Woodstock Film Festival Friends & Alumni at Sundance 2020
Still from ZOLA. Source: Sundance
Happy Sundance! The biggest independent film festival in the U.S. is already in full swing, and there are many films by friends and alumni of the Woodstock Film Festival worth noting. Take a look below:
SHIRLEY- A young couple moves in with an older academic and his author wife, developing unexpected new bonds that begin to put pressure on their relationship. Produced by Woodstock alum and honorary Maverick Award recipient Christine Vachon, the film was also shot in the Hudson Valley.
SYLVIE’S LOVE - An engaged woman falls for a charming saxophonist in this sweeping romance produced by Woodstock alum Matthew Thurn.
ZOLA - Two women embark on a cross-country roadtrip with the goal of making as much money as possible performing in Florida strip clubs. Produced by Woodstock alum and honorary Maverick Award recipient Christine Vachon.
A THOUSAND CUTS - After his election in 2016, Filipino president Rodrigo Duterte begins a brutal crackdown on the country’s drug addicts, igniting a fierce battle with members of the press. Produced by Woodstock alum Julie Goldman.
US KIDS - Following the tragic 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida, a group of students, activists, parents, and victims start building a national movement for gun control. Directed by Woodstock alum Kim A. Snyder.
WELCOME TO CHECHNYA - A new documentary about the ongoing LGBTQ purge in Chechnya directed by Hudson Valley filmmaker David France, using ground-breaking new VFX technology to mask the faces and protect the identities of its subjects.
BLACK BEAR - A couple become the unwitting subjects of a visiting filmmaker staying at their lake house in the Adirondack Mountains. Produced by Woodstock alum Jonathan Bilstein.
I CARRY YOU WITH ME - A Mexican chef bravely decides to cross the border in search of a better life, leaving his son and new lover behind. Directed/produced by Woodstock alum Heidi Ewing, and produced by Woodstock alum Mynette Louie.
LOVE FRAUD - A docuseries following a group of women determined to find the serial swindler who stole their identities and dignity. Co-directed by Woodstock alums Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady. Daniel Fienberg from the Hollywood Reporter writes: “It starts off in a lot of places that seem familiar, but every time you become too complacent in your expectations, Love Fraud detours and the resulting series is sad, distressing and filled with enough Midwestern weirdness for a Coen Brothers movie.”
SOME KIND OF HEAVEN - Four residents in one of America’s most idyllic retirement communities struggle to adjust to their new environs. Produced by Woodstock alum and honorary Maverick Award recipient Darren Aronofsky.
THE GLORIAS - A biopic about the life of iconic feminist activist and author Gloria Steinem. Directed by Woodstock alum and honorary Maverick Award recipient Julie Taymor, edited by Woodstock advisory board member Sabine Hoffman.
CODED BIAS - When MIT Media Lab researcher Joy Buolamwini discovers that most facial recognition-software is unable to accurately identify the faces of darker-skinned women, she begins a deeper investigation into the biases that exist in the algorithms we use daily. Co-produced by Woodstock advisory board member Sabine Hoffman.
LOST GIRLS - A mother searches for her missing daughter who secretly worked as an online sex worker before vanishing in an upper class Long Island suburb. Directed by Woodstock alum Liz Garbus.
TESLA - A new Nicola Tesla biopic starring advisory board member Ethan Hawke and directed by Woodstock alum Michael Almereyda.
WENDY- After meeting a mysterious boy, Wendy and her brothers are whisked away to a remote island where they can live out their lives in eternal childhood. Directed by Woodstock alum Benh Zeitlin.
THE ASSISTANT - A junior staffer to a high power movie producer deals with the daily workplace abuses endemic to the entertainment industry. Produced by Woodstock alum and honorary Trailblazer Award recipient James Schamus, also produced by Woodstock alum Scott Macaulay.
THE CLIMB - Two men begin a grueling bike ride in the South of France, until a revelation about an affair turns their travel plans upside down. Produced by Woodstock alum Noah Lang.