17th Annual Berkshire International Film Festival: A Weekend Of Schmoozing And Screening
The excitement among movie buffs builds when the jam-packed festival’s lineup is announced. Here's a preview.
Stephen Lang in "White Irish Drinkers"
Hats off to the people working behind the scenes at the Berkshire International Film Festival (BIFF). How they manage to pack so many features and documentaries, conversations, tributes, a film academy and, yes, parties into one essentially long weekend is beyond comprehension. The 2023 BIFF, June 1-4, is programming 28 documentaries, 28 narrative features, 18 short films, and endless networking and meet-and-greet opportunities in Great Barrington and Lenox. As usual, there’ll be a high wattage of star power in and among the weekend’s activities.
BIFF has also added the Lenox Town Hall as one of its venues along with the Triplex Cinema, the Mahaiwe, and Tanglewood Learning Institute.
The festival opens at the Mahaiwe on Thursday, June 1, with “Food and Wine Country,” produced by trailblazing food writer Ruth Reichl in collaboration with filmmaker Laura Gabbert. In the documentary, Reichl reaches out across political and social divides to uncover the country’s broken food system and the innovators risking it all to transform it. Reichl, a Hudson Valley resident, will be in attendance and participate in the Q&A that follows.
The Indigo Girls, featured in "It's Only Life After All"
Saturday, June 3 is Tribute Night at the Mahaiwe and the honoree, Stephen Lang, Best known for his work in James Cameron’s Avatar franchise, he has had an accomplished career as an actor (stage, screen and tv), as well as playwright. Lang will be in conversation with WAMC radio’s Joe Donahue as BIFF honors and recognizes his body of work. BIFF will screen two of Lang’s films: “White Irish Drinkers” (which also stars Karen Allen and Pieter Riegert), and “The Last Exit to Brooklyn.”
The festival’s popular Tea Talks return on Saturday, June 3; these are in-depth conversations with special guests in the film industry. Three female filmmakers with ties to the Berkshires will be present at “Celebrating Excellence in Film Through the Lens of Berkshire Female Filmmakers.” Actor and director Karen Allen along with Academy Award-winning directors Barbara Kopple and Cynthia Wade will share their stories with Diane Pearlman, Berkshire Film and Media Collaborative’s executive director. Later in the day, the Tea Talk shifts from the Mahaiwe to the Tanglewood Learning Institute for “Music and the Movies: A Conversation with David Friedman,” who will discuss his vast and varied experience in show business as composer, songwriter, and conductor.
On closing night, Sunday, June 4, BIFF will feature the Sundance hit documentary, “It’s Only Life After All” about the folk-rock duo, the Indigo Girls. The film’s director, Alexandria Bombach, will be in attendance for a Q&A following the film. Other films on the lineup include the works of the three honored female filmmakers.
In between all the tributes and talks, there’ll be the continuous showings of narrative films, documentary, shorts, and kid flicks. The Thirteenth Annual “Next Great Filmmaker” Competition is already online, and you can watch and vote your favorite through May 31. The winner will be announced at the opening night presentation. Also in its thirteenth year: the BIFF Filmmaker Summit, a two-day talent academy for this year’s filmmakers, which will offer panel discussions, lectures, and breakout sessions led by known industry professionals.
But as always, the BIFF has much too much going on to summarize it quickly. There’s a reason BIFF was put on the list of MovieMaker Magazine’s annual list of the 25 coolest Film Festivals in the World, after all. Your best bet is to examine the festival guide on the website and curate your lineup. Passes and tickets are available online now.
