The Hampton's International
Film Festival
Roger Ebert, everyone’s favorite movie critic,
surprised audiences at this year’s Hamptons International Film
Festival. His depth of knowledge and shrewd insight were richly displayed
at his Master Class on CITIZEN KANE, where Roger deconstructed The
Classic, frame by frame. You can watch his act at home in his newly
released 60th anniversary collector’s edition on DVD.
Speaking of MASTER CLASS, Faye Dunaway made her
directorial debut with THE YELLOW BIRD, a film version of the Tennessee
Williams short story of the same title. Miss Dunaway introduced her
film at WOMEN AND FILM: THEN AND NOW, a program devoted to the preservation
of films by women.
This, The Hampton’s Ninth International Film
Festival was true to its intentions, showing movies that will not
be seen at malls across the country. Films such as Juan Carlos Zalvidar’s
90 MILES, about his family’s escape from Castro’s Cuba AND
SUMMER IN IVYE which documents filmmaker Tamar Rogoff’s visit
to her ancestor’s home, decimated during World War II. One docudrama
that will make it to the silver screen, in New York at least is Andrea
Weiss and Greta Schiller’s ESCAPE TO LIFE, which reveals the
lives of Thomas Mann’s elder two children. Definitely not your
conventional family drama.
Films we can certainly look forward to seeing
nationally include THE BANK, a riveting thriller about high finance,
the people who make it and break it. Another outstanding import from
Australia.
If you discovered the young actor Haley Joel Osment
in THE SIXTH SENSE, you surely won’t want to miss him in EDGES
OF THE LORD. The young teenager responded to an audience Q&A following
the opening night screening with the presence of a veteran film actor.
And ENIGMA, which closed the festival, drew kudos
from audiences and jurors. Veteran director Michael Apted’s mounting
of this World War II thriller adopted for the screen by Tom Stoppard
offers intelligent entertainment… rare these days.
The short entitled A REMEMBERANCE OF JEFF SALAWAY
played frequently during this festival, which was dedicated to Salaway,
its co-founder. Salaway, who died tragically last August in a car
accident is remembered in this film for his youthful, effervescent
presence…an inspiration to all.
That’s the Hampton’s International Film
Festival this year. I’m Isa Goldberg.
