Film news: Uma Thurman joins Woodstock Film Festival board
The Woodstock Film Festival is adding serious star power to its leadership this year.
The festival recently announced that Uma Thurman has joined its Board of Directors, marking a major addition to the Hudson Valley institution known for championing independent cinema.
Film News Blitz’s Dan Lawrence looks at what this means to the festival organisers.
What is the Woodstock Film Festival
The Woodstock Film Festival, founded in 2000, is self-described as an “organisation that nurtures and supports emerging and established filmmakers, sharing their creative voices through an annual festival and year-round programming to promote culture, diversity, community, educational opportunities and economic growth.”
Moreover, the Woodstock Film Festival is an Oscar-qualifying festival in Live Action Short Film, Animated Short Film, and Documentary Short Film.
Find out more about the Woodstock Film Festival here.
Thurman joins the Woodstock Board of Directors
Per a September 30 press release, Woodstock Film Festival co-founder and executive director Meira Blaustein said, “The festival is thrilled to welcome Uma as our newest member of the board of directors and looks forward to the exciting possibilities ahead.”
Thurman is one of Hollywood’s biggest names, appearing in some of western cinema’s most impactful films, such as Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill, thanks to a thriving partnership with renowned director Quentin Tarantino.
Opening and Closing films selected for 26th Woodstock Film Festival
As well as Thurman’s name being added to the Board of Directors, the Woodstock Film Festival has also revealed its opening and closing night features.
The 26th edition of Woodstock commences with a special pre-festival event on October 14, before the October 15–19 programming across Woodstock, Rosendale, Kingston, and Saugerties kicks off proper with director Mona Fastvold’s The Testament of Ann Lee.
Fastvold, co-writer of The Brutalist, has created her new film to explore the life and beliefs of Ann Lee, one of pre-Revolutionary America’s most enigmatic spiritual leaders.
It stars Amanda Seyfried in the lead, and Tim Blake Nelson (O Brother, Where Art Thou?).
Closing the action is Dead Man’s Wire, the latest feature from Oscar and Emmy-nominated director Gus Van Sant.
Based on the true story of the 1977 Tony Kiritsis kidnapping, the film revisits the bizarre case that turned a desperate Indianapolis entrepreneur into an unexpected folk antihero.
The ensemble cast includes Bill Skarsgård (Nosferatu), Dacre Montgomery (Elvis), Colman Domingo (Sing Sing), and Al Pacino (The Irishman).
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“We’re ecstatic to bookend this year’s festival with two bold, conversation-starting features that embody the fiercely independent spirit our audiences love,” said Blaustein.
“From Mona Fastvold’s intimate vision to Gus Van Sant’s audacious retelling, these films invite dialogue long after the credits roll.”
The Testament of Ann Lee and Dead Man’s Wire join the centrepiece selection at Woodstock, Netflix’s Jay Kelly.
Jay Kelly, the latest film from visionary Noah Baumbach, stars George Clooney in the eponymous role as a movie star on a journey of self-discovery, with his trusted agent by his side, played by Adam Sandler.
Other notable titles screening at the festival include Rental Family by HIKARI, Hamnet by Chloé Zhao, Is This Thing On? by Bradley Cooper, Blue Moon by Richard Linklater, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery by Rian Johnson and Sentimental Value by Joachim Trier.
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