The Second Annual LEXINGTON FILM FESTIVAL

A mini film festival makes its annual return to offer a curated weekend of screenings and post-film panels, from August 1618, 2024. Showings will occur in Lexington and Phoenicia, with a grand finale at the Mountaintop’s destination for independent film, the Mountain Cinema at the Doctorow Center for the Arts.

Curated by Caitlin McColl, and co-hosted by Patricia Charbonneau and Amy Scheibe, the Lexington Film Festival presents a gripping line-up of psychological thrillers, horror, and films exploring the meanings and hidden histories of the buildings and spaces around us. Screenings include an opening night showing and after party at Van Dusen’s (Lexington), a themed dinner and film at Phoenicia Diner, and a final day of screenings and postfilm panels at the Mountain Cinema.

“This line-up really packs a punch—we’re sitting with darker themes and exploring the curiosity, fear and optimism that these great films and artists provide,” says McColl. According to Amy Scheibe, Creative Director of Maude Adams Theater Hub (MATH), “When Caitlin came to us and Catskill Mountain Foundation last year to pitch a mini film festival we were thrilled. Her taste is impeccable and her curation is deeply considered, seamlessly weaving together the creative trifecta of heart, head, and guts. Caitlin’s development of the Lexington Film Festival is a game-changer in the way films are found and featured—and we can’t wait to support LFF in every way possible.”

The Lexington Film Festival began in 2023 as the Mountaintop Film Feast, with a desire to bring films and their creatives into a shared space with the mountaintop community. The film selection draws on local makers, content and themes to showcase an appreciation of the area’s rich resources and talents.

Featured Films

Shudderbugs

Shudderbugs was shot in 2020 in Schoharie County at the height of the pandemic. With a small cast and crew of four people, Johanna Putnam, Brennan Brooks, Jamie Unruh and Eric Elterman produced a film which has gone on to take the film festival circuit by storm. This multi-talented cast and crew will be present for the screening at Van Dusen’s on Friday, August 16. Seating is limited.

Synopsis

Samantha (Sam) Cole returns to her childhood home when her mother suddenly passes. In place of familiar spaces and memories, Sam finds only uneasiness and confusion. Things are missing, the environment seems unnatural, and the neighbor (Noah) who discovered her mom’s body is suspiciously obtuse. Isolated with these mysteries, a scavenger hunt her mom had prepared for her upcoming birthday, and rising red flags from Noah, Sam wrestles with her sanity and certainties. In her journey to untangle the truth, she finds herself at a dangerous crossroad: How far can she trust instincts that may be clouded by grief, guilt, and desperation? Shudderbugs is a psychological thriller about the strange ways we cope with loss, and the many sides of ourselves that engage in the struggle. Directed by Johanna Putnam (1 hr 45 min). Friday, August 16, 7:00 pm, Van Dusen’s.

Werewolves Within

Werewolves Within was filmed in Phoenicia and Fleischmanns in 2020. This mystery comedy horror film is a mad “whodunnit” set against the familiar backdrop of the streets of Phoenicia and the sprawling halls of Spillian, a local event venue built in the 1880’s. Phoenicia Diner hosts this event with a themed werewolf dinner and drink offering, and the screening is supported by members of its cast and crew for a post-film Q and A. They’re also joined by Stockade Works’ Executive Director, Susie Sofranko, to speak on filming in the Hudson Valley. Seating is limited.

Synopsis

A snowstorm traps town residents together inside the local inn, where newly arrived forest ranger Finn and postal worker Cecily must try to keep the peace and uncover the truth behind a myste- rious creature that has begun terrorizing the community. Werewolves Within is a fast-paced romp that cleverly weaves the theme of “the other” through its rollercoaster of a storyline. Directed by Josh Ruben (1 hr 37 min). Saturday, August 17, 7:00 pm, Phoenicia Diner.

Come Home

Come Home was shot during the first peak of the pandemic, with one 27mm lens. The cast and crew of six had the vast and desolate Adirondack Mountains for their backdrop and their inspiration. Directors Nicole Pursell and Caitlin Zoz share, “Our movie is a meditation on what the land can contain; the history, the stories, the love … the loss. It is not a picture of America, but a reflection; one that makes us contend with the piece of land we stand on now, and who may or may not be trapped there. We are aiming for the audience to confront not only their own alienation and discomfort, but the narrative of the terrain on which they live their lives. Our country is wild and has a story to tell if we are ready to listen.” The film won the Golden Ring for Best Film at the Ravenna Nightmare Film Fest in Italy, 2023.

Synopsis

As two couples leave their city life for the mountains, they discover their new home is not as welcoming as they first thought. Growing increasingly isolated in the vastness of the terrain, they find themselves marked by the trapped souls that haunt the forest and echo across time. Directed by Nicole Pursell and Caitlin Zoz (1 hr 12 min). Sunday, August 18, 5:00 pm, Mountain Cinema at the Doctorow Center for the Arts.

Shorts

The Art of Metaphor, directed by Kate Taverna, is one artist’s fascinating film on another’s work. Director Taverna says, “Ten years ago when I first met the sculptor Donna Dennis, someone I had admired since the 1980s, she was battling real estate developers in a decades-long fight against eviction. I had never imagined that such a successful artist also lived with continuing conflict and uncertainty. The irony for me was that her work was based on an obsession with architecture, industrial buildings and tourist cabins going back to her childhood. The real surprise was Donna’s wall full of red journals, hundreds of them going back to the late 1960s. Each book offering intimate access to the inner voice of an artist searching for meaning and metaphor in her work, admonishing herself for her self-doubt and wrestling with questions of time and mortality. As do we all.”

This rich, 15 minute short film includes a talkback with Director Kate Taverna, and artist Donna Dennis. Directed by Kate Taverna (15 min). Sunday, August 18th, 4:00 pm, Mountain Cinema at the Doctorow Center for the Arts.

All-American Ruins is a multimedia travelog in which artist, activist, adventurer, and (self-proclaimed) loudmouth Blake Pfeil recounts his experiences exploring abandoned spaces across the United States (and around the world), and reimagines them through multimodal storytelling. Along the way, All-American Ruins asks critical questions about American history/culture, community, economics, the environment, and mental health while encouraging folks to activate their imaginations as a tool for healing.

The screening for the festival includes an episode from his series on the Nevele, a once grand resort near Ellenville, that boasted 430 rooms, an ice skating rink, two golf courses and a swimming pool. Dating back to the days of the Borscht Belt, this resort served as a popular getaway for the Jewish community when many resorts refused them entry. Blake Pfeil guides us through this landmark location with a sense of awe and fascination for this beloved space, mirroring our community’s captivation and hope for our decaying historical landmarks. The showing will offer a post-film Q and A, along with an audio installation piece for the audience to explore an abandoned factory on the Hudson, facing the Catskills. Directed by Angel Gates (15 min). Sunday, August 18, 4:30 pm, Mountain Cinema at the Doctorow Center for the Arts.

Maude Adams Theater Hub (MATH), a program of the Catskill Mountain Foundation, is a community-centric performing arts organization dedicated to finding, supporting, and creating opportunities for experiencing the joy of theater. Founded in 2022, MATH is located in Hunter, NY, and has helped develop over 20 performances since its creation.

Catskill Mountain Foundation is a 501(C)3 non-profit corporation dedicated to arts, culture and educational enhancements in the northern Catskill Mountain region. The foundation serves as a leading multi-arts center in the Catskill region, and creates programs in the performing arts, visual arts, studio arts, literary arts, and film. CMF currently operates its programs in the Villages of Hunter and Tannersville and in the Town of Windham in Greene County, NY.

For details, ticket info & to get in touch, go to maudeadamstheaterhub.org or catskillmtn.org