MINDFUL
SNEAK PREVIEW
Movie lovers, rejoice: the Hamptons International Film Festival is back in theaters again this year. Purist spoke with executive director Anne Chaisson and artistic director David Nugent about what’s in store for the fest’s 29th year, from October 7-13. BY RAY ROGERS
Can you talk about the creative ways you pivoted in how you presented films and helped people access film last year? ANNE CHAISSON: The moment we learned of the shutdown of all indoor activities, the team immediately pulled from our archive and provided experiences one would have at a typical HamptonsFilm program: an introduction by filmmakers or board members, the watching of an exceptional narrative or documentary film, and then a postscreening Q&A. We’ve screened documentaries every summer out East for the past 13 years with board member Alec Baldwin, and had videotaped most of the post talks. Alec generously taped introductions about those events, and thoughts on the film so we could take a look back at many of those documentaries. Additionally, we were able to purchase a drive-in business through the generosity of our patrons and held drive-ins. That gift has delighted audiences throughout this unexpected time to this day, with outdoor screenings this whole summer with supporters like Purist.
collectively around stories in a way that I don’t think I’ve seen in 30 years.
David Nugent and Anne Chaisson
What meaningful role did storytelling play during the difficult times we all had last year? AC: We are all very lucky to have such an array of ways to interact with the art of storytelling, from podcasts to social media, to a bonanza of TV series and feature films. That access not only provided a much-needed form of entertainment, but also pulled an enormous amount of people together
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How about for you, David? What role did film play in getting through and transcending that difficult year? DAVID NUGENT: I had a steady stream of films to watch to consider for our year-round programs and annual film festival in October, and as with every year, having that new crop of films always fills me with hope and excitement to see what type of work filmmakers are creating and what new voices emerge on the scene. What I missed, however, was the excitement of seeing some of these films at other festivals like Sundance and Cannes, and sharing in that collective emotion that is so vital to the experience of cinema. Seeing the first screening of Parasite with 2,300 people at Cannes in 2019 was an absolute thrill, and I missed that. I’m just now back from
Courtesy of HIFF
PURIST: How thrilled are you to be back in the theaters this year? ANNE CHAISSON: We are ecstatic that we will get to gather with our friends, filmmakers and supporters this year in theaters. After such a solitary interaction with film as a medium on a much smaller screen, I believe people can’t wait to see movies as they were intended, and of course, with a huge bag of popcorn!
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