Hudson Finally Gets Its Very Own Film Festival

Hudson finally has a film festival and the question is — what took so long? In a town populated and visited by all manner of creative types, independent film has been underrepresented. Outside of Time and Space Limited’s long history of film programing and the recent addition of movie nights hosted at Hudson Hall, there hasn’t been the same celebration of film in the city as there has been for other art forms – until now.

The Hudson Film Festival, to be held August 11-13 at Hudson Hall, TSL and Basilica Hudson, will feature five critically acclaimed features, as well as shorts that organizers have selected to speak to the diversity of taste and culture of Hudson and the region. Issues of race, gender and orientation are throughlines of the films, which are also quite diverse in genre.

The festival is the first outing for the recently minted Hudson Valley Film Institute. The freshman organization was founded by recent Hudson transplant and long-time industry pro John Maybee, LA-based film publicist Sonia Marcela Freeman, and local writer/producer Sarah Peters. The trio started brainstorming the festival through the pandemic.

Festivities will kick off at Hudson Hall with the North American premiere of Berlinale opener "She Came To Me," starring Peter Dinklage, Marisa Tomei, and Anne Hathaway, written and directed by Rebecca Miller, followed by an after party.

“We are excited to share this film wiith the Hudson community,” Maybee said. “Miller is a special artist. It's a joyful, witty romantic comedy.”

The line up of features also includes "Mutt’"(Winner, Special Jury Award: Acting, 2023 Sundance Film Festival), which will screen at TSL; "Going Varsity in Mariachi" (Winner, Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award, 2023 Sundance Film Festival); and a 2023 Berlinale premiere in the Panorama section, "Perpetrator."

The festival also officially anounced Wednesday that, in partnership with NEON Productions and in celebration of auteur director Park Chan-wook and the 20th anniversary of his film "Oldboy," the restored, remastered neo-noir revenge thriller will screen at the Hudson Film Festival prior to its theatrical re-release on August 16th. 

“As devotees of Director Park and NEON, we are ecstatic and honored to have been chosen as the only festival to screen "Oldboy" prior to its theatrical relaunch," festival directors said. "It’s been hailed by critics, film festivals and audiences worldwide. It's one of our favorite films and we are thrilled to bring this groundbreaking masterpiece back to the big screen for its re-release kickoff. If the community of Hudson missed "Oldboy" in theaters in 2003, now’s the chance to see it in all its twisted glory the way it was meant to be seen.”

Short films are also represented at the festival as well, with screenings that include Academy Award-nominated "The Flying Sailor," Sundance Grand Jury Prize winning "When You Left Me on That Boulevard" and Locarno Film Festival premiere "In The Big Yard Inside the Teeny-Weeny Pocket."

In a joint statement, the co-founders said, “From inception through launch, we have been embraced by the vibrant community of Hudson. It is clear that it is not only our dream to bring the film festival and institute to the city, but that it’s this community's dream as well. We are honored to build upon the rich film and art history of Hudson, and help usher in a new phase of cinema and economic growth together with our present and future partners.”

While the new institute’s output is as-yet untested, the group was wise to team up with three venues with sterling track records of executing high-quality events. Maybee said they couldn’t thank the leadership and staff at the Basilica, Hudson Hall and TSL enough for their collaboration an guidance.

"Hudson Hall is thrilled to welcome the Hudson Film Festival by hosting the opening night of their inaugural festival,” said Tambra Dillon, Hudson Hall executive director. “There are few places where the magic of storytelling is as visceral than in a darkened theater, and there are few art forms that bring people together like the movies. The Hudson Film Festival team  — John, Sarah, and Sonia — bring with them a wealth of experience and exquisite taste, and we are excited for Hudson and Hudson Hall's growing reputation as a film hub to be solidified with this very special event."

Maybee said the HV Film Institute’s goal is to eventually have a physical home of their own but intends to host programing like screenings, talks and youth events throughout the year at venues around Hudson and beyond.

Ticket packages for all access to the three-day festival days as well as individual screenings are available now, with more details available at HudsonFilmFestival.org as they become available.