24th HIFF Announces Opening, Closing and Centerpiece Films

[caption id="attachment_55701" align="alignnone" width="800"] Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton in “Loving.”[/caption]

The Hamptons International Film Festival announced its opening and closing films last week, bringing films by Jeff Nichols and Ewan McGregor to the East End for the 24^th annual film festival.

Mr. Nichols’ film “Loving” will open the festival, screening on Thursday, October 6 in East Hampton. Starring Joel Edgerton, Ruth Negga, Marton Csokas, Nick Kroll and Michael Shannon, “Loving” tells the story of the couple whose love story led to the landmark Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia.

[caption id="attachment_55697" align="alignright" width="600"] Ewan McGregor in “American Pastoral.”[/caption]

The festival’s closing night film is Mr. McGregor's “American Pastoral.” This film adaptation of Philip Roth's 1997 novel stars Mr. McGregor, Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Connelly, David Strathairn, Rupert Evans and Valorie Curry. Set in the unrest of 1960s America, a man watches his seemingly perfect life fall apart as his daughter’s newfound political activism threatens to destroy their family.

Both Mr. Nichols and Ms. Fanning are expected to attend the festival to promote their work. The festival will run October 6 through October 10.

“We are thrilled to have such powerful and thought-provoking films as “Loving” and “American Pastoral,” as our Opening and Closing Nights at the festival this year,” HIFF Artistic Director David Nugent said. “Jeff Nichols and Ewan McGregor are two tremendously talented filmmakers with impressive careers and we look forward to screening their projects.”

“Every year the festival aims to bring topical, timely and entertaining programming to our audiences, and both of our Opening and Closing Night films fit this bill,” said HIFF Executive Director Anne Chaisson. “‘Loving’ and ‘American Pastoral’ will showcase the filmmaking talent and programming that we strive to bring to the festival attendees each fall.”

Kenneth Lonergan’s “Manchester by the Sea” will be the Saturday Centerpiece Film, and Mike Mills’ “20^th Century Women” will be the Sunday Centerpiece Film. Both titles will play at Guild Hall in East Hampton. The festival also announced that Katherine Dieckmann’s “Strange Weather” is the Southampton opening night film on Friday, October 7.

“Our Southampton Opening Night and Centerpiece Films bring an array of talented filmmakers, actors, and diverse storylines to HIFF this year,” Mr. Nugent said. “We are thrilled at the opportunity to screen these bodies of work.”

“We are so proud to showcase films made by New York based, independent film directors, and it is an exceptional pleasure to showcase their works in these coveted festival slots,” Ms.Chaisson said. “For 24 years our mission has been to celebrate independent voices, and the films of Katherine Dieckmann, Mike Mills and Kenneth Lonergan embody what the word independent truly means.”

To purchase founders passes, ticket packages and for more information, please visit www.hamptonsfilmfest.org. Individual tickets will go on sale on Monday, September 26.