16th Annual BERKSHIRE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
June 2nd-5th

HIGHLIGHTS:

– 2022 Festival Tribute Honoree: Legendary, Award-Winning Actor ALFRE WOODARD

– Documentary Film, ART & KRIMES BY KRIMES with Artist & Activist Jesse Krimes

– Northeast Premiere of Award-Winning Film PRETTY PROBLEMS

– ‘Tea Talks’ Featuring Renown Artists Don Gummer (of Litchfield County) & Stephen Hannock; and an Intimate, Wide-Ranging Conversation with Female Directors, Writers & Producers

– 80 International & National Narrative Features & Documentaries, Shorts & Animated Films from 30 Countries

GREAT BARRINGTON, MA: April 22, 2022 —The 16th Annual Berkshire International Film Festival, (BIFF), announces a blockbuster weekend of powerful and engaging films, entertaining events, and incredibly special guests. The Festival runs from June 2 – 5, in Great Barrington and Lenox, Massachusetts.

With strong international programming, and an ongoing commitment to presenting the best in documentary film, the BIFF brings together films, filmmakers, industry professionals and fans for a four-day celebration. The lineup showcases: 25 documentaries, 27 narrative features, 15 short films, and 13 animated shorts, with stories from 30 countries including: Germany, Guatemala, Oman, France, Switzerland, Poland, Australia, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, UK, USA, Vietnam, Denmark, Canada, Bulgaria, Spain, Romania, South Korea, Norway, Italy and Egypt.

BIFF is also proud to expand its 2022 programming to the Linde Center at Tanglewood, throughout the weekend. And, back by popular demand, BIFF will present a curated selection of feature and short films, from the in-person Festival, to be screened virtually.

BIFF Founder and Artistic Director, Kelley Vickery: “We are thrilled to share an extraordinary lineup of diverse films from all over the world, shining light on our ever-changing, ever-growing, and ever-hopeful global community. It’s my hope that BIFF will inspire our audiences with wonder, curiosity, engagement, laughter and perhaps even a call to action. In 2022, BIFF continues to celebrate the talented filmmakers who bring the world to the Berkshires!”

This year’s Festival is dedicated and honors two irreplaceable individuals: philanthropist Lola Jaffee and legendary filmmaker Douglas Trumbull, who both influenced the global filmmaking community and were inspirational and fundamental to the BIFF.

FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS:

THURSDAY, JUNE 2 —OPENING NIGHT Film: ART & KRIMES BY KRIMES While locked-up for six years in federal prison, artist Jesse Krimes secretly created monumental works of art – including an astonishing 40-foot mural made with prison bed sheets, hair gel, and newspaper. Leaning into his own identity as a convicted felon and celebrated artist, Jesse turns the spotlight on people still in prison, asking us to question surface representations, recognize overlooked beauty, and celebrate the transcendent power of art to connect us and elevate the human spirit.
Kelley Vickery: “As an artist and activist, Jesse Krimes shares his inspiring and meaningful journey and the function of art as a lifesaver and redeemer.” Director, Alysa Nahmias and Mr. Krimes will be in attendance for a Q&A following the film.

Opening Night begins with a presentation of the 12th Annual “Next Great Filmmaker Award.” The public can be part of the excitement by viewing and casting votes for the films in competition – THE BROOM, FOR GOOD, SCARLET, and FREE TO CARE – online, beginning April 25 through May 31 at www.biffma.org/nextgreat.

SATURDAY, JUNE 4 —TRIBUTE NIGHT Honoree: ALFRE WOODARD
One of the “25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century,” (New York Times) A veteran of film, theater, television, and the spoken word, multiple award-winning legend, Alfre Woodard powerfully illuminates each role she inhabits. Her work as an actor is not simply to entertain, but to inform; to make us walk a mile in another’s shoes, to let us feel the long and unknown road where, at the end of our trip, compassion exists. In addition to her outstanding career in front of audiences, Ms. Woodard is a tireless social activist. With her passion, with her courage, with the nuance and force she brings to each facet of her whole life, she is making a better America. Ms. Woodard will be in conversation with WAMC’s Joe Donahue on the stage of the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, prior to the screening of her film JUANITA.

SUNDAY, JUNE 5 — CLOSING NIGHT Film: PRETTY PROBLEMS PRETTY PROBLEMS is the hilarious story about Jack and Lindsey who are invited on a getaway trip with affluent strangers, and into the most unhinged weekend of their lives. Can their relationship survive? Winner of the SXSW Audience Award and the Sonoma Film Festival Jury Prize Award, film director Kestrin Pantera, writer/actor Michael Tennant, writer/actor Britt Rentschler and actor Alex Klein will be in attendance for a Q&A following the film.

OTHER SPECIAL EVENTS Throughout Festival Weekend

In addition to FREE family movie screenings, and films presented in partnership with Palm Springs International Animated Film Festival, BIFF will also host three of its most popular signature events:

– GWFF USA’s Juried Prize Award for Narrative & Documentary Filmmaking The narratives in competition are: THE FALCONER, FARAH, THIS IS WHERE I MEET YOU and WILDHOOD. In documentary competition are: MAMA BEARS, OMARA, OPEN FIELD and ZERO GRAVITY.

The Award Jury includes: actor Karen Allen; distribution guru Josh Braun; director Kent Jones; screenwriter Maria Nation; distributor/filmmaker Greg Rhem; casting director Gretchen Rennell. The Award includes a $5,000 prize sponsored by GWFF USA, and will be presented during a brunch on Sunday, June 5th in Great Barrington.

– TEA TALKS This BIFF favorite offers in-depth conversations with special guests about the film industry, along with some of the Festival’s featured films. 2022’s Tea Talks include:

o THE ART OF DON GUMMER is the long-awaited documentary on the sculpture of one of America’s best-known artists, whose work has rarely been seen as much of it is monumental and installed all over the world. After the film, Gummer will be in conversation with artist Stephen Hannock, Executive Director of Mass MoCA Kristy Edmunds, and Director Wolfram Hissen. There will also be a book signing of Gummer’s hot-off-the-press first major monograph, “Don Gummer” with all proceeds going to benefit Berkshire International Film Festival.

o A multi-film line-up: a new French film with Juliette Binoche, the much-anticipated new A24 film about the beloved character Marcel the Shell, SXSW Audience Award winning documentary BAD AXE, Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner FIRE OF LOVE, the Leonard Bernstein documentary BERNSTEIN’S WALL, and the World Premiere of PRESCRIBED from Berkshire filmmaker Holly Hardman. An intimate and wide-ranging conversation, about the challenges and opportunities for women in their roles as directors, writers and producers, rounds out this Tea Talk.

BIFF FILMMAKER SUMMIT This two-day talent academy for BIFF’s 2022 filmmakers, offers a diverse, multi-dimensional program of panel discussions, lectures, special events, and breakout sessions led by renown industry professionals. Beginning on Wednesday, June 1, the Filmmaker Summit is a truly unique introduction to the Festival for filmmakers.

BIFF’s Sweet 16th will be held June 2 – 5, 2022 and presented as a HYBRID festival. For additional information on purchasing Festival Passes or individual tickets, and details about films, screening schedules, special events and more, please follow this link: https://biffma22.eventive.org/welcome or visit www.biffma.org

Berkshire International Film Festival named to 2020 MovieMaker Magazine’s annual list of the “25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World!”
 
Great Barrington, Massachusetts:
Triplex Cinema, Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center

Lenox, Massachusetts:
Linde Center at Tanglewood 

Home