The Circuit

Bob Balaban's "Bernard and Doris" and Kirsten Sheridan's "August Rush" will bookend the 15th Hamptons International Film Festival, October 7-17 -- expertly scheduled just after the seasonal Hamptons exodus.  

Also of note in the program, the defining Hamptons doc for cineastes, "Grey Gardens," gets a revisit by the original docmaker, Albert Maysles. The HBO-produced "Grey Gardens: From East Hampton to Broadway," where Maysles explores the film's transition to a Broadway musical, will have its world premiere at the fest. 

The fest also has one of the richest purses attached to its Golden Starfish narrative competition -- over $185,000 in goods and in-kind services.  The winning doc only gets $5K.  From the fest's release:

Narrative
“Elvis and Anabelle” (US, East Coast Premiere) Dir. Will Geiger - with Blake Lively & Max Minghella.  Elvis is a mortician in his family's funeral parlor. Anabelle is a beauty queen who has dropped dead. An innocent kiss brings a corpse back to life, and romance ensues.

“Just Buried” (Canada, US Premiere) Dir. Chaz Thorne - with Jay Baruchel, Graham Greene & Rose Byrne.  A young man inherits a nearly bankrupt funeral home from his estranged father. He falls in love with the alluring young mortician, only to find out she's offing people to keep the place in business!

“Kings” (UK, US Premiere) Dir. Tom Collins.  In the mid 1970s, a group of six young men left their homes in the West of Ireland, took the boat out of Dublin Bay and sailed across the sea to England in the hope of making their fortunes and returning home. Thirty years later only one, Jackie Flavin, makes it home - but does so in a coffin. Jackie's five friends reunite at his wake where they are forced face up to the reality of their alienation as long term emigrants who have no longer have any real place to call home.

“Turn The River” (US, World Premiere) Dir. Chris Eigeman - with Famke Janssen.  As this story of a pool-hustling mother and physically abused son hell-bent on fleeing from their terrible lives builds to its inevitable climax, the two desperate characters must take their one last shot at escape, against the odds, and without regard to the possible consequences.

“Valerie” (Germany, East Coast Premiere) Dir. Birgit Möller.  The camera follows Valerie throughout a week in her life as she stumbles through Berlin trying to scrape her life back together.

Documentary
“Do You Sleep in the Nude?” (US, World Premiere)  Dir. Marshall Fine.  Featuring celebrity testimonials and footage of Rex Reed's television appearances, this documentary reveals many of the same characteristics of journalism's enfant terrible that have fascinated the public and frightened celebrities for decades.

“Gahan Wilson:  Born Dead, Still WEIRD” (US, World Premiere) Dir. Steven-Charles Jaffe.  This portrait of legendary cartoonist Gahan Wilson offers a fascinating and candid glimpse into the artist's life and work, simultaneously reveal a nightmarish perspective on modern adult life. Featuring interviews with Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, Hugh Hefner and Stan Lee, among others.

“I Am an Animal: This Story of Ingrid Newkirk and PETA” (US, World Premiere) Dir. Matthew Galkin.  The most well-known and controversial animal rights organization, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), is as equally reviled as it is esteemed.

“Pool Of Princesses” (Germany, East Coast Premiere) Dir. Bettina Blümner.  Docudrama about three teenage girls struggling for personal identity and freedom in urban Germany brilliantly captures the bittersweet moments of youth as each girl talks of her hopes, desires, and fears

“Resolved” (US, East Coast Premiere) Dir. Greg Whiteley.  This film will destroy every stereotypical thought you've ever had about kids who engage in debating, the reasons they do it, and how level the debate playing field really is, or isn't.