meira blaustein
executive director

laurent rejto
director of development

elmer bernstein
honorary chair  emeritus

advisory board
aidan  quinn
annie nocenti
bill plympton
david strathairn
eamonn bowles
ellen chenoweth
ethan hawke
fisher stevens
gill holland
griffin dunne
ira schreck
jeremiah newton
john sloss
judy arthur
lemore syvan
leon gast
liev schreiber
martha frankel
michael  lang
peter saraf
ron nyswaner
sabine hoffman
sarah plant
stephen hays
steve savage
zachary sklar
lemore syvan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

Contact: Brigid Walsh: 845-679-4265 Office or (310) 968-8889 (cell) press@woodstockfilmfestival.com      

WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL HONORS INDIE ICON STEVE BUSCEMI AS THE 2005 MAVERICK AWARD RECIPIENT

MAV-ER-ICK, adj.  1. Being independent in thought and action or exhibiting such independence.  2. One who refuses to abide by the dictate of a group.

(Woodstock, New York) August 31st, 2005 – The 2005 Woodstock Film Festival, celebrating its 6th year September 28th through October 2nd, today announced that its annual Honorary Maverick Award will be presented to independent film’s most admired actor/director STEVE BUSCEMI.

“The Maverick has long been a symbol of the Woodstock arts colony, representing an individual whose life and work is based on creativity, independent vision and social activism,” said Woodstock Film Festival director and co-founder Meira Blaustein.  “We are so proud to honor the work of  STEVE BUSCEMI. His unique, risk-taking approach to acting, directing and producing, coupled with his long time commitment to socially relevant issues, makes him the perfect candidate for our Maverick.”

Having starred in over eighty (80) feature films, most of which have been independent, Steve Buscemi is one of the most recognizable and impressionable faces in independent film.  Buscemi has starred in The Coen Brothers’ “Barton Fink,” “Miller’s Crossing,” “Fargo,” and “The Big Lebowski,” Quentin Tarentino’s “Reservoir Dogs“ and “Pulp Fiction,” Woody Allen’s “New York Stories,” and cult hits such as “Living In Oblivion,” “Things To Do in Denver When You’re Dead” and his feature directing debut “Trees Lounge.”  Steve Buscemi directed the feature “Lonesome Jim” which stars Liv Tyler, Ed Harris and Amy Madigan and will close the 2005 Woodstock Film Festival on Sunday, October 2nd.  The film “Symbiopsychotaxiplasm,” which Buscemi produced and appears in, will screen at the festival on Friday, September 30th.

Past recipients of the Woodstock Film Festivals Honorary Maverick Award include Woody Harrelson, Tim Robbins, D.A. Pennebaker, Chris Hegedus, Les Blank and Mira Nair.

Other annual WFF awards include the Maverick Award for Excellence in Film Editing, the Haskell Wexler Award for Best Cinematography, and awards for Best Narrative Feature, Best Feature Documentary, Best Short Narrative, Best Short Documentary, Best Animated Short and Best Student Short, to be announced at the WFF Awards Ceremony, Sunday evening October 2nd at the Bearsville Theater.  Visit www.woodstockfilmfestival.com for ticket and more detailed program information

ABOUT THE WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL

The Woodstock Film Festival has established itself as one of the best independent film events in the country by premiering exceptional films, hosting the most talented emerging and established professionals in the movie industry, presenting A-list concerts, parties and panels, and creating innovative and stimulating programming year-round. The Woodstock Film Commission promotes sustainable economic development by attracting and supporting film, video and media production.