HamptonsFilm will again have its annual film festival over 10 days after a successful launch of the extended schedule last year during its 30th anniversary. This year's dates are Oct. 6 to 15, again encompassing two weekends.
This week, the festival announced that it was now accepting film submissions on the FilmFreeway website, with an early deadline of March 15 and a regular deadline of April 4. The prize purse is $130,000 in total.
The festival will continue to be fully live and in person, with screenings and talks in venues all over the South Fork.
Anne Chaisson, HamptonsFilm's executive director, confirmed that the extended schedule was a hit with audiences and the community, leading to "discussions with our board about continuing to bring economic development to the East End in the shoulder season."
Those who attended in October had a chance to see Oscar-nominated films such as the best picture contenders "The Banshees of Inisherin," "Triangle of Sadness," and "Women Talking." From 2010 to 2020, the festival screened the eventual best picture winner each year. Smaller Oscar-nominated films such as "Close," "EO," and "All That Breathes" were also screened last year.
HamptonsFilm's other programs will continue this year, including SummerDocs, now in its 16th year, and the Screenwriters Lab, which will take place April 14 to 16, pairing screenwriters with mentors to work on their scripts in development over a weekend on the South Fork.