The Woodstock Film Festival (WFF) has announced that it will return to using indoor venues in Woodstock, Kingston and Saugerties for its upcoming 22nd anniversary, slated for September 30 to October 3. Based on the current state of CDC guidelines, the Festival will require proof of full vaccination in order to enter indoor venues. Additionally, face masks are required, other than when eating or drinking.
WFF will also be holding sneak-peek screenings of Sean Penn’s Flag Day on August 15 and Connie Hochman’s In Balanchine’s Classroom on September 11, ahead of its annual fall Film Festival.
Tom Quinn, CEO and founder of the groundbreaking film distribution company NEON, will be the recipient of the Woodstock Film Festival’s 2021 Honorary Trailblazer Award. The news comes at the heels of a period of restructuring for WFF, which added seven new members to its Board of Directors this year.
The upcoming fall Film Festival will be the first time WFF has used sit-in movie theaters in over a year, after adopting a hybrid drive-in and online model for its 2020 edition due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to in-person screenings and events, the 2021 Festival will also include an online program of shorts, featurelength films and livestreamed panels that can be watched from home. Passes for both programs are now available for purchase.
The official poster for the 22nd annual Woodstock Film Festival was created by former WFF employee McKenna Wood. A graphic designer and artist based out of Highland, Wood started as an intern in WFF’s Operations Department while completing her undergraduate studies at SUNY New Paltz. After graduating in May of 2020, she joined the Woodstock Film Festival team as the Volunteer & Hospitality coordinator for the Festival’s 21st anniversary.
“The natural beauty of the Hudson Valley has inspired artists for generations,” said Wood. “I wanted to communicate through this poster the layers of connective tissue that link the region’s scenic landscapes to the people who use them as a basis for their own creative work.”
“2020 was a challenging year that pushed us to think outside the box and create innovative new programming while exploring new platforms to host our events,” said Woodstock Film Festival co-founder and executive director Meira Blaustein. “I look forward to welcoming back filmmakers and audiences to a full-blown Film Festival that is stronger than ever.”
For additional information, visit www.woodstockfilmfestival.org.