30th Anniversary Edition of the Hamptons International Film Festival Announces Full 2022 Slate

HamptonsFilm announced today the full slate of programming for the 2022 edition of the Hamptons International Festival (HIFF), including the Closing Night presentation of the New York premiere SR., directed by Chris Smith, the Centerpiece screening of Sarah Polley’s WOMEN TALKING, additional Spotlight selections, as well as Signature Programs including Views From Long Island; Conflict and Resolution; Air, Land & Sea; and Compassion, Justice & Animal Rights. The 30th edition of the festival will feature a lineup of films that are 54% female-directed and represent 34 countries from around the world.

The festival’s Closing Night Film SR., directed by Chris Smith will screen on Saturday, October 15, at 7:15PM. The film is a tender yet fittingly irreverent portrait of the life and career of Robert Downey Sr., the fearless, visionary American director who set the standard for counterculture comedy in the sixties and seventies. It is an inspired collaboration between celebrated documentarian Chris Smith; the subject’s son, Robert Downey Jr.; and the man himself, who passed away in July 2021. As previously announced, the festival will open with Oliver Hermanus’s LIVING on October 7, 2022.

The festival will also host Sarah Polley’s WOMEN TALKING as a Centerpiece Film, set to screen at 8:00PM on October 11, 2022. The film, distributed by MGM and based on the novel by Miriam Toews, follows a group of women part of an isolated religious community that grapple with reconciling their reality with their faith, starring Claire Foy, Rooney Mara, Jessie Buckley, Judith Ivey, Ben Whishaw, and Frances McDormand. The previously announced East Coast Premiere of Florian Zeller’s THE SON will also screen as a Centerpiece film. 

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to close this year’s edition of the Hamptons International Film Festival with Chris Smith’s moving tribute to the late Robert Downey Sr.,” said David Nugent, Artistic Director of HamptonsFilm. “With this year’s inspiring and dynamic selection of films, we cannot wait to commemorate our milestone anniversary with our film-loving community out East.”

HIFF will also be hosting director, screenwriter, and producer Chris Columbus to lead the Signature Program “Rowdy Talks,” where Columbus will discuss his groundbreaking career in the film industry. On Monday, October 10, at 10AM, Columbus will sit down with audiences as he explores the past, present, and future of filmmaking. Columbus’ Hollywood career began when his script for GREMLINS (1984) was shepherded by Steven Spielberg, who soon became a mentor to Columbus throughout his career. After writing the scripts for THE GOONIES (1985) and YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES (1985), he made his directorial debut with the comedy ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING (1987). Columbus achieved wider success with blockbuster films HOME ALONE (1990), HOME ALONE 2: LOST IN NEW YORK (1992), and MRS. DOUBTFIRE (1993). Columbus is also known for bringing HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE (2001) to life on the big screen, as well as the sequel HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS (2002).

Newly announced Spotlight titles, sponsored by Audi, include the First US Special Screening of of JD Dillard’s DEVOTION, distributed by Sony Pictures Entertainment & Black Label Media, an aerial war epic based on the bestselling book of the same name which tells the harrowing true story of two elite US Navy fighter pilots during the Korean War and stars Jonathan Majors, Glen Powell, Christina Jackson, Joe Jonas, and Thomas Sadoski; Set in an English seaside town in the early 1980s, Academy Award®-winning director and writer Sam Mendes’ EMPIRE OF LIGHT, distributed by Searchlight Pictures, is a powerful and poignant story about human connection and the magic of cinema, starring Olivia Colman, Micheal Ward, Tom Brooke, Tanya Moodie, Hannah Onslow, Crystal Clarke, with Toby Jones and Colin Firth;  Michael Grandage’s MY POLICEMAN, distributed by Prime Video, a heart-wrenching, adaptation of the award-winning novel of the same name, which illuminates the quiet joys and painful consequences of queer life obscured by history by following a police officer, school teacher, and museum curator who fall into a dangerous love triangle at a time when homosexuality was illegal, starring Harry Styles, Emma Corrin, Gina McKee, Linus Roache, David Dawson and Rupert Everett; the East Coast Premiere of Karen Maine’s ROSALINE, distributed by Hulu, a fresh and comedic twist on Shakespeare’s classic love story “Romeo & Juliet,” told from the perspective of Juliet’s cousin and Romeo’s recent love interest Rosaline, who is heartbroken when Romeo meets Juliet and begins to pursue her, starring Kaitlyn Dever, Kyle Allen, Bradley Whitford, Minnie Driver and Isabela Merced; Juno Films’ THE SAME STORM, directed by Peter Hedges, which tells a story during the spring and summer of 2020 where twenty-four people navigate life, love, and isolation during the early days of the pandemic, starring Sandra Oh, Mary-Louise Parker, Elaine May, Moses Ingram, Raul Castillo, and Noma Dumezweni; Universal Pictures’ SHE SAID, directed by Maria Schrader, which recounts the story of New York Times reporters Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor, who together broke one of the most important stories in a generation—a story that helped propel the #Metoo movement and shattered decades of silence around the subject of sexual assault in Hollywood, starring Carey Mulligan, Zoe Kazan, Patricia Clarkson, Andre Braugher, Jennifer Ehle and Samantha Morton; MGM’s TILL, directed by Chinonye Chukwu, a profoundly emotional and cinematic film about the true story of Mamie Till Mobley’s relentless pursuit of justice for her 14-year-old son, Emmett Till, who in 1955 was lynched while visiting his cousins in Mississippi, starrng Danielle Deadwyler, Jalyn Hall, Frankie Faison, Haley Bennett, and Whoopi Goldberg; and the East Coast Premiere of Darren Aronofsky’s THE WHALE, distributed by A24, which follows the story of a reclusive English teacher living with severe obesity who attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter for one last chance at redemption, starring Brendan Fraser and based on the acclaimed play by Samuel D. Hunter. Previously announced Spotlight titles include THE BANSHEES OF INSHERIN, CALL JANE and WHO INVITED CHARLIE? 

“We are delighted to be able to host a diverse class of talented filmmakers and actors from around the world at this year’s festival,” said Anne Chaisson, Executive Director of HamptonsFilm. “It is with great excitement that we can finally share the well-rounded selection of Centerpiece films, Spotlight screenings, and beyond that we are proud to program as part of the 30th anniversary of HIFF.”

The Narrative Competition section of this year’s festival will include Lukas Dhont’s CLOSE, distributed by A24, following two 13-year-old best friends, whose seemingly unbreakable bond is suddenly, tragically torn apart, starring Eden Dambrine, Gustav De Waele, Émilie Dequenne, and Léa Drucker; the US Premiere of Daniel Goldhabe, Ariela Barer, Jordan Sjol, and Daniel Garber’s HOW TO BLOW UP A PIPELINE, recently acquired by NEON and based on Andreas Malm’s controversial book, about a crew of young environmental activists who execute a daring mission to sabotage an oil pipeline, starring Ariela Barer, Kristine Froseth, Lukas Gage, Forrest Goodluck, Sasha Lane, Jayme Lawson, Marcus Scribner, and Jake Weary; Davy Chou’s RETURN TO SEOUL, distributed by Sony Picture Classics, following a girl who finds herself embarking on an unexpected journey in a country she knows so little about after returning to South Korea for the first time since she was adopted and raised in France, starring Park Ji-Min, Oh Kwang-Rok, Guka Han, and Kim Sun-Young; Lola Quivoron’s RODEO, distributed by Music Box Films, following the hot tempered and fiercely independent Julia who finds escape in a passion for motorcycles and the high-octane world of urban ‘Rodeos’ – illicit gatherings where riders show off their bikes and their latest daring stunts, starring Julie Ledru, Yannis Lafki, Antonia Buresi, Cody Schroeder, and Louis Sotton; and Sadaf Foroughi’s SUMMER WITH HOPE, about a prestigious competition that sets the stage for a conspiracy of collusion between two young swimmers, family members and their communities, starring Leili Rashidi, Mehdi Ghorbani, Alireza Kamali, and Benyamin Peyrovani.

The Documentary Competition section of this year’s festival will include Shaunak Sen’s ALL THAT BREATHES, distributed by Sideshow and Submarine Deluxe in association with HBO Documentary Films, where, as legions of birds fall from darkening skies in New Delhi and the city smolders with social unrest, two brothers race to save the black kite, a majestic bird of prey essential to their city’s ecosystem; the East Coast Premiere of Christopher Sharp and Moses Bwayo’s BOBI WINE: THE PEOPLE’S PRESIDENT, distributed by National Geographic Documentary Films, following Uganda’s 2021 presidential elections, when music star, activist and opposition leader Bobi Wine, together with his wife Barbie, deicde to run against President Museveni’s regime in a dangerous fight for his people; the New York Premiere of Tamana Ayazi and Marcel Mettelsiefen’s IN HER HANDS, distributed by Netflix, telling the story of Zarifa Ghafari, who at 26 became one of Afghanistan’s first female mayors and the youngest to ever hold the position, and documenting her fight for survival against the backdrop of her country’s accelerated unraveling; the East Coast Premiere of PRAY FOR OUR SINNERS, where director Sinéad O’Shea returns to her hometown exploring the control exerted by the Catholic Church over Irish people (including herself) and discovers a group of townspeople that found a way to resist; and the New York premiere of Casey Neistat’s UNDER THE INFLUENCE, distributed by Endeavor Content, following the rise and fall of the biggest YouTuber in the world, whose-feel good videos masked the dark and reckless new ethos of online celebrity.

As part of the Signature Programs, the Conflict and Resolution section will include the US Premiere of FREEDOM ON FIRE: UKRAINE’S FIGHT FOR FREEDOM, directed by Academy Award® nominee Evgeny Afineevsky, which depicts the horrible realities of this unprovoked war instigated by Vladimir Putin; OUR FATHER, THE DEVIL, written and directed by Ellie Foumbi, which follows caretaker Marie, who finds her peaceful life in France upended by the arrival of a new priest who reminds her of her traumatic past; the East Coast Premiere of RETROGRADE, directed by Academy Award®-nominee and Emmy Award®-winner Matthew Heineman, capturing the final nine months of America’s twenty-year war in Afghanistan from multiple perspectives, including one of the last US Special Forces units deployed there, a young Afghan general and his corps fighting to defend their homeland against all odds, and the civilians desperately attempting to flee as the country collapses; the US Premiere of Netflix’s THE SWIMMERS, directed by Sally El Hosaini, which tells the true story of two young sisters’ harrowing journey as refugees from war-torn Syria to the 2016 Rio Olympics as they put both their hearts and champion swimming skills to heroic use; as well as the previously announced World Premiere of discovery+’s A RADICAL LIFE. 

As part of the Signature Programs, the Views from Long Island section will include Markie Hancock’s THE POWER OF COMMUNITY: HOW ONE TOWN STOOD AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, documenting how domestic abuse insidiously took hold in the lives of three women, how the Retreat intervened to empower them and how a small grassroots group of women and the town of East Hampton made it all possible; Lindsay Keys and Winslow Crane-Murdoch ‘s THE QUIET EPIDEMIC, following the search for answers when a young girl from Brooklyn and a Duke University scientist are diagnosed with a disease said to not exist: Chronic Lyme disease, which lands them in the middle of a vicious medical debate; and the previously mentioned WHO INVITED CHARLIE?. 

In the World Cinema Documentary section, the slate includes the addition of NEON’s ALL THE BEAUTY AND THE BLOODSHED, directed by Academy Award®-winner Laura Poitras and the winner of the Golden Lion Award at this year’s Venice Film Festival, which tells the epic and emotional story of internationally renowned artist and activist Nan Goldin through her slideshows, intimate dialogue, ground-breaking photography and rare footage of her fight to hold the Sackler family accountable for the overdose crisisx; ; THE CAVE OF ADULLAM, directed by Academy Award®-nominated director Laura Checkoway, chronicling the story of a transformational Training Academy in the heart of Detroit where Black boys who are emotionally, mentally and spiritually in debt gather to be trained and transformed into comprehensive men; Grasshopper Films’s DE HUMANI CORPORIS FABRICA, directed by Véréna Paravel and Lucien Castaing-Taylor, which opens the human body to the cinema, revealing that human flesh is an extraordinary landscape that exists only through the gaze and attention of others; Netflix’s DESCENDANT, directed by Margaret Brown, documenting the search for and historic discovery of The Clotilda, the last known ship to arrive in the United States illegally carrying enslaved Africans; the New York Premiere of THE EXILES, distributed by Endeavor Content and directed by Ben Klein and Violet Columbus, who track down three exiled dissidents from the Tiananmen Square massacre in order to find closure on an abandoned project she began shooting in 1989; MTV Doumentary Films’s THE FIRE THAT TOOK HER, directed by Patricia E. Gillespie, following the story of Judy Malinowski, then 31 and mother of two, who was doused in petrol and set on fire by her crazed ex-boyfriend – and was one of the first ever to testify from beyond the grave at the trial for her own murder; the World Premiere of GROUCHO & CAVETT, directed by Robert S. Bader, which explores the enduring friendship between Emmy Award®-winning television personality Dick Cavett and iconic comedian Groucho Marx; LIFT, directed by Academy Award®-nominated David Petersen, which shines a spotlight on the invisible story of homelessness in America through the eyes of a group of young home-insecure ballet dancers in New York City; the Apple Original Film LOUIS ARMSTRONG’S BLACK & BLUES, filmmaker Sacha Jenkins honors Louis Armstrong’s legacy as a founding father of jazz, one of the first internationally known and beloved stars, and a cultural ambassador, also screening as the 30th Anniversary Celebration Film in Southampton; NAKED GARDENS, directed by Ivete Lucas and Patrick Bresnan, immersing audiences in the complex, unseen world of a family nudist resort in the Florida Everglades; as well as the previously announced DESPERATE SOULS, DARK CITY AND THE LEGEND OF MIDNIGHT COWBOY, GOOD NIGHT OPPY, JANUARY 6TH and THE VOLCANO: RESCUE FROM WHAKAARI.

In the World Cinema Narrative section, the slate includes the addition of A24’s AFTERSUN, directed by Charlotte Wells, which crafts a poignant portrait of a father and daughter on a fateful holiday in the 1990s; Carla Simón’s ALCARRÀS, distributed by MUBI, which captures a poetic study of the passing of a way of life and the clash between tradition and industry through a luscious ensemble drama soaked in sun and nostalgia; Hirokazu Kore-eda’s BROKER, distributed by NEON and following two brokers who sell orphaned infants, circumventing the bureaucracy of legal adoption, to affluent couples who can’t have children of their own; Marie Kreutzer’s CORSAGE, distributed by IFC Films, which tells the story of Empress Elizabeth ‘Sissi’ of Austria, long idolized by her subjects for her beauty and fashionable tastes, who faces losing the public’s interest now that she has turned the dreaded age of 40; CHRISSY JUDY, written and directed by Todd Flaherty in his feature debut, which explores queer friendship and what happens when your chosen family no longer chooses you; KARAOKE, distributed by Greenwich Entertainment and directed by Moshe Rosenthal, following a couple who live a middle class life in a sleepy suburb, plagued by an unspoken sense of disappointment and regret, until a former Miami-based model agent moves into their building and their lust for life is reignited; the North American Premiere of MORE THAN EVER, directed by Emily Atef, which tells the story of the relationship between Hélène and Mathieu who, after being together for many years, are faced with an existential decision and, an act that will test the strength of their love; Amazon’s NANNY, written and directed by Nikyatu Jusu, about an undocumented nanny working for a privileged couple in New York City, who prepares for the arrival of the son she left behind in Senegal when a violent presence invades her reality and threatens the American dream she is painstakingly piecing together; Mia Hansen-Løve’s ONE FINE MORNING, distributed by Sony Pictures Classics and paints a beautifully intricate portrait of a young, widowed mother as she struggles to balance the exhausting obligations of her everyday life in Paris; IFC Films’s R.M.N, written and directed by Cristian Mungiu, which captures a superbly crafted and complex portrait of a community at the cross section of poverty, ecology, and politics; Ruben Östlund’s TRIANGLE OF SADNESS, distributed by NEON and winner of the Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or, which reveals the tawdry relationship between power and beauty when social hierarchy is turned upside down; as well as the previously announced DECISION TO LEAVE and PINBALL – THE MAN WHO SAVED THE GAME.

HIFF also announced ten programs of short films this year, including Narrative Competition, Documentary Competition, New York Women in Film & Television: Women Calling the Shots, the University Short Films Showcase, Splash! Shorts for All Ages, On the Road to Nowhere, Stop Making Sense, Looking Backward, Looking Forward, Conflict & Resolution Shorts Program, and Views From Long Island Shorts Program.

In addition, the festival has announced the jury members for the 2022 festival, which includes Emmy Award®-winning Co-Producer and Shorts Producer at POV, Opal H. Bennett, known for her work on POV Shorts which won the 2020 IDA Award for Best Short Form Series; entertainment writer Jordan Hoffman, whose work can currently be read at Vanity Fair, The A.V. Club, The Guardian, and The Times of Israel; founder and CEO of Artemis Rising Foundation Regina Scully, who has produced over 200+ documentary films as a social entrepreneur, media activist, and filmmaker; producer and director of award-winning feature films, television, and theater Fred Berner, best known for producing the Oscar-winning POLLOCK, VANYA ON 42nd STREET, THE GREAT WHITE HYPE, and THE BALLAD OF LITTLE; President of Production at Amblin Partners Jeb Brody, who oversees a slate of films produced under the company’s Amblin Entertainment and DreamWorks Pictures banners, including 1917, FINCH, and the upcoming THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER; and the Celeste Bartos Chief Curator of Film at The Museum of Modern Art Rajendra Roy, who previously joined HIFF as the Director of Programming (2002-2006) before becoming the Artistic Director (2006-2007).

The 30th Annual Hamptons Film Festival will run as an extended 10-day event from October 7-16, 2022. HIFF thanks the supporters for this year’s festival, including returning Premiere Sponsor Audi; Signature Sponsors Netflix, Silvercup Studios, Variety, and Gibson Dunn; and Supporting Sponsor Regal Cinemas; as well as new Lead Sponsor The Macallan; Supporting Sponsors Crystal Head Vodka and Dragon Hemp; official Media Sponsors WNBC, The East Hampton Star, The Purist, WNET, Long Island Broadcast Radio EHM, 101.7 The Beach, and 102.5 BAZ; and long term support from New York State Council on the Arts, and Suffolk County Film Commission. For more information, please visit www.hamptonsfilmfest.org.

 

2022 Hamptons International Film Festival Lineup:

OPENING NIGHT FILM

Sponsored by Silvercup Studios

LIVING

East Coast Premiere

dir. Oliver Hermanus (UK), 2022

In this elegant reimagining of Akira Kurosawa’s beloved classic IKIRU, BAFTA Award® winner Bill Nighy delivers a remarkable performance as Mr. Williams, a dedicated civil servant living in post-WWII London who receives an earth-shattering diagnosis, forcing him to take stock of his lonely existence. In the hopes of answering life’s most important questions, he sets out on a series of adventures, determined to find some fulfillment before time runs out. Magnificently scripted by Kazuo Ishiguro (Nobel Prize-winning author of The Remains of The Day and Never Let Me Go), and exquisitely helmed by Oliver Hermanus, LIVING is the story of an ordinary man who, at the eleventh hour, makes a supreme effort to turn his life into something wonderful. A Sony Pictures Classics release. 

CLOSING NIGHT FILM

SR.

dir. Chris Smith (USA), 2022

With a canon of fearlessly satirical underground classics including PUTNEY SWOPE and GREASER’S PALACE, visionary American director Robert Downey Sr. set the standard for comedic counterculture cinema in the sixties and seventies. In collaboration with both Downey and his son—celebrated actor Robert Downey Jr.—award-winning documentarian Chris Smith (AMERICAN MOVIE, FYRE: THE GREATEST PARTY THAT NEVER HAPPENED, and executive producer of Tiger King) crafts a loving portrait of the pioneering indie filmmaker in the final years of his life. Shot in textured black-and-white, and featuring intimate interviews from loved ones, SR. is a tender—and fittingly irreverent—tribute to the beloved artist, friend, and father.

30TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL SOUTHAMPTON SCREENING

LOUIS ARMSTRONG’S BLACK & BLUES

dir. Sacha Jenkins (USA), 2022

In his illuminating portrait of the iconic artist, filmmaker Sacha Jenkins honors Louis Armstrong’s legacy as a founding father of jazz, one of the first internationally known and beloved stars, and a cultural ambassador. Showing sides of Armstrong few have been privileged to see, Jenkins comprehensively covers his extraordinary life—spanning from the Civil War to the Civil Rights movement—illustrating how he became a lightning rod figure throughout that turbulent era. Presented through a lens of archival footage, never-before-heard home recordings and personal conversations, LOUIS ARMSTRONG’S BLACK & BLUES offers an intimate and revealing look at a musician who changed the world. An Apple Original release.

*This film will also screen as part of the World Cinema Documentary lineup.

CENTERPIECE FILMS

THE SON

East Coast Premiere

dir. Florian Zeller (UK), 2022

THE SON is a searing portrait of today’s mental health crisis, as viewed through the lens of a fractured American family. Seventeen-year-old Nicholas (Zen McGrath) is struggling to cope after his parents’ divorce, leaving his mother Kate (Laura Dern) and father Peter (Hugh Jackman) at a loss. Although Peter tries to provide for his son in ways his own father (Anthony Hopkins) never did, he fails to see what’s right in front of him. With career-defining performances and razor-sharp storytelling, acclaimed novelist and playwright Florian Zeller (THE FATHER) crafts the second installment of his planned trilogy with authenticity and compassion. A Sony Pictures Classics release. 

WOMEN TALKING

dir. Sarah Polley (USA), 2022

Adapted from Miriam Toews’ acclaimed novel of the same name, Academy Award®-nominated writer-director Sarah Polley’s (AWAY FROM HER, STORIES WE TELL) latest considers the cloistered lives of a group of women residing in an isolated, religious colony. When their spirituality is shaken by the discovery of widespread sexual abuse within their Mennonite community, they clandestinely gather to try and reconcile their devout faith with their growing desire for justice. Featuring sensational performances from Frances McDormand, Claire Foy, Rooney Mara, Jessie Buckley, and Judith Ivey, WOMEN TALKING is a triumphant tale of faith, sovereignty, and the responsibility we have to ourselves and others. A United Artists release.

SPOTLIGHT FILMS

Sponsored by Audi

THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN

dir. Martin McDonagh (UK/Ireland/USA), 2022

In a 1920s fictitious town off the coast of west Ireland, Colm (Brendan Gleeson) abruptly ends his lifelong friendship with Padraic (Colin Farrell) without an explanation. Unable to accept it, Padraic goes to great lengths to get their relationship back on track. When his attempts are met with hostility, the situation escalates, with shocking consequences for everyone involved. Farrell, Gleeson and Academy Award®-winning director Martin McDonagh (THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE OF EBBING, MISSOURI, IN BRUGES) reunite for THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN, a wild, riotous tale full of McDonagh’s signature blend of poignant interpersonal drama and explosive dark comedy. A Searchlight Pictures release.

CALL JANE

East Coast Premiere

dir. Phyllis Nagy (USA), 2022

Chicago, 1968. The ordinary life of suburban housewife Joy (Elizabeth Banks, delivering a career-best performance), is turned upside-down when her unexpected pregnancy leads to a life-threatening condition. With the all-male medical establishment unwilling to intervene, Joy turns to the clandestine network of women known as the “Janes,” for urgent, life-saving healthcare. Skillfully helmed by Phyllis Nagy (Academy Award®-nominated screenwriter of CAROL), and inspired by the true, covert activism of the Jane Collective—whose underground abortions saved the lives of thousands of women in the late-Sixties—CALL JANE is a powerful and timely tale of resistance and resilience in the fight for bodily autonomy. A Roadside Attractions release. 

DEVOTION

First US Special Screening

dir. JD Dillard (USA), 2022

Devotion, an aerial war epic based on the bestselling book of the same name, tells the inspirational true

story of two elite US Navy fighter pilots who helped turn the tide in the most brutal battle in the Korean

War: Jesse Brown, the first Black aviator in Navy history and his fellow fighter pilot and friend, Tom

Hudner. Their heroic sacrifices and enduring friendship would ultimately make them the Navy’s most

celebrated wingmen. With outstanding performances and jaw-dropping cinematography, DEVOTION is an unforgettable tale of friendship and courage. A Sony Pictures Entertainment release and a Black Label

Media production, the film was written by Jake Crane & Jonathan A.H. Stewart.

EMPIRE OF LIGHT

dir. Sam Mendes (UK/USA), 2022

From Academy Award®-winning director and writer Sam Mendes, EMPIRE OF LIGHT is an intimate and moving story about love, friendship, and connection, set in a coastal town in Southern England against the social turmoil of the early 1980s.  Hilary (Olivia Colman), a woman with a difficult past and an uneasy present, is part of a makeshift family at the old Empire Cinema on the seafront. When Stephen (Micheal Ward) is hired to work in the cinema, the two find an unlikely attraction and discover the healing power of movies, music and community. A Searchlight Pictures release.

MY POLICEMAN

dir. Michael Grandage (UK/USA), 2022

A story of forbidden love and changing social conventions, My Policeman follows three young people – policeman Tom (Harry Styles), teacher Marion (Emma Corrin), and museum curator Patrick (David Dawson)– as they embark on an emotional journey in 1950s Britain. Flashing forward to the 1990s, Tom (Linus Roache), Marion (Gina McKee), and Patrick (Rupert Everett) are still reeling with longing and regret, but now they have one last chance to repair the damage of the past. Based on the book by Bethan Roberts, director Michael Grandage carves a visually transporting, heart-stopping portrait of three people caught up in the shifting tides of history, liberty, and forgiveness.

A Prime Video release.

ROSALINE

East Coast Premiere

dir. Karen Maine (USA), 2022

ROSALINE is a fresh and comedic twist on Shakespeare’s classic love story “Romeo & Juliet,” told from the perspective of Juliet’s cousin Rosaline (Kaitlyn Dever, Dopesick, HIFF 10 Actors to Watch 2014), who also happens to be Romeo’s recent love interest. Heartbroken when Romeo (Kyle Allen) meets Juliet (Isabela Merced) and begins to pursue her, Rosaline schemes to foil the famous romance and win back her guy. Directed by Karen Maine (screenwriter, OBVIOUS CHILD) and based on the novel When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle, this romantic comedy features sharply funny performances by Bradley Whitford and Minne Driver, delivering a clever update to a timeless story. A Hulu release. 

THE SAME STORM

dir. Peter Hedges (USA), 2021

HIFF alum Peter Hedges (WHAT’S EATING GILBERT GRAPE?, BEN IS BACK) returns with an imaginative and moving snapshot of the tumult of the COVID-19 pandemic’s early days. Resourcefully shot on iPhones and laptops, Hedges crafts an intimate look into the lives of 24 characters navigating a new, uncertain world. Against the backdrops of lockdowns, Black Lives Matter, and the looming 2020 election, the film explores the necessity of human connection, love, and the ability to find empathy in a fraught, untenable time. Featuring an all-star cast—including Elaine May in her first film role in 21 years—THE SAME STORM is a unique and hopeful story that celebrates art’s ability to connect us all. A Juno Films release. 

SHE SAID

dir. Maria Schrader (USA), 2022

In 2017, New York Times journalists Jodi Kantor (Zoe Kazan, THE BIG SICK) and Megan Twohey (Carey

Mulligan, PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN) published a story that exposed decades of alleged sexual assault

and harassment committed by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. Kantor and Twohey faced

obstacles at every turn, their investigation provided a platform for courageous survivors and witnesses to speak the truth, a truth that both stopped a powerful predator and ultimately helped dismantle the system that had enabled him. Directed by Emmy® winner Maria Schrader (UNORTHODOX), SHE SAID honors the heroic reporting of one of the most important stories in a generation—one that helped propel the #MeToo movement, shattered decades of silence around the subject of sexual assault in Hollywood, and altered American culture forever. A Universal Pictures release.

TILL

dir. Chinonye Chukwu (USA), 2022

Mississippi, 1955. While in town visiting some cousins, 14-year-old Emmett Till (Jalyn Hall) is kidnapped and lynched after he is wrongfully accused of harassing a white woman (Haley Bennett). Facing an establishment unwilling to hold her son’s murderers accountable for their unimaginable brutality, Emmett’s devastated mother Mamie Till Mobley (Danielle Deadwyler) channels her indescribable grief into a relentless pursuit of justice—her fearless activism an instrumental contribution to the Civil Rights movement. Featuring astonishing performances from its flawless cast and powerful direction from HIFF alum Chinonye Chukwu (CLEMENCY), TILL showcases the universal power of one mother’s ability to change the world. A United Artists release. 

THE WHALE

East Coast Premiere

dir. Darren Aronofsky (USA), 2022

Academy Award® nominee Darren Aronofsky (BLACK SWAN, THE WRESTLER) returns to the festival with the story of Charlie (Brendan Fraser, in a career-defining comeback performance), an online English teacher confined to his home due to his severe obesity. When his health issues escalate, he reconnects with his long-estranged teenage daughter Ellie (Sadie Sink, ‘Stranger Things’) in an attempt to rejoin the world that rejected him. Based on the award-winning play by Samuel D. Hunter, who also adapted the screenplay, THE WHALE is a gritty yet compassionate story that draws self-acceptance and redemption out of darkness and shame. An A24 release. 

WHO INVITED CHARLIE?

World Premiere

dir. Xavier Manrique (USA), 2022

March 2020. With COVID-19 on the rise in NYC, self-centered hedge fund manager Phil Schreiber (Reid Scott, Veep) escapes to the Hamptons with his wife Rosie (Jordana Brewster, THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS) and son Max (Peter Dager) to ride out the lockdown. Their fraught situation is worsened by the unexpected arrival of Phil’s pot-smoking, Bloody Mary-swilling former college roommate, Charlie (Adam Pally, Happy Endings). Armed with untold secrets from Phil’s murky past, Charlie inserts himself into their bubble and quickly makes himself at home. A darkly funny tale of family and friendship, Xavier Manrique’s WHO INVITED CHARLIE? hilariously chronicles the quarantine experience with humor and humanity.

*This film will also screen as part of the Views From Long Island Signature Program.

AIR, LAND & SEA 

Sponsored by Dragon Hemp

THE COW WHO SANG A SONG INTO THE FUTURE

dir. Francisca Alegría (France/Germany/Chile/USA), 2022

Francisca Alegría’s striking feature debut is a lyrical eco-fable of family, renewal, and resurrection. Polluted with the industrial waste of a nearby factory, the toxic waters of the Cruces River in southern Chile have become inhospitable to the surrounding local wildlife. Yet amongst the floating bodies of lifeless fish, the long-dead Magdalena (Mía Maestro, FRIDA, THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES) inexplicably rises to the surface and returns to her family’s dairy farm. Mysterious and meditative, THE COW WHO SANG A SONG INTO THE FUTURE skilfully connects long ignored alarms of impending environmental devastation to one family’s need to address intergenerational traumas. A Kino Lorber release.

THE FOREST MAKER

US Premiere

dir. Volker Schlöndorff (Germany), 2022

Esteemed New German Cinema luminary and Academy Award® winner Volker Schlöndorff’s (THE TIN DRUM) first documentary follows renowned Australian agronomist Tony Rinaudo as he works with farmers across the Sahel region of Africa to implement his innovative reforestation technique. Together, Rinaudo and local leaders heal the areas damaged by destructive agricultural practices implemented under European colonialism, restoring not only the soil, but also the dignity and hope of the people that rely on the land. Delivering refreshing optimism in the face of an ecological crisis, THE FOREST MAKER is a testament to the ability of empathy and collaboration to uplift communities and revitalize our natural world. 

INTO THE WEEDS: DEWAYNE “LEE” JOHNSON VS MONSANTO COMPANY

US Premiere

dir. Jennifer Baichwal (Canada), 2022

Following a devastating diagnosis of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Bay Area groundskeeper Dewayne “Lee” Johnson began to question if his terminal illness was rooted in his exposure to Roundup, a popular herbicide widely used by agricultural workers, landscapers, and suburban homeowners. When the World Health Organization determined that the product is likely carcinogenic to humans and harmful to our ecosystems, Johnson became the unlikely face of a fierce legal battle to hold the agrochemical giant Monsanto accountable for their negligence and corruption. Deftly contextualizing Johnson’s personal journey within the larger global environmental crisis, celebrated documentarian Jennifer Baichwal incisively examines our society’s fraught relationship with the natural world in this thrilling David vs. Goliath fight for justice. 

COMPASSION, JUSTICE & ANIMAL RIGHTS

Sponsored by PURE Insurance

EO

dir. Jerzy Skolimowski (Poland/UK/Italy), 2022

Inspired by Robert Bresson’s timeless classic AU HASARD BALTHAZAR, the latest film from auteur director Jerzy Skolimowski is an existential exploration of modern life in Europe told through the eyes of its unlikely protagonist, EO the donkey. EO’s various encounters with people and places take us on a mesmerizing and thought-provoking odyssey encapsulating the life of a humble creature. A modern fable, EO contends with humanity at its kindest and most tender, as well as its proclivity for cruelty and suffering. Winner of the Jury Prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, EO is a visually audacious examination of innocence and the natural world. A Sideshow/Janus Films release.

KENTUCKY PRIDE

dir. John Ford (USA), 1925

This little-seen gem by John Ford tells the story of a thoroughbred largely through the point of view of the horse, who casts her animal gaze on the troubled family of Southern aristocrats who own, sell, and eventually reclaim her, as her colt becomes a futurity winner. Screenwriter Dorothy Yost made a specialty of horse stories, including the 1948 Republic favorite The Strawberry Roan. With cameos by several celebrated racehorses of the period, including Man o’ War. New 4K restoration from nitrate elements held by MoMA, funded by Twentieth Century Fox. — Dave Kehr, The Museum of Modern Art. Live piano accompaniment from Donald Sosin. 

CONFLICT AND RESOLUTION

A RADICAL LIFE

World Premiere

dir. Ricki Stern, (USA), 2022

Acclaimed filmmaker and HIFF alum Ricki Stern (JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK) delivers an unfiltered look inside the mind of Tania Joya, the former First Lady of ISIS, who spent twelve years married to the highest ranking American in ISIS, John Georgelas. From a working class Bangladeshi family in Britain, Tania’s desire for purpose and belonging drew her to Islamic extremism following 9/11. When John’s devotion took them to Syria during that country’s civil war, Tania was faced with an impossible decision. A RADICAL LIFE offers unique insight into her journey of blind devotion, false promises, and misguided idealism. A Warner Bros/Discovery+ release. 

FREEDOM ON FIRE: UKRAINE’S FIGHT FOR FREEDOM

US Premiere

dir. Evgeny Afineevsky (Ukraine/UK/USA), 2022

Academy Award® nominee Evgeny Afineevsky (WINTER ON FIRE) received widespread acclaim at the Venice Film Festival for his latest feature, a gripping, urgent record of the war in Ukraine and the resilience of its people. Holding an unflinching gaze upon the violence perpetrated against the Ukrainian civilians whose lives have been upended by Russia’s invasion, Afineevsky deftly contextualizes on-the-ground events within the region’s larger geopolitical history. Featuring narration from Dame Helen Mirren and constructed primarily through moving interviews with survivors and harrowing firsthand footage, FREEDOM ON FIRE gives voice to the people of Ukraine as their democracy undergoes an existential assault. 

OUR FATHER, THE DEVIL

dir. Ellie Foumbi (USA), 2021

Marie Cissé’s (Babetida Sadjo) quiet life working as a chef in a French countryside retirement home is shattered when she recognizes Father Patrick (Souléymane Sy Savané), a charming visiting priest, from her home village in Cameroon. As his arrival unearths a harrowing ordeal she had buried in her past, Marie must decide how to confront him. Featuring powerful standout performances by Sadjo and Savané, OUR FATHER THE DEVIL skillfully grapples with questions of trauma, guilt, and revenge that embody the struggle to heal. Ellie Foumbi’s gripping directorial debut won the Audience Award at the Tribeca Film Festival. 

RETROGRADE

East Coast Premiere

dir. Matthew Heineman (USA), 2022

Academy Award® nominee and Emmy® winner Matthew Heineman’s (CARTEL LAND, THE FIRST WAVE) newest work captures the final nine months of America’s 20-year war in Afghanistan from multiple perspectives: one of the last US Special Forces units deployed there; a young Afghan general and his corps fighting to defend their homeland against all odds; and the civilians desperately attempting to flee as the country collapses and the Taliban take over. From rarely seen operational control rooms to the frontlines of battle to the chaotic Kabul airport during the final US withdrawal, RETROGRADE offers a cinematic and historic window into the end of America’s longest war, and the costs endured for those most intimately involved. A National Geographic Documentary Films release. 

THE SWIMMERS

US Premiere

dir. Sally El Hosaini (UK), 2022

Based on a true story, renowned director Sally El Hosaini’s electric new feature THE SWIMMERS is a deeply moving exploration of Europe’s refugee crisis, the bonds of family, and the resilience needed to pursue one’s dreams. Set in the midst of the Syrian Civil War, star swimmers Yusra and Sara Mardini (real-life sisters Manal and Nathalie Issa) must flee their war-torn home in a desperate attempt to train in Germany for the 2016 Rio Olympics. As asylum seekers, they face monumental obstacles together, traveling across oceans and borders as they contend with their differences while trying to stay true to themselves. A Netflix release.

VIEWS FROM LONG ISLAND

Sponsored by Suffolk County Film Commission 

THE POWER OF COMMUNITY: HOW ONE TOWN STOOD AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

dir. Markie Hancock (USA), 2022

In the mid-1980s, when abuse insidiously took hold in the lives of three women, a small grassroots group of locals tapped into the good will of the local Rotary Club and the town of East Hampton to establish a shelter called The Retreat, which opened in 1992. Director Markie Hancock uncovers a narrative of survival and empowerment as she retraces the improbable beginnings of The Retreat and its mission to provide safety, shelter, and support to victims of domestic violence. A story of resilience, hope, and inspiration in the face of fraught times, THE POWER OF COMMUNITY is a moving and empathetic testament to a life-saving local institution. 

THE QUIET EPIDEMIC 

dir. Lindsay Keys, Winslow Crane-Murdoch (USA), 2022

After suffering mysterious, debilitating symptoms for years, 11-year-old Julia receives a controversial diagnosis of Chronic Lyme Disease, an illness dismissed by many. Gaslit by doctors and insurance companies at nearly every turn, Julia and her father are left with no choice but to take desperate action— thrusting their family into the middle of a contentious debate dating back nearly 50 years. A disturbing investigation reveals a paper trail of suppressed scientific research on why ticks—and the diseases they carry—have been allowed to quietly spread around the world. A powerful indictment of institutional corruption, Lindsay Keys and Winslow Crane-Murdoch’s THE QUIET EPIDEMIC is a tribute to those working tirelessly to uncover the truth and find a solution. 

WHO INVITED CHARLIE?

World Premiere

dir. Xavier Manrique (USA), 2022

March 2020. With COVID-19 on the rise in NYC, self-centered hedge fund manager Phil Schreiber (Reid Scott, Veep) escapes to the Hamptons with his wife Rosie (Jordana Brewster, THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS) and son Max (Peter Dager) to ride out the lockdown. Their fraught situation is worsened by the unexpected arrival of Phil’s pot-smoking, Bloody Mary-swilling former college roommate, Charlie (Adam Pally, Happy Endings). Armed with untold secrets from Phil’s murky past, Charlie inserts himself into their bubble and quickly makes himself at home. A darkly funny tale of family and friendship, Xavier Manrique’s WHO INVITED CHARLIE? hilariously chronicles the quarantine experience with humor and humanity.

*This film will also screen as part of the Views From Long Island Signature Program.

DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

ALL THAT BREATHES

Sponsored by PURE Insurance

dir. Shaunak Sen (India/UK/USA), 2022
This film also screens as part of the Compassion, Justice and Animal Rights section.

For decades, Muslim brothers Saud and Nadeem have tirelessly devoted their lives to the quixotic effort of protecting black kites—majestic birds of prey that are essential to the ecosystem and have been falling from New Delhi’s darkening skies at alarming rates. Amid pervasive environmental toxicity and social turbulence, the brothers spend day and night caring for these creatures in their makeshift avian basement hospital. Winner of the Documentary Grand Jury Prize at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, ALL THAT BREATHES is a mesmerizing chronicle of inter-species coexistence amidst an ever shifting social and environmental landscape. A Sideshow/Janus Films release.

BOBI WINE: THE PEOPLE’S PRESIDENT

East Coast Premiere

dir. Christopher Sharp, Moses Bwayo (Uganda/UK/USA), 2022

First time director Christopher Sharp, and journalist and filmmaker Moses Bwayo tell the story of Bobi Wine, the musician-turned-politician leading the opposition to the 35-year regime in Uganda. A straightforward portrait turns into an astonishing record of an on-the-ground fight for democracy when Wine runs for president in 2021. Withstanding arrests, torture, and violence from the government, Bobi Wine and his wife Barbie risk their own lives and the lives of their children to lead their country towards freedom. A brave exposition of an authoritarian government that highlights the power of documentary journalism, BOBI WINE: THE PEOPLE’S PRESIDENT gripped audiences at Venice and Telluride Film Festivals this year. A National Geographic Documentary Films release.

IN HER HANDS

New York Premiere

dir. Tamana Ayazi, Marcel Mettelsiefen (USA/Afghanistan), 2022

Filmed across two turbulent years, In Her Hands tells the story of Zarifa Ghafari, who at 26 became one of Afghanistan’s first female mayors and the youngest to ever hold the position. The film documents her fight for survival against the backdrop of her country’s accelerated unraveling. As Western forces announce their retreat and the Taliban start their sweep back to power, Zarifa and women across the country face a new reality. Amid these tectonic changes, Zarifa must make the most difficult decision of her life. A Netflix release. 

PRAY FOR OUR SINNERS

East Coast Premiere

dir. Sinéad O’Shea (Ireland), 2022

Director Sinéad O’Shea returns home to the small Irish town of Navan to shed light on the painful grip that the Catholic Church held over her community for decades. Skillfully weaving together rare revelatory interviews, archival footage, and present-day investigations, she uncovers a dark history of abuse condoned by the Church, including the horrors of mother-and-baby homes and the persistent violence against schoolchildren. While exposing the co-dependent relationship among Church, State, and the Irish people that allowed for widespread abuse, PRAY FOR OUR SINNERS also reveals unlikely heroes and quiet victories, provides uplifting moments of closure, and celebrates the resilience of Navan’s townspeople.

UNDER THE INFLUENCE

New York Premiere

dir. Casey Neistat (USA), 2022

YouTuber-turned-filmmaker Casey Neistat explores the triumphs and consequences of internet culture in his first documentary feature, which captivated audiences at South by Southwest. UNDER THE INFLUENCE tracks the meteoric rise and fall of massively popular Vine and YouTube star David Dobrik, from the wild, often highly dangerous stunts of his “Vlog Squad” to disturbing allegations of complicity in a sexual assault scandal that threatened to cancel his success. With a finger on the pulse of the internet, Neistat skillfully examines the roles of stardom and accountability in the Wild West of digital entertainment.

NARRATIVE COMPETITION

CLOSE

East Coast Premiere

dir. Lukas Dhont (Belgium/Netherlands/France), 2022

Thirteen-year-old boys Léo (Eden Dambrine) and Rémi (Gustav De Waele) share an intense bond, but as their intimacy comes under scrutiny, their friendship fractures. In the aftermath, Léo builds his own sense of self while seeking answers from Remi’s mother, Sophie (Émilie Dequenne). In his brilliantly crafted sophomore feature, Belgian director Lukas Dhont delivers a visually rich, heartbreaking exploration of intimacy, shame, and responsibility. Featuring breakout performances from its young stars and set against the stunning backdrop of the Belgian countryside, CLOSE was one of the most talked-about films at the Cannes Film Festival, winning the festival’s Grand Prix. An A24 release.

HOW TO BLOW UP A PIPELINE

US Premiere

dir. Daniel Goldhaber (USA), 2022

Fed up with inaction against climate change, a crew of young environmental activists plan a bold mission to sabotage a major oil pipeline. Based on the controversial book of the same name by Andreas Malm, director Daniel Goldhaber’s debut feature is a radical case study on the fight for survival in the face of environmental catastrophe, powered by an outstanding ensemble cast of stellar young actors and dynamic cinematography. Fresh off its Toronto International Film Festival premiere, HOW TO BLOW UP A PIPELINE delivers a potent blend of high-stakes heist thrills and unapologetic demands for action from a generation coming of age in today’s climate crisis. A Neon release. 

RETURN TO SEOUL

dir. Davy Chou (South Korea/France/Cambodia/Germany/Belgium/Qatar), 2022

Mercurial and impetuous, 25-year-old Frédérique “Freddie” Benoît (Park Ji-min) impulsively returns to her motherland of South Korea for the first time since her adoption to a French family. Inexperienced with both the native language and the nuances of Korean cult​​ure, she inelegantly sets out to track down her biological parents for answers—unknowingly embarking on a turbulent, eight-year-long journey towards her own self-discovery. Featuring arrestingly sensory visuals and an electrifying performance from first-time actor Park, French-Cambodian filmmaker Davy Chou’s stunning sophomore feature is a soulful meditation on identity, personhood, and what makes a place home. A Sony Pictures Classics release.

RODEO

East Coast Premiere

dir. Lola Quivoron (France), 2022

In the gritty suburbs north of Paris, fiercely independent Julia (breakout star Julie Ledru) lives only for the thrill of motorcycling, stealing and scraping by in order to feed her hunger for the rev of an engine. When she meets an ultra-masculine motorbiking crime ring at an urban ‘rodeo,’ Julia seems to finally find a family, but the escalating demands to earn her place begin to threaten her safety. Captured by dynamic, thrilling cinematography, director Lola Quivoron’s electric feature debut stunned the Cannes Film Festival with its roaring horsepower, death-defying acrobatics, and tenderly crafted relationships. A Music Box Films release.

SUMMER WITH HOPE

North American Premiere

dir. Sadaf Foroughi (Canada/Iran), 2022

In her second feature, writer/director Sadaf Foroughi delicately crafts a slow-burn coming-of-age drama that builds to a churning, heart-wrenching emotional climax. As Omid (Mehdi Ghorbani) trains for a prestigious swimming competition with the help of his friend and coach Mani (Benyamin Peyrovani), the scrutiny of their families and community threatens their growing bond. Through powerful, poetic cinematography and set against the stunningly rugged landscape of the Caspian Sea, Foroughi tells a story that pits family responsibility against a desire for vulnerability in traditional patriarchal Iranian society.

WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY

ALL THE BEAUTY AND THE BLOODSHED

dir. Laura Poitras (USA), 2022

From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Laura Poitras (CITIZENFOUR) comes the epic, emotional story of the internationally renowned artist and activist Nan Goldin. Illustrated with a rich collection of personal artworks, slideshows, and rare archival footage, Goldin recounts her own journey in intimate detail—reflecting on her illustrious career as one of the world’s greatest living photographers, her personal struggles with addiction, and her dedicated fight to hold the Sackler dynasty accountable for their part in the deadly opioid crisis. Expertly marrying the personal with the political, ALL THE BEAUTY AND THE BLOODSHED is an enthralling and empowering portrait of Goldin’s extraordinary life. A Neon release. 

THE CAVE OF ADULLAM

dir. Laura Checkoway (USA), 2022

Academy Award®-nominated director Laura Checkoway (EDITH + EDDIE, HIFF 2017) delivers a tender new documentary on the intersections of masculinity and mental health. In the heart of Detroit, Jason Wilson opens a martial arts training center for young, underserved Black boys. When he realizes they need much more than discipline, Jason helps four new recruits confront the source of their unresolved anger, fear, and anxiety. THE CAVE OF ADULLAM is a probing look into the racist structures that fail many of America’s youth as well as a compassionate testament to the power of community, love, and vulnerability.

DE HUMANI CORPORIS FABRICA

dir. Véréna Paravel, Lucien Castaing-Taylor (France/USA/Switzerland), 2022

Véréna Paravel and Lucien Castaing-Taylor, the duo who brought us the ingenious ethnographic documentary about the fishing industry LEVIATHAN, now turn their lenses inward—and directly into the human body. A mixture of microscope cameras, endoscopic imagery, X-rays, and ultrasound probes reveal the unseen landscapes of our interiors, abstractly beautiful and terrifying. Footage from hospitals across Paris add an air of cool detachment to this surreal exploration of life and death. An innovative and moving meditation on the fragility of our existence, DE HUMANI CORPORIS FABRICA stunned and enthralled viewers in equal measure when it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. A Grasshopper Films release.

DESCENDANT

dir. Margaret Brown (USA), 2022

Award-winning documentary filmmaker Margaret Brown (THE GREAT INVISIBLE, HIFF 2014) returns to her hometown of Mobile, Alabama, to document the historic search for The Clotilda, the last known ship illegally carrying enslaved Africans to arrive in the United States in 1860. After a century of secrecy and speculation, the long-awaited discovery of the remains of the ship puts the spotlight on the descendants of Africatown as they actively fight to preserve their heritage and seek justice. A moving and layered contemplation of a community taking control of their legacy, DESCENDANT thoughtfully examines the interplay between memory and evidence, and questions how history is passed and is preserved. A Netflix release. 

DESPERATE SOULS, DARK CITY AND THE LEGEND OF MIDNIGHT COWBOY

East Coast Premiere

dir. Nancy Buirski (USA), 2022

In 1969, the masterpiece MIDNIGHT COWBOY shocked and enraptured audiences with its honest, gritty portrayal of New York City hustlers, breaking barriers as the only X-rated film to ever win the Academy Award® for Best Picture. Director Nancy Buirski (THE LOVING STORY, HIFF 2011) excavates the lives of its creators, including the brilliantly talented actors Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman, blacklisted screenwriting legend Waldo Salt, and fearless director John Schlesinger. Elegantly combining extensive archival material with compelling new interviews, DESPERATE SOULS, DARK CITY illuminates how one film captured the essence of a time and a place, reflecting a rapidly changing society with striking clarity. 

THE EXILES

New York Premiere

dir. Ben Klein, Violet Columbus (USA), 2022

In their documentary feature debut, Ben Klein and Violet Columbus team up with the lovable loudmouth Christine Choy, an Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker (WHO KILLED VINCENT CHIN?), professor, and activist whose iconoclastic opinions have inspired a generation of artists. Seeking closure on a project Choy had left unfinished thirty years ago, the trio revisit old footage and reunite with three exiled, pro-democracy dissidents from the Tiananmen Square massacre, whom Choy had interviewed decades earlier. Winner of the top documentary prize at the Sundance Film Festival, THE EXILES is a profound reflection on identity and belonging, and the fragile nature of record and remembrance.  

THE FIRE THAT TOOK HER

dir. Patricia E. Gillespie (USA), 2022

In 2015, 31-year-old mother of two Judy Malinowski was doused in petrol and set on fire by her ex-boyfriend. After her death, she became one of the first women to testify at her own murder trial from beyond the grave. Director Patricia E. Gillespie meticulously constructs the story behind this landmark legal case through harrowing firsthand footage, interviews with Judy’s family, and accounts from the police officers and attorneys who brought her murderer to justice. At the intersection of true crime and #MeToo, THE FIRE THAT TOOK HER fearlessly and compassionately articulates the tragedy of how much women must suffer in order to be believed. An MTV Documentary Films release. 

GOOD NIGHT OPPY

East Coast Premiere

dir. Ryan White (USA), 2022

In 2004, NASA scientists and engineers anxiously looked on as their exploration rover Opportunity touched down on Mars. Designed to survive only 90 days, the robot—lovingly dubbed “Oppy”—set out to search for traces of life on the dusty Red Planet. Surpassing all expectations, the resilient rover kept on going; what was intended to be a short-lived mission became an epic expedition lasting nearly 15 years. Pairing extraordinary archival footage with unmatched visual effects from Industrial Light & Magic (of STAR WARS fame), Ryan White’s GOOD NIGHT OPPY charts the rover’s unforgettable journey and the indescribable bond forged between man and machine millions of miles away. An Amazon Prime Video Release. 

GROUCHO & CAVETT

World Premiere

dir. Robert S. Bader (USA), 2022

Equal parts touching and revelatory, GROUCHO & CAVETT shines a light on the enduring friendship between Emmy®-winning television personality Dick Cavett and iconic comedian Groucho Marx. While working as a writer for Jack Parr on The Tonight Show, Cavett met Marx by chance at a funeral, sparking a mentorship in which Marx encouraged Cavett to step into the spotlight himself as a comedian. Through new interviews with Cavett, archival footage of Marx’s frequent visits to The Dick Cavett Show at the end of his life, and other rare recordings, director Robert S. Bader crafts a portrait of a legendary friendship spanning two comedic generations with insight, humor, and heart. A PBS American Masters release. 

JANUARY 6TH

World Premiere

dir. Jules Naudet, Gédéon Naudet (USA), 2022

Few moments loom larger in contemporary American history than the events of January 6, 2021. With unprecedented access to the Capitol and DC Metropolitan police departments, Emmy and Peabody-winning directors Gédéon and Jules Naudet (9/11, November 13: Attack on Paris) examine the insurrection from the unique perspective of the heroes, first responders, and survivors of the violent attack. Featuring interviews with members of Congress, Capitol staffers, and police officers about their experiences on that calamitous day, JANUARY 6TH is an unvarnished record of the resilience and bravery of those on the scene—an urgent reminder that democracy is never something to be taken for granted. A Warner Bros/Discovery+ Release. 

LIFT

dir. David Petersen (USA), 2022

Academy Award®-nominated director David Petersen tells the inspiring story of LIFT, an afterschool ballet program for housing-insecure youth in New York City. Bronx-born dancer and choreographer Steven Melendez leads the program, helping his students make the aristocratic art form their own while reckoning with his own traumatic childhood in a shelter. Shot over an impressive ten-year span and supported by principal advisor Misty Copeland, LIFT tracks the triumphs and trials of the children who grew up attending the program, capturing in real time how Melendez’s support and mentorship empowers them to navigate their difficult home circumstances and find their own voices through dance. 

LOUIS ARMSTRONG’S BLACK & BLUES

dir. Sacha Jenkins (USA), 2022

In his illuminating portrait of the iconic artist, filmmaker Sacha Jenkins honors Louis Armstrong’s legacy as a founding father of jazz, one of the first internationally known and beloved stars, and a cultural ambassador. Showing sides of Armstrong few have been privileged to see, Jenkins comprehensively covers his extraordinary life—spanning from the Civil War to the Civil Rights movement—illustrating how he became a lightning rod figure throughout that turbulent era. Presented through a lens of archival footage, never-before-heard home recordings and personal conversations, LOUIS ARMSTRONG’S BLACK & BLUES offers an intimate and revealing look at a musician who changed the world. An Apple Original release.

*This film will also screen as the 30th Anniversary Special Screening in Southampton. 

NAKED GARDENS

dir. Ivete Lucas, Patrick Bresnan (USA/France), 2022

A visually stunning narrative documentary, NAKED GARDENS immerses audiences in the complex, unseen world of a Co-directors Ivete Lucas and Patrick Bresnan (PAHOKEE, 2019) return to HIFF with this brilliant portrait of a nudist resort in the Florida Everglades. Filmed over one season at the campsite, and culminating in their annual Mid-Winter Naturist Festival, NAKED GARDENS sensitively and respectfully explores the stories of the individuals and families who choose to live there, for reasons ranging from affordability to non-conformist values to healing from past trauma. Through their stunning signature verité style, Lucas and Bresnan capture the sublime tranquility of the lush, tropical resort and quietly challenge preconceptions of nudism in this unlikely snapshot of contemporary America. 

THE VOLCANO: RESCUE FROM WHAKAARI

World Premiere

dir. Rory Kennedy (USA), 2022

In her tense and gripping new documentary, Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Rory Kennedy (LAST DAYS IN VIETNAM) tracks the minute-by-minute unfolding of the tragic volcanic eruption off the coast of New Zealand in 2019, when a routine sightseeing day-trip to a remote volcanic island left 47 tourists and guides trapped in the epicenter of a boiling pyroclastic surge of toxic dust and ash. Offering more than a startling and brutal portrait of mother nature’s profound indifference, THE VOLCANO: RESCUE FROM WHAKAARI serves as testimony to humans’ innate generosity by celebrating the survivors and the everyday people who courageously came to their rescue. A Netflix release.

WORLD CINEMA NARRATIVE

Sponsored by by Warren Tricomi Salon 

AFTERSUN

dir. Charlotte Wells (UK/USA), 2022

In her vibrant directorial debut, Charlotte Wells crafts a poignant portrait of a father and daughter on a fateful holiday in the 1990s. Spending a hazy summer weekend together at a budget Turkish resort, 11-year-old Sophie (Frankie Corio, in a breakout performance) treasures this rare time with her father, the loving yet melancholic Calum (Emmy® nominee Paul Mescal, Normal People), whose inner turmoil simmers beneath the surface. Years later, Sophie tenderly pieces together memories and home footage of that summer, struggling to reconcile the man she loved with the sides of him that will forever remain unknowable. A gorgeously textured drama, the Cannes prize-winning AFTERSUN established Wells as a promising new voice in cinema. An A24 release. 

ALCARRÀS

dir. Carla Simón (Spain/Italy), 2022

A poetic study of the passing of a way of life and the clash between tradition and industry, ALCARRÀS is a luscious ensemble drama soaked in sun and nostalgia. In a small village in Spain, the Sole family spends every summer picking peaches from their orchards. Confronted with an eviction notice and plans to replace their groves with solar panels, conflicts simmering within the family rise to the surface. Carla Simón (SUMMER 1993, HIFF 2017) returns with a dazzling new feature about a family on the brink of irrevocable change, which earned the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. A MUBI release. 

BROKER

dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda (South Korea), 2022

Circumnavigating the endless bureaucracy of legal adoption, Sang-hyun (Song Kang Ho, PARASITE) and Dong-soo (Gang Dong Won) are two “brokers” who unlawfully connect abandoned infants with affluent couples through the black market. When one stolen child’s birth mother unexpectedly returns to ensure her baby is placed in a good home, the three embark on a journey to find the perfect parents—forming an unlikely family of their own along the way. Five years after his Palme d’Or winning SHOPLIFTERS, celebrated Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda’s deeply humanist tale earned Song the Best Actor prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. A Neon release.

CHRISSY JUDY

New York Premiere

dir. Todd Flaherty (USA), 2022

Writer/director Todd Flaherty’s debut feature is a charming and outrageous exploration of queer friendship and what happens when your chosen family no longer chooses you. Ambitious 30-something drag queen/cater-waiter Judy (Flaherty) and his best friend Chrissy (Wyatt Fenner) do everything together—from chasing boys to perfecting their drag act—while dreaming of making it big. When Chrissy’s priorities abruptly shift, a disillusioned Judy struggles to redefine himself without his best friend. Shot in stunning black-and-white cinematography and featuring an enthralling breakout performance from Flaherty, CHRISSY JUDY tells a moving, universal story about the pain of a lost friendship and the empowerment of self-discovery. 

CORSAGE

dir. Marie Kreutzer (Austria/Luxembourg/Germany/France), 2022

Long idolized by her subjects for her beauty and fashionable tastes, Empress Elizabeth ‘Sissi’ of Austria (Vicky Krieps, PHANTOM THREAD) faces losing the public’s interest now that she has turned the dreaded age of 40. With her role in politics reduced to the purely performative, and a monotonous future of strictly ceremonial duties ahead of her, Sissi resolves to rebel against the world’s hyperbolized image of her. Grounded in Krieps’ incendiary, unsentimental performance, which earned her an acting prize at the Cannes Film Festival, Marie Kreutzer’s CORSAGE is an enthralling portrait of a woman determined to take back control of her narrative and protect her legacy. An IFC Films release.

DECISION TO LEAVE

dir. Park Chan-wook (South Korea), 2022

Full of Hitchcockian twists and turns, DECISION TO LEAVE is an elaborate and emotionally complex crime story. Married, hard-working detective Hae-jin (Park Hae-il) is sent to investigate the mysterious death of a man found at the foot of the mountains. When he falls for the prime suspect—the dead man’s enigmatic wife Seo-rae (Tang Wei, LUST, CAUTION)—Hae-jin must balance personal feeling with moral duty in this delicately wrought tale of love and obsession, which keeps its viewers guessing right till the end. This romantic thriller has enthralled audiences and critics alike, earning visionary filmmaker Park Chan-wook (THE HANDMAIDEN, HIFF 2016) the prestigious Best Director Prize at Cannes. A MUBI release.

HOLY SPIDER

East Coast Premiere

dir. Ali Abbasi (Denmark/Germany/Sweden/France), 2022

Strong-willed female journalist Rahimi (Cannes Best Actress winner Zar Amir Ebrahimi) travels to the Iranian holy city of Mashad to investigate a serial killer targeting the city’s sex workers in the name of God. Her quest for justice is complicated when the fanatical “Spider Killer” is heralded by many as a hero. This expertly crafted crime thriller subverts and upends the genre with a tale that spins its own web of duplicity and bureaucracy within the frailty of human morality. Loosely based on a true story, HIFF alum Ali Abbasi’s HOLY SPIDER is both a psychological game of cat and mouse and an incisive critique of institutionalized systemic misogyny. A Utopia release.

KARAOKE

dir. Moshe Rosenthal (Israel), 2022

Set in the middle-class Israeli suburb of Holon, director Moshe Rosenthal’s hilarious and touching debut feature film follows retired couple Meir (Sasson Gaby) and Tova (Rita Shukrun), who over the years have lost their passion for each other and for life. When their charismatic new neighbor Itsik (Lior Ashkenazi) starts hosting karaoke nights in the penthouse upstairs, they both become seduced by his energetic charm and begin to compete for his attention. Featuring standout performances and a wry yet affectionate sense of humor, KARAOKE explores what it means to grow old together while staying youthful along the way. A Greenwich release. 

MORE THAN EVER

North American Premiere

dir. Emily Atef (France/Germany/Luxembourg/Norway), 2022

The effortlessly happy marriage of Bordeaux-based couple Hélène (Vicky Krieps, PHANTOM THREAD) and Mathieu (Gaspard Ulliel, SAINT LAURENT) is turned upside down when 33-year-old Hélène is diagnosed with a rare and devastating illness. Making an existential choice that will forever test the strength of their relationship, she journeys alone to Norway, hoping to reclaim the autonomy that her disease threatens to strip away. Elegantly lensed and featuring exquisite turns from both Krieps and the late Ulliel—in what would tragically be his final role—Emily Atef’s MORE THAN EVER is a deeply empathetic and quietly life-affirming tale of love and loss.

NANNY

dir. Nikyatu Jusu (USA), 2022

In Nikyatu Jusu’s arresting debut feature, recent Senegalese émigré Aisha (Anna Diop) takes a job looking after the daughter of a privileged New York City couple (Michelle Monaghan and Morgan Spector), hoping it will afford her the opportunity to bring over the son she left behind. Increasingly unsettled by rising tensions within the household, Aisha finds herself plagued by a violent, supernatural presence that threatens to destabilize everything she has been painstakingly working towards. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, NANNY explores the psychological horrors of the immigrant experience and unravels the dangerous myth of the American Dream. An Amazon Prime Video Release. 

ONE FINE MORNING

dir. Mia Hansen-Løve (France), 2022

Celebrated filmmaker Mia Hansen-Løve (BERGMAN ISLAND, THINGS TO COME) crafts a beautifully intricate portrait of a young, widowed mother (Léa Seydoux) as she struggles to balance the exhausting obligations of her everyday life in Paris—from raising her daughter (Camille Leban Martins) as a single parent to keeping up with her work as a translator, all whilst caring for her ailing father (Pascal Greggory) and developing a relationship with her married lover (Melvil Poupaud). A favorite at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, and grounded in Seydoux’s nuanced performance, ONE FINE MORNING captures the unsentimental ups and downs of the human experience with empathy and elegance. A Sony Pictures Classics release.

PINBALL: THE MAN WHO SAVED THE GAME

World Premiere 

dir. Austin Bragg, Meredith Bragg (USA), 2022

In 1970s New York City, down-on-his-luck writer Roger Sharpe (Mike Faist, WEST SIDE STORY) has only one source of joy: pinball. When he learns during a police raid that his passion is considered illegal gambling, Roger sets out on a history-making mission: to overturn the ban by using his own abilities to prove pinball is a game of skill rather than purely one of chance. Based on a true story, this charming debut feature from brothers Austin and Meredith Bragg captures the spirit of a beloved American pastime with snappy humor, a timeless love story, and very impressive mustaches. 

R.M.N.

dir. Cristian Mungiu (Romania/France), 2022

Palme d’Or-winning director Cristian Mungiu (4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS, 2 DAYS) presents a superbly crafted and complex portrait of a community at the cross section of poverty, ecology, and politics. Matthias (Marin Grigore) returns home to his multi-ethnic village in Transylvania, where he is preoccupied by his ailing father, his suddenly mute son, and his ex-lover Csilla (Judith State). When Csilla hires migrant workers from Sri Lanka at the local bread factory, the town’s thin veneer of understanding and calm is shattered, revealing the roots of xenophobia and the villagers’ underlying fears and conflicts. R.M.N. is a breathtakingly taut psycho-drama full of surreal twists and turns. An IFC Films release. 

TRIANGLE OF SADNESS

dir. Ruben Östlund (Sweden/France/UK/Turkey/Germany), 2022

HIFF alum Ruben Östlund (FORCE MAJEURE, THE SQUARE) strikes again with this shocking comedic satire of modern extravagance in the era of Insta-fame. A young model Carl (Harris Dickinson) and his girlfriend Yaya (Charlbi Dean) are invited to join the wealthy elite aboard a luxury cruise helmed by a slightly crazed captain (Woody Harrelson). What promises to be a lavish voyage soon derails into a disaster of epic proportion. Artfully told, this wild romp won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and delivers a riotous (and at times hard to stomach) commentary on the superficial glitz and glamor of high society. A Neon release.

NARRATIVE SHORT FILM COMPETITION

CHERRIES

East Coast Premiere

dir. Vytautas Katkus (Lithuania), 2022

A recently retired father invites his son to help him with the cherry-picking in the garden. The father is in no hurry to finish the job, though, as he tries to catch up with his son.

THE MELTING CREATURES

US Premiere

dir. Diego Céspedes (Chile/France), 2022

Nataly, a trans woman, visits a former lover with her daughter Secreto. Here, in a mysterious reclusive community that hides from the sun, traumatic memories of a toxic and abusive relationship resurface.

REST STOP

US Premiere

dir. Crystal Kayiza (USA), 2021

On a bus ride from New York to Oklahoma, a young Ugandan-American girl realizes her place in the world through her mother’s efforts to reunite their family.

SHE ALWAYS WINS

US Premiere

dir. Hazel McKibbin (USA/UK), 2022

A young woman views her new relationship through her sister’s eyes and, for the first time, understands that she is making herself small to accommodate her partner’s ego. 

SNOW IN SEPTEMBER

US Premiere

dir. Lkhagvadulam (Dulmaa) Purev-Ochir (Mongolia/France), 2022

Davka, a Mongolian teenager living in a decaying Soviet-era apartment block, meets a mysterious older woman who challenges his views on intimacy.

DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM COMPETITION

THE FAMILY STATEMENT

New York Premiere

dir. Grace Harper, Kate Stonehill (UK), 2022

The Sackler family built a fortune on the back of addictive pharmaceutical drugs. Using private family messages, this film constructs a dialogue between the Sacklers and those on the frontline of the opioid crisis.

PARTY POSTER

East Coast Premiere

dir. Rishi Chandna (India), 2021

Science, religion and politics comically collide amidst a raging pandemic in suburban Mumbai, when laundrymen set out to design a poster celebrating a popular annual festival worshiping the deity Ganesha.

THE SENTENCE OF MICHAEL THOMPSON

dir. Kyle Thrash, Haley Elizabeth Anderson (USA), 2022

Convicted in 1994 for selling cannabis, Michael Thompson was the longest-serving nonviolent offender in Michigan history. After the state legalizes the substance, his daughter and his lawyer fight for his clemency, revealing the harmful ramifications of the war on drugs. 

WHEN THE LAPD BLOWS UP YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

dir. Nathan Truesdell (USA), 2022

Tensions rise on a busy street as news organizations and local residents witness an extremely volatile situation turn into a literal powder keg.

WILL YOU LOOK AT ME

New York Premiere

dir. Shuli Huang (China), 2022

A young Chinese filmmaker returns to his hometown, where a long overdue conversation with his mother plunges them into a quest for love and acceptance.

SHORT FILMS – NEW YORK WOMEN IN FILM & TELEVISION: WOMEN CALLING THE SHOTS

Presented in partnership with NYWIFT

BEA, SERIOUSLY

dir. Hanna Gray Organschi (USA), 2021

Bea shows up at her mother’s house to decide what to do about an unexpected pregnancy.

DEAR MAMA…

New York Premiere

dir. Winter Dunn (USA), 2021

The death of a musical icon forces a family to confront each other and the emotional aftermath of their own recent loss.

EL CARRITO

dir. Zahida Pirani (USA), 2021

Nelly works tirelessly as a street vendor in Queens. Determined to change her circumstances, she makes a risky business decision.

GIRLS GOT GAME

dir. Elizabeth Lo (USA), 2022

In a field often openly hostile to women, one of the oldest e-sports organizations launches GX3, its first all-women professional team. Four new recruits participate in the company’s bootcamp.

PAPER GEESE

New York Premiere

dir. Elizabeth Chatelain (USA), 2022

After an unsuccessful goose hunt, a young girl grapples with seeing her father in a new light.

SANA QUE SANA

dir. Gabriella Aguirre (USA), 2022

An exploration of healing and betrayal told within the framework of personal family history.

UNIVERSITY SHORT FILMS SHOWCASE

BERRY PICKERS

dir. Agnes Skonare Karlsson (Sweden), 2022

Two Thai brothers, Nat and Tem, take out a large loan to go to Northern Sweden as migrant workers in the berry picking industry, hoping to secure a brighter future for themselves back home.

GLORIOUS REVOLUTION

US Premiere

dir. Masha Novikova (UK/Ukraine/Germany), 2021

In 2014, at the height of the Ukrainian revolution, a mother loses her son when he is killed while protesting in Independence Square. Her attempt to bury him as a hero clashes with a corrupt bureaucratic system, testing her view of Ukraine.

MOTHERLAND

New York Premiere

dir. Christina Yoon (South Korea/USA), 2022

Leah, a Korean adoptee raised in America, returns to Korea to search for her birth mother. Though she is met with secrecy from the adoption agency as well as her own family, she remains relentless on her solo journey. 

TEXTURES

New York Premiere

dir. Lindsay Opoku-Acheampong (USA), 2021

Follow the interweaving stories of Taylor, Camille, and Azani as they perform a weekly ritual in Black womanhood. TEXTURES traverses the intricate relationship Black women have with their hair.

WET

dir. Marianne Bergeonneau, Lauriane Montpert, Mélina Mandon, Cloé Peyrebrune, Elvira Taussac (France), 2021

During a thrilling massage, a lady plans to seduce her masseur. Through different rooms of a thermal cure, a seduction game takes place.

SPLASH! SHORTS FOR ALL AGES

CUPIDS

dir. Zoey Martinson (USA), 2021

When three kids worry that their beloved school bus driver will be lonely this summer without them, they set out to find her a partner.

KAYAK

dir. Solène Bosseboeuf, Flore Dechorgnat, Tiphaine Klein, Auguste Lefort, Antoine Rossi (France), 2021

A father and his young son set out on a kayak trip down the river. A peaceful day soon turns into a real family adventure!

LOST BRAIN

New York Premiere

dir. Isabelle Favez (Switzerland), 2021

One day Louise the Crocodile sneezes her brain out and suddenly the simplest tasks present huge challenges. Louise must find a way to rediscover her world before she fades away.

MAMA HAS A MUSTACHE

dir. Sally Rubin (USA), 2021

A fun and quirky exploration of gender and family, as seen through children’s eyes.

THE OCEAN DUCK

dir. Huda Razzak (USA), 2021

During a flood a young woman visits her sick grandmother at the hospital. The flood brings back memories of the past and fantastical visions—as an ancient tale comes to life.

OMAR & PINCETTE

US Premiere

dir. Julien Sulser (Switzerland), 2021

Omar has crab claws for arms and works tirelessly for the cruel circus director Monsieur Jules. Life seems hopeless until Pincette, a ropewalking mermaid, arrives; suddenly, anything seems possible!

TAILS ON ICE

dir. Miranda Currie (Canada), 2021

A young Canadian sled dog sets out on her first trial expedition with the pack across the snowy landscape.

SHORT FILMS – ON THE ROAD TO NOWHERE

AUNTIE

East Coast Premiere

dir. Fawzia Mirza (USA), 2022

Unemployed, 39-year-old Hena goes to a happy hour for lawyers and befriends a group of 20-somethings who add her to their group chat.

DETACHED

World Premiere

dir. Harry Schleiff, Sidney Schleiff (USA), 2021

When a couple cohabitating in Los Angeles become bored with their stagnant, repetitive life together, an inexplicable event forces them both to confront the reality of living with an idealized version of their partner.

THE DIAMOND

New York Premiere

dir. Vedran Rupic (Sweden), 2021

Stefan is a lonely man. Walking in the woods, he stumbles across a diamond he can’t reach. The solution soon presents itself in the form of a much smaller man and a life lesson about seeking treasures.

LOUIS I. KING OF THE SHEEP

New York Premiere

dir. Markus Wulf (Germany), 2022

One day Louis the sheep puts on a crown and becomes Louis I. King of the Sheep. With his newfound power, Louis starts to change the world around him to his liking—until the winds shift.

NYC TIPS AND TRICKS

dir. Amber Schaefer (USA), 2021

A smalltime travel vlogger’s tour of Coney Island is interrupted by an unexpected call.

REASONS

East Coast Premiere

dir. Charlotte Peters (UK), 2022

When a dinner party derails into a series of petty arguments and unspoken grievances, it gradually becomes apparent that what all these guests have in common is an awkward secret.

SHORT FILMS – STOP MAKING SENSE

BIG BANG

North American Premiere

dir. Carlos Segundo (France/Brazil), 2022

Chico earns his living fixing ovens, into which he easily fits, thanks to his small size. Disregarded and marginalized by a society that hates him, Chico begins to resist.

THE CRIMSON MERCEDES

East Coast Premiere

dir. Marine Levéel (France), 2022

Carrying the weight of her past, Annie whispers to the dunes. Fearful that the burdens of history will affect her daughter, Annie looks for solutions in the most unlikely of places.

LAST DAYS OF AUGUST

dir. Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck, Robert Machoian (USA), 2022

Blurring the lines between still photography and cinema, this portrait examines the effects of the e-commerce industry on the small prairie towns of Nebraska.

MY DUDUŚ

dir. Tom Krawczyk (USA), 2022

A Polish mother in Chicago grieves when her only child leaves home to study in Poland. While her son is away, she forges a unique and powerful bond with a baby squirrel in her backyard.

SUGAR GLASS BOTTLE

World Premiere

dir. Neo Sora (Japan), 2022

Near-future Tokyo. A sheepish high schooler finds a surprising way to express his mounting frustration at the insidious forces of commercialism that are forcing out his neighbors.

SHORT FILMS – LOOKING BACKWARD, LOOKING FORWARD

THE HEADHUNTER’S DAUGHTER

dir. Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan (Philippines), 2021

Leaving her family behind, Lynn traverses the harrowing roads of the Cordillera highlands to try her luck in the city as a country singer.

HILLS AND MOUNTAINS

International Premiere

dir. Salar Pashtoonyar (Afghanistan/Canada), 2022

Shot in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, this thought-provoking and humane hybrid of documentary and fiction delves into the experience of a woman forced to the edge of her society.

MARIA SCHNEIDER, 1983

dir. Elisabeth Subrin (France), 2022

Maria Schneider gave an interview for the TV show Cinéma Cinémas in 1983, and the conversation took an unexpected turn when she challenged the practices of the film industry. By reframing the conversation, what can we learn?

SIERRA

New York Premiere

dir. Sander Joon (Estonia), 2022

In this surreal animation loosely inspired by the director’s childhood, a father and his son are losing a car race; in order to win, the boy turns himself into a tire.

THE VOICE ACTRESS

dir. Anna J. Takayama (Japan), 2022

A veteran voice actress working in Tokyo must navigate the ever-changing modern industry.

CONFLICT & RESOLUTION SHORTS PROGRAM

ANASTASIA

New York Premiere

dir. Sarah McCarthy (Russia/USA), 2022

Russian activist Anastasia Shevchenko was arrested and detained under house arrest for two years for speaking out against the government, with devastating personal consequences. As Anastasia and her family travel across Russia by train, she comes to grips with her loss and what it means to fight for freedom.

THE FLAGMAKERS

New York Premiere

dir. Cynthia Wade, Sharon Liese (USA), 2022

THE FLAGMAKERS is a peek into the country’s largest American flag and flagpole manufacturer, where refugees and immigrants who have risked everything to come to the USA, alongside their midwestern co-workers, stitch and sew five million American flags a year.

STRANGER AT THE GATE

dir. Josh Seftel (USA), 2021

After 25 years of service, U.S. Marine Mac McKinney returns home to Indiana full of rage, determined to continue his fight for his country. When he meets the community at his local mosque, his destructive plans take an unexpected turn.

SHORT FILMS – VIEWS FROM LONG ISLAND SHOWCASE

THE END

World Premiere

dir. Emily Sundberg (USA), 2022

An exploration of the history and lore surrounding Gardiners Island, America’s oldest privately owned island.

THE PASS

New York Premiere

dir. Pepi Ginsberg (USA), 2022

On holiday, Ben goes swimming at a private beach. His peaceful afternoon is disturbed when he meets a menacing stranger, leaving Ben afraid to get out of the water.

ROCCO UP

New York Premiere

dir. John Madere (USA), 2022

Rocco is an autistic boy who has always loved being in the ocean. Over the years, he develops confidence, grace, and remarkable balance on his surfboard.

THE ROLLING EAST

dir. Ben Potter (USA), 2022

A visual embodiment of a surfer’s experience in New York, where patience and persistence are key.

ABOUT HAMPTONSFILM

HamptonsFilm, home of the Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF), based in East Hampton on the Eastern End of Long Island, was founded in 1992 to celebrate the art of film and to introduce a unique and varied spectrum of international films and filmmakers to our audiences. A non-profit organization with year-round screenings of global narrative and documentary films, an annual Screenwriters Lab, a summer documentary showcase, and extensive educational initiatives, HamptonsFilm offers programs that enlighten, educate, and provide invaluable exposure for filmmakers, while also providing the East End of Long Island with an educational and cultural experience that enriches the lives of its citizens and contributes to the local economy.  HIFF, celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, is an annual premiere film event in New York State with an intimate showcase of some of the year’s best offerings in contemporary cinema from around the world. Awarding prizes to filmmakers in cash and goods and services of over $130,000 each year, with over $4.5 million awarded in competition funds and services over the past 29 years, our program continues to play an important role during awards season. For 12 consecutive years, through the 2021 awards season, HIFF screened the eventual Best Picture winner at the Oscars, making it the only festival in the world with this distinction.  For more information, please visit hamptonsfilmfest.org.