BY ELISABETH DONNELLY |

Seven Films to See at the Woodstock Film Festival

Is there anything better than October in upstate New York? This weekend, catch the leaves changing, the crisp air, and a slate of fantastic movies (and award-winning TFF 2009 alums), thanks to the Woodstock Film Festival, running through October 4.

Seven Films to See at the Woodstock Film Festival

Woodstock is beautiful in October, and on this upcoming weekend, it's going to be an even greater place to visit as films and panels and events unspool as part of the 10th annual Woodstock Film Festival. Running from September 30 - October 4, the pleasantly laid back and low-key event offers a chance to see a variety of the best indies around. (And frankly, in this economy, it remains to be seen as to when you'll see these films.) Plus: they're giving awards to awesome mavericks, director Richard Linklater (attending with Me and Orson Welles, starring Zac Efron) and producer Ted Hope.

This festival is a fantastic excuse to travel to upstate New York this weekend. Here are our picks for films to check out.
 



Dear Lemon Lima

Dear Lemon Lima
dir. Suzi Yoonessi

Yoonessi's film follows an awkward 13-year-old, Vanessa Lemor, on a day where she gets her heart broken for the very first time. Ever-resilient (as a teenage girl can be), she decided to get her boyfriend back by winning her school's Snowstorm Survivor competition. Did we mention this film is set in Alaska? The short version of this feature played the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival. The stills are candy-colored and Melissa Leo costars. This could be an uncanny, sweet trip into the mind of a 13-year-old girl.

Screens Saturday, October 3, at 4:00 pm and Sunday, October 4, at 11:00 am. Click here for more information.
 



Easier With Practice

Easier with Practice
dir. Kyle Patrick Alvarez

Easier with Practice is about a strange phone-sex relationship. Based on a GQ article by Found Magazine creator/writer Davy Rothbart, the film follows a writer named Davy, touring the country with his brother (which is what the Found guys do all the time), who gets a call from a sexy lady named Nicole. She asks him to have phone sex with her, he does it, and an affair-by-phone begins, locking out any actual human contact and emotion in Davy's life. Alvarez' debut starts Brian Geraghty (most familiar to discerning audiences as the petrified newbie in The Hurt Locker), and it won awards at CineVegas (RIP) and Edinburgh.

Screens Friday, October 2, at 8:30 pm (sold out) and Saturday, October 3, at 6:30 pm. Click here for more information.
 


 


Neil Young Trunk Show
dir. Jonathan Demme

Truth: there may be a printout saying "What Would Neil Young Do?" in our office. Also true? Jonathan Demme has made some of the best concert films ever (Stop Making Sense). So to find out that Demme has gotten up close and personal so it's like the audience is paying a mere ten dollars or so to see a Neil Young jam? That's awesome. No other word for it.

Screens Saturday, October 3, at 4:30 pm (sold out) and Sunday, October 4, at 8:00 pm. Click here for more information.
 



Garbage Dreams

Garbage Dreams
dir. Mai Iskander

Whoa. Hard to believe that something like this exists, but it does. (Along with the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival alum Marina of the Zabbaleen,) Iskander's documentary follows three teenage boys who are growing up in the world's largest garbage village (nearby Cairo). Their survival comes from recycling over 80% of what they collect. But their way of life is threatened by globalization...

Screens on Saturday, October 3 at 12:00 pm. Click here for more information.
 


 


Cropsey
dir. Barbara Brancaccio and Joshua Zeman

It's a spooky horror movie as a documentary. Crazy, right? But then again, some of the scariest stories are the truest. Brancaccio and Zeman delve into their Staten Island past to explore the legend of "Cropsey," an escaped mental patient that would snatch children off the streets, and how that links up with actual disappearances in Staten Island.

Read our interview with the directors here.

Screens Saturday, October 3, at 10:00 pm. Click here for more information.
 





Racing Dreams
dir. Marshall Curry

Tweens and go-karts? The result is absolutely magical in Marshall Curry's fantastic documentary. He follows the future NASCAR drivers of the world as they participate in the World Karting Association National Championships. It's an inspiring sports documentary that received standing ovations and sold-out shows when it debuted at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival, winning Best Documentary and coming in second for the Audience Award.

Screens on Friday, October 2, at 7:00 pm, and Sunday, October 4, at 12:30 pm. Click here for more information.
 





Entre Nos
dir. Paola Mendoza and Gloria La Morte

Entre Nos is a moving film about a young mother (co-director and writer Paola Mendoza) whose life is turned on its head in New York City when her husband abandons her. The film is a touching tribute to the tough, brave work of immigrant mothers everywhere, and the team behind it are surely ones to watch.

Screens on Friday, October 2, at 3:30 pm and Sunday, October 4, at 4:15 pm. Click here for more information.
 


 

Related news
YouTube |
YouTube: Regular Rabbit 103024
Read more
Instagram |
Instagram Alanis Morissette
Read more
Facebook |
Facebook: Hollow Tribeca Film
Read more
Account / profile
Rownd