Celebrating 25 Years of the Woodstock Film Festival: The Highlights

Over the past 25 years, the Woodstock Film Festival (WFF) has nurtured a remarkable community that continues to grow. The festival is honored to have hosted filmmakers who have attended multiple times, artists who have launched their careers, and industry titans who have become lifelong friends. Each year we commissioned original artwork for our posters, by artists such as Peter Max, Milton Glazer, Bill Plympton, Mary Frank, Joan Snyder, and for 2024, Matt Dillon. Take a look at some highlights of the films, people, and memories that helped create the history of WFF leading up to the 25th Anniversary.

2000

The inaugural festival, created on a shoestring as a labor of love, brought the film community and film lovers to Woodstock. Musical performances from Rahat Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Graham Parker opened the festival, while Barbara Kopple’s documentary My Generation was the closing night film. Guests included Magnolia Pictures founder Eamonn Bowles, and the late composer Elmer Bernstein and filmmaker Gary Winnick, and Les Blank, who was awarded the first-ever Honorary Maverick Award.

2001

The festival took place nine days after 9/11, helping festival goers heal from earth shattering events through art. We presented a concert by Marshall Crenshaw, and a three-part, avant-garde film series curated and presented by Jonas Mekas. Filmmakers Chris Hegedus and D. A. Pennebaker were honored, and attendees included filmmakers Karyn Kusama and Mary Harron, and actors Stanley Tucci and Ethan Hawke.

2002

Screenings featured Rebecca Miller’s Personal Velocity, which won Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize, and the world premiere of Funny HaHa by then newcomer

Andrew Bujalski. Gov’t Mule, Arlo Guthrie, and Phish all performed during a week of epic parties. Attendees included Neil Burger, Parker Posey, and Marcia Gay Harden, with Liev Schreiber presenting Tim Robbins with the Maverick Award.

2003

The festival opened with Peter Hedges’ Pieces of April, and closed with Casa de los Babys by John Sayles. Live music included the iconic bluegrass musician Peter Rowan, and actor Woody Harrelson was honored with the Maverick Award., Attendees included filmmaker Michael Almereyda, actor Annabella Sciorra, and the late Bingham Ray, tco-founder of indie film distributor October Films.

2004

Featured films included The Woodsman starring Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick, Undertow by David Gordon Green, and Down to the Bone by Debra Granik, starring Vera Farmiga. Cinetic president John Sloss received the inaugural Trailblazer Award. Panel participants included film executive and writer James Schamus, and actors Lili Taylor and Peter Riegert. Virtuose musicians Bela Fleck and Edgar Meyer headlined live shows, and other participants included Mira Nair, Peter Gabriel, Laura Linney, and Melissa Leo.

Dentler, documentarian Heidi Ewing, and filmmaker Ang Lee. The festival gave its first Lifetime Achievement Award to renowned cinematographer Haskell Wexler, and hosted shows headlined by Donovan and Béla Fleck.

2005

The festival’s year-round programming entered the national arena, screening several films in L.A. Back home in Woodstock, the festival honored Steve Buscemi with the Maverick Award, and screened Lonesome Jim. Other films included The Puffy Chair, by Mark and Jay Duplass; The Roost, an early Ti West film; and Twitch, a short by Leah Meyerhoff, the founder of Film Fatales. Janeane Garofalo, William Greaves, and Ellen Kuras were among the attendees.

2006

Longtime friend Barbara Kopple was honored with the Maverick Award, presented by Rosie Perez, and then head of IFC Films Jonathan Sehring was awarded the Trailblazer Award, presented by Matt Dillon. The festival was attended by Larry Fessenden with The Last Winter Douglas McGrath with Infamous, James Ponsoldt with Off the Black, and LGBTQ+ film pioneer Barbara Hammer. Panels spanned crucial industry topics such as “Entertainment Law,” and “The Art of Producing, with with panelist documentarians Rachel Grady and Pamela Yates, editor Sabine Hoffman, producer John Sloss, and actors Giancarlo Esposito, Griffin Dunne, and David Strathairn.

2007

The festival honored Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos and producer Christine Vachon during a week of programming attended by Norman Reedus, Molly Thompson, Jonathan Gray, and Ira Sachs. The festival screened Todd Haynes’ I’m Not There, Mary Stuart Masterson’s The Cake Eaters, Julian Schnabel’s The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, and Married Life, with starring actor Patricia Clarkson attending.

2008

During this seminal year, the festival screened films by industry giants like Greta Gerwig’s Nights and Weekends, Barry Jenkins’ first feature film Medicine for Melancholy, and Bong Joon-ho, Leos Carax, and Michel Gondry’s Tokyo! Guests included Apple TV head Matt

2009

Filmmaker Tze Chun launched his career with his first feature Children of Invention, which premiered at the festival. Ethan Hawke presented filmmaker Richard Linklater with the festival’s Maverick Award. Other attendees included Jonathan Demme, Uma Thurman, and Sarah and Emily Kunstler. Celebrating the ten year anniversary, the festival looked to the future through a panel titled “Redesigning Humanity: The New Frontier.”

2010

The festival took over the Emerson Resort & Spa for screenings of films by Vincent D’Onofrio and John Maggio, coupled with a lavish dinner and an allnight party. A screening of The Singularity is Near: A True Story About the Future was followed by a panel with renowned futurists Ray Kurzweil and Martine Rothblatt. Actors Edie Falco, Adrian Grenier, Keanu Reeves, and filmmakers Ed Burns, Alex Gibney, and Heather Rae attended, and Justin Sane and Sussan Deyhim performed.

2011

This year’s screenings included Musical Chairs by Susan Seidelman, and Peace, Love and Misunderstanding by Bruce Beresford, who was presented with the Maverick Award by actor Tess Harper. Actor and activist Mark Ruffalo received the Meera Gandhi Giving Back Award.

2012

Indie icon Nathan Silver presented his sophomore film Exit Elena, and has since shown all of his work at WFF. Other notable films included the documentary Casting By by Tom Donahue, Chasing Ice by Jeff Olosky, and Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God by Alex Gibney. Legendary filmmaker Jonathan Demme was honored with the festival’s Maverick Award.

2013

Keynote speaker Slava Rubin of Indiegogo discussed crowdfunding to support creative projects, and panels delved into the intersection of new technologies and filmmaking, including “Facebook for Filmmakers and Artists.” Actor Paul Rudd participated in conversation about his career, Vera Farmiga, Andy Garcia and Sonny Rollins attended with their films, and Peter Bogdanovich was honored at the Maverick Awards.

2014

The festival honored Mark Duplass and Darren Aronofsky during a week of programming that screened hits like The Imitation Game and Uncertain Terms. Panels explored such topics as “Women in the Director’s Chair,” and “Impact Filmmaking,” about the power of documentary filmmaking. Actors Natalie Portman, Jennifer Connelly, Courteney Cox, and Melissa Leo were among the participants.

2015

Director and activist Josh Fox gave the keynote speech, while additional talks with musician Natalie Merchant. Filmmakers Atom Egoyan and Guy Maddin were recognized with honorary awards, and attendees participated in discussions about “Social Impact in Media,” and “Film As Memoir.” A sold-out concert at UPAC featured a performance of Cuban music featuring Carlos Varela, joined by special guest Jackson Browne.

2016

The annual Spotlight on Women program featured 44 female directors in 2016, a third of the offerings. The festival honored David Linde with the Trailblazer Award presented t by filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu, Oren Moverman with the Fiercely Independent Award presented by actor Ben Foster, and Leon Gast with the Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Barbara Kopple. Screenings included Thirsty by the late Margo Pelletier. There was also a masterclass with director Catherine Hardwicke, and an Actors Dialogue panel featuring firsttime attendee Karen Allen.

2017

The festival collaborated with filmmakers coming with their films from the Netherlands. Movies by honorees Rebecca Miller and Bill Pullman were accompanied by talks featuring both directors. Other films included Beauty Mark by Harris Doran, and Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold by Griffin Dunne. Guests included documentary filmmaker Lee Hirsch, actors Catherine Curtin and Giancarlo Esposito, and the late filmmaker and climate activist James Redford.

2018

Honorees Julie Taymor, who attended with Across the Universe, and Matthew Heineman, who attended with A Private War, gave talks about their careers, as did actors Steve Buscemi and William Fichtner. The festival screened the exciting drama Wildlife by Paul Dano, and seminal documentaries like Mr. Soul! by Melissa Haizlip and Sam Pollard, and Stay Human by Michael Franti, who performed at the sold-out screening.

2019

For the 20th anniversary, the festival screened some of the most exciting films of 2019, including Parasite, Marriage Story, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, and Swallows. Through documentary screenings like Parkland Rising, the festival explored some of the most important socio-political issues of our time. Events included a performance and screening of Simon Shaheen: A Musical Journey, and conversations with actor Matt Dillon and musician Janis Ian. Producer and philanthropist Abigail Disney was honored at the Maverick Awards.

2020

Despite the pandemic, where all theaters were closed, the festival continued its 20+-year legacy, and most filmmakers attended in-person. Responding to the challenges, the festival screened films at drive-ins and held virtual programming. Notable films included Fully Realized Humans, When Worlds Collide, and A Call to Spy, with filmmakers Lydia Dean Pilcher, Yoruba Richen, Heidi Ewing, Larry Fessenden, Malia Scharf, and Mira Nair attending in person.

2021

The festival screened instant classics like The Worst Person in the World by Joachim Trier and Petite Maman by Céline Sciamma, as well as groundbreaking documentaries. The Maverick Awards celebrated filmmakers Eliza Hittman and Roger Ross Williams, as well as NEON founder Tom Quinn. A special performance featured Kara DioGuardi with David Bacon and The Lumineers’ Jeremiah Fraites.

2022

Actress Awkwafina was honored with the festival’s new Transcendent Talent Award, while Ethan Hawke was feted with the festival’s Maverick Award, Debra Granik with the Fiercely Independent Award, and Arianna Bocco with the Trailblazer Award. The festival screened the award -winning films The Banshees of Inisherin and Triangle of Sadness, and held a musical performance by Clem Snide with Scott Avett.

2023

Legendary filmmaker James Ivory was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award by actor Matthew Modine. 2023 buzzworthy films included I Used to be Funny, and War is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko by Dave Mullins, which premiered at the WFF and went on to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Short. Actor/musician Kiefer Sutherland performed after a screening of Texas Music Revolution, and the Zombies gave a memorable concert.

2024

Looking to the future, the Woodstock Film Festival will continue to be a vibrant, exciting space for filmmakers. The festival is proud to celebrate 25 years of fiercely independent cinema.