A mountain of change has occurred in the film industry since the first talkie, “The Jazz Singer,” debuted Oct. 6, 1927. But nearly 100 years later, at the 2024 Hamptons International Film Festival, that same great art of storytelling is still the industry’s beating heart.
HIFF was initially organized by Joyce Robinson in 1992, a year when the indie film industry was seemingly on fire with fascinating flicks like “Bad Lieutenant,” “In the Soup,” “The Player,” “South Central,” “Reservoir Dogs” — films with producers, actors, directors and writers who would all go on to be part of HIFF’s illustrious, often star-studded) screenings, talks and events.
Still, independent films, with their lower budgets and smaller (or nonexistent) distribution, have always faced an uphill battle in the shadow of blockbusters. “The heyday of the independent film industry was the late ’80s and early ’90s, so [HIFF’s founders] decided to create an awards festival so more films could get recognition and more could be seen by audiences,” says executive director Anne Chaisson, who’s been with HIFF since 2000 and is stepping down after this year’s festival.
Another impetus for starting the festival was making an off-season visit to the East End more attractive. The nonprofit kicked off its first five-day event with a boom, featuring a surprise chat on film preservation between directors Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg.
“When you start off with a conversation like that, people expect it’s going to be big every year,” laughs Chaisson.
Year in and year out, the flow of recognizable film industry heavy-hitters does not disappoint: Vanessa Redgrave, Julie Andrews, Robert Altman, Julian Schnabel, Roy Scheider, Quincy Jones, Brian DePalma, Sharon Stone, Steve Buscemi, Lori Anderson, Frances McDormand, Bradley Cooper, Susan Sarandon, Harry Belafonte, Jessica Chastain, Paul Simon, Riz Ahmed, Kate Winslet, Brie Larson, Joel Schumacher, Mariska Hargitay, Celine Song and a multitude of others. And the movies? Many go on to win big at other competitions, including the American mac daddy, the Academy Awards.
Such talent and the stories they tell attract up to 30,000 attendees annually, along with over 100 filmmakers and around 150 films, whittled down by a team that includes Chaisson and artistic director David Nugent, from the typical 3,500 submissions each year.
“We’re non-profit and always were from the very beginning,” says Chaisson. “We get a lot of government foundation support, funding from private donors and sponsors and we have a generous board. And we sell tickets!”
But the festival isn’t just a one-shot October gathering.
Throughout the year, HIFF uses independent film as a vehicle for education, mentoring, connection and community. It’s programs include the Screenwriters Lab, where emerging talents are paired with established writers to hone and develop their craft; junior film camp for kids; the SummerDoc series around modern documentary filmmaking; special programming focused on issues of the environment, human and animal rights, global injustice, women’s issues; and, even the close-to-home, “Views from Long Island,” which shines a light on local filmmakers and important issues facing the region. Sure, the festival’s got glam for days; but it’s got a soul, too.
“Film matters because it opens a window to a place, a feeling, a relationship, a history – things you may not ever have seen or felt or known — and it gives you the opportunity to experience that,” says Chaisson. “It communicates the human spirit in a way that people can together and experience emotion, excitement, danger in a collective that you don’t get to do at home — that’s why film festivals are so important. It opens the world in a way that no other art medium can do.”
The 32nd Annual Hamptons International Film Festival — the longest one ever at 11 days, including two weekends — runs from Friday, Oct. 4, to Monday, Oct. 14, with screenings in East Hampton, Southampton and Sag Harbor. Ticket packages go on sale Sept. 4. For the film lineup, special event schedule and more information, visit hamptonsfilm.org.
