2020 Lineup Preview, TESLA Drive-In Screening Recap
The 21st annual Woodstock Film Festival is less than a month away! Taking place September 30th - October 4th, the festival will be held at three area drive-ins and online. Here is a sneak peek into our official lineup for 2020. Click the button below to purchase a festival pass for our online film + panel program. Our full line-up will be announced next week, with tickets to individual films and events at our three drive-ins and online going on sale then. Stay tuned and see you at the movies!
SPECIAL PRESENTATION:
AMMONITE
by Francis Lee
Kate Winslet (left) with Saoirse Ronan (right) in AMMONITE.
Critically acclaimed director Francis Lee (GOD'S OWN COUNTRY) travels to the chilly coasts of 19th century England to tell a tale of thrilling geological finds and budding romance. Inspired by the life of groundbreaking paleontologist Mary Anning, played by Academy Award winner Kate Winslet, AMMONITE centers on the reclusive fossil hunter as she falls in love with Charlotte, played by Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan, a married woman recovering from severe depression.
AMMONITE will be the 2020 Woodstock Film Festival's Special Presentation film, screening at Overlook Drive-In in Poughkeepsie, New York on October 3rd.
Courtesy of NEON
Click here to watch the trailer.
Festival Kickoff & World Premiere:
LOS HERMANOS/THE BROTHERS
by Marcia Jarmel & Ken Schneider
Ilmar López-Gavilán (left) with his brother Aldo López-Gavilán (right) in
LOS HERMANOS/THE BROTHERS.
Kicking off the festival will be the world premiere of Marcia Jarmel and Ken Schneider's LOS HERMANOS/THE BROTHERS. In this heartwarming documentary, violinist Ilmar and pianist Aldo López-Gavilán, two virtuoso Cuban brothers previously separated by Cold War geopolitics are reunited on U.S. soil to perform together for the first time. Featuring a score composed by Aldo and performed with Ilmar coupled with guest appearances by the Grammy-winning Harlem Quartet and maestro Joshua Bell, this is a must-see for classical music lovers everywhere!
LOS HERMANOS/THE BROTHERS will be screening at Greenville Drive-In Outdoor Cinema in Greenville, New York on September 30th and will include a special live performance by film subject and violinist Ilmar López-Gavilán.
TELLING OUR STORIES Shorts Program
Curated by filmmakers
Rodney Evans, Yoruba Richen
& Lacey Schwartz Delgado
As our country continues to grapple with endemic police brutality, racism, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, amplifying diverse creative voices is more important now than ever. TELLING OUR STORIES is a compendium of short films by filmmakers of color that tackles the current zeitgeist through their unique lens.
The program will feature the following short films:
GUISADO ON SUNSET by Terence Nance
LIBERTY by Faren Humes
HOME by Adewale Olukayode
THE CHANGING SAME by Michèle Stephenson and Joe Brewster
WILD BOAR, RUNNING ON THE HIGHWAY by Rubing Zhang
BUCK by Elegance Bratton & Jovan James
MIZUKO by Kira Dane & Katelyn Rebelo
Glass Eye Pix Anniversary Tribute
James Le Gros (left) with Joshua Leonard (right) in BITTER FEAST.
Scary movie enthusiasts rejoice! In celebration of legendary indie film studio Glass Eye Pix's 35th anniversary, we will be having a special tribute at the drive-in featuring three films from their extensive catalogue.
Included in the program is Joe Maggio's 2010 psychological chiller BITTER FEAST. Filmed in the Hudson Valley, the film follows television chef Peter Grey, played by James Le Gros, who kidnaps and torments food blogger J.T. Franks, played by Joshua Leonard, after a particularly cutting review sinks his already-fading culinary career.
"These robust films show the power of horror cinema to use metaphor to explore society's ills." says Glass Eye Pix founder Larry Fessenden. "Beyond thematic concerns, the horror genre is fertile ground for stylistic experimentation, as mood and subjectivity rather than objective realism are often the goal, and at the same time suspense and jump scares demand the genre filmmaker has a command of classic film technique."
TRUTH TO POWER: BARBARA LEE
SPEAKS FOR ME
by Abby Ginzberg
East Coast Premiere
Congresswoman Barbara Lee in TRUTH TO POWER: BARBARA LEE SPEAKS FOR ME.
We are excited to present the east coast premiere of Abby Ginzberg's TRUTH TO POWER: BARBARA LEE SPEAKS FOR ME as part of our 2020 online program. The feature-length documentary traces the life and career of congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) from volunteering for the Black Panther Party to casting the lone vote in opposition to the authorization of military force following 9/11. Featuring interviews with Senator Corey Booker, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, actor Danny Glover, and the late Representative John Lewis, TRUTH TO POWER offers an intimate window into the work of one of our most prominent public servants.
TESLA Drive-In Screening Recap
Thank you to everyone, including those who arrived in the fleet of multicolored Teslas, who came out to our special screening of Michael Almereyda's TESLA last night at Greenville Drive-In Outdoor Cinema in Greenville, New York. Starring Eve Hewson, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Jim Gaffigan, Kyle MacLachlan, and Ethan Hawke as the titular inventor, TESLA centers on Nicola Tesla's important discoveries surrounding the transmission of electricity and his relationship with peer and rival Thomas Edison.