Can you believe today is the halfway point of HIFF?
And there’s still so much more to see, including A Conversation With Holly Hunter, the Saturday Centerpiece film MANCHESTER BY THE SEA, Air, Land & Sea highlight SONIC SEA, an added encore screening of UNA, the world premieres of SCORE and DAVI’S WAY, and our second Winick Talk. Read on, movie fans!
A Conversation With Holly Hunter
A prominent actress on both stage and screen, Academy Award®-winning actress (and four-time nominee) Holly Hunter (THE PIANO) has portrayed a vast array of complex and powerful characters. Hunter’s distinguished career features countless iconic performances on stage, screen and television, including BROADCAST NEWS, RAISING ARIZONA, the acclaimed Sundance Channel series Top of the Lake, and TNT’s edgy drama Saving Grace.
A Conversation With… is presented by BMW USA. Find tickets.
At this year’s festival, Hunter can be seen in the US Premiere of Katherine Dieckmann’s STRANGE WEATHER, our Southampton Opening Night Film.
MEET THE FILMMAKERS:
DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
Winick Talks at Rowdy Hall
Join some of the highly innovative and creative documentary competitors as they discuss the highs and lows of their filmmaking careers, what it’s like to get started in the business, and the specific challenges of contemporary documentary making. Panelists: Moritz Siebert (THOSE WHO JUMP), Charlie Siskel (AMERICAN ANARCHIST), Stacey Reiss (THE EAGLE HUNTRESS), Jonathan Rippon (FRAUD). Moderated by Dan Schoenbrun.
10am, Rowdy Hall in East Hampton. Free; no ticket required. Breakfast will be served!
UNA
Directed by: Benedict Andrews | East Coast Premiere
Rooney Mara and Ben Mendelsohn deliver gripping performances in UNA, the screen adaptation of David Harrower’s award-winning drama Blackbird. A decade after their relationship ended, Una tracks down her former lover Ray, who now goes by a new name in a new city. Her abrupt appearance forces him to revisit their illicit affair—a tryst that ended with him in prison and her on a path of total self-destruction. Furious that he has been allowed another chance at life while she remains continuously haunted by the past, Una turns Ray’s quiet, suburban world upside down. With confidence and grace, veteran theater director Benedict Andrews makes his film debut with this harrowing story of love and trauma.
4:15pm | UA East Hampton (RUSH ONLY)
9pm | UA East Hampton
DAVI’S WAY
Directed by Tom Donahue | World Premiere
Legendary character actor and singer Robert Davi—known for his portrayal of the Bond villain in LICENSE TO KILL—is on a quest to honor friend and hero Frank Sinatra. To celebrate the beloved crooner’s 100th birthday, he hopes to meticulously recreate the “Main Event,” Sinatra’s historic 1974 concert at Madison Square Garden. With only a year until the anniversary, Davi and his lovable assistant frantically get to work on the preparations. This comedic and poignant documentary chronicles the unpredictable and often humorous nature of planning such an event.
TODAY | 5:15pm | UA East Hampton
Encore MONDAY | 5:15pm | UA East Hampton
SOUTHWEST OF SALEM
Directed by Deborah S. Esquenazi
In the midst of the Satanic ritual abuse panic of the early ’90s, four lesbian women from San Antonio, are tried and convicted of sexual assault. The gripping documentary follows their fight for exoneration after spending almost a decade behind bars, challenging the legitimacy of a legal system that allowed bias and prejudice to seep into and corrupt its procedures.
TODAY (one screening only) | 1:15pm | UA East Hampton
ORIGINAL BLISS
Directed by Sven Taddicken | US Premiere
Trapped in a loveless marriage with an abusive husband, Helene (Martina Gedeck) has lost all faith in God and seeks guidance from famed psychologist Eduard E. Gluck (Ulrich Tukur). The charismatic doctor awakens her curiosity and sexuality, and the pair embark on a dangerous romance. With thrilling performances, this is a powerful story of two lost souls indulging in the darkest manifestations of love and passion.
TODAY | 12:15pm | UA Southampton
SCORE
World Premiere
Throughout history, music has had a powerful impact on both cinema and audiences. SCORE celebrates the emotional resonance of music in film with an inside look at the work of Hollywood’s most accomplished composers. First-time director Matt Schrader goes behind the creative process of nearly two dozen musicians, including prolific artists such as John Williams, Hans Zimmer, and Danny Elfman. A must-see for cinephiles and music aficionados alike.
TODAY | 3:45pm | UA East Hampton (RUSH ONLY)
Encore SUNDAY | 4:45pm | UA East Hampton
SONIC SEA
Directed by Michelle Dougherty, Daniel Hinerfeld
Whales and other marine life are surrounded by a unique and powerful sonic symphony, defining their existence and guiding them towards food, mates, and safety. Narrated by Rachel McAdams, SONIC SEA dives into their fragile world and explores the tragic impact of industrial and military ocean noise. Featuring interviews from dedicated experts and activists. Preceded by short films PROPHET OF PLAS-TEEK and THE BLOOP, with panel to follow the screening.
TODAY (one screening only) | 2:15pm | UA East Hampton (RUSH ONLY)
Supported by FOND Group.
Saturday Centerpiece:
MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
Kenneth Lonergan’s critically acclaimed new film is a masterpiece. As the unexpected guardian to his teenage nephew (Lucas Hedges), brooding handyman Lee (Casey Affleck) is slowly forced to confront a past tragedy head on. With the impeccable Michelle Williams and Kyle Chandler in supporting roles, Lonergan delivers a deeply felt tale of a New England family dealing with unimaginable loss. MANCHESTER BY THE SEA is at once heartbreaking and heartwarming.
Our Saturday Centerpiece film is presented by Blundstone Boots.
If you don’t have tickets, the Rush Line is your best bet. Good luck!
There are plenty of other films on deck today.
Browse the entire schedule here.
See you at the movies!