Volunteer firefighters in the Catskills, a Woodstock painter, and a chance conversation with a stranger in town will reach the screen next month at the 27th Woodstock Film Festival.
The festival, running Oct. 14–18 at venues in Woodstock, Rosendale, Kingston, and Saugerties, released its short-film program Sept. 17: 110 selections across narrative, documentary, and animation, including 22 world premieres. The shorts join a feature lineup released a day earlier that includes new work from Jesse Eisenberg, Danny Boyle, Martin McDonagh, and James Gray.
Eisenberg’s “The Debut” is the opening-night film. Peter Farrelly’s “I Play Rocky” is the centerpiece, and Boyle’s “Ink” will close the festival. Amanda Seyfried, Paul Rudd, Tim Blake Nelson, and Britt Lower are among the actors expected to attend, according to organizers.
This year’s festival is the last before Meira Blaustein, its co-founder and executive director, leaves her leadership role.
“As I prepare to pass the torch, I’m excited to celebrate this remarkable group of artists and everything that has made the Woodstock Film Festival so special from the very beginning,” Blaustein said in the feature announcement.
Seven shorts are grouped in a Hudson Valley spotlight, six of them world premieres. Chris Ramirez’s “Sullivan Fire” follows Catskills volunteer firefighters facing shrinking ranks as a new generation begins to emerge. Samantha Schutz’s “Quiet Rhythm: A Selection of Paintings by Susan Sommer” profiles the Woodstock-based abstract painter.
Woodstock-based director and cinematographer Max Basch’s “Ellipsis” explores an unlikely friendship formed on a trip to see an eclipse. John Quinn, animator-in-residence at the Byrdcliffe Art Colony, contributes an animated portrait of Woodstock drawn from a conversation with a stranger.
Also in the spotlight are “First Cut,” in which Hudson Valley filmmaker Joseph Muszynski talks with his mother about her pancreatic cancer diagnosis; Emily May Jampel’s “Half Moon,” about two women reconnecting on a weekend upstate; and “Breaking News,” an animated short by Hudson Valley animator Faedra Hose.
Among the features, Tiller Russell’s “Lunatic Dreamers,” a documentary about the Palenville-born Felice Brothers, will have its world premiere, followed by a performance by the band.
The festival will also present the East Coast premiere of the pilot for “Woodstockers,” an independent series filmed in the Hudson Valley and directed by Oliver Bernsen. Created by Corbin Bernsen, the series follows a man who settled upstate after attending Woodstock in 1969 and, decades later, is reckoning with the end of his marriage and the loss of his friend.
A discussion afterward about the rise of independent television will feature Oliver Bernsen and cast members, including Corbin Bernsen, Stephen Tobolowsky, and Maggie Lawson.
A kickoff screening Oct. 13, ahead of the main festival, features “American Zoo,” Tim Travers Hawkins’ documentary about the Catskill Game Farm. Noah Eckstein (that’s me) will moderate a discussion afterward with Hawkins and special guests.
The wider shorts program includes “Kiloran Bay,” a Scottish musical starring Alan Cumming; “Descent,” featuring Maura Tierney; and “A Song for the Snow Lion,” filmed among Himalayan glaciers and featuring Yo-Yo Ma. Other actors featured in the program include Jemima Kirke, Jerry O’Connell, and J Alphonse Nicholson, with Jordan Peele, Bob Odenkirk, and Jane Schoenbrun among the executive producers behind selected films.
Documentary selections include Alison Klayman’s “Scenes From the Divide,” about Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral race, and “Testing Testing Sandi Bachom,” David France and Paul McGuire’s portrait of an independent journalist tracking extremist movements.
The festival is an Oscar-qualifying event in the live-action, animated, and documentary short-film categories.
“Nearly all of them will be with us in Woodstock this year, and we can’t wait for audiences to meet them in person,” senior programmer Amanda Naseem said of the shorts filmmakers.
At Woodstock Playhouse, animator Signe Baumane will lead a conversation with Bill Plympton for a retrospective marking his 80th birthday at 2:30 p.m. Oct. 16, according to the festival’s latest announcement. The program includes his new animated music video for Average Friends’ “u know i luv u.”
Other events include Catherine Hardwicke’s masterclass on preparing a film before shooting and a discussion moderated by Amy Goodman about documentary filmmaking and democracy.
Individual tickets are on sale, along with Deluxe and Weekend passes. The festival’s new HV Locals program offers discounts to residents of Ulster, Dutchess, Columbia, Greene, and Orange counties, with eligibility verified by ZIP code at checkout. The six-ticket Film Buffs package has sold out, but two options remain: a Date Night two-pack at 25% off, which comes with a 10% to 15% discount at participating restaurants in Woodstock, Rosendale, Kingston, and Saugerties, and the Reel Deal Pass, which takes $200 off full festival access.
Students with valid identification can register for a Student Pass to receive $5 off regular screening tickets. The discount excludes panels, the Maverick Awards ceremony, and special events. Festival passes also exclude special events, which require separate tickets.
The box office, at 13 Rock City Road in Woodstock, is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., with extended hours until 7 p.m. during the festival. Tickets can be purchased there up to four hours before an event, and standby lines will form at venues for sold-out shows.
The full schedule is available through the Woodstock Film Festival, with passes and packages listed on its ticketing page.
Noah Eckstein is the editor-in-chief of The Overlook. Send correspondence to noah@theoverlooknews.com.
