes MAIN CREDITS FEATURING

Lili Taylor Jonathan Cake Maeve McGrath Lynn Cohen

PRODUCER

Elizabeth Giamatti

SCREENWRITERS

Alex Sichel Melissa James Gibson

CINEMATOGRAPHERS

Kirsten Johnson Michael Simmonds Reuben Kleiner

EDITORS

Pola Rapaport Ramsey Fendall

PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Maki Takenouchi

COMPOSER/MUSIC

Cesar Alvarez

Q&A ATTENDEE *subject to change Elizabeth Giamatti

SHOWING AT UPSTATE FILMS II RHINEBECK

Sat Oct 3 • 6:30pm

UPSTATE FILMS WOODSTOCK

Sun Oct 4 • 2:15pm

2015

DOCUMENTARIES

A WOMAN LIKE ME When filmmaker Alex Sichel learns she has metastatic breast cancer, she decides to persevere by making a movie about a woman facing the same diagnosis, displaying as much optimism as she can, while simultaneously documenting her own experience. The result is two movies unfolding side-by-side, with behind-the-scenes footage of both. A Woman Like Me proceeds with unflinching honesty, humor and an enormous dose of personal strength. A majority of the film is diary-style, with Alex speaking into her handheld camera. Enlisted to play Anna, Alex’s upbeat fictional alter-ego, Lili Taylor is directed on screen in scenes that meander between pure fantasy and reenactments of real-life moments, playing them not always as Alexis behaved, but in the way she wishes she had. In a brave effort, that is at times painful, yet always touching, the legacy Alex leaves is raw and real. – Ben F. Fischer Director, writer Alex Sichel directed the feature All Over Me, released by New BIO Line, which UCLA’s Journal of Cinema and Media Studies named one of the top films by women directors. All Over Me won the Teddy Bear Award at the Berlin Film Festival and was nominated for many other awards, including the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and the Open Palm Award. Alex’s short film, Amnesia, was distributed worldwide, won top honors at numerous festivals, and was a recipient of the Princess Grace Award, the New Line Cinema Award and a Cine Golden Eagle. Alex created a segment of the three-part If These Walls Could Talk 2 for HBO, starring Michelle Williams and Chloe Sevigny. If These Walls Could Talk 2 won the Glaad Media Award for Outstanding Television Movie and was nominated for four Emmies. Alex worked in documentary, experimental films and videos, shorts, features and television as a writer, director, producer and editor. She taught directing for many years, most recently as part of the full-time faculty at NYU’s Undergraduate Film and Television Department. She also taught for many years at Columbia University’s Graduate Film Division, as well as at NYU’s Tisch Graduate Film Program. Alex was a recipient of Macdowell and Yaddo Fellowships and was a member of the Directors Guild of America. She received an MFA in Directing from Columbia University’s Graduate Film Division and a B.A. in Comparative Literature from Brown University. Visit www.awomanlikemefilm.com

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

DO CU M EN TA R IE S WO R L D PR E M I E R E

DOCUMENTAIRES

AFTER THE SPILL Directed by Jon Bowermaster USA / 2015 / 60 minutes MAIN CREDITS FEATURING

James Carville Lt. Gen Russell Honore

NARRATOR

Melissa Leo

PRODUCER

Jon Bowermaster

SCREENWRITER

Jon Bowermaster

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Brian C. Miller Richard

EDITOR

Chris Cavanagh

COMPOSER/MUSIC

Sonny Landreth

SOUND DESIGNER

Jacques Boulanger

Evocatively titled, After The Spill takes us five years out, after BP’s Deepwater Horizon exploded and sank in April 2010. Has life returned to normal along Louisiana’s coastline? Or has it been changed forever? Filmmaker and adventurer Jon Bowermaster was putting the finishing touches on SoLa, Louisiana Water Stories, which he began filming in 2008, when the well exploded. The film gorgeously captured a place and a way of life that many believe will never return. Bowermaser and his camera have revisited the area many times, interviewing fishermen, scientists, politicians, environmentalists, and oil-rig workers to investigate how the Louisiana coast has been altered. What really happened to that oil? What about the dispersant used to push it beneath the surface? How has the spill impacted local economies, human health and the health of marine life and the Gulf itself? Has Louisiana’s coastline been tainted forever? With skill and determination, filmmaker Jon Bowermaster probes and uncovers the truth beneath the spill. – Woodstock Film Festival A six-time grantee of the National Geographic Expeditions Council and awardwinning writer and filmmaker, Jon Bowermaster was recently named one of a dozen Ocean Heroes by the NGS. Jon’s most recent documentaries are Dear Governor Cuomo, a unique look at the controversy surrounding fracking in New York State, and Antarctica 3D, On the Edge. Films in-production include Dear President Obama, Americans Against Fracking In One Voice, and Free Swim: Maldives. Bowermaster lives here in the Hudson Valley.

BIO

Q&A ATTENDEE *subject to change Jon Bowermaster

SHOWING AT WOODSTOCK PLAYHOUSE

Sun Oct 4 • 3:00pm

Visit www.oceans8films.com

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

2015

D O C U ME N TA RIE S EAST CO AST PR E M IE R E

Directed by Holly Morris, Anne Bogart (Co-Director) USA / 2015 / 72 minutes In English, and Ukranian with subtitles MAIN CREDITS FEATURING

Maria Shovkuta Hannah Zavorotnya Valentyna Ivanivna

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

Nancy Nordhoff Abigail E. Disney Jill Mazursky Stacy Sherman Billy Ray Lynn Hays Gini Reticker

PRODUCER

Holly Morris

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Japhet Weeks

EDITORS

Richard Howard Mary Manhardt Michael Taylor

COMPOSER/MUSIC

Rob Teehan

SOUND DESIGNER

Gene Park

DOCUMENTARIES

THE BABUSHKAS OF CHERNOBYL Here in the exclusion zone life never stopped, nature just took over. So says Valentyna Ivanivna, one of a remarkable group of elderly “babushkas” living in the shadows of Chernobyl in a scattering of small villages on some of the most toxic land on earth. Ironically, this contaminated earth produces herbs, fruits and vegetables that seem to sustain the babushkas. How is it possible that these ancient women continue to thrive? Is the deep and enduring friendship they share part of the answer? Do we need to rethink everything we’ve been taught about nuclear contamination? What about the thrill-seeking young men who tempt fate in acts of bravado that may someday claim their lives? Evacuees were told they could never return, but motherland is everything. Each person should live where their soul desires, says one. This is a fascinating and powerful film, with indelible images and a near perfect score. Brilliant and courageous filmmaking. A must see. – Barbara Pokras, ACE

Holly Morris’ documentaries, which often explore the lives of unlikely BIO Director women icons, have been broadcast on PBS, National Geographic and around the world. Her award-winning original essay The Babushkas of Chernobyl (also published as Ukraine: A Country of Women) was widely syndicated and is the topic of her popular TED Talk. Morris is the author of Adventure Divas: Searching the Globe for a New Kind of Heroine (Random House), and writer/director of its companion PBS series.

Anne Bogart is a television producer and director who has filmed around the world for the PBS series Globetrekker. She has produced and directed entertainment programs, including the long-running EuroTrash.

Q&A ATTENDEE *subject to change Holly Morris

SHOWING AT UPSTATE FILMS WOODSTOCK

Fri Oct 2 • 12:00pm

ROSENDALE THEATRE

2015

Visit www.thebabushkasofchernobyl.com

Sat Oct 3 • 12:00pm

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

DO CU M EN TA R IE S WOR L D PR E M I E R E

DOCUMENTAIRES

BURIED ABOVE GROUND Directed by Ben Selkow USA / 2015 / 78 minutes MAIN CREDITS FEATURING

Luis Carlos Montalván Ashley Boudreaux Erundina Lopez Tuesday

PRODUCERS

Ben Selkow Marc Smolowitz

CINEMATOGRAPHERS

Ben Selkow Artem Agafonov Rudy Valdez

EDITORS

James Lester Flávia de Souza

COMPOSER/MUSIC

Tim Kvasnosky

SOUND DESIGNER

Felipe Diaz

Buried Above Ground brings to light the global health condition we now recognize as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) by sharing the courageous journeys of three Americans wrestling with the aftermath of devastating events. The film broadens the scope of PTSD beyond combat veterans to include other forms of debilitating trauma that currently impact 450 million people worldwide. Struggle along with U.S. Army captain Luis Montalvan, back from the Iraq War, as he learns to cope with his inner war wounds and resurface via the bond he forms with his service dog, Tuesday. Relive Hurricane Katrina with evacuee Ashley as she pledges to rebuild her home while she rebuilds herself. Empathize with Eurndina, fighting to stay sober and go back to school after surviving child abuse and domestic violence. Filmed over six years, with intimate access to these survivors as they unburden themselves of the past, Buried Above Ground pays tribute to the human spirit and the skill of the filmmaker. – Woodstock Film Festival Ben Selkow is an award-winning filmmaker focusing on exigent social issues and excellence in storytelling. Ben’s directorial debut came with A Summer in the Cage (Sundance Channel) and was nominated for a Prism Award. Ben also is producing Death by a Thousand Cuts, a documentary investigating deforestation and violence. He produced Prayer for a Perfect Season (HBO) and The Carrier (Cinedigm). With Buried Above Ground, Ben was a Carter Center Mental Health Journalism fellow. His unscripted television credits include directing/producing for the Emmy Award-winning Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (CNN), as well as executive producing Welcome to Fairfax (Pivot TV).

BIO

Q&A ATTENDEES *subject to change Marc Smolowitz, Ben Selkow

SHOWING AT UPSTATE FILMS II RHINEBECK

Fri Oct 2 • 1:00pm

BEARSVILLE THEATER WOODSTOCK

Visit www.buriedaboveground.tv

Sun Oct 4 • 5:15pm

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

2015

D O C U ME N TA RIE S EA ST CO AST PR E MIE R E

Directed by Hillevi Loven USA / 2015 / 75 minutes MAIN CREDITS FEATURING

Cole Ray Davis

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Susan Sarandon

PRODUCER

Samara Levenstein Chris Talbott

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Arianna Lapenne

EDITOR

Kristen Nutile

COMPOSER/MUSIC

Phillip Roebuck

DOCUMENTARIES

LGBTQ FOC U S

DEEP RUN

Growing up is difficult. But when you are a boy living in the body of a girl in rural North Carolina, life can be extremely complicated. Meet 17-year-old Spazz, exiled by her family, rejected by her ex, with no one to lean on for support. When Spazz falls in love again, she finds the courage to transition to Cole Ray Davis, a gutsy trans young man. Directed by social justice activist Hillevi Loven and executive produced by LGBTQ supporter Susan Sarandon, Deep Run is Cole’s coming-of-age and coming-out story. It is also an intimate exploration of young outsiders in an insular Christian community, whose candid humor and steadfast beliefs help them face the harsh, gritty reality of their daily lives. With a small group of supportive friends, relatives and his girlfriend, Ashley, Cole’s search for love and belonging leads him to a radical revision of what faith and church can be. – Ben F. Fischer Hillevi Loven is a filmmaker, producer and still photographer based in Brooklyn. She is making her feature-film-directing debut with Deep Run. In collaboration with MIT anthropologist Natasha Schull, she co-directed the documentary, Buffet: All You Can Eat Las Vegas, which won Best Short from the Society of Visual Anthropology. As an artist, she has received funding and support from New York State Council on the Arts, New York Foundation for the Arts and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Her commercial work includes projects for Conde Nast, American Express and Time Inc. She has produced collaborative work with the Brooklyn art collectives Uniondocs, OVO and the Brooklyn Filmmakers’ Collective. Hillevi is an alumna of Barnard College and the Hunter College IMA MFA program. Deep Run is the culmination of years of Hillevi’s own social justice work, which began with teaching media arts to LGBT youth at the Hetrick Martin Institute in NYC.

BIO

World Premiere PRECEDED BY

ALL ABOUT AMY

Directed by Samuel Centore USA / 2014 / 7:33 minutes see page 90 SHOWING AT BEARSVILLE THEATER WOODSTOCK

Fri Oct 2 • 11:45am

UPSTATE FILMS II RHINEBECK

Sun Oct 4 • 6:00pm

2015

Q&A ATTENDEES *subject to change Hillevi Loven Samara Levenstein, Chris Talbott, Cole Ray Davis

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

Visit www.deeprunfilm.com

DO CU M EN TA R IE S NEW YO R K PR E M I E R E

DOCUMENTAIRES

DRAWING THE TIGER Directed by Amy Benson, Scott Squire & Ramyata Limbu

In rural Nepal, where each day is a work-filled struggle to survive, young Shanta Darnal is her family’s hope for something better. When Shanta is awarded a scholarship

USA / 2015 / 97 minutes

to attend school in the city, they envision circumstances changing. And so they do, but in a way neither the family nor the filmmakers, who spent seven years filming, could have anticipated. Drawing the Tiger is an unflinchingly real and almost unbearably touching portrait of an impoverished family and a young girl faced with an enormous responsibility. In their first feature-length production, Amy Benson and Scott Squire exhibit an amazing commitment to telling the story of a family and a culture, even when, as can happen with a documentary, happenstance takes the story in a unplanned direction. The exquisite cinematography, whether in the majestic yet desolate village or the chaotic, bleak city, perceptively complements this compelling and poignant story of an impossible situation that goes from bad to worse when it was only supposed to get better. – Ben F. Fischer Amy Benson left her career as a middle school teacher of girls to become a documentary filmmaker. She co-owns Nonfiction Media, a production company based in Seattle. She has shot and edited over 30 short films telling the stories of non-profits in North America, Africa and Asia. Her first personal documentary short, Three: Impressions From The Struggle For Girls’ Education, was the centerpiece of the UNIFEM Singapore film festival. Drawing the Tiger is her first feature film.

In Nepali with English subtitles MAIN CREDITS EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

Karol Martesko-Fenster Julie Bridgham

PRODUCERS

Amy Benson Scott Squire

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Scott Squire

EDITOR

Fiona Otway

COMPOSER/MUSIC

Rob Millis

SOUND DESIGNER

Dave Howe

BIO

Scott Squire is a lifelong photographer with a masters in journalism. His work on

Visit www.drawingthetiger.com Q&A ATTENDEE *subject to change Amy Benson SHOWING AT UPSTATE FILMS WOODSTOCK

Thur Oct 1 • 1:30pm

ORPHEUM THEATER SAUGERTIES

Sat Oct 3 • 2:30pm

homeless children in Bucharest earned him the Dorothea Lange Fellowship and the Susan Meiselas Fellowship from UC Berkeley. Scott’s photo essay on Cairo street café culture was featured on PBS’s Frontline World website. He is the co-owner in NonFiction Media with his wife, Amy Benson. Drawing the Tiger is his first feature film. Nepali native Ramyata Limbu co-produced and shot the documentary Dreams Of Chomolungma for PBS’s Frontline World, and co-produced and shot the award-winning feature documentary Daughters Of Everest. For six years, she was a producer for Young Asia Television, producing programs focusing on social issues in Nepal. Ramyata is the also the Director of the Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival, and currently working as a correspondent for Al Jazeera. She has been covering stories of people and places hardest hit by the 2015 earthquake.

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

2015

D O C U ME N TA RIE S NORT H AM E R I CAN P R E MIE R E

Directed by Noa Roth Israel / 2015 / 67 minutes In Hebrew with English subtitles MAIN CREDITS PRODUCER

Abigail Sperber

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Abigail Sperber

EDITOR

Assaf Banitt

COMPOSER/MUSIC

Shay Alon

SOUND DESIGNER

Itzik Cohen

DOCUMENTARIES

FAMILY MATTERS Deep family secrets and heartfelt attempts to heal broken relationships are the crux of this moving documentary about the little known world of the extreme orthodox Jewish population. Directed by Noa Roth, Family Matters is her unflinching journey of self-discovery as she tells the story of how, 30 years ago, the divorce of her parents shook the religious Israeli city of Bney Barak and affected the lives of their seven children. Her father was an esteemed rabbi; after she left with the children, her mother became a renowned author. The film follows a family divided between the conflicting worlds of the ultra-orthodox and the secular. Roth bravely travels among the ghosts of her childhood in an attempt to reunite her fractured family and, finally, start one of her own. Told with respect and love for both worlds, Family Matters is a testament to self-empowerment and the deepseated force of religious life. – Svetlana Krotek Noa Roth holds an MFA in film directing and a BA in Educational Theater from Tel Aviv University. Her debut documentary film Sore, which addressed the process of Jewish conversion, was shown in cinemas throughout Israel and aired on YES, Israeli television, as did her current film Family Matters, which won the Audience Favorite award at the Doc-Aviv film festival in 2015. Noa has worked as a production manager and researcher for several Israeli documentaries, including So Herzl Said, Gevalt, Lod Bypass, Dangerous Children, and others. She also instructs and plays in playback theatrical groups, and directs and manages community theater for children, adolescents and retirees.

BIO

Q&A ATTENDEE *subject to change Noa Roth

COURTESY OF

SHOWING AT UPSTATE FILMS II RHINEBECK

Thur Oct 1 • 7:30pm

UPSTATE FILMS WOODSTOCK

Fri Oct 2 • 2:30pm

2015

Visit www.go2films.com/New-Releases/Family-Matters

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

DO CU M EN TA R IE S

DOCUMENTAIRES

HOT TYPE: 150 YEARS OF THE NATION Directed by Barbara Kopple USA / 2015 / 92 minutes MAIN CREDITS EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Hamilton Fish

PRODUCER

Suzanne Mitchell

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Gary Griffin

EDITOR

Richard Hankin

COMPOSER/MUSIC

Max Avery Lichtenstein

SOUND DESIGNER

Genevieve Faust

ANIMATOR

Lucjan Gorczynski

When a renowned filmmaker makes a film about a renowned magazine, the outcome is sure to be captivating. Barbara Kopple is well known to Woodstock, and around the globe, for such break-through films as Harlan County USA, Woodstock My Generation, Shut Up and Sing, Running from Crazy, and more. Her latest, Hot Type; 150 Years of The Nation, is a vivid look at America’s oldest continuously published weekly magazine. With editor Katrina vanden Heuvel (who will be in attendance) at the helm, as well as an impressive array of brilliant and passionate writers, the film takes us on a journey into the soul of American journalism. With unfettered access and unfiltered honesty, Hot Type captures the day-to-day pressures and challenges of publishing a weekly magazine, as well as illuminating how the past continuously ripples through and shapes current events. It is the story of The Nation — and the nation — evolving into the future, as it is guided by its remarkable past. Barbara Kopple is a two-time Academy Award®-winning filmmaker. A director and producer of narrative films and documentaries, recent projects include the Emmy-nominated documentary Running from Crazy, which examines the personal journey of writer, model and actress Mariel Hemingway, the granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway, as she strives for a greater understanding of her complex family history.

BIO

Visit www.cabincreekfilms.com

FOLLOWED BY A Q&A ATTENDEES *subject to change Katrina vanden Heuvel, Barbara Kopple, Robin Bronk SHOWING AT BEARSVILLE THEATER WOODSTOCK

Sat Oct 3 • 2:30pm

CONVERSATION between director Barbara Kopple and The Nation’s editor and publisher, Katrina vanden Heuvel. Hosted by The Creative Coalition’s CEO, Robin Bronk

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

2015

D O C U ME N TA RIE S EAST COAST PREMIERE

Directed by Judy Rymer Australia / 2014 / 84 minutes In English, and Swahili with subtitles MAIN CREDITS FEATURING

Charlotte CampbellStephen Jane Anyango Geoff Kinuya

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Lois Harris

PRODUCER

Judy Rymer

SCREENWRITER

Judy Rymer

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Marden Dean

EDITOR

Paul Hamilton

COMPOSER/MUSIC

Jan Preston

DOCUMENTARIES

I WILL NOT BE SILENCED Charlotte Campbell got more than she bargained for when she left her home in Australia to volunteer in Africa to help orphans and vulnerable kids and experience the Kenyan way of life. She became the victim of a violent daytime rape by a gang of young thugs. Assuming the police and the court system would mete out justice, Charlotte reported the attack and landed at the intersection of law and culture. While rape has become a pandemic in Kenya, especially in the slums, women are afraid to report it out of embarrassment and fear of reprisal from the police. Is justice delayed, justice denied? Certainly in this case, but Charlotte, determined to find justice, set out to empower other rape victims, many of whom were sexualized at a young age through poverty, poor living conditions and gender bias. Mobilizing women to stand up to the rapists, Charlotte’s journey is a story of courage in the face of enormous obstacles. An inspirational and unforgettable film. – Barbara Pokras, ACE As an independent filmmaker, Judy Rymer has been writing, directing and producing documentary and dramatic films for the past 30 years. Her work covers a wide range of subjects, concentrating on social and political history and science, with stories located all over the world. Her work has been screened in Cannes, New York, Edinburgh, Valladolid, Telluride, Chicago, and Montreal.

BIO

Q&A ATTENDEE *subject to change Judy Rymer SHOWING AT BEARSVILLE THEATER WOODSTOCK

Fri Oct 2 • 2:00pm

UPSTATE FILMS II RHINEBECK

Sun Oct 4 • 3:30pm

2015

Visit: www.rymerchilds.com

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

DO CU M EN TA R IE S EA ST CO AST PR E MIE R E

DOCUMENTAIRES

INCORRUPTIBLE Directed by E. Chai Vasarhelyi USA / 2014 / 93 minutes In French, Wolof with English subtitles MAIN CREDITS FEATURING

Fadel Barro Abdoulaye Bathily Thijs Berman Jean-Pierre Pierre-Bloch Amath Dansokho Mamina Diedou

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

Edward Tyler Nahem Hadeel Ibrahim Stephen Hendel

PRODUCER

Edward Tyler Nahem

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Andrew Berends

EDITOR

Jay Freund

COMPOSERS/MUSIC Akon

Mark Batson

In the spring of 2011, Senegal was pitched into crisis when President Abdoulaye Wade decided to change the constitution to allow for a third term. An artist-led youth movement — the Y’en a Marre (Enough is Enough) — erupted to protect one of Africa’s oldest and most stable democracies. Fourteen candidates ran for president. Incorruptible follows the main players: incumbent President Wade, opposition candidate Macky Sall and music superstar Youssou Ndour, along with the Y’en a Marre movement. Displaying passion, exuberance, corruption, religious ploys, a call for accountability, collaboration, and the registration of 300,000 new voters, the results were stunning. More people voted than ever before in the history of independent Senegal. Macky Sall, running on a platform of reform and anti-corruption, won. The film explores this transition and asks: after you unite against something, what do you then unite for? With democracies around the world under siege, Incorruptible offers hope, while honestly examining the sustainability of a peoples’ movement and the role youth are taking to shape the future. Inspiring! Elizabeth “Chai” Vasarhelyi’s films as a director include Meru, winner of the Audience Award for U.S. Documentary at Sundance 2015; Youssou N’Dour: I Bring What I Love (Oscilloscope, 2009), which premiered at the Telluride and Toronto Film Festivals; A Normal Life (Tribeca Film Festival, Best Documentary, 2003), and Touba (SXSW, Special Jury Prize Best Cinematography, 2013). Vasarhelyi has participated in the Good Pitch and received grants from the Sundance Institute, the Ford Foundation, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Bertha Britdoc, the William and Mary Greve Foundation and the National Endowment of the Arts. She holds a B.A. in Comparative Literature from Princeton University and lives between New York City and Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

BIO

Q&A ATTENDEE *subject to change E. Chai Vasarhelyi SHOWING AT UPSTATE FILMS WOODSTOCK

Sat Oct 3 • 5:15pm

UPSTATE FILMS I RHINEBECK

Sun Oct 4 • 5:30pm

Visit www.incorruptiblefilm.com

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

2015

D O C U ME N TA RIE S

Directed by Susan Robbins USA / 2015 / 104 minutes MAIN CREDITS FEATURING

Lee Shaw Rich Syracuse Jeff Siegel John Medeski Tim Coakley C.Robie Booth Beverly Elander Diane Reiner Tedd Firth

PRODUCERS

Susan Robbins Mike O’Brien

SCREENWRITERS

Susan Robbins Jason Kessler Tracy Cring & Jon Cring

CINEMATOGRAPHERS

Mike O’Brien Tracy Cring

EDITOR

Tracy & Jon Cring

COMPOSER/MUSIC

Lee Shaw

SOUND DESIGNERS

Tracy Cring Pat Tessitore

DOCUMENTARIES

LEE’S 88 KEYS You may not know her name, but 88-year-old jazz pianist Lee Shaw is a legend among musicians. She was coveted by Lionel Hampton (but declined an invitation to join him), tutored by Oscar Peterson, and her current trio boasts Hudson Valley homeboys Rich Syracuse on bass and Jeff Siegel on drums. Shaw fell in love with the piano at age 5, and director Susan Robbins’ bio-pic, Lee’s 88 Keys, comes alive with recollections of Shaw first hearing music and learning to play, on to becoming a bona-fide musician. The story is rich with music, history and a multitude of anecdotes and accolades from fellow musicians, former students (including local luminary John Medeski), and friends. Shaw has struggled with being a woman in a male dominated field, the financial challenges of pursuing a musical dream, and the conflict of her ever-sharp mind residing in an aging vessel. Indomitable, she is driven by her love of music and passion for jazz. Experience that passion in Lee’s 88 Keys. – Ben F. Fischer Susan Robbins is a first time filmmaker with a background in acting and fine art. She started studying acting in 2005 and worked as an actor until 2012. Prior to 2012, she was a mural artist and textile designer for over 25 years. Susan attended college at FIT, SUNY New Paltz, and The New School for Social Research. She earned an Associates Degree in Textile Design and a Bachelors degree in Art Education. In 2013, Susan embarked on making Lee’s 88 Keys and has not looked back since.

BIO

Q&A ATTENDEE *subject to change Susan Robbins

SHOWING AT ORPHEUM THEATER SAUGERTIES

Fri Oct 2 • 8:30pm

2015

WoodstockFilmFestival.com ASTER PRODUCTIONS :*SUSAN ROBBINS k SUSAN ROBBINS j SUSAN ROBBINS & MIKE O'BRIEN

DO CU M EN TA R IE S WO R L D PR E M I E R E

DOCUMENTAIRES

LEFT ON PURPOSE Directed by Justin Schein Co-director David Mehlman USA / 2015 / 85 minutes MAIN CREDITS FEATURING

Michael Ventura Paul Krassner Mayer Vishner

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Doug Liman

PRODUCER

Eden Wurmfeld

CO-PRODUCER

Yael Bridge

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Justin Schein

EDITOR

David Mehlman

COMPOSER/MUSIC

David Mansfield

When director Justin Schein set out to film the life story of Mayer Vishner, an aging hippy and former political activist living alone in NYC in a tiny, overly crowded apartment, it is unlikely he anticipated the turn the story would take. Loneliness is one of the hardest maladies to live with, and Mayer, after years of coping with solitude, and six months into filming, announces that his last political act will be the taking of his own life. An ethical struggle ensues as the filmmaker can’t help but put himself inside the story, trying to help his subject create a different ending. As Schein’s own young child becomes a part of the film in a tender moment that restores hope that Vishner’s life can be preserved, the viewer is inadvertently pulled into the unfolding tragic drama in a rare and deeply affective experience of self-questioning. Left on Purpose is a cinematic journey that poses ethical questions not easily answered, yet oh so important to be asked. – Svetlana Krotek Justin Schein as been shooting and directing character-driven, social issue documentaries for more than 20 years. As a cinematographer, he has shot on over 60 films internationally for broadcasters including The BBC, The Discovery Channel and PBS. His film No Impact Man premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and has screened throughout the world. Justin received his master’s degree in Documentary Film and Video Production from Stanford University and went on to found Shadowbox Films with fellow graduate David Mehlman in 1998.

BIO

David Mehlman was supervising editor of the 2007 Oscar-winning short subject

Q&A ATTENDEES *subject to change Justin Schein, David Mehlman, Eden Wurmfeld, Yael Bridge SHOWING AT BEARSVILLE THEATER WOODSTOCK

documentary Freeheld, which also won a Special Jury Prize at Sundance. He edited and sound designed the 2005 Academy Award®-winning animated short documentary, The Moon and the Sun. Recent film and television credits include Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory (Oscar and Emmy nominee), Iconoclasts, My So-Called Enemy, IFC Media Project, Small Town Security, Chuck Jones: Memories of Childhood; and MTV True Life: I’m a Gun Owner and I’m a College Baller, which he directed, produced and edited. David received a master’s degree in Documentary Film and Video Production from Stanford University. He founded Shadowbox Films with Justin Schein in 1998.

Thur Oct 1 • 5:30pm

UPSTATE FILMS I RHINEBECK

Sat Oct 3 • 6:00pm

Visit www.leftonpurpose.com

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

2015

D O C U ME N TA RIE S NEW YO R K PR E M I E R E

Directed by Gayle Kirschenbaum USA / 2014 / 84 minutes MAIN CREDITS FEATURING

Gayle Kirschenbaum Mildred Kirschenbaum

Produce

Gayle Kirschenbaum

Screenwriter

Gayle Kirschenbaum

Cinematographers

Steven Gladstone Gayle Kirschenbaum

Editors

Alex Keipper Gayle Kirschenbaum

Composer/Music

Jonathan Sacks

Sound Designer

Quentin Chiappetta

DOCUMENTARIES

LOOK AT US NOW, MOTHER! “Mother knows best” hardly applies to Mildred Abramowitz Kirschernbaum, the ascerbic, hypercritical and sometimes downright nasty mother of documentarian Gayle Kirschernbaum. With wit, humor and compassion, Gayle, a bulldog of a daughter, is determined to understand, forgive and cherish her mother before it’s too late. But how? Forgiveness is easy to roll off the lips, but what if you’d been criticized and made to feel deficient all your life by the one person who means the most? What if the only safe love is the four-legged kind? Gayle and Mildred travel the road to forgiveness with alternately hilarious and poignant stops along the way. Gayle’s journals, starting at age eight, reveal an acutely sensitive child who can’t understand what she’s done wrong. Was she born into the wrong family? Should she have been a boy? Gerald, Gayle’s downtrodden father, seems to think so. So does her therapist. You won’t want to miss this delightful, searingly honest and intimate mother-daughter story. – Barbara Pokras, ACE Gayle Kirschenbaum is a filmmaker/TV producer/blogger and personality. Called the Nora Ephron of documentary filmmaking, Gayle has turned the camera on herself in her most recent feature doc. She created several shows that premiered on TLC and Discovery Health. Kirschenbaum is a member of the Producers Guild of America, New York Women in Film and Television, Film Fatale, and is a judge for the Emmys. Gayle currently blogs for the Huffington Post. She has been featured widely in the media including The New York Times, NBC’s The Today Show, Miami Herald, Washington Post, and Ladies Home Journal.

BIO

Q&A ATTENDEE *subject to change Gayle Kirschenbaum SHOWING AT BEARSVILLE THEATER WOODSTOCK

Thur Oct 1 • 3:00pm

UPSTATE FILMS II RHINEBECK

Visit www.lookatusnowmother.com

Sat Oct 3 • 9:00pm

2015

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

DO CU M EN TA R IE S NEW YO R K PR E M IE R E

DOCUMENTAIRES

MAVIS! Directed by Jessica Edwards USA / 2015 / 81 minutes MAIN CREDITS FEATURING

Mavis Staples

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Gary Hustwit

PRODUCER

Jessica Edwards

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Keith Walker

EDITOR

Amy Foote

Calling singer/civil rights activist Mavis Staples a living legend is no overstatement. With roots in gospel and a visionary father who molded his family into the Staple Singers, we watch the group go from gospel performances at local churches during the 1960s and ‘70s to chart-topping mainstream hits. Skillfully combining archival material, new interviews and live performances, filmmaker Jessica Edwards hits all the high notes of the Staple Singers’ tenure. The movie continues to track the rollercoaster of the artist’s solo career, including such tender moments as Mavis’ visit to the late Levon Helm at his Barn. Julian Bond, Bonnie Raitt, Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, and Bob Dylan are prominent among the friends, fellow musicians and civil rights veterans who pay homage to the documentary’s star. But it is Mavis herself who performs most eloquently, especially after winning a 2011 Grammy for her album You Are Not Alone. Mavis! — both the woman and the film — richly deserve the exclamation point in the title. – Woodstock Film Festival Jessica Edwards has a broad background in the film industry as a director, producer and publicist. Her short documentary, Seltzer Works, screened at SXSW, Hot Docs, Full Frame and many other festivals before airing on the documentary series POV on PBS. Her subsequent films, Tugs and The Landfill, screened at festivals worldwide. She is the editor of Tell Me Something, a book of advice from documentary filmmakers. Mavis!, her first feature documentary about gospel/soul legend Mavis Staples and the Staple Singers, will premiere on HBO in 2016. “

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BIO

Q&A ATTENDEE *subject to change Jessica Edwards

SHOWING AT LEVON HELM STUDIOS

Fri Oct 2 • 9:30pm

Visit www.mavisfilm.com

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

2015

D O C U ME N TA RIE S

Directed by Roger Graef, James Rogan UK / 2014 / 92 minutes MAIN CREDITS FEATURING

John Cleese Terry Gilliam Eric Idle Terry Jones Michael Palin

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Lucy Ansbro

PRODUCERS

Jim Beach Lindsay Jex Holly Gilliam

CINEMATOGRAPHER

James Rogan

EDITORS

Simon Barker David Atkinson

COMPOSER/MUSIC

John DuPrez

DOCUMENTARIES

MONTY PYTHON: THE MEANING OF LIVE In 1969, six men joined forces to create an absurd surrealist comedy group that would one day become one of the most notable icons of the comedy world. Now, nearly 35 years later, these illustrious Monty Python players have reunited to bring their unique brand of silliness back to their massive fan base. Focusing on their sold-out, ten-night run at The O2 Arena in London, Monty Python: The Meaning of Live presents a behind-the-scenes look at Monty Python’s largest show ever. Filled with heartfelt interviews and insights, as well as a nostalgic look back at old sketches, this historic documentary shows the always hilarious, always hard-working Pythons in a brand new light. Artfully balancing stage performance, personal memories, and a view of who these men are today, this film is sure to have you laughing in your seat. A treat for any fan of this brilliant, one-of-a-kind comedy group and an education for anyone who missed them back in the day. – Sam Robotham

Graef OBE is an award-winning filmmaker, criminologist and writer, and BIO Roger the only documentary filmmaker awarded the BAFTA Fellowship for Lifetime Achievement. In 2014, he was given a tribute evening by Bafta for fifty years in filmmaking and a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Sheffield and Aldeburgh Doc fests.

James Rogan is an award-winning writer/director/producer, best known internationally for his feature documentaries for the Oscar-winning BBC Storyville: Amnesty!, When They Are All Free, The Trouble with Pirate, and Blog Wars. Most recently, he finished Welcome to Mayfair for the BBC’s iconic Modern Times strand about London’s most affluent and characterful area.

SHOWING AT WOODSTOCK PLAYHOUSE ROSENDALE THEATRE

2015

Sat Oct 3 • 9:00pm Sun Oct 4 • 12:00pm

Visit www.montypython.com

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

DO CU M EN TA R IE S WO R L D PR E M I E R E

DOCUMENTAIRES

PARADISE IS THERE

A Memoir by Natalie Merchant, The New Tigerlily Recordings Memoir by Natalie Merchant USA/2015/90 minutes MAIN CREDITS FEATURING

Natalie Merchant Elizabeth Lesser Jennifer Turner

PRODUCER

Jon Bowermaster

SCREENWRITER

Natalie Merchant

EDITOR

Chris Rahm

COMPOSER/MUSIC

Natalie Merchant

SOUND DESIGNER

Jacques Boulanger

Twenty years after it was first released, singer/songwriter Natalie Merchant has re-recorded her 5 million-selling album Tigerlily. Paradise Is There, A Memoir by Natalie Merchant, directed by Merchant, is a personal account of the beloved singer’s journey. Told through her voice and the voices of her fans, the bio-pic illustrates how powerfully the songs from the record — Carnival, River, Wonder, The Letter, and more — have impacted her audience. At the same time, it is a first-hand telling of how the music and her avid admirers have significantly influenced Merchant’s own life. We have all enjoyed her music and with this film we get to know Merchant in a new way and appreciate the humanity of the woman that is reflected in her songs. Filled with archival footage from her early days fronting 10,000 Maniacs, this is the first documentary about herself that Natalie Merchant has participated in.

Valley resident Natalie Merchant’s musical career began in 1981 when, BIO Hudson as a college student, she joined the seminal alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs.

As lead vocalist, lyricist, and sometimes pianist, Merchant released six critically acclaimed studio albums with the band before launching a successful solo career in 1995. Her first solo album – Tigerlily – would sell 5 million copies. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Tigerlily’s release, Merchant has re-recorded the eleven songs and released them on a new album, out in November 2015, Paradise Is There. The record is accompanied by a memoir-style film containing live performances, archival footage and interviews with musicians, friends and fans about the influence the songs of Tigerlily have had over the years.

Q&A ATTENDEES *subject to change Natalie Merchant, Jon Bowermaster SHOWING AT WOODSTOCK PLAYHOUSE

Thur Oct 1 • 9:15pm

Visit www.nataliemerchant.com

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

2015

D O C U ME N TA RIE S GALA KICKOFF

NEW YO R K PR E M I E R E

Directed by Ron Chapman Canada / 2015 / 97 minutes In English, and Spanish with subtitles MAIN CREDITS FEATURING

Carlos Varela Jackson Browne Benicio del Toro

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

Ron Chapman Jack Lenz

PRODUCERS

Ron Chapman Jack Lenz Carlos Inglesias

SCREENWRITER

Ron Chapman

CINEMATOGRAPHERS

Luis Alberto Mark Staunton

EDITOR

Eugene Weis

SOUND DESIGNER

Jeff Wolpert

DOCUMENTARIES

THE POET OF HAVANA The Poet of Havana explores the cultural, political and social significance Carlos Varela has had in his 30 years as a singer-songwriter. A veteran of censorship battles with the Cuban government, his emotionally charged songs—raw, metaphoric chronicles of contemporary Cuban life— have drawn comparisons to Bob Dylan’s work. Jackson Browne’s translation of Varela’s Muros y Puertas (Walls and Doors), talks about how polarized we are as a society, evident in the song’s refrain, “There can be freedom only when nobody owns it.” Shot in Havana with unique access, the audience enjoys stunning concert and insider backstage moments, along with exclusive interviews with such international stars as Ivan Lins, Luis Enrique, Juan and Samuel Formel, Diana Fuentes, X Alfonso, Alexander Abreu, in addition to Jackson Browne and actor Benicio Del Toro (The Usual Suspects, Traffic, Guardians of the Galaxy). – Woodstock Film Festival Ron Chapman, director of The Poet of Havana, started out as a musician, then went on to manage musical artists, produce albums and ultimately establish a film production company, directing rock videos and TV commercials for some of the world’s leading brands. At his legendary Toronto music club The Edge, Chapman provided a scene for some of the most exciting international artists of the day. Chapman’s 2014 documentary Who the F**K is Arthur Fogel, features Lady Gaga, U2, The Police, Madonna, Rush, and key music industry insiders. His forthcoming film The Forbidden Shore, with performances and interviews of over 60 top Cuban artists, will be the most in-depth cultural/music documentary to come out of Cuba. In a return to his roots, Chapman has recently completed an album of his own songs.

BIO

Wednesday’s Screening FOLLOWED BY A LIVE PERFORMANCE Q&A ATTENDEES *subject to change Carlos Varela, Jackson Browne, Ron Chapman

CARLOS VARELA AND BAND with special guest JACKSON BROWNE ULSTER PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

SHOWING AT ULSTER PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Wed Sept 30 • 7:30pm

ORPHEUM THEATER SAUGERTIES (FILM ONLY)

Visit www.thepoetofhavana.com

Sat Oct 3 • 10:00pm

2015

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

DO CU M EN TA R IE S WO R L D PR E M I E R E

DOCUMENTAIRES

RECONQUEST OF THE USELESS Directed by Sam Pressman USA / 2015 / 79 minutes MAIN CREDITS FEATURING

Harley Adams Luke Wigren Walter Saxer Cesar Vivanco Huerequeque Gerald Mayeaux

WITH APPEARANCES BY

Werner Herzog Klaus Kinski Claudia Cardinale

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Sam Pressman

PRODUCER

Edward R. Pressman

SCREENWRITER

Sam Pressman

CINEMATOGRAPHERS

Luke Wigren Carlos Pizarro

EDITOR

Lambis Haralambidis

COMPOSER/MUSIC

Patrick Cassidy

SOUND DESIGNERS

Will Patterson Leslie Shatz (Mix)

ANIMATOR

Dean Chapman

Reconquest Of The Useless is a documentary film that follows the travails of three young men as they journey nearly 5,000 miles through the Peruvian Amazon searching for inspiration, adventure and the legacy of Werner Herzog’s classic film Fitzcarraldo thirty years after it was made. Like Fitzcarraldo, who dreamed of building an opera house in the jungle, and Herzog himself, with his transcendent vision of cinema, the creators of Reconquest Of The Useless also pursue quixotic dreams: to travel without being tourists and to have transformative experiences by exploring what is rarely sought after. Imbued with the spirit of Fitzcarraldo, the ultimate film for impossible dreamers, Reconquest Of The Useless is about the quest for the ineffable and unknown, and where that path can take you. A true journey for the audience to embark upon. Born in Los Angeles, the son of producer Edward R. Pressman and actress Annie McEnroe, Sam Pressman grew up in New York City. He returned to California to study film at Stanford University. While at Stanford, Pressman was active in the Stanford Film Society (SFS) and Advanced Filmmakers Workshop (AFW) and served as President and Director of the SFS and AFW from 2010-2012. Pressman created the behind the scenes documentary on Werner Herzog’s Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, and has also worked for Terrence Malick on Tree of Life, Timothy Linh Bui on Powder Blue, and Matt Brown on The Man Who Knew Infinity. Pressman directed the short documentary Tres Fonteras on the border of Peru, Brazil and Colombia, while making Reconquest of the Useless.

BIO

Q&A ATTENDEES *subject to change Sam Pressman, Walter Saxer SHOWING AT BEARSVILLE THEATER WOODSTOCK

Thur Oct 1 • 12:30pm

ROSENDALE THEATRE

Sat Oct 3 • 8:00pm

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

2015

D O C U ME N TA RIE S EA ST CO AST PR E MIE R E

Directed by Ron Nyswaner USA / 2014 / 80 minutes MAIN CREDITS FEATURING

Mary Louise Wilson Frances McDormand Melissa Leo Valerie Harper Estelle Parsons Tyne Daly Charlotte Rae Lisa Joyce Mary Birdsong Doug Wright

PRODUCERS

Neda Armian Ron Nyswaner Jeffrey Schwarz

EDITORS

Eric F. Martin Tyler Hubby Jeffrey Schwarz

COMPOSER/MUSIC

Jay Israelson

SOUND DESIGNER

Tamara Johnson

DOCUMENTARIES

SHE’S THE BEST THING IN IT Oscar-nominated writer/producer Ron Nywaner’s first documentary feature is an examination of the actor’s craft and the sacrifices demanded by a lifelong career. Watch the feisty and and at times hilarious veteran character actor and Tony Awardwinner, Mary Louise Wilson, age 79, teach her first acting class to skeptical members of the YouTube generation, smashing their red carpet illusions and challenging them to bring emotional honesty into their acting. Featuring interviews with Frances McDormand, Melissa Leo, Tyne Daly, Estelle Parsons, Valerie Harper, and playwright Doug Wright, She’s The Best Thing in It discusses what it means to be a character actor, whether acting can be taught, what constitutes ‘talent,’ and whether the profession is harder for women. Nyswaner, known for such features as Philadelphia, The Painted Veil and the popular TV series Ray Donovan, handles this film and its real life subject with the same sympatico and style that he brings to his perceptively portrayed fictional characters. – Woodstock Film Festival Ron Nyswaner’s writing and producing credits include one of the most memorable and influential Hollywood dramas of recent times, Philadelphia; a critically acclaimed and controversial cable television film, Soldier’s Girl; the romantic drama, The Painted Veil, and the upcoming, gay-marriage themed Freeheld, starring Julianne Moore and Ellen Page. After two seasons as writer/co-executive producer on Showtime’s hit series, Ray Donovan, he is now a writer/co-executive producer on Season Five of the compelling CIA drama, Homeland.

BIO

Q&A ATTENDEES *subject to change Ron Nyswaner, Mary Louise Wilson SHOWING AT UPSTATE FILMS WOODSTOCK

Sat Oct 3 • 7:45pm

UPSTATE FILMS I RHINEBECK

Sun Oct 4 • 3:00pm

2015

Visit www.shesthebestthinginit.com

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

DO CU M EN TA R IE S WOR L D F E ST I VAL P R E MIE R E

DOCUMENTAIRES

SHELTER

SCREENING WITH Sporting Dreams

Directed by Barbara Kopple USA / 2015 / 52 minutes MAIN CREDITS PRODUCERS

Barbara Kopple David Cassidy

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Gary Griffin

EDITOR

Rob Kuhns

COMPOSER/MUSIC

David E. Morris

SOUND DESIGNER

Alan Barker

ANIMATOR

Lucjan Gorczynski

During the final year of an unprecedented national effort to end military veteran homelessness, two-time Academy Award®-winning director Barbara Kopple intimately documents the on-the-ground work of the veteran-founded, community-based service organization, Veterans Resource Center, in Northern California. Sharing the struggles of those they seek to pull out of a life lived on the streets, Shelter tells a story of vets saving vets, delving into the psychological trauma created by military service, the effects that remain long after active duty, and the difficult road back to a normal life for these women and men. – Woodstock Film Festival Barbara Kopple is a two-time Academy® Award-winning filmmaker. A director and producer of narrative films and documentaries, her most recent project Hot Type: 150 Years of the Nation, examines America’s longest running continuous publication through the eyes of the passionate journalists who have sacrificed considerably to sustain its critical voice. Other recent projects include the Emmy-nominated documentary Running from Crazy, which examines the personal journey of writer, model and actress Mariel Hemingway, the granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway, as she strives for a greater understanding of her complex family history.

BIO

Q&A ATTENDEES

BARBARA KOPPLE & LEON GAST

COURTESY of

SHOWING AT BEARSVILLE THEATER WOODSTOCK

Sat Oct 3 • 11:45am

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

2015

D O C U ME N TA RIE S WORL D F E ST I VAL P R E MIE R E

DOCUMENTARIES

SPORTING DREAMS SCREENING WITH Shelter

Directed by Leon Gast USA / 2015 / 52 minutes MAIN CREDITS PRODUCERS

Leon Gast Linda Saffire Adam Schlesinger

CINEMATOGRAPHERS

Kyle Kibbe Ronan Killeen Don Lenzer

EDITOR

Anne Barliant

Q&A ATTENDEES

BARBARA KOPPLE & LEON GAST

Through the intimate stories of three American families, we grasp that childhood and high school sports are still the bridge to attaining the American Dream.... for the child, as well as the parent. Is it worth it? Sports play an enormous part in the American social fabric. More children than ever are participating in competitive sports. Sports can help achieve their athletic dreams, help with their academics, teach how to deal with adversity and failure, learn to succeed through hard work and dedication and, of course, how to have fun. The film looks at several different individual and team sports in America: from boxing and hockey to the girls’ AAU basketball. The film examines family relationships between mothers and fathers and sons and daughters. We look at their joys and struggles by exploring how sports play a part in their American dream. – Woodstock Film Festival

Leon Gast is a documentary film director, producer, cinematographer, and editor. BIO When We Were Kings, depicting the iconic “Rumble in the Jungle” between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, won the 1996 Academy Award® for Documentary Feature and the Independent Spirit Award. Smash His Camera, about paparazzi photographer Ron Galella, won Best Director (documentary) at Sundance 2010. In 2012, Gast received a lifetime achievement award at the inaugural Golden Door Film Festival. A native of Jersey City, New Jersey, Gast studied dramatic arts at Columbia University and worked the TV series High Adventure with writer/broadcaster Lowell Thomas. He is also known for his still photography, appearing in such magazines as Vogue, Esquire and Harper’s Bazaar. Gast is working on his second boxing legend documentary about the number two pound-for-pound best boxer in the world, Manny Pacquiao, detailing his rise from poverty to the top of the boxing world and congressman in the Philippines.

COURTESY of

SHOWING AT BEARSVILLE THEATER WOODSTOCK

Sat Oct 3 • 11:45am

2015

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

DO CU M EN TA R IE S EA ST CO AST PR E MIE R E

DOCUMENTAIRES

THE STUDENT BODY Directed by Bailey Webber, Michael Webber USA / 2015 / 85 minutes MAIN CREDITS EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Gill Holland

PRODUCER

Michael Webber

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Michael Webber

EDITOR

Michael Webber

COMPOSER/MUSIC

Paul Brill

10th grade filmmaker Bailey Webber is on a mission. The investigation begins when her school district implements a controversial mandate forcing schools to perform Body Mass Index tests in a misguided attempt to address childhood obesity. After a sixth grader voices her protest against the “fat letters,” Webber recognizes the injustice of telling children they are fat if they don’t fall within a narrowly accepted range. Believing they are being unfairly profiled and bullied, her keen inquiry includes a relentless chase after the bureaucrat who sponsored the law. Whether she is staging a vigil at the state house, or interviewing health experts for their input, Bailey never loses her cool. Her dogged pursuit is always done with poise and immense charm. Despite the filmmaker’s youth, The Student Body is a sophisticated, smart, steadfast, sensitive, and often humorous chronicle of two brave girls who expose the hypocrisy of grown ups who think they are safeguarding the nation’s young. – Ben F. Fischer Michael Webber is a motion picture producer and award-winning documentary filmmaker. His credits include the runaway hit documentary The Elephant in the Living Room, as well as numerous scripted feature films for 20th Century Fox, Lionsgate and independent films.

BIO

Bailey Webber is a student investigative journalist, writer and co-director of The Student Body. She is the daughter of Michael Webber, and as such, Bailey has a deep love for film and appreciation for nonfiction storytelling. The Student Body is her directorial debut.

Q&A ATTENDEES *subject to change Bailey Webber, Michael Webber SHOWING AT UPSTATE FILMS II RHINEBECK

Sat Oct 3 • 1:00pm

BEARSVILLE THEATER WOODSTOCK

Sun Oct 4 • 2:30pm

Visit www.thestudentbodyfilm.com/home

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

2015

D O C U ME N TA RIE S EA ST CO AST PR E MIE R E

Directed by Natalie Avital USA / 2015 / 96 minutes MAIN CREDITS FEATURING

Sarah Shourd Jacob Fattal Joshua Fattal Reza Aslan Shane Bauer Sean Penn Nicole Lindstrom Lonnie Ali Shannon Bauer Gary Sick Alex Fattal Faraz Sanei Nora Shourd Richard Kim Laura Fattal Shon Meckfessel Cindy Hickey Ben Rosenfeld Al Bauer Stephen Zunes EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS Jon Callaghan Skip Klintworth Stephen Nemeth Glen Zipper PRODUCERS

Natalie Avital Denise Bohdan Bobby Field Christian Johnston Sara McCabe Jeremy Ward

EDITOR

Mo Stoebe

COMPOSER/MUSIC

Frederik Wiedmann

SOUND DESIGNER

Anarchy Post

DOCUMENTARIES

THE THREE HIKERS Sarah Shourd, Shane Bauer and Joshua Fattal, human rights activists and educators, got more than they bargained for when, in 2009, they inadvertently stepped out of Kurdistan and stumbled into Iran. Caught in the turmoil of strained diplomatic relations following the notorious 1979 hostage-taking episode and more recent student uprisings protesting rigged elections, the three were thrown into prison and charged with crimes punishable by death. Sarah was held in solitary confinement, while Shane and Josh shared a cell. With limited access to diplomatic intervention — the Swiss Ambassador, the Sultan of Oman, and behind-the-scenes American efforts played a role — the plight of the three, through family and friends, sparked a grassroots movement that eventually caught the attention of Desmond Tutu, Sean Penn and Cesar Chavez. Far more than a story of wrongful imprisonment, The Three Hikers is a testament to courage, endurance and the power of love. Electrifying filmmaking. – Barbara Pokras, ACE This is Natalie Avital’s directorial debut. Previously she has co-produced scripted narratives and documentaries, including this year’s State of Control and the 2013 indie feature Past God. She has also spent many years working as a freelance casting director, working on independent features, commercials, industrials, and music videos. The bulk of Natalie’s work in the entertainment industry has been as an actress in independent film, theater and television. She holds a BA in Theater from UCLA.

BIO

Q&A ATTENDEES *subject to change Natalie Avital, Joel Ides SHOWING AT UPSTATE FILMS I RHINEBECK

Sat Oct 3 • 3:00pm

BEARSVILLE THEATER WOODSTOCK

Sun Oct 4 • 12:00pm

2015

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

SH OR TS ANIMATION WITH BILL & SIGNE

Upstate Films WOODSTOCK  Sat Oct 3  12:00pm

Runtime: 78 minutes + Q&A

Alchemist’s Letter

Driving

Directed by Carlos Andre Stevens

USA, UK / 2015 / 5:17 minutes A late alchemist exposes his estranged son to the truth surrounding his tumultuous life and the dark magic used to power a gold making machine.

Directed by Nate Theis

www.vimeo.com/carlosstevens

Eggplant

USA / 2015 / 7:40 minutes Made at UCLA Durian was born with his facial expressions opposite to everyone else’s.

Directed by Mauro Carraro

Ayn Rand on Love

The Five Minute Museum www.vimeo.com/mapo

NEW YORK PREMIERE

Directed by Patrick Smith

SHORTS

USA / 2015 / 5 minutes Ayn Rand talks about love and other things in this animated interview.

www.blend-films.blogspot.com

Directed by David Chai

www.houseofchai.net

Directed by Nick Tustin

Chase Me

EAST COAST PREMIERE

www.schattenkabinett.com

Directed by Virginia Mori France, Italy / 2015 / 8 minutes A teacher and her pupil linger in an empty classroom. Through their looks and gestures, a strange confrontation begins.

www.vimeo.com/nicktustin

NEW YORK PREMIERE

www.vimeo.com/123079512

NEW YORK PREMIERE

Directed by Bill Plympton USA / 2015 / 6 minutes The life and times of a neglected stoplight.

Mojo Thunder

Directed by Gilles-alexandre Deschaud France / 2015 / 3 minutes This short film follows a ukulele-playing girl who is chased through a dark forest by the monster that emerges from her own shadow.

USA / 2015 / 5 minutes The Five Minute Museum is an experimental animation in which thousands of artifacts from museums are brought to life in a history of human endeavor.

Loneliest Stoplight

Birthday

USA / 2015 / 3 minutes School of Visual Arts An alien bug is born into a dangerous jungle. As he enters this strange new world, he soon realizes that things are not what they appear.

Directed by Paul Bush

www.vimeo.com/yangzi

Haircut

Behind My Behind

USA / 2014 / 4 minutes A disheartened Earnest Knapp learns that the things he holds most dear are often just a butt cheek away.

www.natetheis.com

Directed by Yangzi She

Aubade

Switzerland / 2014 / 5 minutes A black sun rises on Leman Lake. In a surrealist backlit scene, swimmers and birds witness the spectacle of the dawn, hypnotized by the music of a cellist.

USA / 2015 / 3:51 minutes Driving is a satirical look at people in their cars. With explosions.

www.plymptoons.com

Directed by Benjy Brooke, Vikkal Parrikh & Kris Merc USA / 2015 / 3 minutes Mojo Thunder tells the story of a man trying to escape the pain of his past by indulging in his vices, only to see himself sinking deeper into the grim realities of life.

www.ataboystudios.com

www.chasemefilm.com

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

2015

SH O RT S ANIMATION WITH BILL & SIGNE

BASED ON Runtime: 68 minutes + Q&A

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

Directed by Jeremy Galante & David Cowles USA / 2015 / 3 minutes Where you going buddy? Won’t you come with me to music jail? The “Week 4” video of They Might Be Giants’ 2015 Dial-ASong project.

The Night of the Naporitan

www.davidcowlesanimation.tumblr.com

NEW YORK PREMIERE

Japan / 2015 / 6:19 minutes A tragic story of spaghetti, who never learned to love others.

www.vimeo.com/user8363036

Religatio

www.vimeo.com/jaimegiraldo

www.facebook.com/ Theladyoflarkspurlotion

EAST COAST PREMIERE

USA / 2015 / 14:39 minutes A man and his dog go on an unlikely journey of reconciliation. Adapted from a short story by Sam Shepard.

www.facebook.com/peacockkiller

Sure Thing

Directed by Deborah Reinisch

Directed by Lynn Kim USA / 2015 / 3:30 minutes A closer look into the bullfight. Hand drawn and stop motion animation.

2015

WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by Boyd Holbrook

Toro

USA / 2015 / 1 minute Hostos Community College A parasitic eye wanders around and consumes everything in its path.

USA / 2014 / 22 minutes In a beat-up old boarding house in New Orleans, a frustrated landlady decides to confront one of her troublesome tenants for the rent. As their arguing ensues, an aspiring drunken writer decides to finally speak his truth. Based on the play by Tennessee Williams.

The Peacock Killer

Directed by Jaime Giraldo

Directed by Edwin Chavez

www.facebook.com/pianoplayerfilm

Directed by Sergio Rico

Directed by Juanwei Chen

Wandering Eye

UK / 2014 / 17:40 minutes Nine-year-old Ted is desperately searching for something he is good at. On the day his father comes home with an old monstrous piano, Ted has a revelation: he will become the next Mozart. Based on the short story Every Good Boy by David Nicholls.

The Lady Of Larkspur Lotion

The Panty Fairy

Canada / 2014 / 3:23 minutes Made at Vancouver Film School Beings who exist in a world hanging from ropes are all engaged in a struggle to stop themselves from falling into the void below.

EAST COAST PREMIERE

Directed by Tommaso Pitta

Directed by Ysuke Sakamoto

USA / 2014 / 2 minutes The School of Visual Arts One day, a young teenage girl suddenly lost her panties as she was taking them out to dry. Billy, the panty fairy, happens to come across them and decides to return them to her.

How I Didn’t Become A Piano Player

SHORTS

Music Jail

WOODSTOCK Community Center  Fri Oct 2  8:30pm  Sun Oct 4  6:00pm

http://lynn-kim.com/TORO

NEW YORK PREMIERE

USA / 2014 / 13 minutes Bill takes the only available seat in a cafe–at Betty’s table. Could she be the “one?” Could he? Are there any guarantees when we open our hearts? Sure thing. Based on the play by David Ives.

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

www.parkbenchpictures.com

SH OR TS FEVER DREAM Runtime: 63 63:40 minutes + Q&A Runtime:

WOODSTOCK Community Center  Fri Oct 2  6:30pm  Sun Oct 4  4:00pm

GROWING UP Runtime: 64 minutes + Q&A

WOODSTOCK Community Center  Fri Oct 2  12:00pm  Sat Oct 3  6:30pm

Against Night

Breatharians

USA / 2014 / 28:18 minutes / American Film Institute In Russian with English subtitles Set in the 1960s, a cosmonaut confronts the death of his wife and daughter years earlier after his space capsule crash lands in the frozen steppes of Mongolia.

USA / 2014 / 27 minutes August is a 12-year-old boy growing up on his family’s dairy farm. Dealing with his parents’ separation and navigating the distance between his parents’ homes, August must grapple with whether he can complete a grisly job his father has assigned him.

Directed by Stefan Kubicki

Devil’s Work

Directed by Miguel Silveira

SHORTS

USA / 2014 / 19 minutes / Columbia University A troubled 14-year-old boy grows increasingly isolated as he obsesses over the circumstances surrounding his father’s death. His descent puts him on a dismal and potentially violent course that will lead to major truths and even greater questions.

Directed by Marc Turtletaub

www.facebook.com/againstnight

EAST COAST PREMIERE

www.bigbeach.com

NEW YORK PREMIERE

Directed by Pippa Bianco

www.vimeo.com/110934948

USA / 2014 / 12:17 minutes A 15-year-old girl returns to school after someone shares an explicit video of her.

www.shareshortfilm.com

Stanhope

Directed by Solvan “Slick” Naim USA / 2014 / 17 minutes Stanhope, a young teenager from a single parent home in Brooklyn, spends a great deal of time with his grandmother. When she agrees to buy him his first skateboard, a series of events is put into motion that will change the course of Stanhope’s life.

Through The Breaking Glass Directed by Ivan Mena-Tinoco

Spain / 2014 / 15 minutes In Spanish with English subtitles After waking up in a foreign land, Alice does not remember her name or how she got there. With evil forces at work, she will have to fight to survive Wonderland and get back to her daughter.

EAST COAST PREMIERE

www.throughthebreakingglass.com

The Vow

www.stanhopethefilm.com

NEW YORK PREMIERE

Directed by Lina Roessler Canada / 2014 / 6 minutes Two 7-year-old girls go on a magical trip in an attempt to execute a master plan.

www.facebook.com/littlewhispers

SHORTS: SCREENING PRIOR TO... All About Amy

WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by Samuel Centore USA / 2014 / 7:33 minutes An intimate portrayal that follows a widowed transgender taxi driver in the Catskills. www.vimeo.com/samuelcentore Amy recounts her late wife’s support as she works the night shift and returns at sunrise to her unfinished, decaying home in the woods.

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

2015

SH O RT S LET’S TALK

WOODSTOCK Community Center  Fri Oct 2  4:30pm

Runtime: 63 minutes + Q&A

Upstate Films I RHINEBECK  Sat Oct 3  8:30pm EAST COAST PREMIERE

Directed by Theo Sena

Pick Up

USA / 2015 / 20 minutes Jesse Ritter has been living with a secret. What begins as a quiet evening driving for Pick Up (the latest car service to share the road with Uber and Lyft), soon finds Jesse falling for one of his passengers and forced to confess the truth.

Spit

Directed by Mtume Gant USA / 2015 / 16:15 minutes Jeremiah “Monk-One” Sinclair, a NYC hip hop artist, has reached a crossroads of trying to understand what success is. Filmed POV style, we enter the body of Monk One, seeing through his eyes the loss of passion, love for the music, and city he once knew.

NEW YORK PREMIERE

www. pickupfilm.com

EAST COAST PREMIERE

Mountain Low

USA / 2015 / 19 minutes A solitary game warden spends one last day with his estranged daughter before she moves to California. When he sidetracks their day to investigate a strange sound heard deep in the woods, he risks their safety and jeopardizes his deep desire to reconnect.

Wait ‘Til The Wolves Make Nice

EAST COAST PREMIERE

www.vimeo.com/weldonpowers

WORLD PREMIERE

www.abruntel.com

NEW YORK PREMIERE

Directed by Jessica dela Merced www.spitthefilm.com

EAST COAST PREMIERE

(Les Fremissements du Thé )

Directed by Marc Fouchard

2015

USA / 2015 / 5 minutes Kenneth, a suburban husband, is tired of the neighborhood kids cutting through his backyard to get to the woods behind his house.

Directed by Andy J. Bruntel

The Way Of Tea

France / 2014 / 20:39 minutes In a French with English subtitles In a small town in northern France, Alex, a young skinhead, enters Malik’s grocery store. As religious tensions build, Malik makes an offer hard for Alex to turn down, so long as he stays for tea.

The Cut Through

Orpheum Theater SAUGERTIES  Sun Oct 4  5:30pm

Directed by Weldon Powers

USA / 2015 / 5 minutes Two old friends take an awkward walk into their past.

Directed by Joshua Alan Rogers

Runtime: 64 minutes + Q&A

WOODSTOCK Community Center  Sat Oct 3  4:15pm

SHORTS

Greco Roman

NO TRESPASSING

www.en.unifrance.org/movie/39959/ the-way-of-tea

USA / 2015 / 11 minutes Five kids turn their innocence to ashes on a hot summer day in southwest Detroit.

Winter Light

Directed by Julian Higgins USA / 2015 / 28:30 minutes When an aging college professor confronts two hunters trespassing on his property, he begins an escalating battle of wills that will test his faith in everything he holds dear. Adapted from a short story by acclaimed author James Lee Burke.

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

www.jessdelamerced.com

NEW YORK PREMIERE

www.facebook.com/winterlightfilm

SH OR TS SHORT DOCS I

WOODSTOCK Playhouse  Thur Oct 1  1:00pm

Runtime: 78 minutes + Q&A

WOODSTOCK Community Center  Sat Oct 3  11:30am

Chimes For Autism: Tyler’s Story

My Paralympic Dream Directed by Yeshy Namgyal

Directed by Stephen Panaggio USA / 2014 / 8:17 minutes Eight-year-old Tyler Doi can identify individual Woodstock Chimes from their sound. Watch as he goes head-to-head in a ”Name That Chime” challenge with Garry Kvistad, founder and owner of Woodstock Chimes!

Howard’s Farm

www.chimes.com/t-autism.aspx

NEW YORK PREMIERE

Directed by Ivan Cash USA / 2014 / 6:13 minutes A gentle portrait of an 86-yearold farmer who is still active. Cancer, fractured vertebrae, old hips - nothing has stopped Howard from tending his farm.

www.cashstudios.co/howards-farm

SHORTS

Digits

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

First World Problems

USA / 2015 / 35 minutes A documentary film that follows veteran Tim Keenan. He’s dealt with PTSD for over four decades. He’s finally ready to face his demons and return to Vietnam.

www.naneek.com

Hardbat

Directed by Zack Schamberg

www.charlotteschiolerproductions.com

USA / 2014 / 13 minutes New York University An obsession with ping-pong disrupts an otherwise pleasant evening.

Seth

www.zackschamberg.com/hardbat

EAST COAST PREMIERE

Directed by Zach Lasry

NEW YORK PREMIERE

Directed by Alexander Engel USA / 2015/ 7:30 minutes After losing the last two digits of a girl’s number, a socially awkward fish-enthusiast tries every combination to seek her out.

NEW YORK PREMIERE

WOODSTOCK Community Center  Sat Oct 3 • 8:45pm  Sun Oct 4 • 2:00pm

Directed by Charlotte Schiøler

France, Denmark / 2014 / 17 minutes In French, Danish with English subtitles Babette, a naive but driven Danish woman looking for an apartment in Paris, embarks on an absurd mission fueled by her fear of getting shortchanged.

Naneek

Directed by Neal Steeno

QUIRKS Runtime: 60 minutes + Q&A By Any Means A-Veilable

Bhutan / 2014 / 10 minutes In Dzongkha with English subtitles Abandoned by his parents and struggling with a physical disability, Pema Tshering fights through all the odds to live the life he wants and achieve his dream of competing in the paralympic games.

USA / 2015 / 15 minutes Manic man-child Seth lives in his own demented world where time is of the essence. His only friends are his stuffed animals and the words of Michael Jordan that inspire him to take all the shots he can.

www.facebook.com/SethTheMovie

www.alexanderengel.com/digits

NEW YORK PREMIERE

Directed by Hanna Maylett Finland / 2015 / 6:34 minutes In Finnish with English subtitles After a trip to the grocery store, a tired housewife loses her car in a shopping mall parking, which sends her whole world tumbling down.

www.facebook.com/pages/First-WorldProblems-short-film/702204593206928

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

2015

SH O RT S SHORT DOCS I

(CONT’D)

EAST COAST PREMIERE

Origins

Directed by Will Parrinello

WOODSTOCK Playhouse  Fri Oct 2  11:45am

Runtime: 77 minutes + Q&A

WOODSTOCK Community Center  Sun Oct 4  11:30am

El Porvenir

EAST COAST PREMIERE

Directed by Alfredo Alcantara Merentes & Josh Chertoff

USA / 2014 / 9:30 minutes The story of a small group of the 1960’s counterculture activists, led by Dr. Larry Brilliant and Wavy www.mvfg.com Gravy, with a desire to create positive change in the world. Their subsequent work in public health and grassroots political activism inspired them to found the Seva Foundation. WORLD PREMIERE

To Be Daydreamers

SHORT DOCS II

Directed by Jack Tumen USA / 2014 / 8:21 minutes Penn State University Twin brothers Aaron and Wyatt Mones, Woodstock locals, reflect www.jtumen88.wix.com/jacktumen on their journey as a two-man band, while keeping their sights set on the prospects of a successful musical career.

Mexico / 2015 / 15 minutes In Spanish with English subtitles Abelardo Olguin, a third-generwww.porvenirfilm.com ation cockfighter, is struggling to hold on to his family’s way of life in the face of a growing movement to ban the sport across the Mexican states.

Enjoy Your Intermission

Directed by Adam Carboni & Tansy Michaud USA / 2015 / 12:32 minutes An intimate look at a drive-in movie theater in its last summer of projecting 35mm film.

www.enjoyyourintermission.com

The House is Innocent

Runtime: 75 minutes + Q&A

The English Teacher

WOODSTOCK Community Center  Fri Oct 2  2:15pm  Sat Oct 3  2:00pm

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

Directed by Alan Gonzalez Cuba / 2015 / 15 minutes In Spanish with English subtitles Tired of her husband’s terminal illness, Sonia decides to resume giving English classes at home.

Welcome (Bienvenidos)

Directed by Nicholas Coles

USA / 2015 / 12:15 minutes Tom and Barbara’s new home has a notorious past and it’s going to take more than a fresh coat of paint to whitewash its macabre history.

www.facebook.com/ TheHouseIsInnocent.

WORLD PREMIERE

Lenny Bee

Directed by John Huba

NEW YORK PREMIERE

USA / 2015 / 12:30 minutes People know me as Lenny Bee... but my real name is Leonardo Franscesco Busciligio!

www.johnhubastudio.com

NEW YORK PREMIERE

Directed by Javier Fesser

Spearhunter

Spain / 2014 / 27:39 minutes In Spanish with English subtitles An amazing innovation reaches a tiny school lost in the heart of the Peruvian Andes and revolutionizes the lives of the whole community: the internet.

USA / 2014 / 13:42 minutes Deep in the woods of rural Alabama, a spear-hunter proclaims www.spearhunterfilm.com himself the world’s greatest and erects a museum dedicated to his own obsession.

San Cristobal

2015

Directed by Adam Roffman & Luke Poling

www.peliculaspendelton.com

EAST COAST PREMIERE

LGBTQ FOC U S

Directed by Omar Zúñiga Hidalgo USA / 2015 / 28:45 minutes In Spanish with English subtitles Lucas is visiting his sister on a remote island in southern Chile before moving abroad. An unlikely romance grows when he meets Antonio, a struggling young fisherman.

SHORTS

SPANISH SPOTLIGHT

We Live This

Directed by James Burns

www.sancristobalfilm.com

USA / 2015 / 10 minutes The story of four boys from the projects who have come together to pursue their ww.jamesburns.nyc dreams. Most New Yorkers who ride the MTA have opinions about them, but what lies beneath these young performers is more than what meets the eye.

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

SH OR TS TEEN FILMS

Bearsville Theater WOODSTOCK  Fri Oct 2  5:00pm NEW YORK PREMIERE

Below The Surface

Directed by Rona Ahdout

Directed by Alyssa Dyal

USA / 2014 / 4 minutes University High School (Irvine, CA) A girl reflects on the precious moments she had with her sister as she slowly comes to terms with her guilt and reaches her absolution.

www.neema.media

NEW YORK PREMIERE

Directed by Cal Etcheverry USA / 2014 / 7 minutes Episcopal School of Dallas A man’s endless cycle of work takes its toll on his relationship with daughter.

www.calantisstudios.com

Evidence

Directed by Theodore M. Buckwald USA / 2014 / 7 minutes A naive burglar is surprised to find that his seemingly helpless, elderly target, whom he has detained, is miraculously able to break free from his restraints.

www.shortfil.ms

WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by Jack Fessenden USA / 2015 / 9:45 minutes A young boy torments his uptight babysitter.

USA / 2015 / 1 minutes Woodstock Day School A casual conversation takes an unexpected turn.

SHORTS

www.woodstockdayschool.org

LGBTQ FO C U S

USA / 2014 / 10 minutes Youth FX (Albany, NY) Love and the choices we have to make for love.

The Girl Whose Shadow Reflects the Moon Directed by Walaa Al Alawi

www.youthfx.org

WORLD PREMIERE

vimeo.com/fessypix

Salad

Directed by Ethan Hoffman-Sadka USA / 2015 / 13 minutes Ethical Culture Fieldston School (Bronx, NY) A serio-comedy about a NYC boy struggling with the death of his parents.

The Silence of Nature

www.ecfs.org

WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by Bushra Al Masri

Jordan / 2015 / 5 minutes In Arabic with English subtitles A 16-year-old girl recounts her harrowing experiences from her last days before escaping war torn Syria

Jordan / 2015 / 3 minutes In Arabic with English subtitles An 18-year-old Syrian refugee recounts her life in Syria before the revolution tore her family apart.

The Hunt For Sasquatch Directed by Emmet Luciano

This Is New York: Gary

USA / 2015 / 3:56 minutes Woodstock Day School Famed naturalist goes on an expedition for the rarest animal of all.

USA / 2014 / 5:35 minutes A short portrait on the life of a New York City cab driver.

Directed by Benjamin Ades

www.woodstockdayschool.org

We All Go the Same

Leftovers

Directed by Morgana McKenzie

USA / 2015 / 1 minute Woodstock Day School Dinner for One.

Canada / 2015 / 3:45 minutes In the timeless world of fairy tales, villains and victims are visited by a vengeful fairy who offers to shift the balance of power.

Directed by Harrison O’ Clair and Emma Pittleman

www.woodstockdayschool.org

www.dctvny.org

Pranks

Directed by Jonah Martindale

Directed by Maya Suchak

USA / 2014 / 4 minutes Downtown Community Television Center (DCTV A year-by-year account of Alyssa’s life.

Old Tricks

Everyday

Falling

Lifeline

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

www.morganamckenzie.com

2015

SH O RT S FILM CAREER DAY: YOUTH INITIATIVE

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

Photo: David Rosenberg

Every 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.

SHORTS: MUSIC VIDEOS ONLINE

No tickets available. Videos are viewable online only

Days Gone By

Killing Machine

USA / 2015 / 3:41 minutes Woodstock’s beautiful landscape turns into a gorgeous, psychedelic journey for artist Burnell Pines. A collaboration of native Woodstock artists.

MUSIC BY SARAH FIMM Directed by Heyrick Chassé

Watch online at www.ido-movies.com/burnellpines.html

MUSIC BY

SANDRA KOLSTAD

MUSIC BY KITA KLANE Directed by Nic Harcourt

Good Friend

Directed by Dan Huiting

Watch online at https://youtu.be/OnTmZ6c9l64

MUSIC BY SIMI STONE Directed by Samuel Centore & Gene Fischer USA / 2015 / 3:36 minutes The painful process of grief and the grace of organ donation punctuate the latest music video Organs by rock duo The Uncluded.

2015

Watch online at www.vimeo.com/111251212

My Yellow Heart

Fingerprints

USA / 2015 / 3 minutes Music video for the song Fingerprints by Kita Klane.

USA / 2015 / 3:43 minutes A story of healing and resilience between a father and daughter struggling to cope with post-traumatic stress disorder

SHORTS

MUSIC BY BURNELL PINES Directed by Heidi Sjursen and Jeffrey Abell

USA / 2015 / 3:24 minutes Surrounded by doubt and mysterious dark forces, a young woman discovers the control she has over her surroundings, as well as her own wild nature.

Watch online at www.vimeo.com/113948945

Sunshine’s on the Way

Watch online at https://youtu.be/uA-qIpO1VWM

MUSIC BY THE SOULUTION Directed by Justin Henny Henderson & Tony Reames USA / 2015 / 7 minutes What do you do when the days feel darker than the nights? Who helps you when your support system has it worse than you? Sometimes it feels like everything and everyone is against you. It’s hard to keep your head up when the weight of the world is holding you down. Sunshine’s on the way.

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

Watch online at https://youtu.be/Hutoz8F4V08

PA NELS SOCIAL IMPACT IN MEDIA

How do we define it? How do we measure it? Why does it matter? "Social Impact" is a term and a goal that many filmmakers strive to achieve. Yet it can seem overwhelming in the face of the many challenges, from getting any project funded, made and out there, to achieving and showing the results of the “impact.” Our panelists, for whom impact is a vital part, will lead us through personal case studies to explore and define what has worked for them. Here are some common questions they will try to answer:

Kleinert/James Center  Sat Oct 3  10:00am

 What’s behind all the buzz about impact measurement?  How do we measure impact when it’s not always clearly definable?  Is it fair to expect to require filmmakers to be held accountable for this type of work?

 What are some best practices from the field?  Is the impact producer an essential hire for any project today?

 When, how and why some films can be a tool for real change?

Moderator

Dan Cogan

Cynthia Kane serves as Senior Commissioning Producer for documentaries at Al Jazeera America. Prior: ITVS (Independent Television Service), managing the International Initiative for Funding, Sundance Channel, where she co-created DocDay.

PANELISTS:

PANELS

Dan Cogan is the executive director and co-founder of Impact Partners, a fund and advisory service for investors and philanthropists who seek to promote social change through film. Since its inception in 2007, Impact Partners has been involved in the financing of more than 60 films, including The Cove, which won the 2010 Academy Award® for Documentary Feature and How to Survive A Plague, which was nominated for the Academy Award® for Documentary Feature in 2013. Cogan co-founded Gamechanger Films, which launched in September 2013. Gamechanger Films is the first for-profit film fund dedicated exclusively to financing narrative features directed by women. Andrew Catauro is the manager of JustFilms, the Ford Foundation’s social justice documentary and digital storytelling initiative. JustFilms provides support to filmmakers, artists and organizations who seek to drive social change by using creative visual approaches to highlight issues of justice, rights and equity. JustFilms works to expand networks and resources for this community of independent filmmakers around the world, to elevate their artistry, and to maximize filmmakers’ impact of their stories. Prior to joining the Foundation in 2013, Andrew was coordinating producer of the primetime PBS documentary showcase POV, supervising programming and production workflows for the series.

Paco de Onís grew up in several Latin American countries during a time of dictatorships. He is the executive director and executive producer of Skylight, a human rights media organization dedicated to creating documentary films and innovative media tools for long-term strategies to advance social and economic justice. One of these long-term strategies is Skylight Labs, a program developed to disseminate Skylight’s model for developing human rights media ecosystems in conjunction with committed media makers, technologists and movement organizations. The Labs have a regional focus, but with the ultimate goal of creating a global network of practitioners. Todd Wider (with his brother, Jedd), has produced numerous critically and commercially successful documentary films, including Academy Award®-nominated King’s Point, multiple primetime Emmy Award and Peabody Awardwinning Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God, Emmy Award-nominated Semper Fi: Always Faithful, multiple Emmy Award-nominated Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer, and Academy Award® and multiple Emmy Award-winning Taxi to the Dark Side. He was nominated by the Producers Guild of America for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures. Mike Webber is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and producer/co-director of The Student Body. His career began with fiction films, producing numerous theatrical films for studios such as 20th Century Fox and Lionsgate. Applying his storytelling skills to non-fiction filmmaking, Webber went on to direct his “passion project,” the critically-acclaimed hit The Elephant in the Living Room.

WoodstockFilmFestival.com

Andrew Catauro

Paco de Onís

Todd Wider

Mike Webber

2015

PA NE L S MUSIC IN FILM

Kleinert/James Center  Sat Oct 3  12:00pm

Panelists: Layering traditional Hindu kirtan with instantly accessible melodies and modern instrumentation, Krishna Das has been called yoga’s “rock star.” With a remarkably soulful Krishna Das voice that touches the deepest chord in even the most casual listener, Krishna Das – known to friends, family and fans as simply KD – has taken the call-and-response chanting out of yoga centers and into concert halls, becoming a worldwide icon and the bestselling chant artist of all time. His album Live Ananda (released January 2012) was nominated for a Grammy in the Best New Age album category.

Stewart Copeland has spent more than three decades in the forefront of contemporary music as rock star, acclaimed film composer and documentary filmmaker, while concurrently moving between Stewart Copeland the disparate worlds of opera, ballet, world and chamber music. As the polyrhythmic drumming founder of The Police, Stewart introduced Sting and Andy Summers to the worlds of reggae and punk music, and with Sting’s songs and Summers’ complex guitar harmonies, the band became an iconic force in rock music from the ‘80s through the present day. Stewart spent twenty years as a successful film and TV composer, working for Francis Ford Coppola on Rumblefish, Oliver Stone on Wall Street and on TV shows like the Equalizer.