Contact: Julie Rulon Greene

Stony Brook Film Festival

(631) 632-7233

julie@stonybrookfilmfestival.com

 

For photos: http://staller4.staller.sunysb.edu/2008_Stony_Brook_Film_Festival_images/

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13th Annual Stony Brook Film Festival Announces Line-Up  

- World Premieres in the mix -

- Festival Schedule features new Independent film from 18 countries -

 

June 2, 2008, Stony Brook, NY –The Stony Brook Film Festival, produced by Staller Center for the Arts, announced its program of new independent film from eighteen countries screening over ten days at Staller Center at Stony Brook University from Thursday, July 17 to Saturday, July 26. The well-attended, highly selective festival is in its thirteenth year.

 

Opening and Closing Nights

Opening Night will feature the New York Premiere of a drama from Canada, Emotional Arithmetic, starring Susan Sarandon, Christopher Plummer, Gabriel Byrne, Roy Dupuis and Max Von Sydow, in a film about a fateful reunion among three survivors of the notorious French “transit” camp, Drancy.  “The Festival is starting off with some of the finest actors in the business on screen,” said Alan Inkles, director of the Stony Brook Film Festival. Some will feel like they know the actors personally. Christopher Plummer was among the guests on stage for the Q&A last year at the N.Y. Premiere of Man in the Chair. Roy Dupuis will be a familiar face to fest-goers who saw the Quebeçois film Looking for Alexander at Stony Brook in 2006.  Representing Emotional Arithmetic will be director Paolo Barzman who will attend the July 17th Opening Night and be on hand for audience questions after the screening.

 

The East Coast Premiere of Camille ends the Stony Brook Film Festival as its Closing Night film on Saturday, July 26 at 8:30 pm. Sienna Miller and James Franco star in the delightfully twisted story about a young couple on their way to Niagara Falls for a honeymoon. Director Gregory MacKenzie will attend the screening. Many of the directors who win awards for Best Features and Shorts will also attend Closing Night, where film critic John Anderson will once again serve as the Master of Ceremonies at the Awards Reception held on the Staller Center Main Stage.

 

World Premieres

Returning to the Stony Brook Film Festival this year with World Premieres are two filmmakers who have been to Stony Brook before, John Putch and Brent Huff. John Putch, director of Route 30, presents his backwoods comedy placed in rural Pennsylvania, complete with Bigfoot sightings and Amish neighbors, screening on Saturday, July 19 at 9:30 pm starring Dana Delany, David Deluise, Kevin Rahm and Robert Romanus. Brent Huff, director of Cat City, has created a thriller about a successful family lawyer with husband problems that will have its World Premiere on Sunday, July 20 at 7:00 pm.  Cat City features Rebecca Pidgeon, Julian Sands and Brian Dennehy. Many of the actors from these films as well as others will be on hand during the festival to introduce films and join in post-screening Q&As on stage.

 

John Putch said, “I couldn't be more pleased to premiere my latest film, Route 30, at the Stony Brook Film Festival.  This movie means a lot to me and the festival experience that Stony Brook provides has never been surpassed throughout my festival endeavors.  The audience, the venue and the snazzy line-up of films are better than top-notch.  When I was making Route 30 I had always hoped that I could premiere it at Stony Brook.  I'm just thankful I made the cut!”

 

Brent Huff noted, “I have attended many festivals in the past but Stony Brook is a special venue.  First and foremost, Alan Inkles and his staff truly champion the ‘indie’ filmmaker.  In 2003, I came to Stony Brook to screen my film 100 Mile Rule.  My flight was delayed so I literally got to the Staller Center just 15 minutes before the screening.  I asked the festival driver why the traffic was so bad.  He replied, ‘Because everyone is coming to your screening.’  I laughed, ‘Yeah, right.’  Once I arrived Mr. Inkles escorted me to the stage to introduce the film.  I couldn’t believe that the huge 1,000-seat+ theatre was filled to capacity.  It’s a moment I will never forget.” Continues Huff,  “I screened the same film at another festival a week later and there were only five people in attendance.  For the Q & A after that screening I just took everyone to Starbucks.  It was less embarrassing and I wrote off the $13.25 tab.  Congratulations to the Festival, Alan Inkles and all the people of Stony Brook who support the arts with such vigor.”

 

Another returning guest will be actress Mary Stuart Masterson, a Festival presence in 2001 when she starred in Book of Stars. This year Stony Brook will present her directorial debut The Cake Eaters. Masterson will attend the screening of her tender and charming drama on Saturday, July 19 at 7:00 pm.

 

International Flair

The 13th Annual Stony Brook Film Festival is presenting films with a myriad of languages in the mix. Gaelic, Bosnian, Hebrew, Russian, Hungarian, Chinese, Dutch, Hindi, French and Spanish are among the many languages that will be heard over the course of the ten-day festival.

 

Shorts that precede most of the features are from as far away as Belguim (Barbara Broadcast; Bunny Games), Australia (Triple Concerto in D Minor), Bosnia and Herzogovina (In the Name of the Son), and The Netherlands (For a Few Marbles More) as well as Long Island.  Artistic Closure is by Stony Brook alum Tracy King-Sanchez. It will be paired with Home Song Stories, a film starring Joan Chen from Australia and Singapore in English, Mandarin and Cantonese screening on Thursday, July 24 at 9:30 pm.

 

From Sundance to Stony Brook

Working again with ThinkFilm, one of the few remaining independent studios in the U.S., Stony Brook will have the New York Premiere of Phoebe in Wonderland, with great performances by Elle Fanning, Felicity Huffman, Patricia Clarkson, Bill Pullman and recent festival guest Campbell Scott. Phoebe in Wonderland premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for a Grand Jury Award. Director Daniel Barnz will be on hand for the screening and the cast has also been invited.

 

Many Other Premieres

Other premieres include the East Coast Premiere of the Canadian film The Stone Angel directed by Kari Skogland, starring Ellen Burstyn and Ellen Page. The Stone Angel is one of five Canadian films in this year’s festival. Dave McLaughlin’s Boston-based dark comedy, On Broadway, starring Joey McIntyre and Eliza Dushku will make its New York Premiere on Friday, July 18 at 9:30 pm and is one of thirty films making either World, US, East Coast or New York Premieres at this year’s Festival.

 

For the Stony Brook Film Festival schedule and descriptions of all films go to:  www.stonybrookfilmfestival.com.

 

Film passes for entrance to all films are $65, which includes a Passholder/Filmmaker wine and cheese reception on Saturday, July 19 at 5:30 pm. Individual tickets will go on sale July 7, subject to availability: $8 general admission; $6 for students and seniors. Tickets are required for the Opening Night Party with champagne and desserts and a Closing Night Awards Reception on Main Stage with hors d’oeuvres and drinks. Tickets for each party are $20 for passholders and $25 for non-passholders.  Party tickets go on sale to non-passholders on July 7 subject to availability.

 

STONY BROOK FILM FESTIVAL SCHEDULE (running times in parentheses)

 

THURSDAY, JULY 17 

8:00 pm - Emotional Arithmetic (89)

NY Premiere – Canada

 

FRIDAY, JULY 18 

5:00 pm - Amal (101)

NY Premiere – Canada/India

 

7:00 pm - Children of Glory (123)

NY Premiere - Hungary

Short: The Wall (8) USA

 

9:30 pm - On Broadway (100)

NY Premiere - USA

Short: And Then She Was Gone (7) USA

 

SATURDAY, JULY 19

3:30 pm - Wind Man (98)

East Coast Premiere - Russia

 

7:00 pm - The Cake Eaters (95)

USA

Short: Little Pumpkin (7) USA

 

9:30 pm - Route 30 (88)

World Premiere - USA

Short: Barbara Broadcast (15) Belgium

 

SUNDAY, JULY 20

3:30 pm - The Secrets (120)

Israel

 

7:00 pm - Cat City (93)

World Premiere – USA

Short: Triple Concerto in D Minor (8)

Australia

 

9:30 pm - Tru Loved (99)

USA

Short: For a Few Marbles More (11) The Netherlands

 

MONDAY, JULY 21

7:00 pm - Bluff (88)

NY Premiere - Canada

Short: Bunny Games (28) Belgium

 

9:30 pm - Unfinished Sky (91)

NY Premiere – Australia

Short: In the Name of the Son (25) Bosnia and Herzegovina/India

 

TUESDAY, JULY 22

7:00 pm - And Along Come Tourists (85)

East Coast Premiere - Germany

Short: Maine Story (24) USA

 

9:30 pm - Blood Brothers (95)

NY Premiere – Taiwan/Hong Kong/China

Short: Bookie (18) USA

 

WEDNESDAY, JULY 23 

7:00 pm - Twins for President (93)

East Coast Premiere - Spain

Short: Plainview (24) USA

 

9:30 pm - Summit Circle (90)

East Coast Premiere - Canada

Short: The Puzzle (16) USA

 

THURSDAY, JULY 24

7:00 pm - Kings (88)

NY Premiere – Ireland/UK

Short: The Drummer (18) USA

 

9:30 pm - Home Song Stories (103)

NY Premiere – Australia/Singapore

Short: Artistic Closure (14) USA

 

FRIDAY, JULY 25

7:00 pm - Phoebe in Wonderland (96)

NY Premiere - USA

9:30 pm - The Stone Angel (115)

East Coast Premiere - Canada

 

SATURDAY, JULY 26 

8:30 pm - Camille (91)

East Coast Premiere - USA

 

For more information and to order tickets go to www.stonybrookfilmfestival.com or call the Staller Center for the Arts Box Office at 631-632-ARTS [2787].

 

Presenting sponsors this year are HBO, JetBlue Airways, Suffolk County, Teachers Federal Credit Union, The Village Voice and WALK 97.5 Radio.

 

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