Happy Holidays!
With 2019 coming to an end and the new year right around the corner, the Woodstock Film Festival is working hard to ensure that 2020 will be packed to the brim with inspiring screenings, panels, workshops and special events. Entering the new decade, we couldn’t be more grateful for the countless filmmakers, industry friends, staff, volunteers, donors, and community members who helped us celebrate our landmark 20th anniversary. Thank you for coming onto this journey with us.
As the tumultuous 2010s draw to a close, the Festival plans to continue evolving our programming and outreach. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on social media, and join us for both our year-round events and the upcoming 21st annual Woodstock Film Festival.
Stay warm and watch movies!
The WFF Team
The Master and Margarita
Michael Lang receiving the Spirit of Woodstock Award at the 2011 Woodstock Film Festival
Congratulations to legendary promoter of the 1969 iconic Woodstock concert, long time advisory board member and beloved friend, Michael Lang, for fulfilling a long time dream of bringing THE MASTER AND MARGARITA to the big screen. Michael has had the rights for this beloved classic Russian novel for over 25 years.
"This has been a long time coming for me,” said Michael. "I first read the novel in 1990 and fell in love with it. I met Bulgakov's grandson in Moscow in ‘95 and made a deal for the film rights. It’s taken all this time to have the right director and producing team come together, but worth the wait”.
This one is truly a dream come true for Michael and everyone involved. We can’t wait to follow the production and watch the final cut!
Alumni News
Friends and past alumni of the Woodstock film festival are doing exciting things, take a look below:
Academy Awards
Several films from this year’s Woodstock Film Festival have been included in the shortlists for several Academy Award categories!
In the “Documentary Feature” group are HBO’s THE APOLLO, which screened at the official pre-kickoff event for Woodstock, and Netflix’s THE GREAT HACK, which the Festival hosted a sold-out special screening of in July. Included under “International Feature Film” is Bong Joon-ho’s critically acclaimed PARASITE, which also received a nod for “Best Original Song”.
Noah Baumbach’s MARRIAGE STORY, an audience favorite at Woodstock, was shortlisted for “Best Original Score”. For shorts, Marshall Curry’s THE NEIGHBOR’S WINDOW was listed for “Best Live-Action Short Film”.
Both films can currently be streamed online, with MARRIAGE STORY available on Netflix and THE NEIGHBOR’S WINDOW on Vimeo as a Staff Pick.
Sundance 2020
On the festival circuit, several films affiliated with friends and alumni of the Woodstock Film Festival have been included in the official features program for Sundance next year:
SHIRLEY - produced by Woodstock alum and honorary Maverick Award recipient Christine Vachon, the film was also shot in the Hudson Valley
SYLVIE’S LOVE - produced by Woodstock alum Matthew Thurn
ZOLA - produced by Woodstock alum and honorary Maverick Award recipient Christine Vachon
A THOUSAND CUTS - produced by Woodstock alum Julie Goldman
US KIDS - directed by Woodstock alum Kim A. Snyder
WELCOME TO CHECHNYA - directed by Hudson Valley filmmaker David France
BLACK BEAR - produced by Woodstock alum Jonathan Bilstein
I CARRY YOU WITH ME - directed/produced by Woodstock alum Heidi Ewing, and produced by Woodstock alum Mynette Louie
SOME KIND OF HEAVEN - produced by Woodstock alum and honorary Maverick Award recipient Darren Aronofsky
THE GLORIAS - directed by Woodstock alum and honorary Maverick Award recipient Julie Taymor, edited by Woodstock advisory board member Sabine Hoffman
LOST GIRLS - directed by Woodstock alum Liz Garbus
TESLA - directed by Woodstock alum Michael Almereyda
WENDY - directed by Woodstock alum Benh Zeitlin
THE ASSISTANT - produced by Woodstock alum and honorary Trailblazer Award recipient James Schamus, also produced by Woodstock alum Scott Macaulay
THE CLIMB - produced by Woodstock alum Noah Lang
Year-round Programming Recap
As 2019 shrinks in our dashboard, we look back at some of the highlights from this year’s slate of year-round programming. Take a look below:
2nd Annual Youth Film Lab
This summer, the Festival hosted its second annual Youth Film Lab, a free three-week filmmaking workshop for teenagers taught by industry professionals. Here’s a parent testimonial:
“The dynamics of conceptualizing and executing a full short film in a condensed time frame gave our daughter a significant sense of pride and achievement, and set her up with ultra-valuable skill sets to carry on into her future.”
Summer Screenwriting Seminar
For the first time, the Festival held two multi-week screenwriting classes for emerging screenwriters and filmmakers led by Alex Smith.
"Alex Smith is a great teacher and mentor. He helped me find a path to bring the urgent stories that inspire my documentary work into a scripted world. I’m now deep into a script that was developed at this summer's seminar.”
— Richard Rowley, Academy Award-nominated Documentary Filmmaker
Summer ScreenING: THE GREAT HACK
In July, the Festival hosted a special sold-out screening of the acclaimed Netflix documentary THE GREAT HACK at Upstate Films, Woodstock. Attending the event were Academy Award-nominated directors Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer, executive producer Sarah E Johnson, and surprise guest Brittany Kaiser, the former Cambridge Analytica executive and whistleblower.
Kaiser was one of the film’s main subjects, lending both her expertise and eyewitness testimony to aid the documentary’s relentless probe into one of the most shocking scandals of the 2016 election.
Our call for entries is now open!
After a successful 20th Anniversary, we are now gearing up for our 21st! Our submissions for 2020 are now open. This year, the Woodstock Film Festival will be held from September 30 through October, 4 2020.
Early Deadline is March 5, 2020
Regular Deadline is May 7, 2020
Late Deadline is June 4, 2020
2020 is just around the corner! Submit early for discounted admission fees.
SECRETS of success for independent producers and filmmakers
Aspiring producers, directors, writers and content creators are invited to attend an exclusive, interactive half-day session taught by four industry experts on Saturday January 11, 2020.
Register below to learn practical, proven strategies you can put to work immediately.
Presenters include: award-winning producer, writer and film school professor, Jane Applegate; post-production supervisor Stina Hamlin, award-winning film, TV and podcast producer Brandi Savitt, and Meira Blaustein, co-founder and executive director of the Woodstock Film Festival.
Our dynamic workshop, hosted by ARRI Rental at its Greenpoint location, features:
A free copy of Applegate’s Insider’s Guide to Independent Production
Strategies for developing projects from script to screen
Cost-effective ways to streamline post-production
Practical tips for marketing, public relations and formulating the right festival and distribution strategy for your project
$60 registration fee, space is limited so sign up soon!
school of visual arts social documentary mfa program
Ready to incite change and amplify the compelling stories you find in the world? SVA’s graduate documentary film program sharpens your artistic voice.
Gain mentorship from award-winning filmmaker faculty and make your own films. Exclusive masterclasses with New York’s prolific documentary community builds your industry relationships. Alumni find great success; winning Emmy and Student Academy Awards, and with their films in major festivals and broadcast around the world.
The application deadline for the fall 2020 semester is January 15th.
Please consider making a tax deductible donation to help us bring movie magic to the Hudson Valley and beyond. Your contribution will make a tremendous positive impact on the programming that we bring year-round and during the film festival. The Woodstock Film Festival is a not-for-profit, 501 (C)(3) organization with a mission to present an annual program and year-round schedule of film, music, and art-related activities that promote artists, culture, inspired learning, and diversity.
Please help us by making a tax deductible contribution to our Capital Campaign. Whether you donate $5 or $500, every little bit helps.
Thank you for your support. The film center is headquarters for both the Woodstock Film Festival and the Hudson Valley Film Commission. For more details, visit this link.
THANK YOU NEWSLETTER ADVERTISERS!
We would like to extend a big thank you to the advertisers who support our monthly newsletters including Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices - Deborah Medenbach, Cabinet Designers, Coldwell Banker, Euphoria Estates, Laurel Ridge, Sunflower Cafe, Ulster Savings Bank, Woodstock Film Studios, The Villa at Saugerties, Powerhouse Theater, and Green Writer’s Press.
