Join us in Southampton August 22-24 for the inaugural Summer Family Film Festival, developed in partnership with the Southampton Arts Center! The Festival will open with classic silent film shorts starring Charlie Chaplin as “The Tramp,” and will close with a special screening of the box office hit How To Train Your Dragon 2 in 3D.
Toothless (left) gets acquainted with the dragon Cloudjumper. Photo © Dreamworks Animation.
From Friday to Sunday, HIFF and Southampton Arts Center will continue the fun with family-friendly screenings of short and feature-length films. Opening night on Friday will feature select Chaplin shorts outdoors on the lawn at the Southampton Arts Center, complete with live piano accompaniment. Screenings will continue throughout Saturday, and will conclude Sunday with a 3D screening of DreamWorks Animation’s hit sequel, How To Train Your Dragon 2, at the United Artists Southampton 4.
“Having expanded into Southampton a decade ago with our annual festival in October, we are delighted to partner with the Southampton Arts Center for a second summer and on our inaugural HIFF Summer Family Film Festival,” said HIFF Executive Director Anne Chaisson. “We look forward to showcasing our exciting line-up of screenings from everyone’s favorite, The Tramp, to haunted houses, Disney’s finest, and an all-girl punk band that will inspire the filmmakers of tomorrow.”
Speaking of inspiration for filmmakers-to-be, children ages 8-15 are invited to a weeklong “film camp” at the Center prior to the Festival (August 18-22). These student filmmaking workshops, which have been a big hit in East Hampton, are being offered in Southampton for the first time. Learn more here.
Adult tickets are $12 and children’s tickets are $8. A flexible 4-ticket Family Package is $35, and may be used in any configuration for the films (i.e., 2 tickets to 2 films OR 3 tickets to 1 film, 1 ticket to another film, etc.). A free gift bag is included with the purchase of a Family Package. Questions? Contact Ticket Central at 212.279.4200, noon to 8pm daily.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 22
Charlie Chaplin FILM SHORTS
75 Minutes (with live piano accompaniment by celebrated musician Donald Sosin)
8:00pm on the lawn of the Southampton Arts Center
All ages | FREE
To kick off our first-ever Hamptons Family Film Festival, we’re excited to present a special program of short films featuring one of the most beloved figures in the history of cinema: The Tramp. It was 100 years ago when Charlie Chaplin first donned the ill-fitting garb and waddled across the screen to create the iconic character that has charmed movie audiences of all ages for the past century.
The Rink | 1916
An uproarious piece of slapstick comedy, Chaplin’s The Rink finds the famous Tramp as a waiter at a five-star restaurant where, despite himself, he manages to cause a proper ruckus. Made nearly a century ago and just two years into Chaplin’s career, The Rink also features a dazzling set piece in which The Tramp takes to a crowded roller skating rink.
The Pawnshop | 1916
As a slightly-less-than-competent assistant in a pawnshop, The Tramp gets entangled with his boss and co-workers, and stumbles through a series of bizarre experiences.
The Adventurer | 1917
Instead of the famous garb for which Chaplin’s The Tramp was best known, this short begins with him in the bee-striped uniform of a prison inmate. After escaping jail, he’s lucky enough to enjoy the better side of life after saving a wealthy young woman from drowning. But the young woman’s boyfriend isn’t so impressed and would rather see The Tramp back behind bars.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 23
ERNEST & CELESTINE
10:30am at the Southampton Arts Center
All ages | Tickets
Deep below snowy, cobblestone streets, tucked away in networks of winding subterranean tunnels, lives a civilization of hardworking mice, terrified of the bears who live above ground. Unlike her fellow mice, Celestine is an artist and a dreamer – and when she nearly ends up as breakfast for ursine troubadour Ernest, the two form an unlikely bond. But it isn’t long before their friendship is put on trial by their respective bear-fearing and mice-eating communities.
Miss Todd
SHORTS PROGRAM
2:00pm at the Southampton Arts Center
All ages | Tickets
Whether it’s the tale of a missing scarf, a Long Island female pilot, pint-sized skateboarders, space travel or inter-dimensional rips, this program of delightful and innovative short films is great for the whole family!
Mooon | James Kwan | 6 minutes
Everything in the Universe is a little bit sticky in this delightful animated film.
Rabbit & Deer | Peter Vacz | 15 minutes
Rabbit and Deer are living happily and carelessly until their friendship is put to the test by Deer’s new obsession to find the formula for the 3rd dimension.
The Hideout | Astrid Bussnik | 15 minutes
A tender and playful portrait of four boys, ages 11 and 12, growing up and growing apart.
The Missing Scarf | Eoin Duffy | 6 minutes
A black comedy exploring some of life’s common fears: fear of the unknown, of failure, of rejection, and finally the fear of death. Narrated by George Takei.
Miss Todd | Kristina Yee | 13 minutes
Inspired by a real person in 1909, this stop-motion musical tells the story of one Long Island woman’s urge to fly and her perseverance to see it through.
Silent | Limbert Fabian, Brandon Oldenburg | 3 minutes
When two street performers discover a magical contraption inside an old theatre, they embark on a cinematic adventure of sight and sound, traveling through movie history to find the audience they always wanted.
The Pink Helmet Posse | Kristelle Laroche, Ben Mullinkosson | 9 minutes
Three pink tutus. Three pink helmets. Three pink skateboards. Bella, Sierra and Rella prove that skateboarding is not just for boys.
WE ARE THE BEST!
7:30pm at the Southampton Arts Center
Ages 13+ | Tickets
From Swedish master Lukas Moodysson, We Are the Best! revolves around three girls in 1980s Stockholm who decide to form a punk band—despite not having any instruments and being told by everyone that punk is dead. Based on a graphic novel, We Are the Best! is a paean to DIY culture and the power of rebellion.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 24
Disneynature’s BEARS
10:30am at the Southampton Arts Center
All ages | Tickets
From Disneynature, the studio that brought you Earth and Chimpanzee, comes Bears—an epic story on a breathtaking scale. Showcasing a year in the life of a bear family, mother Sky teaches her two impressionable cubs, Amber and Scout, about life’s most important lessons. Set against a majestic Alaskan backdrop, their journey begins as winter ends. Emerging from hibernation, the three face the bitter cold and an exciting but very risky outside world. Astonishing footage captures the fast-moving action and suspense of an endearing family learning to live life to its fullest in one of the planet’s last great wildernesses.
GHOST DOG
2:00pm at the Southampton Arts Center
Ages 10+ | Tickets
Cast: Kevin Nealon & Jennifer Grant
Three lovable outsiders are challenged by the town bully to spend an entire night in a house long rumored to be haunted.
Astrid (America Ferrar) rides her faithful dragon. Photo © Dreamworks Animation.
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 in 3D
5:00pm at UA Southampton 4
All ages | Tickets
The thrilling second chapter of the epic How to Train Your Dragon trilogy returns to the fantastical world of the heroic Viking Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and his faithful dragon Toothless. The inseparable duo must protect the peace—and save the future of men and dragons from the power-hungry Drago (Djimon Hounsou). The film, written and directed by Dean DeBlois and produced by Bonnie Arnold, also features the voices of Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, T.J. Miller, Kristen Wiig and Kit Harington. How to Train Your Dragon 2 premiered at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival and was released by 20th Century Fox in June.
“Family and films are central to our mission of providing a cultural hub in the Village of Southampton and are among our most popular offerings… We look forward to sharing the weekend with all of our neighbors and with our partners at HIFF,” said Michelle Thompson, Director of the Southampton Arts Center.
Hamptons Magazine is the Summer Family Film Festival media partner.
