Bradley Cooper, Natalie Portman, Nicolas Cage and dozens of other stars will appear on screen at the 31st Hamptons International Film Festival, which runs from October 5 to 12.
Typically, some of these stars have also appeared on various red carpets. However, with the actors’ strike entering its fourth month and actors still not promoting their films, festivals around the world are having to make do without their star power – and the Hamptons is no exception.
“At this point, what’s done with our planning is done,” said David Nugent, the festival’s artistic director. If the strike were to be resolved, he added, the festival was prepared to act quickly to make room for new guests. “We’d like to have as many creative people here as possible,” Nugent said.
In any case, there will be many of them. One of them is Paul Simon, who will be interviewed live on behalf of his new documentary, In Troubled Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon, directed by Alex Gibney. Todd Haynes, director of “May December,” starring Natalie Portman as an actress exploring a problematic role, will also be interviewed live and will receive the festival’s directing award. Celine Song, director of this year’s art-house hit Past Lives (which will be shown as a special screening), will receive the festival’s Breakthrough Artist Award. There will also be foreign stars, independent film actors and documentarians who are not subject to complex strike rules.
Hamptons International Film Festival
WHEN|WHERE October 5–12 at East End venues.
TICKETS 15-35 dollars; passes and packages cost $200-2000. Call (631) 825-0050 or visit hamptonsfilmfest.org.
Here are some highlights from this year’s festival:
NYAD (Oct. 5, 7 p.m., East Hampton High School)
Annette Bening as Diana Nyad in Nyad. Photo: Netflix/Liz Parkinson
The premiere film tells the true story of athlete Diana Nyad (Annette Bening), who, at age 60, attempts to swim 110 miles from Cuba to Florida. Jodie Foster plays her trainer Bonnie Stoll.
AN OLD OAK (October 6, 2 p.m., East Hampton Regal UA) After more than 25 feature films, 87-year-old director Ken Loach presents what could be his last: a drama about a mining town in the north of England that becomes home to a group of Syrian refugees. . With Dave Turner and Abla Marie.
20,000 SPECIES OF BEE
(October 6, 5:15 p.m., East Hampton Regal UA) A Basque family’s beekeeping tradition is passed down through the women—and perhaps to 8-year-old Aitor (Sofia Otero), who, although male at birth, identifies as a girl.IN TROUBLESOME DREAMS: THE MUSIC OF PAUL SIMON (October 6, 5:15 p.m., East Hampton High School)
Alex Gibney’s In Troubled Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon will screen at the 2023 Hamptons International Film Festival. Photo: Harari Guido
Alex Gibney’s three-and-a-half-hour documentary traces Simon’s prolific career, from his days as a folk duo with Art Garfunkel to the creation of his latest album, Seven Psalms.
PERSIAN VERSION (October 6, 7:45 p.m., East Hampton Regal UA) Comedy about an Iranian-American woman (Leila Mohammadi) who tries to juggle the demands of her family with her secret romantic life. Director Maryam Keshavarz will take part in the screening.
WE ARE ALL STRANGERS (Oct. 6, 8:30 p.m., Sag Harbor Cinema)
Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal in We Are All Strangers. Photo: 20th Century Studio/Parisa Taghizadeh.
A London man returns to his home suburb where his dead parents are somehow still alive. With Paul Mescal, Andrew Scott and Claire Foy. Directed by Andrew Hay (45 Years).
DREAM SCENARIO (October 6, 20:45, East Hampton Regal UA)
Nicolas Cage stars in the film “Dream Script.” Photo: A24 Films
Nicolas Cage plays an evolutionary biology professor who suddenly begins appearing in the dreams of millions of people. With Julianne Nicholson and Tim Meadows. Written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli.
HISTORY AND IMAGES (Oct. 7, 1 p.m., East Hampton Library) A documentary about the world of children’s literature. This is the world premiere of the film; The screening, which includes a reception, will feature director Joanna Rudnick and illustrator Christian Robinson.
AMERICAN FICTION (October 7, 14:15, East Hampton Regal UA)
Jeffrey Wright plays Thelonious “Monk” Ellison in writer-director Cord Jefferson’s American Fantasy. Photo: Orion Pictures/Claire Folger
A struggling author (Jeffrey Wright) thinks of a deliberately terrible novel that suddenly becomes a literary sensation. With Issa Rae and Sterling K. Brown. Directed by Cord Jefferson.
NAILS (October 7, 6:15 p.m., East Hampton Regal UA) Despite new technology that can confirm true love, Anna (Jessie Buckley, “Girl Talk”) begins to doubt her relationship with Ryan (Jeremy Allen White, “Bear”) ). Director and co-writer: Christos Nikou.
REMAINS (October 7, 8:15 p.m., East Hampton High School)
(from left) Dominic Sessa as Angus Tully, Paul Giamatti as Paul Hanham and Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Mary Lamb in director Alexander Payne’s The Leftovers. Photo: Focus Features/Sisha Pavao
Paul Giamatti and director Alexander Payne (Sideways) reunite for this comedy-drama about a grumpy prep school teacher who is forced to stay on campus with a handful of students during the Christmas break.
MAY DECEMBER (Oct. 8, 5 p.m., East Hampton High School)
Natalie Portman as Elizabeth Berry and Julianne Moore as Gracie Atherton-Yu in May December. Photo: Netflix/Francois Duhamel
Julianne Moore and Charles Melton play a once-infamous couple who must unearth the past when an actor (Natalie Portman) arrives to do research for a film based on their story. Directed by Todd Haynes (“Carol”).
FANCY DANCE (October 8, 3 p.m., Southampton Arts Centre) Lily Gladstone, from Martin Scorsese’s upcoming film Killers of the Flower Moon, plays a Native American prostitute searching for her missing sister (Isabelle DeRoy-Olson).
DURING THESE DAYS (October 8, 5:15 p.m., East Hampton Regal UA) In the Salvadoran community of Brentwood, a young muralist (Billy Mayorga Reyes) is involved in a local anti-gang initiative. Director Junior Gonzalez will take part in the screening.
RON DELZENER PRESENTS (October 10, 5:15 p.m., East Hampton Regal UA) Documentary about the New York rock promoter whose memorable performances range from the Beatles at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium to David Bowie at Carnegie Hall.
ZONE OF INTEREST (October 10, 20:15, East Hampton Regal UA) Rudolf Höss strives to build a good life for his wife and children. The elegant home of their dreams is located just meters from Auschwitz, where he is the camp commandant. With Christian Friedel and Sandra Hüller. Written and directed by Jonathan Glazer, based on the novel by Martin Amis.
OWNER (Oct. 12, 7:45 p.m. and 8:15 p.m., East Hampton Regal UA) The final night’s film explores the private lives of iconic symphony conductor Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper, also director) and his wife Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan). With Maya Hawke and Sarah Silverman.
Alex Gibney’s latest documentary, In Troubled Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon, traces his subject’s seven-decade career, from his early years working with Art Garfunkel to the creation of his 15th solo album, Seven Psalms. The film, which had not yet found a distributor at press time, will screen Friday at the Hamptons International Film Festival. Simon, who turns 82 on October 13, will be interviewed live on Saturday. Gibney recently spoke to Newsday about his experience of watching the music icon at work.
He approached me because he liked a film I made about Frank Sinatra (Sinatra: All or Nothing). We met in Austin (near Simon’s recording studio in Wemberley, Texas). And then we had lunch or two in New York and started talking. He played me the guitar riff to “Seven Psalms,” as well as some accompanying sounds. And later he said, “You know, as part of making this movie, would you like to come and watch me make an album?” I rushed there.
Not exactly new, but I think he leaned heavily on it in these songs. He says it on camera: “It’s really an argument with yourself about faith.”
By the time I observe, many texts had already been written. But something can be seen in how he chooses the musical atmosphere for the song. It’s almost like a potter with a wheel. Here’s a wheel that’s spinning, but you’re slowly shaping the clay.
This is archived. I approached him and he wanted a little more control than I felt. So he ultimately declined the interview. We dove pretty deep into the archives to get his side of the story, which we’ve included.
He is trying. It’s easier for him with a minimal set of tools. Now he can play and compose on his own on the guitar. The most difficult thing for him is to hear his voice within many other instruments.
Huge, huge personal meaning. And because he is a genius and an extraordinary character, and also a really funny and interesting person. It was an extremely meaningful and educational process for me, and I was grateful for the opportunity to go on this journey.
—RAFER GUZMAN
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