Celebrating the Arts and Music in Cinema: HIFF 2015

Cinema often reflects upon itself and other creative industries. The 2015 Hamptons International Film Festival presents films from all over the world celebrating music makers, artists, performers and dreamers of dreams. We hope to see you at HIFF 2015.

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SONG OF LAHORE

USA/Pakistan, English/Punjabi/Urdu
Directed by Andy Schocken, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
Lahore, Pakistan, was once known for its musical legacy, but with the Islamization of Pakistan in the 1970s, musicians have since struggled to continue their life’s work. When the talented musicians of Sachal Studios decide to fuse their traditional eastern sound with that of Dave Brubeck Quartet’s famous “Take Five,” they create a unique hybrid that unexpectedly finds its audience through social media. From directors Andy Schocken and Oscar® winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, SONG OF LAHORE is a real-life Cinderella story about the universal power of music.

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I SAW THE LIGHT

USA, English
Directed by Marc Abraham
Country music legend Hank Williams is brought to life in Marc Abraham’s I SAW THE LIGHT, a moving tale of success and personal hardship based on Colin Escott‘s award-winning biography. With brilliant and complex performances by Tom Hiddleston as Williams and Elizabeth Olsen as his ambitious wife, the film chronicles a restless soul, driven towards the spotlight and unable to resist the temptations that destroyed his health and personal life.

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BORN TO BE BLUE

Sneak Preview, USA/Canada/UK
Directed by Robert Budreau
An intimate portrait of jazz legend Chet Baker (Ethan Hawke), BORN TO BE BLUE is a remarkable reimagining of the iconic musician’s comeback in the 1960s. When approached to star in a film about his heyday and given a chance at redemption, he finds that re-entering the spotlight may not come as smoothly as the notes that made him famous. With girlfriend Jane (Carmen Ejogo, SELMA) by his side, he struggles against addiction and a career-threatening injury to reclaim his former self. With a delicate touch, writer/director Robert Budreau paints an immersive and imaginative look at the trumpeter’s fragile story.

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WHEN I LIVE MY LIFE OVER AGAIN

USA, English
Directed by Robert Edwards
Escaping New York City, Jude (Amber Heard) heads to the wintry, desolate Hamptons for some self-reflection and reinvention. The daughter of a famed romantic crooner, Paul Lombard (Christopher Walken), Jude has inherited not only his musical talent, but also his vice of self-destruction. When the aging Paul attempts to revitalize his career with a self-penned comeback song, Jude is pressured to take initiative to shape her life. With a supporting cast that includes Oliver Platt and Hamish Linklater, WHEN I LIVE MY LIFE OVER AGAIN is a charming examination of regret, family, and the evolution of life. (Also in our Views From Long Island section.)

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CRAFTED

When a stroke of inspiration hits, sometimes you just have to follow it down the rabbit hole. This short film program features three auteurs who follow their own white rabbits with unwavering dedication.

CLAUDE LANZMANN: SPECTRES OF THE SHOAH

Claude Lanzmann’s 1985 documentary SHOAH is considered by many to be the most important film ever made about the Holocaust. A behind-the-scenes look at the making of this masterpiece, director Adam Benzine captures Lanzmann’s tireless efforts to preserve the survivors’ stories

IT’S ME, HILARY: THE MAN WHO DREW ELOISE

Hilary Knight reflects on his life as an illustrator and his relationship to his most successful work: Eloise, the precocious six-year-old who lives in New York’s Plaza Hotel.

THE MANY SAD FATES OF MR. TOLEDANO

With the help of DNA tests, psychics, and prosthetic makeup, renowned photographer Phil Toledano imagines all of the possible ways his life will end.