The 19th Annual Hamptons International Film Festival

Announces Spotlight, Competition and World Cinema Films

Highlights: The Rum Diary, Melancholia, We Need to Talk About Kevin & Many Others.

BUTTER to kick-off Southampton on Friday, October 14

Spotlight Film: Melancholia (2011)

East Hampton, NY (September 27, 2011) The Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) is proud to announce its Southampton opener, Spotlight Films, the World Cinema Section and the films in this year‟s Competition.  Now in its 19th year, the Festival comes to life boasting a diverse and wide-range of films, as filmmakers, talent and industry come to the Hamptons to premiere and discuss their work. The 2011 Hamptons International Film Festival runs from Thursday,October 13th through Monday, October 17th in East Hampton with additional venues in Southampton, Sag Harbor, Westhampton and Montauk.  Festival headquarters are located at the beautiful c/o The Maidstone Hotel on Main Street in East Hampton.

“With a strong line-up of international films from cinema masters as well as the “next generation” — the Festival offers incredible access and a tremendous opportunity to our East End audiences, allowing them to experience powerful cinema and filmmaking at its best,” says HIFF Executive Director Karen Arikian.  “Our Spotlight section continues to impress this year with high profile films including Ralph Fiennes‟ directorial debut Coriolanus, Lars Von Trier‟s epic Melancholia, The Rum Diary starring Johnny Depp and the chilling We Need to Talk About Kevin starring Tilda Swinton, as well as one of this year’s Breakthrough Performers, Ezra Miller,” says HIFF Director of Programming David Nugent. “We are also excited to present the emerging voices of the filmmakers in our competitive sections, as well as the diverse viewpoints represented in our World Cinema sections which form the backbone to this year’s line up,” continues Nugent.

The heart of the Hamptons International Film Festival has always been its Golden Starfish Award and the films in the Competitions for Best Narrative Feature (over $125,000 in goods and in-kind services), Best Documentary Feature ($3,000 in cash) and Best Short Film ($1,000 in cash). Jury participants include filmmaker Andrew Rossi, Entertainment Weekly‟s Lisa Schwarzbaum, Melbourne Film Festival Director Michelle Carey, Watermill Center’s Sherry Dobbin, William Morris Endeavor’s Mark Ankner and Producer Jay Van Hoy.

Additionally, HIFF will kick-off in Southampton, on Friday, October 14th with The Weinstein Company’s dark comedy Butter starring Jennifer Garner, Olivia Wilde, Ty Burrell, Yara Shahidi, Hugh Jackman and Alicia Silverstone.

Opening Night Film: Jeff Who Lives At Home (2011)

As previously announced, the Festival’s Opening Night Film on Thursday, October 13th is the Jason Segel and Susan Sarandon heartwarming comedy Jeff, Who Lives at Home, Closing Night Film is the Cannes Film Festival critics’ darling The Artist and the Centerpiece Film is winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Best Picture at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival Like Crazy.

HIFF also provides a great home for the New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) with many of its members attending the Festival as mentors, panelists and jurors and this year will be no exception.

“Members of the New York Film Critics Circle are always eager to swap ideas and opinions with audiences at the Hamptons International Film Festival,” said this year‟s Circle Chairman, John Anderson. “And where better to be than in the Hamptons in October, watching terrific films,” continues Anderson.

The Festival will be presenting a number of special presentations, including its 12th year of the Films of Conflict & Resolution Program, a 7-film sidebar of films dealing with the realities of war, violence and crucial social issues around the world. The Festival will celebrate new Italian films with the sidebar Per Piacere: Italian Cinema.  Additionally, the festival will present a selection of films by Long Island filmmakers in its longstanding Views From Long Island section.  Details of the films in these programs follow.

The Festival continues a wide-range of programs including Films of Conflict & Resolution, “Pitch In” for Social Documentaries-in-Progress, Views from Long Island, A Conversation With, Rowdy Talks and many additional programs.

Spotlight Film: Oranges and Sunshine (2011)

Among those expected to attend the Festival are Lauren Ambrose, David Bailey, Bob Balaban, Alec Baldwin, Ellen Barkin, Harry Belafonte, Joe Berlinger, Matthew Broderick, Emily Browning, Carter Burwell, Dick Cavett, Stine Fischer Christensen, Maria Cuomo Cole, Jim Denevan, Martin Donovan, Jay Duplass, Terry George, Felicity Jones, Ed Lachman, Josh Marston, Ezra Miller, Penelope Ann Miller, Matthew Modine, David Morse, Clifford Ross, Susan Sarandon, Bobby Valentine, Rufus Wainwright, Lucy Walker, Wim Wenders, Anton Yelchin and many more…

Breakthrough Performers are Emily Browning (Sleeping Beauty), Stine Fischer Christensen (Cracks in the Shell), Ezra Miller (Another Happy Day, We Need to Talk About Kevin) and Anton Yelchin (Like Crazy).

For the full slate for the Festival please click here for the press release.  Several additional titles will be added to the program prior to the Festival’s opening and will be announced in the coming weeks.

The 19th Annual Hamptons International Film Festival

Announces Closing Night and Centerpiece Films

The Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) is proud to announce that The Artist, a Weinstein Company release, will screen at Guild Hall in East Hampton on October 16th as the Closing Night Film of the Festival. However, as in previous years, the Festival will continue with screenings through the following day as well (Monday, October 17th).

The Artist (2011)

The Artist is set in Hollywood 1927. George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is a silent movie superstar. The advent of the talkies will sound the death knell for his career and see him fall into oblivion. For young extra Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo), it seems the sky’s the limit - major movie stardom awaits. The Artist tells the story of their interlinked destinies. The Artist stars Jean Dujardin, winner of this year’s Cannes Film Festival 2011 Best Actor award on behalf of the film, along with Berenice Bejo, John Goodman, James Cromwell, Missi Pyle and Penelope Ann Miller. Film is penned, produced and directed by Michel Hazanavicius. The Weinstein Company plans a November 23, 2011 release.

Like Crazy (2011)

HIFF is also proud to announce Paramount Vantage’s Like Crazy as this year’s Centerpiece Film to screen in East Hampton on October 15th. A love story is both a physical and emotional tale, one that can be deeply personal and heartbreaking for an audience to experience. Director Drake Doremus’ film Like Crazy beautifully illustrates how your first real love is as thrilling and blissful as it is devastating. When a British college student (Felicity Jones) falls for her American classmate (Anton Yelchin) they embark on a passionate and life-changing journey only to be separated when she violates the terms of her visa. Like Crazy explores how a couple faces the real challenges of being together and of being apart. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Best Picture at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and of the Special Jury Prize for Best Actress for Felicity Jones, Like Crazy depicts both the hopefulness and the heartbreak of love.

In addition, HIFF also proudly announces that Anton Yelchin will be honored as one of this year’s Breakthrough Performers with additional honorees to be announced at a later date. The continued goal of the Breakthrough Performers Program is to highlight the work of up and coming young actors.

“The Artist is one of the most unique and charming films I’ve seen in a long time, and I can’t wait to screen it. And the emotional honesty and moving performances of Like Crazy herald the arrival of so much new talent both in front of and behind the camera. I am proud to share these special films with our audience out east,” says HIFF Director of Programming David Nugent.

Anton Yelchin

Additionally, the festival announces that Lee Hirsch’s hard-hitting, revelatory documentary about bullying among American youth, The Bully Project, will receive the Brizzolara Family Foundation Award for a film of Conflict & Resolution. The Conflict & Resolution program has been a signature element of the Festival for 12 years, spotlighting films about the human realities of war and violence.

Kim Brizzolara, HIFF Vice Chair and one of the Conflict & Resolution program founders, remarked:

“This year marks the first time the Conflict & Resolution award will be given to an American film focused on a topic that doesn’t have to do with an ‘international conflict.’ This compelling, exceptionally well-made film shines a glaring light on the roots of violence, that are universal and in essence, at the heart of every conflict. The Bully Project examines the effects of bullying – on the victims, their families, society – and on the bullies themselves. It shows where the responsibilities lie: with parent, peers, schools, society; but also demonstrates the courageous efforts made to transform the ways people think about, and try to resolve, an endemic problem.”

The Bully Project (2011)

In addition to screening the film, the Festival will host a panel discussion with director Lee Hirsch and some of the top experts in the field of conflict resolution and school bullying. The Festival also plans direct outreach to local schools around the issues.

“The Conflict & Resolution section is a cornerstone of our program. The films in this programming section encourage dialog about critical topics, and provide a platform for our community to share discussion about issues affecting our world and our lives. The Bully Project exemplifies this mission, and we are honored to spotlight it in the Conflict & Resolution program,” says Senior Programmer, Holly Herrick.

For more information please visit www.indiewire.com or www.deadline.com

The Alec Baldwin Foundation Continues to Support the Arts With a Significant Contribution to the Hamptons International Film Festival

Alec Baldwin

Emmy Award® and Golden Globe Award® winning television, film and stage actor, Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) board member and HIFF SummerDocs Host, Alec Baldwin, has made a $250,000 contribution to the Hamptons International Film Festival, it was announced today by HIFF Chairman Stuart Suna and Executive Director Karen Arikian. Baldwin has been a passionate and avid supporter of the arts and arts education through the years. He has worked closely with many organizations dedicated to the advancement of the arts including the New York Philharmonic, The Roundabout Theatre Company, Guild Hall of East Hampton and The Public Theatre to name a few. “Alec has been a long-time advocate for the arts and supporter of the Hamptons International Film Festival.

His commitment to furthering public funding of the arts and arts education has been an inspiration to me, and many others,” says HIFF Chairman Stuart Suna. “We are extremely appreciative of this major contribution to the Hamptons International Film Festival, which clearly demonstrates Alec’s unwavering enthusiasm, commitment and support of non-profits struggling to survive in the economic climate of the times,” says Suna. “Alec’s hands-on and year-round involvement in the Festival as well as the SummerDocs series is a testament to his devotion and dedication in providing communities with every opportunity to enjoy the arts,” adds HIFF Executive Director Karen Arikian. “We are incredibly grateful to have someone so passionate about the arts in a leadership role on our board,” continues Arikian.

Baldwin continues to host the annual SummerDocs series, in association with Guild Hall, which is now in its 3rd year and has given the Long Island community many great, innovative films and lively conversations. This Friday, July 22nd, the series continues with Page One: Inside the New York Times. Baldwin will be joined on stage following the screening with Director Andrew Rossi and New York Times Executive Editor, Bill Keller and reporter David Carr for an in-depth Q&A. The final two SummerDocs screenings for this summer’s series will be Pierre Thoretton’s L’Amour Fou presented on Friday, August 19th and Alma Har’el’s Bombay Beach presented on Thursday, September 1st.