March 2007 Newsletter |
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BEFORE THE MUSIC DIES Given the longstanding love affair between musicians and the town of Woodstock, it’s only fitting that the Woodstock Film Festival present BEFORE THE MUSIC DIES, which tells the story of American music at this precarious moment. Filmmakers Andrew Shapter and Joel Rasmussen traveled the country, hoping to understand why mainstream music seems so packaged and repetitive, and whether corporations really had the power to silence musical innovation. The answers they found on this journey–ultimately, the promise that the future holds–are what makes BEFORE THE MUSIC DIES both riveting and exhilarating. Musician Bret Mosley will perform before and after the screening, and the film will be introduced by Kate Pierson of the B-52’s. Tickets can be purchased online at Woodstock Film Festival If you cannot make the screening, but would like to purchase the DVD, visit |
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The Woodstock Film Festival Film Series sponsored by the office of Kevin A. Cahill will kick off May 5th at Rosendale Theater with a special screening of What happens when time collides? RACING DAYLIGHT is the story of Sadie Stokes (Melissa Leo) who has returned to the family farm to care for her catatonic Grandma (Leclanche Durand). There have always been Stokes in Cedarsville, but Sadie and Grandma are the last. When Harry (David Strathairn), a deceased Civil War soldier beckons Sadie from a mirror, Sadie begins to take on the character of her ancestor Anna, and a rich history of love and mystery unfolds. This magical love story of hope and forgiveness is set against the backdrop of the beautiful Hudson River Valley and the historically rich Shawangunks. The screening will be introduced by Assemblyman Kevin A. Cahill. Saturday, May 12th, at the Tinker Street Cinema, the Woodstock Film Festival Film Series sponsored by the office of Kevin A. Cahill will present GRACIE, a film by Davis Guggenheim (AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH) starring starring Carly Schroeder, Dermot Mulroney, Andrew Shue and Elisabeth Shue. GRACIE is the inspirational, touching story of a sixteen-year-old girl, who, after a family tragedy changed her life, fought for and won the right for girls everywhere to play competitive soccer. The film is set in 1978 and inspired by the Shue family’s real life events. GRACIE is hot off the press, literally – as the Picturehouse film is slated for a theatrical release of June 1st. The screening will be introduced by Assemblyman Kevin A. Cahill. Producer Lemore Syvan and select cast and crew will head the post screening Q&A session, hosted by Filmmaker Magazine Senior Editor Peter Bowen. Admission is FREE for the public, but reservations are required and will be available starting April 1. No reservations for GRACIE will be taken until then. For more information and to reserve tickets, visit Woodstock Film Festival |
 Woodstock filmmaker Kris Carr with WFF's Laurent Rejto at Super Sexy Cancer/TLC party during SXSW |
Jennifer Venditti's directing debut, BILLY THE KID - a coming of age documentary about a teen outsider who meets obstacles with courage and determination - won the jury prize for Best Documentary at this month's SXSW film festival. The film was co-produced by Venditti and Chiemi Karasawa (A SEASON OF MADNESS). Bob Alexander (of INDIEPIX) served as executive producer. Woodstock filmmaker Kris Carr’s documentary CRAZY SEXY CANCER celebrated its World Premiere at SXSW. An irreverent and uplifting documentary about a young woman looking for a cure and finding her life. Weeks after she was diagnosed, filmmaker Kris Carr began documenting her story. Taking a seemingly tragic situation and turning it into a creative expression, Kris shares her wild journey with exuberance, humor and sass. |
“This film totally rocked. I’ve just seen the future and the future is Air!” – Filmstalker |
IN THEATERS On March 23 at the Angelika in NYC, Docurama Films presents its first theatrical release. While many of their documentaries tackle tough social issues, AIR GUITAR NATION takes on the greatest challenge of all: the world of invisible rock-n-roll. Full of triumph and disappointment, patriotic spirit and political tension—and, of course, invisible guitars—AIR GUITAR NATION (WFF 2006) and filmmaker Alexandra Lipsitz take audiences on an inspiring, exhilarating, and ultimately hilarious journey that delves deep to find out what it truly takes to become the best in the world and find the inner meaning of the chant, “Make Air, Not War.” For more info, visit Air Guitar Nation WFF's 2006 Centerpiece Screening and Audience Award winner AFTER THE WEDDING, directed by Susanne Bier, opens in theaters on March 30. The narrative feature follows a Danish man who returns home after 20 years to attend a wedding that becomes a landmark meeting between past and future, putting him in the dilemma of his life. For dates and times, visit IFC Films. |
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A growing number of Evangelical Christians believe there is a revival underway in America whereby Christian youth must take up the leadership of the conservative Christian movement. JESUS CAMP JESUS CAMP was executive produced by A&E Indie Films and released theatrically by Magnolia Pictures |
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David Torn Torn's first recording for ECM since his watershed CLOUD ABOUT MERCURYof 20 years ago, PREZENS |
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 On THE CAKE EATERS set with producer Jesse Scolaro, director Mary Stuart Masterson and actor Elizabeth Ashley |
MOVIE MADNESS It's Hollywood on the Hudson: More and more A-list moviemakers are choosing the Valley as the backdrop for big (and small) budget films. Why? You'll have to ask the Hudson Valley Film Commission. Last summer, I read an article in a local paper that described how, in March 2005, filmmakers had descended on a series of locales in Orange and Ulster counties and used them as stand-ins for rural Wisconsin.These locations included the Sky Top Motel in Kingston, the Reservoir Dairy Deli in Shokan, and the Phoenicia Diner. This seemed both magical and bizarre to me. How, I wondered, could an ordinary diner, whose pancakes and sausages I was intimately familiar with, be transplanted to a Midwestern state I’ve never even visited? And why had the filmmakers picked the Valley for their sleight of hand? This demanded investigation. |
‘[Alternative Video] is like what
‘There are more opinions |
LOCAL NEWS A BRIDGE TOO FAR One of the more diverse cultural resources in the region will fall victim to the grinding pressure put on small local venues by competition from large corporate entities when, on March 27, Alternative Video on Route 28 will close its broken door for good. After more than a decade providing the greater Woodstock community with a diverse and unusual film collection, owner Barbara Salzman has made the difficult decision to move on, citing the pressures of rising gas prices and the increasing presence of online rental libraries such as Netflix. (to read the entire article, click here) |
 WFF advisory board member Martha Frankel |
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER MAKEOVER Reprinted from "No longer seeing the world through red-framed glasses," "Women know how to pick men better than they know how to pick glasses - and we all know we're not doing so well with that," Frankel said during a recent interview at the Bread Alone café in Boiceville. The award-winning entertainment journalist and Boiceville resident has traveled the globe interviewing stars like Robert DeNiro and Elizabeth Taylor, and her work appears in magazines as diverse as Cosmopolitan and The New Yorker. Read the rest of this article online at Daily Freeman |
| SPONSORS | |
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A&E INDIE FILMS is back on board as a silver sponsor. As the feature documentary production arm of A&E Networks, A&E IndieFilms is committed to developing the work of outstanding independent filmmakers and helping them reach the broadest possible audience. A&E IndieFilms acquires, commissions and provides finishing funds for feature documentaries in addition to co-branding select theatrical releases, including feature docs acquired for airing following their theatrical runs. Sony Pictures Classics recently secured the rights to A&E IndieFilms' Sundance competition doc, MY KID COULD PAINT THAT, and the 2006 production of Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady's JESUS CAMP (released theatrically by Magnolia Films) received an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature. In 2005, A&E IndieFilms partnered with Thinkfilm on the Oscar-nominated, Sundance-winning documentary MURDERBALL. Also, Oscar nominee Nanette Burstein (On the Ropes and The Kid Stays in the Picture) is directing AMERICAN TEEN, a film on high school students in Indiana. A&E IndieFilms has partnered with Newmarket Films (Picturehouse) on ROCK SCHOOL. And EARING WITNESS, a powerful documentary by Barbara Kopple, Marijana Wotton and Bob Eisenhardt on women journalists in combat zones, which was produced and telecast under the A&E IndieFilms banner. In 2005, A&E IndieFilms became the founding sponsor of a $25,000 works-in-progress grant with the International Documentary Association. In 2006, Heineken will match that grant -- and the winner will receive a total of $50,000. Also, A&E IndieFilms founded the Non-fiction grant for students in Columbia University's film program. |
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Markertek also Launches Daily On-Line News Channel Markertek is pleased to announce the addition of a news and information channel to their website. The Markertek News Channel link can be found on the home page header of their web site, or by going to www.markertek.com/rss.asp The Markertek News Channel is geared toward broadcast, audio and multimedia professionals, and is updated daily.Unlike other news sources, we cover news from a “tech” perspective, with daily tech terms and solutions for the working professional. We feature original content, and readers can subscribe to the channel as an RSS feed so as not to miss a word! Real industry news without the fluff—that’s the MarkertekNews Channel. Check it out! |
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The Woodstock Film Festival is a nonprofit organization which presents an annual program and year-round schedule |
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, directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (The Boys of Baraka), follows Levi, Rachael, Tory and a number of other young children to Pastor Becky Fischer's Kids on Fire summer camp in Devil's Lake, North Dakota, where kids as young as 6 years-old are taught to become dedicated Christian soldiers in God's army. The film follows these children at camp as they hone their prophetic gifts and are schooled in how to take back America for Christ. The film is a first-ever look into an intense training ground that recruits born-again Christian children to become an active part of America's political future.
