The 25th Woodstock Film Festival will feature a lineup of world, North American and U.S. premieres, joining acclaimed fiction and nonfiction films from Sean Baker, Steve McQueen, Alexis Bloom, Raoul Peck, Marielle Heller, Jesse Eisenberg, Jacques Audiard and many more.
The festival, which runs from October 15-20 in the Hudson Valley towns of Woodstock, Rosendale, Kingston and Saugerties, will see writer-director Paul Schrader receive the Honorary Maverick Award. His latest, Oh, Canada, starring Richard Gere, Uma Thurman and Jacob Elordi, will screen at Woodstock. Filmmaker Ira Deutchman will be presented with the Honorary Trailblazer Award; Pamela Yates and Paco de Onís will receive the inaugural Art of Activism Award. [Scroll for the full lineup]
McQueen’s Blitz, starring Oscar-nominated actress Saoirse Ronan, serves as Woodstock’s centerpiece film. Jesse Eisenberg’s A Real Pain, starring the Oscar-nominated actor and Kieran Culkin, closes the silver jubilee edition of Woodstock. Sean Baker’s Anora heads to the festival after winning the Palme d’or at Cannes. Raoul Peck’s Ernest Cole: Lost and Found, which shared the L’Oeil d’or prize for best documentary at Cannes, is among the documentary features in the lineup. Alex Bloom’s The Bibi Files, a devastating indictment of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, comes to Woodstock as a work in progress, after bowing in nearly completed form at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Meira Blaustein, Woodstock Film Festival co-founder and executive director, said, “On this 25th anniversary of the film festival, and at this pivotal time in our nation and the world, I’m thrilled to welcome the many talented filmmakers who will be arriving from near and far to attend with their extraordinary work. Their diverse voices shine a light on the complex fabric of our lives, and their gathering here will once again bring storytellers of all stripes together in celebration of creativity, innovation, and the fierce independent spirit.”
‘VIVA VERDI!’
SimonSays Entertainment
Woodstock will feature the world premiere of actress-filmmaker Darryl Hannah’s documentary Coastal, as well as the world premiere of The Inn Between, Ondi Timoner’s new documentary. The festival’s doc slate is also highlighted by the North American premiere of VIVA VERDI!, a documentary directed by Yvonne Russo about Milan’s Casa Verdi, a retirement home founded by composer Giuseppi Verdi where opera singers and musicians can live out “the third act” of their lives.
“No better place than Woodstock for our love letter to maestro Verdi and his legacy home for retired opera singers,” the film’s producer, Christine La Monte, tells Deadline. (La Monte’s next opera documentary, the highly anticipated Ai WeiWei’s Turandot, is already in the premiere-launch stage). “I am grateful to our Viva Verdi! director Yvonne Russo and our international team for their dedication and artistry. Cheers to festival founder Meira Blaustein for creating a film lover’s paradise that’s been going strong for 25 years!”
Doc world premieres, in addition to Darryl Hannah’s and Ondi Timoner’s, include Beyond the Gaze: Jule Campbell’s Swimsuit Issue, directed by Jill Campbell; It’s All Gonna Break, directed by Stephen Chung; The Jungle, directed by Matt Wechsler; Left Behind, directed by Anna Toomey; and A Life In Rhythm: The Ray Conniff Story, directed by John McHugh.
Among other world premieres in the Woodstock program are the narrative features Brooklyn, Minnesota, directed by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen; Hazard, directed by Edward Russel Mensore; If You See Something, directed by Oday Rasheed; and The Wake, directed by Brian Brightly.
Notable guests expected at this year’s festival include Paul Schrader, Sheila Nevins, Ramin Bahrani, Oren Moverman, Barbara Kopple, Sandi Dubowski, Amanda Seyfried, Roger Ross Williams, Walton Goggins, Carol Kane, Carla Gutierrez, Ira Deutchman, Tyra Banks, Carol Alt, Stacey Williams, Michael Schwartz, Tyler Nilson, and Kevin Drew.
The shorts programs include works from filmmakers Kim Snyder with Death By Numbers; Smriti Mundhra with I Am Ready, Warden; Alex Hedison with Alok; Nadia Hallgren with The Brown Dog; Bill Plympton with Duckville; and Candy Kugel with Market Of Hate.
This is the third year that short films winning at The Woodstock Film Festival in the categories of Best Short Narrative, Best Animated Short, and Best Short Documentary will automatically be eligible to be nominated for an Academy Award in their respective categories.
Below is the lineup of features announced today:
Narrative Features:
– All We Imagine As Light, by Payal Kapadia, France, India, Netherlands, Luxembourg, 2024 – Anna Comes Home, by Amber Paulette Suzor, U.S., 2024
– Anora, by Sean Baker, U.S., 2024
– Armand, by Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel, Norway, 2024
– Blitz, by Steve McQueen, U.K., 2024
– Bob Trevino Likes It, by Tracie Laymon, U.S., 2024
– Boundary Waters, by Tessa Blake, U.S., 2024 – World Premiere
– Brooklyn, Minnesota, by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen, U.S., 2024 – World Premiere
– Emilia Pérez, by Jacques Audiard, France, U.S., 2024
– The End, by Joshua Oppenheimer, Denmark, Ireland, Germany, Italy, U.K., U.S., Sweden, 2024
– Flow, by Gints Zilbalodis, Latvia, France, Belgium, 2024
– Gazer, by Ryan J. Sloan, U.S., 2024
– Hardcore Never Dies, by Jim Taihuttu, Netherlands, 2023 – North American Premiere
– Hard Truths, by Mike Leigh, U.K., Spain, 2024
– Hazard, by Edward Russel Mensore, U.S., 2024 – World Premiere
– If You See Something, by Oday Rasheed, U.S., Jordan, 2024 – World Premiere
– I’m Still Here, by Walter Salles, Brazil, France, Spain, 2024
– Jippie No More, by Margien Rogaar, Netherlands, 2023 – North American Premiere
– Los Frikis, by Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz, U.S., 2024
– My Dead Friend Zoe, by Kyle Hausmann Stokes, U.S., 2023
– Nightbitch, by Marielle Heller, U.S., 2024
– Oh, Canada, by Paul Schrader, U.S., 2024
– Out of My Mind, by Amber Sealey, U.S., 2024 – East Coast Premiere
– The Piano Lesson, by Malcolm Washington, U.S., 2024
– A Real Pain, by Jesse Eisenberg, U.S., 2024
– The Seed of the Sacred Fig, by Mohammad Rasoulof, Iran, Germany, France, 2024
– Seeds, by Kaniehtiio Horn, Canada, 2024 – U.S. Premiere
– Small Things Like These, by Tim Mielants, Ireland, Belgium, U.S., 2024
– The Strangers’ Case, by Brandt Andersen, Jordan, 2024
– Torch Song, by Jeroen Houben, Netherlands, 2024 – North American Premiere – Turning, by Marco Baratta, U.S., 2024 – NY Premiere
– Twig, by Marian Quinn, Ireland, 2024 – North American Premiere
– The Uninvited, by Nadia Conners, U.S., 2024 – East Coast Premiere
– Unstoppable, by William Goldenberg, U.S., 2024
– The Wake, by Brian Brightly, U.S., 2024 – World Premiere
Documentary Features:
– 64 Days, by Nick Quested, U.S., 2024
– ADA – My Mother the Architect, by Yael Melamede, Israel, U.S., 2024
– The Battle for Laikipia, by Daphne Matziaraki and Pete Murimi, Kenya, U.S., 2024
– Behind the Lines, by John Benitz, U.S., Poland, Germany, Ukraine, 2024 – NY Premiere
– Beyond the Gaze: Jule Campbell’s Swimsuit Issue, by Jill Campbell, U.S., 2024 – World Premiere
– The Bibi Files, by Alexis Bloom, U.S., 2024 – U.S. Premiere (work in progress)
– Black Box Diaries, by Shiori Ito, Japan, U.S., U.K., 2024 – East Coast Premiere
– Borderland | The Line Within, by Pamela Yates, U.S., 2024
– Checkpoint Zoo, by Joshua Zeman, U.K., U.S., 2024
– Coastal, by Daryl Hannah, U.S., 2024 – World Premiere
– Ernest Cole: Lost and Found, by Raoul Peck, France, 2024
– The Inn Between, by Ondi Timoner, U.S., 2024 – World Premiere
– It’s All Gonna Break, by Stephen Chung, Canada, 2024 – World Premiere
– The Jungle, by Matt Wechsler, U.S., 2024 – World Premiere
– Left Behind, by Anna Toomey, U.S., 2024 – World Premiere
– A Life In Rhythm: The Ray Conniff Story, by John McHugh, U.S., 2024 – World Premiere
– A New Kind of Wilderness, by Silje Evensmo Jacobsen, Norway, 2024
– Oceania: Journey to the Center, by Natalie Zimmerman, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Fiji, U.S., 2024 – East Coast Premiere
– Paul Anka: His Way, by John Maggio, U.S., 2024 – U.S. Premiere
– A Photographic Memory, by Rachel Elizabeth Seed, U.S., 2024 – NY Premiere
– Porcelain War, by Brendan Bellomo and Slava Leontyev, Australia, Ukraine, U.S., 2024
– The Remarkable Life of Ibelin, by Benjamin Ree, Norway, 2024
– Sabbath Queen, by Sandi DuBowski, U.S., 2024
– Secret Mall Apartment, by Jeremy Workman, U.S., 2024
– Something Better Change, by Scott Crawford, U.S., 2024 – U.S. Premiere
– Troll Storm, by Eunice Lau, U.S., 2024 – NY Premiere
– VIVA VERDI!, by Yvonne Marie Russo, U.S., 2024 – North American Premiere
– Union, by Stephen Maing and Brett Story, U.S., 2024
– Walk With Me, by Heidi Levitt, U.S., 2024
– We Can Be Heroes, by Carina Mia Wong and Alex Simmons, U.S., 2024 – East Coast Premiere
– Wisdom of Happiness, by Philip Delaquis and Barbara Miller, U.S., Switzerland, 2024 – North American Premiere
Highlights from the shorts program:
– Death By Numbers, by Kim A. Snyder, U.S., 2024
– Alok, by Alex Hedison, U.S., 2024
– Good Enough Ancestor, by Cynthia Wade, U.S., 2024 – East Coast Premiere
– I Am Ready, Warden, by Smriti Mundhra, U.S., 2024 – East Coast Premiere
– Dancing Palestine, by Lamees Almakkawy, Palestine, U.K., 2024 – NY Premiere
– And Still, It Remains, by Arwa Aburawa and Turab Shah, Algeria, U.K., 2023 – NY Premiere – The Yellow, by Maika Monroe and Simone Faoro, U.S., 2024 – East Coast Premiere
– Duckville, by Bill Plympton, U.S., 2024 – World Premiere
– Market Of Hate, by Candy Kugel, U.S., 2024 – World Premiere
– The Brown Dog, by Nadia Hallgren, Jamie-James Medina, U.S., 2024
– Don’t Be Late, Myra, by Afia Serena Nathaniel, Pakistan, U.S., 2024 – World Premiere
– Ya Hanouni, by Sofian Chouaib and Lyna Tadount, France, 2024 – NY Premiere
– Mashed Potatoes, by Suha Araj, U.S., 2024 – World Premiere
The festival will feature panels with distinguished filmmakers and industry mavericks including:
– THE FUTURE OF DOCUMENTARY Sponsored by Netflix
With Sandi DuBowski, Yance Ford, Benjamin Ree, and Barbara Kopple moderated by Jessica Edwards.
Amidst the softest distribution market in decades, at the peak of its popularity, documentary filmmaking has reached an inflection point. In this wide-ranging conversation with some of the most prolific filmmakers in the industry, we take a “bird’s-eye” view of the challenges and opportunities. Addressing audience engagement and career sustainability while contextualizing our current climate in broader documentary history, the panel discusses how docs will survive and thrive into the future.
– STATE OF THE INDUSTRY AND HOW TO BREAK INTO IT Co-presented by Chronogram
With William Horberg, Blair Breard and Gill Holland moderated by Chronogram’s editorial director Brian Mahoney.
Join a group of accomplished veteran filmmakers as they discuss the state of the film industry today, and the projects they are currently working on. Some of the in-depth conversation will focus on the why and how their recent projects were getting done – from concept and funding, to production, post production and distribution. The conversation will also focus on the humble beginnings of the panelists’ careers, with an eye toward advising aspiring filmmakers how to get into the film and media industry in today’s ecosystem.
– THE WOMEN IN THE DRIVER SEAT
Co-presented by NYWIFT (New York Women in Film & Television)
With Yvonne Russo, Christine La Monte, Heidi Ewing, Rebecca Miller and Ondi Timoner moderated by NYWIFT’s executive director Cynthia Lopez.
Today’s women filmmakers are calling the shots, whether with a movie camera on their shoulder, a pen in their hand, an idea in their head, or a computer and a desk at their feet. In this conversation co-presented by New York Women in Film & Television, meet some of today’s most inspiring filmmakers, all current participating filmmakers or alumni of the Woodstock Film Festival, as they discuss the trajectory of their careers.
– AI AND THE CREATIVE PROCESS Produced by Janet Grillo
With Runway AI Creative Team member Nicolas Neubert, Philip Shane, Kris Lefcoe, and Eunice Lau moderated by Filmmaker Magazine Co-Founder / Editor in Chief Scott Macauley
Artificial Intelligence is quickly infiltrating many aspects of society, including the creative arts. To channel wildly imaginative ideas at next to no cost; a dream come true for a DIY indie filmmaker. While the Hollywood industry is already promising to cut costs – meaning jobs, livelihoods and entire careers – by replacing crafts and labor with technology. This lively, candid panel will include the founder of Runway AI, artists who are already using AI to realize their visions, as well as those who forswear it.
– ACTORS DIALOGUE: A CONVERSATION WITH AMANDA SEYFRIED AND JENNIFER CARPENTER
With Amanda Seyfried and Jennifer Carpenter.
A frank and in-depth conversation with actors Amanda Seyfried and Jennifer Carpenter, focusing on their storied careers and their acting craftsmanship. As successful actors who work separately, but also together (A Mouthful Of Air), the two will discuss teamwork (actors with actors, actors with directors), and share anecdotes from some of their more well-known films. A not-to-be-missed glimpse into the behind the scenes of the career trajectory of award-winning actors.
– TRANS STORYTELLING
With Alex Hedison, Noah Schamus and others TBA
Trans Storytelling will feature exciting voices in queer cinema whose authentic visions are shaping the perception of trans communities.
INDEPENDENTS DAYS
As the Woodstock Film Festival commemorates 25 years of fierce independence, we are marking our next generation by celebrating the link between today’s trailblazing filmmakers and the pioneers whose passion, ingenuity, and pure love of filmmaking inspired them. Independents Days is a unique series of talks woven throughout the festival, aimed at shining a light on the process of creating brave, distinctive art. The series pairs a new generation of filmmakers with their predecessors, with in-depth conversations between those filmmakers.
– CONVERSATION WITH HONOREE PAUL SCHRADER AND RAMIN BAHRANI | Independents Days
– CONVERSATION WITH SHEILA NEVINS AND SMRITI MUNDHRA | Independents Days
– CONVERSATION WITH CARLA GUTIÉRREZ AND ROGER ROSS WILLIAMS | Independents Days
Sponsored by Amazon MGM Studios
The annual awards ceremony will be held on October 19, where honors will be presented for accomplishments in multiple categories including Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary Feature, Best Ultra Indie and Best Short Documentary.