NEWSLETTER - OCTOBER 2002

WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL WINS RAVES (AGAIN)!!!

(Woodstock, NY), October 12, 2002: The Woodstock Film Festival has once again wowed the world of independent film with four and a half days of thought-provoking films, panels, workshops, and cool parties in a relaxed, receptive community surrounded by some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. 

From Wednesday Sept. 18 through Sunday Sept. 22, 2002, the 3^rd Annual Woodstock Film Festival presented an extraordinary lineup of more than 125 films, documentaries and shorts including some of the most talked about films of the season, including Todd Haynes’ Far From Heaven, Tim Blake Nelson’s The Grey Zone, Rebecca Miller’s Personal Velocity, Just a Kiss by Fisher Stevens and Gerry by Gus Van Sant.  An estimated 7000 people attended WFF events. Virtually every event was sold-out. For the full wrap up press release, click here.

“The Reluctant Adventurer is a great book… It’s in the same class as Charlie Chaplin, Gil Blas and Malaparte.” (Pierre Desgraupes, Lectures Pour Tous)

“It is an impressive and admirable story…” (Michael Korda, editor-in-chief, Simon & Schuster)

To purchase a copy or for more info, visit The Reluctant Adventurer.

Steve Heller,  designer of the 2002 Woodstock Film Festival trophy, will be auctioning off his 8’high x 3’wide Stratocruiser as part of the Woodstock Guitar Sculpture Auction. Pre-sale estimates for the Sotheby's/ebay event (Oct. 31-Nov 10) are $12,000-$15,000. For more info about all the guitar sculptures, check out the guitar auction.

Stratocruiser Inspiration: “When invited to propose a guitar sculpture, it was only natural that I would turn to my collection of rusted 50’s cars that I’ve saved from the junkyard and the evil crusher. Half buried in the mud, a rotting 1953 Pontiac Starchief called out to me—the combination of its rounded fenders and the quarter-panel bulge was the perfect starting point for my Stratocruiser. After cutting the car totally apart, we started reshaping the metal into the form of a guitar, incorporating not only the ’53 Pontiac, but two ’65 Buick front fenders (the neck); a 1988 Dodge Minivan roof (the back); and three Harley Davidson taillight bezels (the fret-board). To bring this car back to life as a guitar was music to my heart. Talk about the ultimate fender guitar!”

Ric Orlando, founder and master chef of New World Home Cooking (host of three WFF opening night parties),  brings an inspired blend of lust for life, irreverent humor, environmental concern, and a nationally renowned cooking prowess to his role as host of a new 13-episode public television series entitled Ric Orlando's TV Kitchen airing Mondays at 7:30pm on WMHT-TV. Look for the series to go national in 2003.

The series intends to fill a significant void in contemporary TV cooking shows by answering the question: "How do you prepare excellent tasting and exciting food using 'clean' food?" That is, using ingredients that are pure, healthy, organic and environmentally sustainable. Each 30-minute episode provides provocative insights into the effects of our food choices on our culture, environment, health and lifestyle. Watch out Emeril! For more info about the show or the companion cookbook, visit Ric Orlando's TV kitchen..

Check out "The Truth About Charlie" from producer (WFF advisory board member) Peter Saraf. The film, directed by Academy Award®-winning director Jonathan Demme stars Thandie Newton, Mark Wahlberg and 2002 WFF Maverick-Award recipient Tim Robbins. The movie offers an exhilarating combination of romance and suspense while igniting sparks of all kinds against the backdrop of an edgy, modern Paris.

The world beat soundtrack features Khaled, Sparklehorse, Asian Dub Foundaton, French crooner Charles Aznavour and many more.

Neil Burger's "Interview With the Assassin", which picked up the Best Feature award at this year's Woodstock Film Festival, will be released by Magnolia Pictures on November 15.

Synopses: Sometimes it only takes one man to make a conspiracy. Ron Kobeleski, an out-of-work TV news cameraman, may have just stumbled onto the story of a lifetime. His shadowy older neighbor, Walter Ohlinger, has summoned over Ron and his camera, saying he's got a secret to reveal. What's the big secret? Walter claims he was the "grassy knoll gunman" - the second assassin of President John F. Kennedy. Is he telling the truth? As Ron and Walter search for the only witness who can back up the story, the pressure mounts and their lives begin to unravel. Click her for MP3 sound bite.

Jeff Blitz's "Spellbound" nabbed the top doc award at the 2002 WFF. Producer Sean Welsh picked up the honors for helmer Jeff Blitz. "Spellbound" chronicles the lives of eight American teenagers who each set out to win the National Spelling Bee. It is a window on the American dream -- from the hardscrabble plains of Texas, to the manicured lawns of Connecticut, from the Ozark countryside, to the D.C. projects.

Distributor  Thinkfilm is also distributing "Gerry" (2/2003), Peter Mattei's "Love in the Time of Money" (in theaters now)  and Ismail Merchant's "Mystic Masseur".

John Walsh's Pipe Dream was released October 4 in limited release to excellent reviews. The film which was produced by Hudson Valley producer Sally Roy and lensed by HV res Peter Nelson, stars Martin Donovan as a discouraged plumber who decides that he'd get more respect and have more luck with the ladies if he were a movie director.  To complete the process, he steals the script of aspiring writer and neighbor, Toni (Mary-Louise Parker).Walsh and Cynthia Kaplan's lighthearted script captures the insanity of film production in general, and New York City in particular.

"One of the funniest films I've seen this year."
-Owen Gleiberman, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

Catch storyteller/troubadour-extraordinaire Arlo Guthrie, 11/30 at Carnegie Hall and 12/02 at Lincoln Center. If you missed it, Arlo had 'em wowed and singing along at the opening night WFF concert. Joining Arlo for a most memorable evening were Johnny Irion, Sarah Lee Guthrie, Abe Guthrie, Happy Traum, Eric Weissberg, Jay Ungar and Molly Mason, Ellis Paul, Vanaver Caravan, legendary cinematographer/activist Haskell Wexler, surprise guest Natalie Merchant and master of ceremonies Nora Guthrie.

Mike Gordon and Leo Kottke will play 12 shows in November in support of their new album "Clone". 

In case you missed it on Page 6 or in Rolling Stone, national music headlines were made when  Mike Gordon reunited with Trey Anastasio for a spectacular midnight to dawn jam session at the illustrious Allaire Studios’ celebrity-studded WFF Saturday night soiree, held in connection with Gordon’s film Rising Low. Musicians included Matt Abts (drummer for Gov’t Mule), Fuzz (guitarist for Deep Banana Blackout), Dave Schools (bass player for Widespread Panic and Gov’t Mule) and DJ Logic (turntables). Also sitting in were Addison Groove Project keyboard player Rob Marscher, Woodstock musician Tim Moore and composer David Robbins playing a mean guitar.

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