WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL 2023

WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES LINEUP FOR 24TH ANNUAL FESTIVAL SEPTEMBER 27 – OCTOBER 1

This year’s festival is showcasing 28 feature narrative films and 26 feature documentaries by distinguished and emerging directors, with 9 World Premieres, 7 U.S. Premieres, 9 East Coast Premieres, and 16 New York Premieres, as well as 107 outstanding short live-action films, documentaries, animation, and music videos. In addition, 8 unique live musical performances will follow select films, and 7 panels will address diverse issues relating to film and entertainment. Complementing this year’s lineup, most films will be followed by filmmakers’ Q&As.

OPENING NIGHT FILM: FAIR PLAY I Chloe Domont I Starring Phoebe Dynevor, Alden Ehrenreich, Eddie Marsan. Emily and Luke’s relationship is pushed to the brink when a new promotion at their financial firm causes challenges both in and out of the office. As the power dynamics shift, they’re left to face the price of success and the limits of ambition.

CLOSING NIGHT FILM: FINESTKIND | Brian Helgeland | Starring Ben Foster, Toby Wallace, Tommy Lee Jones. Finestkind tells the story of two half-brothers (Ben Foster and Toby Wallace), raised in different worlds, who are reunited as adults over a fateful summer.

SPECIAL GUESTS INCLUDE: James Ivory, Steve Buscemi, Kiefer Sutherland, Michael Imperioli, Matthew Modine, Tim Blake Nelson, Brittany Snow, Mary Stuart Masterson, Thomas Sadoski, Ondi Timoner, Victor Nunez, Ramin Bahrani, Lydia Dean Pilcher, Kristi Jacobson, Barbara Kopple, Pawo Choyning Dorji, Sheila Nevins, and Neil Gaiman. Woodstock, NY: August 29th, 2023: The fiercely independent Woodstock Film Festival (WFF) today announced the full lineup of films and programming for its 24th Anniversary, September 27 – October 1, 2023, to be presented at venues throughout the bucolic Hudson Valley towns of Woodstock, Rosendale and Saugerties, and online.
This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award will be awarded to renowned filmmaker James Ivory. Ivory was the directing partner with the legendary producer IsmailMerchant in their independent company Merchant Ivory Productions. In the forty-eight years, they worked together as a team, usually accompanied by the writer and novelist Ruth Prawer Jhabvala; they created 28 feature films, including the classics A Room With a View, Maurice, Howards End, and The Remains of the Day. Ivory also wrote the screenplay for Call Me By Your Name, for which he received an Academy Award in 2018. A tribute screening of Ivory’s film, The City of Your Final Destination, will take place on Saturday, September 30, followed by a conversation with Ivory and novelist Peter Cameron.

A long-time supporter of many of today’s most talented and promising women working in the film industry, 40% of the films included in this year’s lineup feature outstanding works directed by women filmmakers who elevate our program across the board.
The Woodstock Film Festival is proud to participate this year in a cultural collaboration with the Leiden International Film Festival in the Netherlands. The program entails a reciprocal exchange of films and filmmakers between the two festivals, enhancing cultural awareness and international exposure for both Dutch and American independent cinema.

For ticket information, visit: www.woodstockfilmfestival.org

“We are thrilled to continue our tradition of bringing together world-class talent from our own Hudson Valley community and extraordinary works of cinema from all over the world. We are once again proud to amplify the work of a group of filmmakers whose ingenuity and innovative storytelling is exemplary. As the Hudson Valley establishes itself as an epicenter of artistry and industry for the creative film community in the United States, we are proud to be at the forefront of generating experiences, audiences and conversations that give directors, actors, writers and people practicing all forms of filmmaking a place to flourish.” — Meira Blaustein, Woodstock Film Festival Co-Founder & Executive Director

FEATURE NARRATIVES
Opening Night film: Alden Ehrenreich as Luke and Phoebe Dynevor as Emily in FAIR PLAY. Dir. Chloe Domont

ALIEN INTERVENTION | Janet Grillo ASLEEP IN MY PALM | Henry Nelson | World Premiere

AT THE GATES | Augustus Bernstein | US Premiere

BLACKOUT | Larry Fessenden | US Premiere

THE CITY OF YOUR FINAL DESTINATION | James Ivory | Tribute Screening

CRUMB CATCHER | Chris Skotchdopole | East Coast Premiere

EILEEN | William Oldroyd | New York PremiereFAIRYLAND | Andrew Durham

GOODBYE STRANGER | Aaron Rookus | US Premiere | Leiden International Film Festival | Dutch Film Exchange Program

I USED TO BE FUNNY | Ally Pankiw | New York Premiere

IRENA’S VOW | Louise Archambault | US Premiere

THE KILL ROOM | Nicol Paone | World Premiere

THE LISTENER | Steve Buscemi

FORTUNATE SON | Remy van Heugten | New York Premiere | Leiden International Film Festival | Dutch Film Exchange Program

THE MONK AND THE GUN | Pawo Choyning Dorji | East Coast Premiere

NARCOSIS | Martin De Jong | New York Premiere | Leiden International Film Festival | Dutch Film Exchange Program Still from Closing Night film – FINESTKIND dir. Brian Helgeland THE NEW BOY | Warwick Thornton | US Premiere

NO RIGHT WAY | Chelsea Bo | New York Premiere

PARACHUTE | Brittany Snow | New York Premiere

RACHEL HENDRIX | Victor NunezSLIDE | Bill Plympton | East Coast PremiereSTOCKADE | Eric McGinty | World Premiere

SUMMER SOLSTICE | Noah Schamus | New York PremiereTHREE BIRTHDAYS | Jane Weinstock | World PremiereTÓTEM | Lila AvilésWHICH BRINGS ME TO YOU | Peter Hutchings | World Premiere FEATURE DOCUMENTARIESStill from STAMPED FROM THE BEGINNING. Dir. Roger Ross Williams ANOTHER BODY | Sophie ANSELM | Wim Wenders | New York PremiereBEYOND UTOPIA | Madeleine Gavin | New York Premiere DEFIANT | Karim Amer | New York PremiereDOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE | Jodie Childers, Dan Messina | World PremiereFEEDING TOMOROW | Oliver English & Simon English | East Coast Premiere FINDING THE MONEY | Maren Poitras | World PremiereFIORETTA | Matthew Mishory | World PremiereFOOD AND COUNTRY | Laura Gabbert | New York Premiere GUMBO COALITION | Barbara KoppleHOLLYWOODGATE | Ibrahim Nash’at | East Coast PremiereHUNG UP ON A DREAM: THE ZOMBIES DOCUMENTARY | Robert Schwartzman | New York PremiereIN THE SHADOW OF BEIRUT| Stephen Gerard Kelly | US PremiereINVISIBLE NATION | Vanessa Hope | US PremiereJOAN BAEZ I AM A NOISE | Karen O’Connor, Miri Navasky & Maeve O’Boyle MUSICA! | Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman | East Coast PremiereTHE NEW AMERICANS: GAMING A REVOLUTION | Ondi Timoner | East Coast PremiereNO ACCIDENT | Kristi Jacobson | World Premiere RAZING LIBERTY SQUARE | Katja EssonA SONG FILM BY KISHI BASHI: OMOIYARI | Justin “Chip” Taylor Smith, Kaoru Ishibashi | New York PremiereSTAMPED FROM THE BEGINNING | Roger Ross Williams | New York PremiereTEXAS MUSIC REVOLUTION| Troy Paff | East Coast PremiereTHE TUBA THIEVES | Alison O’DanielUNSEEN | Set Hernandez | New York PremiereWHEN THE MOUNTAINS TREMBLE | Pamela Yates, Newton Thomas SigelWITH PETER BRADLEY | Alex RappoportFeaturing Peter Bradley, Rudolph the Cat

SPECIAL EVENTSStill from TEXAS MUSIC REVOLUTION This 2023, the Woodstock Film Festival has a jam-packed special events schedule across Woodstock, Saugerties and Rosendale. Kiefer Sutherland Live Performance — Following the screening of TEXAS MUSIC REVOLUTION at Levon Helm Studio. Tuesday, September 26th. Sponsored by BMI
Javon Jackson Live Jazz Performance — Following the screening of WITH PETER BRADLEY.Friday, September 29th. Sponsored by BMI and Fierce Optimism
Kishi Bashi Live Acoustic Performance — Following the screening of A SONG FILM BY KISHI BASHI: OMOIYARI. Saturday, September 30th.
The Maverick Sextet Live Classical Performance of Arnold Schoenberg, Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night), Op. 4 — Following the screening of FIORETTA (Sunday) Bearsville. Sunday, October 1st.
Live Acoustic Performance From Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone of The Zombies- Following the screening of HUNG UP ON A DREAM: THE ZOMBIES DOCUMENTARY. Friday, September 29th.

Following the MUSIC VIDEOS PART I shorts block is a live performance by Emily Sprague

Following the MUSIC VIDEOS PART II shorts block is a live performance by Michael Imperioli’s band ZOPA
Stronger Together Small Farm Resiliency Fundraiser and Community Gathering Presented by White Feather Farm & Feeding Tomorrow- Following the screening of FEEDING TOMORROW. Wednesday, September 27th. Joan Baez in Live Interview on Zoom — Following the screening of JOAN BAEZ I AM A NOISE

SHORTSHAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY – Original and hilarious bite-sized films.
• BABYGIRL | Leah Claire Borrie
• THE BOOK OF LIGHT | Ash McNair, Enzo Cellucci | World Premiere
• DOLLAR PIZZA DOCUMENTARY | Travis Wood, Alex Mallis
• LAS VISITANTES (WOMEN VISITING A CITY) | Enrique Buleo | East Coast Premiere
• SUNFLOWER OIL | Alex Prescot | World Premiere
• THE VACATION | Jarreau Carrillo
• WORKING CLASS HERO | Yoni Lamm, Mookie Thompson | US Premiere
DILATED PUPILS: Pulse-increasing thrillers.
• BAIT | Alexander Pappas | East Coast Premiere
• CUT ME IF YOU CAN | World Premiere
• LEAVING YELLOWSTONE | Kayla Arend
• MANICURE | Carluccio | East Coast
• THE PINK | Ingrid Haas | East Coast Premiere
• SCAM | Julie Sharbutt | New York Premiere
• #FOLLOWME | Lionel Hirlé | New York Premiere
SOCIAL DIALOGUES – The personal is political in these short documentaries that address historical and local challenges to how it goes.
• AMERICAN SANTA | Avi Zev Weider | New York Premiere
• THE BARBER OF LITTLE ROCK | John Hoffman, Christine Turner | East Coast Premiere
• DECIDING VOTE | Jeremy Workman, Robert Lyons
• HOW WE GET FREE | Geeta Gandbhir, Samantha Knowles | New York Premiere
• IF DREAMS WERE LIGHTNING | Ramin Bahrani | East Coast Premiere
PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST – Artful narrative and documentary shorts that show us a diverse group of artists admitting their truths.
• AFRICANS WITH MAINFRAMES | Kima Hibbert
• GONE BEFORE YOUR EYES | Cara Yeates | World Premiere
• MARIA SCHNEIDER, 1983 | Elisabeth Subrin
• QUARTER TO THREE | Isa Totah | East Coast Premiere
• A SIMPLE STONE | Virginia Scaro | World Premiere
• WHO TELLS THE STORY? | Joan Churchill, Alan Barker | World Premier
ANIMATION: FAMILY FRIENDLY – A carefully curated selection of outstanding shorts by some of today’s most intriguing animators around the world.
• FLOAT_HOME | Mike Enright | East Coast Premiere
• FLUTTER | Adam Reed Levy | New York Premiere
• IT WAS UP THERE | Jesse Willmon
• LIFELINE | Marlene Ghuneim
• LITTLE T | Masha Ellsworth
• MORNING JOY | John Henry Hinkel
• MY DEAR MR. WHITMAN | Jeremiah Dickey
• PACEMAKER | Brian Vincent Rhodes, Christopher Lennertz | East Coast Premiere
• STARLING | Mitra Shahadi
• SUNFLOWER FIELD | Polina Buchak | New York Premiere
• A TALE OF TWO WEDDINGS | Candy Kugel | New York Premiere
• THE TALE OF TWO CRUEL RULERS | Anastasia Rykova | East Coast Premiere
• TOMATO KITCHEN | Junyi Xiao
• THE WOLF OF CUSTER | Tanya J Scott | East Coast Premiere
ANIMATION: MATURE – A carefully curated selection of outstanding shorts by some of today’s most intriguing animators around the world.
• AIKĀNE | Daniel Sousa, Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson
• ATM | ooluu Tseng | East Coast Premiere
• A COW IN THE SKY | Darren Press, C. Fraser Press
• DAVEY’S LULLABY | Adam Deyoe
• DOG, BALL, PARK | Renana Palmor | New York Premiere
• GRANNY X | DD Sheahan | East Coast Premiere
• THE MISPRINT | Jasper Lin
• MY VAGINA | Shannon Burkett, Neil Burns | East Coast Premiere
• NINETY-FIVE SENSES | Jerusha Hess, Jared Hess
• PUSSY LOVE | Linda Krauss
• WAR IS OVER! | Dave Mullins
• WHAT IS EVEN A TERF? | Dez Stavracos | East Coast Premiere
WE OUT HERE – A collection of bold, transformative narrative and documentary shorts. from across the LGBTQIA+ community
• BREAKUP TEXT | Elizabeth Baudouin | New York Premiere
• CAMPFIRE | Austin Lee Bunn | New York Premiere
• FUNNYFACE | Jude Hope Harris | East Coast Premiere
• HOW TO CARRY WATER | Sasha Wortzel | New York Premiere
• OUR MALES AND FEMALES | New York Premiere
• PECCADILLO | Sofia Garza-Barba | East Coast Premiere
FILM SCHOOL SHORTS Finely-crafted narrative and documentary student shorts that exemplify brave and distinctive storytelling.
• EL BASTÓN | Nemo Allen Maldonado
• FINE LINES | Amit Lerner | World Premiere
• MOTHERLAND | Christina Yoon
• ON TRACKS | Roni Vainer, Itai Kerem | World Premiere
• SOUND TO SEA | Ryan Craver | New York Premiere
• SWIM CAPTAIN | Christa Haley | New York Premiere
• WAITING FOR BUFFALO | Grace Beutter, Aidan O’Malley | New York Premiere
CHEF’S CHOICE – A thematically-diverse collection of narrative and documentary films.
• BLACK GIRLS PLAY: THE STORY OF HAND GAMES | Michèle Stephenson and Joe Brewster
• DAMMI | Yann Mounir Demange
• DANCING ON THE SILK RAZOR | D.W. Young | World Premiere
• A DESERT IS AN OCEAN | Katherine Clary, Emily Sternlicht | World Premiere
• THE FUSE | Kevin Haefelin | New York Premiere
• I AM WHAT YOU IMAGINE | Matthew Modine | New York Premiere
• THE SPERM DONOR | Alana McNair | New York Premiere
TEEN SHORTS – From an eclectic group of high school student filmmakers whose maturity will surprise you
• ALPHABET SOUP | Nico Eagan, James Lee | New York Premiere
• DIG DEEPER | Beatrix Hammam, Eitan Toledano, Karina Taylor, Leela Malladi, Lincoln Williams, Morgan Zoia, Olivia Saliba, Sydney Kaufman, Jamie Schecner | New York Premiere
• THE INNOCENT | India Mitchell, Ella Hillstead | New York Premiere
• INVISIBLE | Hendrix Leo Bruno | New York Premiere
• ITS YOUR CHOICE | Audrey Maxon | World Premiere
• MIRROR ME | World Premiere
• NEITHER ONE OF US | Raia Morgan | New York Premiere
• ON THE ICE | Nathan Burger, Frances Gorres, Kalighan Pelish, Mia Ferrara
• ROOTED | Sarina Pardis | World Premiere
HUDSY – HUDSY celebrates the incredibly diverse voices, culture and spirit of the Hudson Valley through the power of film and storytelling on the first streaming video app for the region, HUDSY TV. www.hudsy.tv

• THE RIDE by Tracy Christian | World Premiere
• HITCHER | Christopher Greffrath | World Premiere
• HOUSING IS A HUMAN RIGHT: ZAKIYAH MAYNARD | Angel Gates | World Premiere
• MUCKVILLE | Jeff Mertz | World Premiere
• OLYMPIC DREAMS | Angel Gates | World Premiere
• 45 DEGREES | Julia Barrett-Mitchell | World Premiere
MUSIC VIDEOS PART I – Innovative and stylish, this music video lineup showcases a multi-genre selection of auditory art ranging from classical to Indie rock. Followed by a live performance by Emily Sprague
• ANYTHING YOU WANT | Ben See-Tho | World Premiere
• BILL WOODS AND KENNY SEGAL – SOFT LANDING | Henry and Tim Blake Nelson
• FLORIST – SCI-FI SILENCE | Véra Haddad
• FRANKIE COSMOS – EMPTY HEAD | Sophia Bennett Holmes
• MODEL/ACTRIZ – CROSSING GUARD | Nathan Castiel
• WATER FROM YOUR EYES – BARLEY | Rachel Brown
• YEAH YEAH YEAHS – WOLF | Allie Avital
MUSIC VIDEOS PART II – Followed by a live performance by Michael Imperioli’s band ZOPA
• BEYOND FAREWELL | Jackie Shijie Xing | New York Premiere
• CASANOVA AND THE THREE GRACES | Jed Parker
• PILE – LOOPS | Joshua Echevarria
• SPARKS – THE GIRL IS CRYING IN HER LATTE | Ron Mael, Russell Mael, Richie Starzec
• ZOPA – A STILL LIFE | Victoria Imperioli
TICKETS & BOX OFFICE HOURS

The Festival box office, located at 13 Rock City Road in Woodstock is open Thursday, August 31 to Sunday, September 3, Wednesday to Sunday from 11am – 6pm and September 27 – September 30 from 9am – 7pm October 1 9am – 5pm. Online tickets are on sale now. A limited number of Full Festival Passes are available for purchase online or at the box office. Reserve early as shows tend to sell out quickly. Tickets are available at the box office until four hours prior to each event. For sold-out shows, there will be a standby line at the screening venue.

*Please note that all events are subject to change. Check our website to confirm venues and times and for updated information about screenings, events, and panels. THANK YOU TO OUR 2023 FESTIVAL SPONSORS ABOUT THE WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL
The Woodstock Film Festival (WFF) is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization that nurtures and supports emerging and established filmmakers, sharing their creative voices through an annual festival and year-round programming to promote culture, diversity, community, educational opportunities and economic growth.

WFF provides innovative mentoring and inspired educational programs benefitting filmmakers, students and diverse audiences while serving as a powerful cultural and economic engine for New York’s Hudson Valley and beyond. Such efforts have consistently resulted in the festival being hailed as one of the top regional film festivals worldwide.

The Woodstock Film Festival is an Oscar®-qualifying festival in the short film categories – Live Action Short Film, Animated Short Film, and Documentary Short Film.
The 24th Annual Woodstock Film Festival will be back in full force this fall, taking place Sept. 27 – Oct. 1, 2023 at various venues in Woodstock, Rosendale and Saugerties in New York’s Hudson Valley and online.

For more information visit woodstockfilmfestival.org. As a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization WFF relies on the generous support of individuals like you to keep our doors open year-round.
Thank you!

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