by Debbie Tuma • photos by Debbie Tuma & Regina Jacina
The 32nd Hamptons International Film Festival came into town this year from October 4 to 14. There were films of every kind imaginable—from war stories, to love stories, from documentaries about Long Island to world cinema docs. Subjects ranged from skydiving to animal rights, from farm pollution to seaweed, to abortion rights, mental health, and politics. And as usual, there were films about famous people, from Liza Minelli to Martha Stewart, Kenneth Cole, and James Carville.
Since the weather was perfect with sunny skies and in the 70’s, the streets of East Hampton and Sag Harbor were packed each day, from East Hampton Regal Cinema to Guild Hall, to Sag Harbor Cinema. There were movie screenings each day from morning to night, interspersed with morning talks by filmmakers and industry guests at Village Bistro in East Hampton. One local filmmaker, Barry Sonnenfeld, talked about his long career in the business, and his new memoir, “Best Possible Place, Worst Possible Time.”
One of the highlights of this annual festival was the “Conversation With…” consisting of live interviews with famous stars who also appear in some of the HIFF films. This year, Liev Schreiber was interviewed by Alec Baldwin, and he also received the Dick Cavett Artistic Champion Award. Longtime Actress Demi Moore received the Career Achievement in Acting Award at Guild Hall, and Actor Andrew Garfield was interviewed at East Hampton Regal Cinema after appearing in his film “We Live In Time,” at the festival.
This year, there were so many incredible films, selected by the talented HIFF Artistic Director David Nugent, that I had a hard time deciding what to see, but luckily I got to meet the filmmakers at The Maidstone Inn, where they gathered to talk to the press. It’s not every day you get to sit with so many talented producers, directors, actors, writers, who came to share their movies with us. Some of these independent films go on to win awards, go to other festivals, go to Netflix, and even premiere here before going to Hollywood and winning Oscars!
At The Maidstone Inn, I met one incredible couple, Slava Leontyev and his wife Anya Stasenko, who are living in Khirkav, nine miles from the Russian border, in the midst of the Ukraine War. Leontyev, a front line soldier in the war, and Anya, a professional artist, made an award-winning, personal and important documentary film called, “Porcelain War.” It is about their day to day life in the Ukraine, living in a small apartment with their dog “Frodo,” who they had with them. It’s a true story of heroism, as they struggle to defend their country while creating magnificent porcelain artwork, out of the destruction and darkness of their city.. In the background, bombs are going off all day and their future is unpredictable. But they and their artist friends try to bring some light into their world by creating beauty from nature, in their art.
When asked why they made this film, which won over 30 awards in festivals across the U.S., Leontyev said, “We wanted to share our personal story with the world to let people see what we are living through, and how we manage to survive so far, through putting our art out into the world.”
The couple is touring the U.S. for a year with this film, with one of the producers, Paula Pesman of Boulder, Colorado. She said the film will be shown again at the ICF Theater in Manhattan on November 22. Don’t miss it!
A film about another country, Peru, in the World Cinema Narrative category, was Called “Mistura,” which means “Mixture.” It was a fascinating story of a wealthy woman whose husband leaves her for another woman, and she has to recreate her life. She opens a restaurant with the help of her her household staff, and not only finds herself, but finds a whole new world and also true love, along the way. Set in the 1960’s in Lima, Peru, it is beautifully filmed with a rich, sensuous feel, and portrays the diversity of cultures and cuisine in this fabulous city. Producer Ivan Orlic and writer/director Ricardo de Montreuil also discussed their film at the Maidstone Inn.
Speaking of food, the Opening Night movie was the new documentary, “Martha,” as told by Martha Stewart herself, and appeared at the premiere. Directed by R.J. Cutler, it was an intimate and honest look back at this icon’s long journey to success, from Wall Street to wall paper! She wasn’t afraid to share her rise to fame and its pitfalls along the way, from having a tough father, to breaking into the man’s world of the stock market, struggling to create her lifestyle empire, surviving unfaithful men and friends, and managing to write books and run a business and family as well. Watch for this movie on Netflix!
Another great documentary film was “A Man With Sole: The Impact of Kenneth Cole.” For decades, his shoes have been famous, but now this film incorporates his other side, as a social activist and advocate of human rights. Tony and Emmy Award winner Dori Bernstein directed and produced this captivating film, showing Cole’s social action with the AIDS/HIV crisis, homelessness crisis, LGBTQIA + rights, reproductive rights for women, gun safety and also the mental health crisis in America. His creative, bold and hard-hitting ad campaigns also helped get these messages across to his customers and the public.
Before the screening of his documentary, Cole invited some guests to a brunch at the Water Mill home of artist Pamela Bell, who is his co-founder of The Mental Health Coalition. Their mission is to destigmatize mental health and empower access to vital resources and necessary support for all. Bell said she got involved due to the loss of her former business partner, designer Kate Spade, who died six years ago by suicide, and also because of Bell’s sister, who was bi-polar and died of breast cancer. Also at the brunch was Dan Gillison, who runs the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI.) At the brunch, Cole explained that he got involved in these various causes after starting his company, Kenneth Cole Productions, 40 years ago. “I believe that business and advocacy are stronger together,” said Cole. “It also helps to establish more meaningful relationships with my clients.”
Cole’s wife, Maria Cuomo, produced a film in the festival called, “Death By Numbers,” about gun violence and anxiety in our schools.
Another notable documentary was “Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story,” about Liza Minnelli’s life as the daughter of Judy Garland, and how she became a star on her own. Now in her later years, she tells her incredible story of her rise to fame, her great loves, and her many close friends in the business.
The films in this festival take the viewer to all parts of the world. A fascinating short film, “The Fly Collectors,” by Yusuf Ahmed of Ethiopia and Harlem, followed a group of men in Senegal who collect flies from the rivers to prove that this country has eliminated an ancient disease called “River Blindness.” “The idea for this film came from eliminating this disease in Niger,” said Ahmed. “Previously these flies had bitten people there, and they were the first to eliminate it by spraying Invermectin, which kills the parasites.”
And back on Long Island, was another important film called “Seaweed Stories,” about studies on all types of seaweeds, as a food and fuel source, and how they can protect the environment. Featured in this beautiful film were some Shinnecock Indian women who harvest seaweed locally, and try to protect it from over development of the land, and climate change.
Kudos to Artistic Director David Nugent for choosing these wonderful films, and to Board Chairman Randy Maestro and Executive Director Anne Chaisson for creating another amazing festival.
