Last Monday night, directors Michael Palmieri and Donal Mosher presented their film OCTOBER COUNTRY at STF to a packed house. They were returning from the Woodstock Film Festival and en route to AmFest in Moscow the very next day. We were glad they could squeeze us in! The hauntingly beautiful film explores a year with Donal’s family as they struggle with teen pregnancy, foster care, memories of war and child abuse. After the screening audiences were treated to a very personal Q&A where Michael and Donal shared what it was like to shoot this film and screen it for Donal’s family. You can read more about the film at its website: http://www.octobercountryfilm.com.
Hot off the press: the STF fall closing night film will be a special NY sneak preview of HOW TO FOLD A FLAG (pictured) which premiered at TIFF a few short weeks ago. Directors Michael Tucker and Petra Epperlein will both be attending the screening. They last visited STF in spring 2007 with their film THE PRISONER OR: HOW I PLANNED TO KILL TONY BLAIR.
And yet another perk for STF fall season passholders: there will be a Monday night screening of LOOT on Nov. 2. Winner of the Best Documentary at the 2008 Los Angeles Film Festival, LOOT is a feature-length Documentary that follows two WWII veterans and their guide across the globe in search of their buried wartime treasures.
ART OF THE STEAL, the muckraking doc that explore the struggle for control over the Barnes art collection, screened this week at the NYFF, following its world premiere at TIFF where it was one of the rare film sales. Its buyer was the new Sundance Selects, part of the Rainbow Media empire that also includes IFC Films. ART OF THE STEAL has received strong reviews from Variety, Back Row Manifesto and other critics. On Tuesday, it was feted with a late-night party at the west side P.J. Clarke’s (a welcome addition to the Lincoln Center neighborhood). Here are some snaps from the night…
ART OF THE STEAL director Don Argott (R) with critic David D’Arcy (L) who’s extensively researched the Barnes Foundation and appears in the film.
On the eve of her 98th birthday, the pioneering journalist Ruth Gruber got a standing ovation for the documentary about her life AHEAD OF TIME, presented to a sold out crowd for STF’s opening night. The film marks the directorial debut of Bob Richman, the acclaimed cinematographer of THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE. This was the first sneak preview for AHEAD OF TIME following its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. The audience included several members of Gruber’s family and many directors who have previously worked with Richman, such as Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky (METALLICA: SOME KIND OF MONSTER), and Gaylen Ross (KILLING KASZTNER). In the Q&A afterwards, Gruber regaled the audience with stories of meeting Eleanor Roosevelt, Virginia Woolf and other historical figures. A favorite moment of mine was when the 200+ person audience sang Ruth a round of “Happy Birthday”.
Ten days ago, the Toronto International Film Festival came to an end, but my memories will linger for a long time to come. Sifting through photos, here are 10 moments that stand out:
In TIFF’s Mavericks conversation section, Frederick Wiseman presented the North American premiere of his new film LA DANSE (see an excerpt of the discussion on YouTube). He had flown in that day on a red-eye from the Venice Film Festival (and the next day was flying back to Paris – what a trouper!). But that night he joined us for a directors’ dinner along with an up-and-coming filmmaker from Michigan. I eavesdropped to hear Michael Moore say how much he admired Wiseman’s early film HIGH SCHOOL. Someone asked them which was the favorite of their own works. They both said it’s impossible to choose, but they each had a special fondness for their first films, ROGER & ME and TITICUT FOLLIES, respectively.
Last Monday night, directors Michael Palmieri and Donal Mosher presented their film OCTOBER COUNTRY at STF to a packed house. They were returning from the Woodstock Film Festival and en route to AmFest in Moscow the very next day. We were glad they could squeeze us in! The hauntingly beautiful film explores a year with Donal’s family as they struggle with teen pregnancy, foster care, memories of war and child abuse. After the screening audiences were treated to a very personal Q&A where Michael and Donal shared what it was like to shoot this film and screen it for Donal’s family. You can read more about the film at its website: http://www.octobercountryfilm.com.
Hot off the press: the STF fall closing night film will be a special NY sneak preview of 
ART OF THE STEAL director Don Argott (R) with critic David D’Arcy (L) who’s extensively researched the Barnes Foundation and appears in the film.
On the eve of her 98th birthday, the pioneering journalist Ruth Gruber got a standing ovation for the documentary about her life 
In TIFF’s Mavericks conversation section, Frederick Wiseman presented the North American premiere of his new film