The 19th Annual Woodstock Film Festival in Woodstock, NY kicks-off this Wednesday October 10th and runs through Sunday the 14th. It is one of the premiere film festivals in Upstate New York and, according to their official press release, “will showcase 9 World Premieres, 4 North American Premieres, 1 US Premiere, 12 East Coast Premieres and 8 New York Premieres.”
Wednesday the 10th sees a screening of the documentary “Karl Berger – Music Mind”, followed by a performance by the Karl Berger Band. The official Opening Night film, “What They Had”, starring Hilary Swank, Blythe Danner, Robert Forster and Michael Shannon, will screen on Thursday the 11th.
Other weekend highlights include “ReRun” with Christopher Lloyd, Jake Gyllenhaal and Carey Mulligan’s “Wildlife” (directed by Paul Dano), and the world premiere of the romance drama “Then Came You”, which was filmed at the Albany International Airport (near where I live) in Summer 2017.
On Saturday the 13th in nearby Kingston, NY, filmmakers Julie Taymor (“Across the Universe”) and Matthew Heineman (“A Private War”) will receive Maverick Awards. “Universe” will be screened on Sunday morning, and “A Private War” – the new drama starring Rosaumnd Pike and Stanley Tucci – will serve as the closing night selection for the Woodstock Film Festival on Sunday the 14th.
This year’s festival has a number of showcase genres and themes, including a Spotlight on Women in Film and Media, a focus on Music, films shot in the Hudson Valley, several Global Cinema entries and movies that “explore and challenge social, political and environmental themes”.
Last year, I attended a screening of Richard Linklater’s “Last Flag Flying” (with Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston and Laurence Fishburne) held at one of their premiere locations, the Rosendale Theatre. I’m looking forward to covering the Fest this year and seeing several anticipated films. For tickets and more info, please visit woodstockfilmfestival.org.