JANUARY 2020 NEWSLETTER

We are thrilled to announce a new competitive award at the Woodstock Film Festival, the FILMS FOR CHANGE award, underwritten this inaugural year by the McDonough Family Charitable Gift Fund. Cheryl McDonough, director of the documentary PARKLAND RISING, premiered her film at the 2019 Woodstock Film Festival.

The award will recognize a filmmaker who is dedicated to making the world a safer place through his/her work in the film and media space. All full length films submitted to the film festival are eligible for this award. The winner will receive $5,000, courtesy of the McDonough Family Charitable Gift Fund.

The Woodstock Film Festival’s annual Youth Film Lab has been renewed for the third time for the summer of 2020! Generously underwritten by an anonymous donor, the three-week free intensive educational program provides area teens with an opportunity to learn how to develop and produce their own original films under the tutelage of industry professionals.

The finished products are then screened at the upcoming fall film festival as part of the “Teen Films” program. This year’s lab will be held from July 6th to July 24th. Applications open soon. Limited space is available so be sure to promptly apply in order to grab a spot!

oscars viewing party at rough draft Kingston on feb 9th

Join us and our friends at Rough Draft Bar & Books in historic uptown Kingston on the movie industry's biggest night for a viewing party with your friends and neighbors. Enjoy complimentary light hors d'oeuvres, a cash bar, and a chance to cast your vote for best actor and film in each award category in a 50/50 ballots extravaganza. Click here to RSVP for the event.

women in film & media panel on march 22nd

Our Women in Film & Media panel series returns this March as part of Women’s History Month Kingston, with a soon-to-be-announced slate of boundary-pushing leaders from all over the entertainment industry. Audience members will have the opportunity to field questions and join in on the conversation about carving a space for female creators in a male-dominated field. Last year’s panelists included Janet Grillo, Ellen Kuras, Blair Breard, Lacey Schwartz-Delgado, Wendy Ettinger, Wendy Lidell, and Lisa Myers. The panel is co-sponsored by Radio Kingston. More updates to come.

The 2020 Sundance Film Festival starts this Thursday, with several films affiliated with friends and alumni of the Woodstock Film Festival included in the official lineup. Take a look below:

• 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

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.