THE WAY STF GETS BY

image Winner of the audience award at Full Frame and a special jury prize at SXSW, THE WAY WE GET BY had its first New York sneak preview at Stranger Than Fiction last night and won over yet another sold out crowd. This moving film tells the story of an airport in Bangor, Maine where senior citizens volunteer and greet soldiers that are flying to or returning from war.  A strength of the documentary is that it steers clear of political trappings and instead focuses on the importance of supporting soldiers as fellow Americans who are serving their country.  The film also succeeds in shedding light on the many obstacles facing the elderly, demonstrating how volunteering at an airport provides them with a vital sense of purpose and community.  Director Aron Gaudet and producer Gita Pullapilly (photo) joined us for a Q&A in which they shared many entertaining anecdotes about the film’s protagonists. My favorite is that at the Cleveland Film Festival, audiences were so moved by the film that they showed up at the airport to send off film subject Jerry. Now that’s the power of a documentary!

The evening was copresented by the Camden International Film Festival (a wonderful Maine event now in its fifth year) and the highly esteemed PBS strand POV (that will broadcast THE WAY WE GET BY this coming fall). 

image Camden International Film Festival founder Ben Fowlie and fellow programmer Leah Hurley generously treated the crowds at 99 Below to a round of drinks and then hosted the after-after party at Santos. 
image Director Aron Gaudet poses alongside IFC Center’s inimitable whiteboard with POV’s Vice President Cynthia Lopez and Executive Director Simon Kilmurry.
image Enjoying a drink at the after-party, blogger Pamela Cohn of Still In Motion and Erkko Lyytinen - the Artistic Director of DocPoint (Helsinki Documentary Festival) visiting from Finland.
image STF host Thom Powers with the curator of the Hanoi Cinemateque, visiting from Vietnam, Gerry Herman.
image Gita Pullapilly with her filmmaker friend Nara Garber.
image POV’s Simon Kilmurry joined by musician Zack Martin who not only did the score for THE WAY WE GET BY, but also played live for the STF audience before last night’s screening.

 

image Filmmaker Robin Hessman (who also programs the American Film Festival of Moscow) and filmmaker Danielle Beverly.
image Journalist Vera Brozzoni and filmmaker Emma Franz.
image from THE WAY WE GET BY Related Film/Screening:
THE WAY WE GET BY by Aron Gaudet


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Upcoming Screenings

Feb 9: STARTUP.COM

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Now that a decade has gone by since the hey day of the dot com bubble, when downtown New York was dubbed Silicon Alley, it’s hard to recall the dreams and excesses of that period. Thankfully, they ...
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Feb 16: THE ART OF THE STEAL

image from THE ART OF THE STEAL by Don Argott
A sensation at the Toronto and New York film festivals, this art world investigation explores the power play to control Albert Barnes’ extraordinary collection of Post-Impressionist paintings, ...
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Feb 17: FOOD, INC. (WED NIGHT SPECIAL)

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Nominated for an Academy Award, Independent Spirit Award and winner of the Gotham Award for “Best Documentary.” From the Toronto International Film Festival catalogue: You are what you eat. It is ...
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Feb 23: WINNING TIME: REGGIE MILLER VS. THE NEW YORK KNICKS

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The filmmaker behind CRAZY LOVE - winner of the Independent Spirit Award - delivers another classic New York story, ripped from the headlines of tabloids.  In the 1990s, an epic rivalry arose ...
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Mar 2: A HEALTHY BABY GIRL

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In celebration of director Judith Helfand living 20 years post the cancer and chemical exposure drama explored in A HEALTHY BABY GIRL, STF is delighted to show this anniversary presentation.  In her ...
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Mar 9: BEST OF THE ORPHAN FILM SYMPOSIUM (THIRD EDITION)

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Co-presented by Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives The term “orphan” film refers to footage with unknown origins uncovered by archivists. The films range from home movies to industrials to works that ...
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Mar 16: DAVID HOLZMAN’S DIARY

image from DAVID HOLZMAN’S DIARY by Jim McBride
This landmark work blending fiction and reality made a deep impression on the 1970s generation of filmmakers. STF is pleased to show this rare big screen appearance, accompanied by a Q&A with the ...
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