The Hamptons International Film Festival Opens Today… Enjoy This List of Must-See, Oscar-Worthy Movies
Alina sits down with Hamptons International Film Festival Executive Director Anne Chaisson to discuss a major milestone, must-see films and so much more!
Today is a very exciting day.
It marks the opening of the Hamptons International Film Festival now in its 30th year.
You could say the festival is a little like The Little Engine That Could.
And it’s a bellwether.
Full disclosure — I’ve been a supporter of the festival for more than a decade and a member of its Advisory Board for at least half that time.
So, call me biased… but I’m a fan.
In honor of its 30th anniversary, I sat down recently with HIFF’s Executive Director Anne Chaisson.
Photo courtesy: Anne Chaisson
We discussed must-see films… this major milestone… and why, if you live in the area, you should strongly consider heading to the Hamptons to check it out.
CELEBRATING 30 YEARS
ALINA CHO: You’re celebrating a major milestone this year.
Hamptons International Film Festival 30th Anniversary Poster, Artist: Stanley Whitney
ANNE CHAISSON: The Hamptons Film Festival is celebrating 30 years out here on the east end of Long Island. We sort-of feel like the little engine that could festival.
ALINA CHO: Love that, you’re right.
ANNE CHAISSON: Back in the early '90s when there weren't so many small resort-style film festivals celebrating what was then the very early days of independent film and foreign film, where a lot of these films never saw the light of day, we were able to create a place where those films and those filmmakers could [be seen].
ALINA CHO: I did not realize that that was the original idea.
ANNE CHAISSON: Yeah, yeah. There were a group of Long Islanders, people who live in the city and have homes [out here], who wanted to pull something together and create a place where those in the entertainment industry who were out here could get together and showcase some of their work. [The festival was founded by] Stuart Suna [co-owner and founder of Silvercup Studios], and Toni Ross [artist and owner of Nick & Toni’s], who had a film background and whose father [created Time Warner].
ALINA CHO: I had no idea.
ANNE CHAISSON: So, when Toni got involved, it morphed into, “Okay, who else is out here in East Hampton who would really want to support this?” And she immediately called Steven Spielberg.
ALINA CHO: Wow.
ANNE CHAISSON: And he said, “Let me know what you'd like to do. I can be a special advisor.” So that first year, [Steven Spielberg] did a surprise conversation with Martin Scorsese.
A BIG CHANGE: EXPANDING FROM FIVE TO 10 DAYS
ALINA CHO: Tell me how the festival has evolved over the years.
ANNE CHAISSON: Well, that first year we were a five-day film festival and we continued to be that all the way up until this year. This year, we are going to be a 10-day festival.
ALINA CHO: Why did you make the decision to expand to 10 days? Because some might say that's a gamble, that's a risk.
ANNE CHAISSON: It is definitely a risk and that's why we've never done it. The board has always wanted a longer film festival. As you know, from your own experience, those five days are so jam-packed. All we hear all the time is, “I just can't see everything. I can't get to everything.”
ALINA CHO: Well, that's for sure.
ANNE CHAISSON: Last year, during the second year of COVID, we were able to pull off an in-person film festival. We made it seven days so we could have more time for people to see films since we had [fewer] people in the movie theaters by design.
ALINA CHO: Ah, right, of course.
ANNE CHAISSON: We realized over those additional two days that people were still coming. There was still a lot of interest.
ALINA CHO: So, you thought, this is an opportunity.
ANNE CHAISSON: Exactly. It's our 30th anniversary. Let's do it. Let's see how it works out. Let's see if the crowds still come.
MUST-SEE FILMS
ANNE CHAISSON: We are one of the only film festivals that has played the ultimate [Academy Award] Best Picture winner over 12 years, so that's amazing. And we're situated in a nice spot [in terms of timing] for the lead up to the Oscar campaigns, and also, because of who lives out here and who comes to this film festival, it gets a lot of attention.
ALINA CHO: You have the access.
ANNE CHAISSON: We have the access. And the distributors like that cache.
ALINA CHO: So, talk about some of the highlights of the festival this year in terms of films you'll be able to see.
ANNE CHAISSON: We're opening the film festival with a film called Living, that stars Bill Nighy.
He's been getting a lot of buzz for his performance in that. We have The Son by the filmmaker, Florian Zeller, who did The Father a couple of years ago.
ALINA CHO: Which was an unbelievable film.
ANNE CHAISSON: Hugh Jackman and Laura Dern are starring in that.
ANNE CHAISSON: And then Sarah Polley, the actress, has her new film, Women Talking, which is a tour de force acting piece. It is a director's dream of a female cast.
ALINA CHO: Yeah, also getting a ton of buzz.
ANNE CHAISSON: Rooney Mara and Jessie Buckley and Judith Ivey and Frances McDormand [and Claire Foy]. It's the standout this year, it truly is the standout.
ANNE CHAISSON: And then we're closing with Sr., which is the movie that director Chris Smith and Robert Downey Jr. made about Robert Downey Sr., his father, an independent filmmaker himself. That's a really great film.
ALINA CHO: For the youth out there, you said you have a couple of big draws.
ANNE CHAISSON: Yes, well, aside from Everything Everywhere All at Once, and the wonderful Stephanie Hsu, who will be out here getting a breakthrough artist award, we also have Harry Styles, who is starring in My Policeman. That movie has gotten a lot of traction, too.
It's a story [set in] the 1950s where he falls in love with a police officer and what happens between his female love interest and this other man.
ALINA CHO: Anything you might want to add about the festival, why people should consider coming?
ANNE CHAISSON: It’s such a gorgeous time out here.
ALINA CHO: I agree, it's my favorite weekend of the year out East, it really is.
ANNE CHAISSON: It's beautiful, it's lively, there are lots of people around. There's a buzz in the air, there are movies you can see, there are lovely parties you can go to. And you can still take a stroll on the beach, you could still go to a vineyard and do some wine tasting.
ALINA CHO: And you can try some of the restaurants that you don't go to in high season because they're too packed.
ANNE CHAISSON: Ha! Exactly.
ALINA CHO: The weather is going to be amazing.
ANNE CHAISSON: And guess what? This year, you have two weekends you can choose from!