9 Alumni Films to Watch and Watch Out For
Are you looking to add a few new movies to your watchlist? We have some recommendations for you, straight from filmmakers that are friends and alumni of the Woodstock Film Festival.
MOONAGE DAYDREAM
MOONAGE DAYDREAM, directed by WFF alum Brett Morgen and to be released by our friends at Neon, premiered to great acclaim during this year’s Cannes Midnight Screenings. Through archival footage and live performances, Morgen’s colorful and artful documentary effectively pulls you into the world of David Bowie and his influential music.
HOLD YOUR FIRE
On May 20th, our friends at IFC Films released WFF friend Stefan Forbes’ new and highly acclaimed documentary HOLD YOUR FIRE. The suspense film depicts the backstory of one of the longest hostage situations in NYPD history, where the world’s first hostage negotiator intervenes to ultimately reform police policy and save lives. WFF Advisory board member Sabine Hoffman was also the consulting editor on the film.
FELLOW TRAVELERS
Academy Award-nominated screenwriter, a longtime friend of the festival, and founding member of our advisory board, Ron Nyswaner, is the showrunner of the new, Matt Bomer-led limited series on Showtime titled FELLOW TRAVELERS. The show is based on a Thomas Mallon novel of the same name and can be described as a political thriller with an epic love story, where Bomer is set to play the charismatic Hawkins Fuller. The series will begin shooting soon in Toronto.
OUT OF MY MIND
From WFF board member Peter Saraf, OUT OF MY MIND is now filming in Canada. The film is being adapted by Disney+ and is based on the bestselling Sharon M. Draper novel about a smart young girl with cerebral palsy.
MY SO-CALLED SELFISH LIFE
This thought-provoking documentary is from award-winning filmmaker Therese Shechter (Trixie Films) and explores the alternative path to motherhood: the choice not to become a mother. WFF screened MY SO-CALLED SELFISH LIFE at last year’s 2021 festival and celebrated its world digital premiere on May 6th, 2022.
MELTDOWN: THREE MILE ISLAND
Kief Davidson, whose films THE DEVIL’S MINER screened at the Woodstock Film Festival in 2005 and KASSIM THE DREAM in 2008, has a new limited series making waves on Netflix titled MELTDOWN: THREE MILE ISLAND. The documentary series shares recounted events and controversies surrounding the tragic nuclear power plant accident in Pennsylvania in 1979.
FOXHOLE
FOXHOLE follows the stories of soldiers during three wars (American Civil War, World War I, and Iraq) and was released on Friday, May 13th. It was directed by Jack Fessenden and produced by Larry Fessenden, both close friends of the Woodstock Film Festival. The film won our Ultra Indie award in 2021 and was shot in the Hudson Valley.
THE STAIRCASE
Hudson Valley local, actor, festival friend, and WFF alum Tim Guinee stars in HBO’s new hit limited series, THE STAIRCASE. This eight-hour miniseries is another binge worthing true-crime docudrama that investigates the death of Kathleen Peterson and Michael Peterson's trial and also stars Colin Firth and Toni Collette.
MY DEAD DAD
MY DEAD DAD premiered at the 2021 Woodstock Film Festival and is coming soon to HBO Max. The indie film is about a son who learns about his estranged father only after his death. Directed by Fabio Frey and co-written and produced by Pedro Correa, who also stars as the main character in the feature film.
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