Famous Faces and Inspired Cinema at the Berkshire International Film Festival
Growing in scale and notoriety each year, BIFF 2025 connects movie goers with movie makers.
Actor Brian Cox (right), honored at BIFF 2025, with designer Bob Mackie (left). Cox, a multi-award-winning actor known for his roles in "Succession" and numerous theater productions, was the festival's featured honoree. Mackie, renowned for his costume designs for celebrities like Cher and Carol Burnett, joined the celebration.
Photo's by Julia Kaplan, courtasy of the Berkshire International Film Festival.
The 19th annual Berkshire International Film Festival (BIFF) lit up Great Barrington last weekend, showcasing 75 films from 22 countries and hosting over 60 filmmakers. The festival featured screenings, panels, and gatherings at venues including the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, and the Triplex Cinema.
A highlight of the festival was a tribute to Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor Brian Cox, known for his role as Logan Roy in HBO's "Succession." Cox, a resident of nearby Hillsdale, participated in an on-stage conversation with his wife, actress and director Nicole Ansari-Cox, followed by a screening of his 2008 film The Escapist. The evening concluded with a tented dinner and jazz performance.
Other notable attendees included fashion designer Kenneth Cole, who was present for the screening of A Man with Sole: The Impact of Kenneth Cole, and Chevy Chase.
“This year was pretty extraordinary," says BIFF founder Kelley Vickery. "We’ve never had over 60 filmmakers before. Usually it’s around 40, but this year, 65 to 70 percent of the films had filmmakers in attendance. People were just hanging out after screenings, in the lobbies of the Triplex or the Mahi, talking with the filmmakers for a long time. It's become a real community.”
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Matteline deVries-Dilling, founder of Lite Brite Neon, one of the evening's honoree of this year's Upstate Benefit adresses the gala from the Caboose's caboose.
- Karen Pearson. Courtesy Art Omi.
Olana senior vice president and landscape curatorMark Prezorski, president Sean Sawyer, The evenings honoree Kristin Gamble and New York State Assemblymember Didi Barrett.
- Oxygen House Photo
