Stars, Stories and Red-Carpet Conversations at the 34th Hamptons International Film Festival in East Hampton

EAST HAMPTON, NY – The 34th Hamptons International Film Festival brought together compelling films, memorable performances and conversations with the people behind them. I was happy to attend this year’s festival, which ran October 2-12 at venues across the Hamptons.

The festival featured the East Coast premiere of I Play Rocky, directed by Peter Farrelly and starring Anthony Ippolito as Sylvester Stallone. The film follows Stallone’s determination to bring Rocky to the screen and play its central character. I attended the screening and watched Ippolito receive the festival’s Flyte Breakthrough Performer Award. The cast also includes Matt Dillon, AnnaSophia Robb, Toby Kebbell and Tracy Letts.

I also attended a screening of The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd, written and directed by Tim Blake Nelson, and interviewed co-star Amanda Seyfried. She plays a teacher who leads creative writing classes at a maximum-security prison and forms a connection with an incarcerated man, played by Scoot McNairy. The film explores punishment, retribution and human connection.

I spoke with directors Anette Ostrø and Ora DeKornfeld about their films. Ostrø’s documentary The Golden Swan tells the story of her brother, Hans Christian Ostrø, who was kidnapped and killed in Kashmir in 1995. It draws on poems and letters he wrote during captivity. More information is available from Fri Film Dokumentar.

DeKornfeld’s documentary short The Grandfather Puzzle follows her journey to Hungary to learn about her grandfather, who fled the country and left behind a castle, a title and a family history he rarely discussed. The film was part of the festival’s documentary short film competition. More information is available on DeKornfeld’s film page.

I also interviewed director Ron Howard about Avedon, his documentary about photographer Richard Avedon. Drawing on archival material and interviews, the film examines Avedon’s life, work and influence. Howard told me the story of Avedon’s legacy was “much deeper” than he had realized.

Key Facts and Details

From the opening-night screening and award presentation to conversations with directors and actors, the festival offered a wonderful opportunity to celebrate filmmaking and hear the stories behind the films.