The Hamptons Doc Fest will return for its 17th year and will feature a seven-day festival screening 32 documentary films from December 5-11 at the Sag Harbor Cinema and Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor. In addition to the films being shown, several awards will be given to worthy recipients during the week, including one to Oscar-winning filmmaker Michael Moore.
The Hamptons Doc Fest Founder and executive director, Jacqui Lofaro, shared, “Join us for a week of looking back at a film classic like Michael Moore’s Roger & Me and moving forward with a dynamic lineup of just-out documentary films.” She then added: “We are thrilled not only to showcase the extraordinary work of a diverse group of talented documentary filmmakers, but also to recognize the people and organizations that make it all possible. Please come along for the ride. We think you’ll love the journey.”
The Opening Night Film, Merchant Ivory (directed by Stephen Soucy) will begin at 8 P.M. on Thursday, December 5, at the Sag Harbor Cinema on 90 Main Street. The documentary will examine the extraordinary film duo of producer Ismail Merchant and director James Ivory. The night’s Closing Film, The Bones (directed by Jeremy Xido), is about traveling the globe with paleontologists to unearth dinosaur bones and will screen at the Bay Street Theater at 1 Long Wharf on Wednesday, December 11 at 7 P.M.
Moore to Receive Pennebaker Career Achievement Award
This year’s Pennebaker Career Achievement Award, which was named for the late Sag Harbor Filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker, will be presented to Michael Moore, who is most well known for documentaries such as Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11, as well as Sicko. The award will be presented at a gala starting at 6:30 P.M. at Bay Street Theater on December 7.
Moore’s influential debut film Roger & Me (1989) which was about the devastating effect of General Motors’ plant closures in Flint, Michigan, will be shown at the festival. Moore has produced and written 13 documentaries, acted in four movies, created three television series, and published eight books. His belief is in the idea, “One great movie can change your life, and that powerful films can help change the world.”
Hampton Doc Fest’s artistic director, Karen Arikian, said “We are so honored to present this year’s Pennebaker Career Achievement Award to Michael Moore.”
“He is a true giant in the documentary field—an award-winning director, writer, and producer of more than three decades of groundbreaking films. Through his unique ability to bring dark humor and biting satire to some of the very difficult topics he has tackled, he forever upended the way documentary stories were told, as well as the impact they can have on critical social issues,” she then went on to add.
Other Awards and Events
Ben Addelman’s Plastic People: The Hidden Crisis of Microplastics will be screened at Bay Street Theater on Monday, December 9 at 8 P.M. Addelman’s documentary has received the HDF Environmental Award.
Meanwhile, the HDF Art & Inspiration Award will be presented to Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman’s film, MÚSICA!, which is about Cuban musicians, on Thursday, December 5 at 5:30 P.M.
The Hamptons Doc Fest has also launched a Hometown Heroes film contest, with the top three student filmmakers winning a cash prize. The top winner will have the honor of having their film premiered at the festival’s Short & Breakfast Bites program on Sunday, December 8.
An HDF Human Rights Award will also be given to directors Maisie Crow and Abbie Perrault for their film Zurawski v. Texas at Bay Street Theater on Tuesday, December 10 at 5:30 P.M.
More information about the festival, along with tickets and passes for these films and others, can be found at hamptonsdocfest.com.
