Martin Scorcese’s ‘The Irishman’ will be the Centerpiece film at the Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) on October 11

“The Irishman,” Martin Scorsese’s new film based on the novel “I Heard You Paint Houses” by Charles Brandt, will be the Friday Centerpiece film at the Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) on October 11. The film, which will be screened at Guild Hall, explores the life of Frank Sheeran and his career as a mob hitman. It stars Academy Award-winning actors Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci.

In addition, four films from the Spotlight section have been announced, including Academy Award-nominated director Terrence Malick’s “A Hidden Life,” about Franz Jägerstätter, an Austrian conscientious objector during World War II. The film stars August Diehl, Valerie Pachner, and both Michael Nyqvist and Bruno Ganz in their final performances before their deaths. From Academy Award-nominated-director Taika Waititi comes “JoJo Rabbit,” starring Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Rebel Wilson, Stephen Merchant, Alfie Allen, with Sam Rockwell and Scarlett Johansson. Waititi also stars in the film as an imaginary friend and Adolf Hitler to a lonely young German boy whose world view is turned upside down when he discovers his single mother is hiding a young Jewish girl in their attic.

“Marriage Story” is Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Noah Baumbach's incisive and compassionate look at a marriage breaking up and a family staying together. The film stars Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver, Laura Dern, Alan Alda and Ray Liotta co-star. “The Two Popes,” from Fernando Meirelles, the Academy Award-nominated director of “City of God,” and three-time Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Anthony McCarten stars Jonathan Pryce and Anthony Hopkins. The film tells an intimate story of one of the most dramatic transitions of power in the last 2,000 years. Frustrated with the direction of the church, Cardinal Bergoglio requests permission to retire in 2012 from Pope Benedict. Instead, facing scandal and self-doubt, the introspective Pope Benedict summons his harshest critic and future successor to Rome to reveal a secret that would shake the foundations of the Catholic Church. Behind Vatican walls, a struggle commences between both tradition and progress, guilt and forgiveness, as these two very different men confront elements from their pasts in order to find common ground and forge a future for a billion followers around the world.

In the World Cinema Narrative section, the festival will screen “Portrait of a Lady On Fire.” Set in France in 1760, Marianne is commissioned to paint the wedding portrait of Héloïse, a young woman who has just left the convent. As the two women orbit one another, intimacy and attraction grow as they share Héloïse’s first moments of freedom. Héloïse's portrait soon becomes a collaborative act of and testament to their love. Starring Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel, the film premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, where its director Céline Sciamma was the first female director to receive the Queer Palm award. Sciamma was also awarded Best Screenplay at Cannes.

The festival has also selected the films for the narrative and documentary competitions. The films in the narrative competition are Mati Diop’s “Atlantics,” winner of the Grand Prix at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, Anke Blonde’s “The Best of Dorien B.,” Jan Ole Gerster’s “Lara,” Andrew Patterson’s “The Vast of Night,” and Hlynur Pálmason’s “A White, White Day.” Films in the documentary competition include Alexander Nanau’s “Collective,” Alla Kovgan’s “Cunningham,” Sung-a Yoon’s “Overseas,” Patrick Bresnan and Ivete Lucas’ “Pahokee,” and Suhaib Gasmelbari’s “Talking About Trees.”

“The lineup for the 27th edition of the festival includes some of this year’s most anticipated films, as well as a number of exciting new voices,” said David Nugent, Artistic Director of the Hamptons International Film Festival. “The films in this year’s competition sections highlight the industry’s best emerging talent with new and innovative works.”

“Our commitment to gender parity in storytelling continues to remain a priority in our programming,’ said Anne Chaisson, Executive Director of Hamptons International Film Festival. "For the second year in a row we are pleased to have a competition lineup that is 50 % female and 50 % male directed films, bringing a diverse array of stories and filmmaking."

Ticket packages for the 2019 festival are on sale now and individual tickets will go on sale on October 1.

The 27th annual Hamptons International Film Festival will take place Columbus Day Weekend, October 10 to 14. For more information visit hamptonsfilmfest.org.