JOEL MESLER: MILES OF SMILES

Installation view of Joel Mesler: Miles of Smiles, Guild Hall, East Hampton, August 3 – October 26, 2025. Photo: Francine Fleischer. Image Courtesy of Guild Hall.

ARTIST TALK: ROBERT MCCURDY

Please join painter, Robert McCurdy for a discussion on his artistic process and intent.

McCurdy’s meticulously realistic paintings, including, among others, primatologist Jane Goodall, the Dalai Lama, writers Toni Morrison and Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and former President Barack Obama’s White House portrait.

McCurdy’s practice is conceptual, even minimalist. McCurdy states, “I look for a sustainable moment…It is why there is no movement, no expression or gesture… The image is reported rather than interpreted.” McCurdy studied at the Maryland Institute College of Art and received a fellowship from Yale University.  He resides in New York City. 

The lecture will be followed by a Q&A led by Annette Cumming, who, with her husband Ian Cumming, commissioned these portraits, which were presented at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in 2021. 

HIFF32: THE ROOM NEXT DOOR

Spotlight Screening of
THE ROOM NEXT DOOR

Narrative Feature | Spain | 2024 | English | 107 minutes

Celebrated auteur and HIFF Alum Pedro Almodóvar (JULIETA, PARALLEL MOTHERS) makes a splash with his English-language feature film debut, winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. Ingrid (Academy Award winner Julianne Moore), an autofictional novelist, and Martha (Academy Award winner Tilda Swinton), a war reporter, reunite after years of estrangement. As they navigate an extreme but strangely sweet situation, the two women reflect on their lives and friendship. Based on Sigrid Nunez’s novel ‘What Are You Going Through,’ THE ROOM NEXT DOOR showcases Almodóvar’s signature visual style, creating a colorful and lush character study on companionship. A Sony Pictures Classics release.

Directed by
Pedro Almodóvar

Produced by
Agustín Almodóvar

Executive Produced by
Esther García

Written by
Pedro Almodóvar

Featuring
Julianne Moore, Tilda Swinton, John Turturro, Alessandro Nivola


Ticket selection is happening now for First Dibs packages.
September 19 at noon: Ticket selection begins for other ticket packages.
September 21 at noon: Members Pre-sale begins.
September 23 at noon: Individual tickets go on sale to the general public.

HIFF32: THE PREMIERE

World Premiere Screening of
THE PREMIERE

Long Island Premiere | Narrative Feature | USA | 2024 | English | 108 minutes

The feature debut from Sam Pezzullo and Christopher Bouckoms finds a fresh twist on the mockumentary format. Sam (Pezzullo himself) is a painfully narcissistic theater producer attempting to realize a delusional creative vision: a musical version of his favorite movie, SCREAM, staged at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor, with an accompanying documentary chronicling what he believes will be an iconic journey. Along the way, he clashes with quirky characters played by beloved real-life locals, to awkward and outrageous results. Drawing inspiration from cringe comedy classics and crafted largely through improvisation, THE PREMIERE is a keen satire about the Hamptons with a biting love letter to the community at its core.

Ticket selection is happening now for First Dibs packages.
September 19 at noon: Ticket selection begins for other ticket packages.
September 21 at noon: Members Pre-sale begins.
September 23 at noon: Individual tickets go on sale to the general public.

HIFF32: THE FRIEND

Spotlight Screening of
THE FRIEND

Narrative Feature | USA | 2024 | English | 123 minutes

A New York writer (Academy Award® nominee Naomi Watts) reels in the aftermath of the unexpected death of her lifelong mentor (Academy Award nominee Bill Murray). In the midst of mourning him, she finds that she is the one left to deal with his complicated literary legacy, three eccentric ex-wives, and a massive, brokenhearted Great Dane named Apollo. Based on Sigrid Nunez’s National Book Award-winning novel of the same name, THE FRIEND is a thoughtful, charming, and wryly humorous study on grief from filmmaker duo Scott McGehee and David Siegel, one that invites us all to find the silver lining in loss.
 

Ticket selection is happening now for First Dibs packages.
September 19 at noon: Ticket selection begins for other ticket packages.
September 21 at noon: Members Pre-sale begins.
September 23 at noon: Individual tickets go on sale to the general public.

HIFF32: SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE

Spotlight Screening of the North American Premiere of
SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE

Narrative Feature | Ireland/Belgium | 2024 | English | 97 minutes

Devoted father Bill Furlong (Academy Award® winner Cillian Murphy) works as a coal merchant to support his family. In the days leading up to Christmas, he discovers disturbing secrets kept by the local convent—and uncovers truths of his own—which force him to confront his past and the complicit silence of a small Irish town controlled by the Catholic Church. Based on Claire Keegan’s best-selling novel and anchored by a stunning performance by Murphy, Tim Mielants’ SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE elegantly captures a haunted man wrestling with his morality. A Lionsgate/Roadside release.

Directed by
Tim Mielants

Produced by
Alan Moloney, Cillian Murphy, Catherine Magee, Matt Damon, Drew Vinton

Executive Produced by
Ben Affleck, Michael Joe, Kevin Halloran, Niamh Fagan

Written by
Enda Walsh

Featuring
Cillian Murphy, Emily Watson, Michelle Fairley, Eileen Walsh


Ticket selection is happening now for First Dibs packages.
September 19 at noon: Ticket selection begins for other ticket packages.
September 21 at noon: Members Pre-sale begins.
September 23 at noon: Individual tickets go on sale to the general public.

HIFF32: SATURDAY NIGHT

Spotlight Screening of
SATURDAY NIGHT

Narrative Feature | USA | 2024 | English | 104 minutes

At 11:30pm on October 11, 1975, a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television and culture forever. Academy Award®-nominated writer-director Jason Reitman (JUNO, UP IN THE AIR) and co-writer Gil Kenan bring to life the true story of what happened behind the scenes in the 90 minutes leading up to the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live. Brimming with the humor and chaos of a revolution that almost wasn’t, SATURDAY NIGHT features a brilliant ensemble cast that embodies the frenetic magic of counting down the minutes in real time until those famous words were first spoken… (Note: the screening on 10/11 is the 49th anniversary of that fateful night.) A Sony Pictures release.

Directed by
Jason Reitman

Produced by
Jason Blumenfeld, Peter Rice, Jason Reitman, Gil Kenan

Executive Produced by
Erica Mills, JoAnn Perritano

Written by
Gil Kenan, Jason Reitman

Featuring
Gabriel LaBelle, Rachel Sennott, Cory Michael Smith, Ella Hunt, Dylan O’Brien, Emily Fairn. Matt Wood, Lamorne Morris, Kim Matula, Finn Wolfhard, Nicholas Braun, Cooper Hoffman, Andrew Barth Feldman, Kaia Gerber, Tommy Dewey, Willem Dafoe, Matthew Rhys, J.K. Simmons


Ticket selection is happening now for First Dibs packages.
September 19 at noon: Ticket selection begins for other ticket packages.
September 21 at noon: Members Pre-sale begins.
September 23 at noon: Individual tickets go on sale to the general public.

HIFF32: NIGHTBITCH

Closing Night Screening of
NIGHTBITCH

East Coast Premiere

Narrative Feature | USA | 2024 | English | 98 minutes

 
Academy Award® nominee Amy Adams delivers a bold, transformative performance as a woman who pauses her successful career as an artist to become a stay-at-home mom to her toddler. As her husband (Scoot McNairy, HIFF Breakthrough Artist 2012) works long hours as the family’s sole breadwinner, the unrelenting demands of parenthood drag on, and her new domesticity begins to take a surreal turn. Based on the novel of the same name by Rachel Yoder, writer/director Marielle Heller’s (CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?, HIFF 2018) latest both frankly explores the aches and pains of being a parent and captures the innate wildness of womanhood. A Searchlight Pictures release.

Directed by
Marielle Heller

Produced by
Anne Carey, Marielle Heller, Sue Naegle, Christina Oh, Amy Adams, Stacy O’Neil

Written by
Marielle Heller

Featuring
Amy Adams, Scoot McNairy, Arleigh Patrick Snowden, Emmett James Snowden, Zoë Chao, Mary Holland, Archana Rajan, Jessica Harper


Ticket selection is happening now for First Dibs packages.
September 19 at noon: Ticket selection begins for other ticket packages.
September 21 at noon: Members Pre-sale begins.
September 23 at noon: Individual tickets go on sale to the general public.

HIFF32: EXHIBITING FORGIVENESS

Spotlight Screening of
EXHIBITING FORGIVENESS

Narrative Feature | USA | 2024 | English | 117 minutes

Celebrated American painter Tarrell (André Holland, MOONLIGHT) excavates beauty from the anguish of his youth through his art, keeping past wounds at bay. His joyful life with his wife Aisha (Academy Award® nominee Andra Day) and their young son is interrupted when his estranged father La’Ron (John Earl Jelks) returns home, desperate to reconcile. Pushed by his pious mother Joyce (Academy Award nominee Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor), Tarrell reluctantly opens his heart to see if they can be a family once again. The feature debut from esteemed visual artist Titus Kaphar, EXHIBITING FORGIVENESS speaks through the raw language of art about the challenges and hope that come with letting go of the past. A Roadside Attractions release.

Directed by
Titus Kaphar

Produced by
Titus Kaphar, Stephanie Allain, Derek Cianfrance, Jamie Patricof, Sean Cotton

Executive Produced by
Claire Brooks, Stephanie Blackwood, Kim Coleman, Andrew Mann

Written by
Titus Kaphar

Featuring
André Holland, Andra Day, John Earl Jelks, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor


Ticket selection is happening now for First Dibs packages.
September 19 at noon: Ticket selection begins for other ticket packages.
September 21 at noon: Members Pre-sale begins.
September 23 at noon: Individual tickets go on sale to the general public.

HIFF32: EMILIA PÉREZ

Spotlight Screening of
EMILIA PÉREZ

Narrative Feature | France | 2024 | Spanish | 133 minutes

Through liberating song, dance, and bold visuals, EMILIA PÉREZ follows the interconnected journeys of four remarkable women in Mexico, each pursuing her own happiness. The fearsome cartel leader Emilia (Karla Sofía Gascón) enlists Rita (Zoe Saldaña), an unappreciated lawyer stuck in a dead-end job, to help fake her death and look after her wife (Selena Gomez) and their children so Emilia can finally live authentically as her true self. Winner of the Jury Prize and a collective Best Actress Award at Cannes, renegade auteur and HIFF alum Jacques Audiard’s (RUST AND BONE, DHEEPAN) latest odyssey is an audacious fever dream that defies genres and expectations. A Netflix release.

Directed by
Jacques Audiard

Produced by
Pascal Caucheteux, Jacques Audiard, Valérie Schermann, Anthony Vaccarello

Written by
Jacques Audiard, adapted from the novel ‘‘Écoute’’ by Boris Razon

Featuring
Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz, Edgar Ramirez, Mark Ivanir


Ticket selection is happening now for First Dibs packages.
September 19 at noon: Ticket selection begins for other ticket packages.
September 21 at noon: Members Pre-sale begins.
September 23 at noon: Individual tickets go on sale to the general public.

HIFF32: BLITZ

Spotlight Film
BLITZ

Narrative Feature | UK | 2024 | English | 120 minutes

Set in London during World War II, BLITZ follows the epic journey of George (Elliott Heffernan), a defiant 9-year-old whose mother Rita (Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan) sends him to safety in the English countryside. Determined to return to his mother and grandfather (Paul Weller), George embarks on the perilous way home, while a distraught Rita desperately searches for her missing son and the bombing rages on. Academy and BAFTA Award winner Sir Steve McQueen (12 YEARS A SLAVE) returns to HIFF with this intense and emotional story of one family’s struggle to reunite during one of the world’s darkest eras. An Apple release.
Directed by

Steve McQueen

Produced by
Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Steve McQueen, Anita Overland, Adam Somner, Arnon Milchan, Yariv Milchan, Michael Schaefer

Executive Produced by
Anna Smith Tenser, Natalie Lehmann, Sheeran Shah, Sarah-Jane Wright

Written by
Steve McQueen

Featuring
Saoirse Ronan, Harris Dickinson, Benjamin Clementine, Kathy Burke, Paul Weller, Stephen Graham, Elliot Heffernan


Ticket selection is happening now for First Dibs packages.
September 19 at noon: Ticket selection begins for other ticket packages.
September 21 at noon: Members Pre-sale begins.
September 23 at noon: Individual tickets go on sale to the general public.