Adirondack Film Festival Announces Full Slate, Featuring James Franco's PRETENDERS

The 4th Annual Adirondack Film Festival, presented by the Adirondack Theatre Festival has announced its full slate of films and special guests. This year's lineup includes more than 135 films shown in one weekend (October 17-20) across 6 screens in Downtown Glens Falls. To open the festival, AFF will feature James Franco's PRETENDERS - shot entirely in Albany and the Capital Reigon.

The Adirondack Film Festival includes 17 feature films. Highlights are the NY Premiere of the Will Forte & Maeve Higgins comedy, EXTRA ORDINARY (Rotten Tomatoes - 100% rating), the wildly absurd Sundance hit, GREENER GRASS (Rotten Tomatoes - 100% rating), and the SXSW Audience Choice Award winner, THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON (Rotten Tomatoes - 95% rating). AFF will also screen a documentary on the making of LOVING VINCENT, its "2017 Best Feature Film" award-winner that went on to become Oscar-nominated.

"Adirondack Film Festival has grown tremendously since its inception just four years ago. The quality of the films is better than ever. The amount of films we're screening is more than ever. And the festival's special events are bigger than ever," said Chad Rabinovitz, the festival's Producing Artistic Director. "We have more than 135 films and more than 200 filmmakers, actors, writers, directors, and artists attending the festival this year."

The festival will feature a selection of 100 new short films from across the country curated to fit the following genres: Comedy, Drama, New York-Made, Documentary, Experimental, Sci-Fi, and Music Video. 48% of all the short and feature films in the festival were shot in NY.

The festival will feature a Stunt Panel comprised of stuntmen, stuntwomen, and stunt coordinators who have worked on a total of more than 300 films and television shows, including such hits as Game of Thrones, Daredevil, Orange is the New Black, Russian Doll, Wonder Woman, Black Panther, and Captain America.

Returning this year will be one of AFF's hits from 2018: Virtual Reality. Attendees will have three VR options. Gloomy Eyes is an animated short narrated by Colin Farrell in which the film moves all around the viewer. The Plank Experience will have the viewers taking an elevator up 80 stories high in a skyscraper and challenge their fear of heights as they walk a lone plank in the sky. And VIP patrons will receive a take-home cardboard VR unit (popularly known as Google Cardboard) in which they can watch HOW TO TELL A TRUE IMMIGRANT STORY, which details the effect of ICE on an immigrant community in Saratoga Springs. This is made possible partially through a sponsorship with the MDOCS program at Skidmore College.

Also returning this year will be AFF's foreign film series, this year highlighting India. Patrons will have the opportunity to taste Indian cuisine (provided by Karavalli in Saratoga Springs) while watching Bollywood music videos. Afterwards, AFF will screen BADHAAI HO (Congratulations), which has garnered 13 major Indian film awards. Following the screening will be a discussion about "New Bollywood" with Indian film expert, Pulkit Datta.

Special events also include the TOONING IN gallery featuring nearly 150 pieces of art inspired by each of the festival's films, three official AFF parties, along with an awards ceremony, and Best of Fest where the winners of the Audience Choice Awards will be screened throughout Sunday afternoon (Oct. 20). Attendees also have access to unlimited popcorn at our all-new Popcorn Bar which will feature 20 different seasonings and toppings.

AFF 2018 Headliners:

PRETENDERS

Directed by James Franco

In this film shot entirely in Albany and the Capital Region, life imitates deadly arts as a French New Wave obsessed film student, Terry, finds his muse in mysterious and beguiling actress, Catherine. Both Terry and his best friend, Phil, fall under the spell of this beautiful woman. But they soon realize that the more time they spend with her, the more enigmatic she becomes. After years of sex, betrayal, and collateral damage, the three end up in a dangerous situation that leaves one of them fighting for his life.

EXTRA ORDINARY

Directed by Mike Ahern & Enda Loughman

Starring Will Forte & Maeve Higgins

*NY Premiere

Rose, a mostly sweet & mostly lonely Irish small-town driving instructor, must use her supernatural talents to save the daughter of Martin (also mostly sweet & lonely) from a washed-up rock star who is using her in a Satanic pact to reignite his fame.

THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON

Directed by Tyler Nilson & Michael Schwartz

*SXSW Audience Award Winner

*Nantucket Film Festival - Audience Award Winner & Best of Fest Winner

A modern Mark Twain style adventure story, THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON tells the story of Zak (Zack Gottsagen), a young man with Down syndrome, who runs away from a residential nursing home to follow his dream of attending the professional wrestling school of his idol, The Salt Water Redneck (Thomas Haden Church). A strange turn of events pairs him on the road with Tyler (Shia LaBeouf), a small time outlaw on the run, who becomes Zak's unlikely coach and ally. Together they wind through deltas, elude capture, drink whisky, find God, catch fish, and convince Eleanor (Dakota Johnson), a kind nursing home employee charged with Zak's return, to join them on their journey.

GREENER GRASS

Directed by Jocelyn Deboer and Dawn Luebbe

*Sundance Official Selection

In a day-glo-colored, bizarro version of suburbia where adults wear braces on their already-straight teeth, everyone drives golf carts, and children magically turn into golden retrievers, soccer moms and best friends Jill (Jocelyn DeBoer) and Lisa (Dawn Luebbe) are locked in a passive aggressive battle-of-the-wills that takes a turn into the sinister when Lisa begins systematically taking over every aspect of Jill's life-starting with her newborn daughter. Meanwhile, a psycho yoga teacher killer is on the loose, Jill's husband (Beck Bennett) has developed a curious taste for pool water, and Lisa is pregnant with a soccer ball. That's just the tip of the gloriously weird iceberg that is the feature debut from writers-directors Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe, a hilariously demented, Stepford Wives-on-acid satire destined to be an instant cult classic.

LOVING VINCENT: THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM

Directed by Miki Wecel

In AFF's second season it screened a groundbreaking documentary called, LOVING VINCENT, that would go on to receive Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for Best Animated Feature Film. But it was our audience who first recognized its greatness by naming it the 2017 AFF Best Feature Film!

This 60-minute documentary details the making of this innovative film - THE JOURNEY it took two passionate filmmakers to achieve their impossible dream, creating the world's first fully painted feature film.

BADHAAI HO (CONGRATULATIONS)

Directed by Amit Sharma

In this hysterical Hindi-language, "New Bollywood" film, a 25-year-old man tries to suppress his embarrassment when his mother announces that she is pregnant.

Feature-length Films

AFF includes 11 feature films (in addition to the 6 headliners): CAMP WEDDING, DAWNLAND, FAR FROM THE APPLE TREE, GOOD FEELS ON WHEELS, INVISIBLE HAND, LAKE ARTIFACT, OFF THE RAILS, ONCE UPON A RIVER, SALVAGE, THE MINOR LEAGUE MECCA, and VIRGIN BLACKTOP: A NY SKATE ODYSSEY.

Short Films

The festival will highlight a selection of 100 new short films from across the country curated to fit the following genres: Comedy, Drama, New York-Made, Documentary, Experimental, Sci-Fi, and Music Video.

Special Events

James Franco's PRETENDERS

Kick-Off Event

In this film shot entirely in Albany and the Capital Region, life imitates deadly arts as a French New Wave obsessed film student, Terry, finds his muse in mysterious and beguiling actress, Catherine. Both Terry and his best friend, Phil, fall under the spell of this beautiful woman. But they soon realize that the more time they spend with her, the more enigmatic she becomes. After years of sex, betrayal, and collateral damage, the three end up in a dangerous situation that leaves one of them fighting for his life.

A TICKET TO INDIA

Badhaai Ho (Congratulations): In this hysterical Hindi-language, "New Bollywood" film, a 25-year-old man tries to suppress his embarrassment when his mother announces that she is pregnant.

Prior to the screening of this award-winning film, join us for Bollywood music videos and an Indian tasting menu of finger foods curated and prepared by chef Santhosh Kochuparambil, owner of Karavalli Restaurant. After the film, stick around for a discussion on Bollywood filmmaking with Indian film expert, Pulkit Datta, moderated by Timothy Cooper.

Winner of 13 major Indian Film Awards

STUNT PANEL

How do those big Hollywood stunts happen? And what's it like to be a real-life superhero? We've assembled an incredible panel of stuntmen and stuntwomen as well as stunt coordinators to give you the inside scoop on the most dangerous side of entertainment.

Stunt panelists announced soon.

VIRTUAL REALITY - GLOOMY EYES

When the sun got tired of the humans it decided to hide and never rise again. The darkness awoke the dead from their graves. It is 1983 on a cold night in Woodland City and being a zombie is illegal. Like all of his kind, Gloomy is hiding in the forest, away from the BOUNTY HUNTERS - until he falls in love with a mortal girl named Nena...a love that not even the most powerful man in town can destroy.

VIRTUAL REALITY - THE PLANK EXPERIENCE

You're on a plank, 80 stories high. Knees shaky, palms sweaty. You have a choice. Do you walk or do you freeze?

360 VR FILM - HOW TO TELL A TRUE IMMIGRANT STORY

How to Tell a True Immigrant Story is a poetic and participatory 360 degree VR film that weaves together experiences of members of an immigrant community in Saratoga Springs, NY as they reflect on and resist the seismic changes in their lives and sense of belonging that were wrought by recent ICE activity and anti-immigrant sentiment.

Screened using complimentary VR cardboard viewers provided to VIP pass-holders.

BEST OF FEST

An entire day of screening films the audience chooses as their favorite! Schedule released on Saturday via email after the awards ceremony.

AFTER-PARTIES

Join us on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night at select downtown locations to dine and drink with the filmmakers and guest artists. Thursday at the Queensbury Hotel, Friday at Davidson Brothers, Saturday at The Park Theater for the awards presentation followed by the closing party at Downtown Social.

TOONING IN

Visit the gallery in the Charles. R. Wood Theater to see amazing works of art inspired by our line-up of films and created by local artists. Curated by Anthony Richichi, nearly 150 pieces of art will be on display. 100% of purchases benefit the artists.

POPCORN BAR

Unlimited freshly popped popcorn is available to all pass-holders throughout the weekend, located at the Charles R. Wood Theater and The Queensbury Hotel. Each bar will feature 15 different seasonings, including flavors like bacon cheddar, buffalo wing, caramel corn, and garlic parmesan as well as toppings like M&Ms, marshmallows, and butter.

AFF PASSES AVAILABLE NOW

ABOUT ADIRONDACK FILM FESTIVAL

The Adirondack Film Festival (AFF) in Glens Falls, NY is the only film festival in the country operated by a prominent professional theatre company (Adirondack Theatre Festival).

The festival, taking place from Oct 17-20, features 135 films, panel discussions, celebrity guests, parties, and surprise events. AFF will screen all films at 4 venues (6 screens) in walking distance of each other in Glens Falls: Charles R. Wood Theatre, The Park Theater, the Queensbury Hotel, and the Crandall Public Library. Because AFF spans the gap of theater and film, it has the ability to offer up a unique vantage point for a film festival as it embraces the similarities, differences, and the process from page to stage to screen. Just like the Adirondack Theatre Festival - the leading professional theatre in the Capital Region dedicated to new plays - the film festival presents entirely new works.

PASSES & VIP PACKAGE

*All Passes come with unlimited free popcorn

One-Day Passes - $35 - Admission to all films on either Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.

Two-Day Passes - $65 - Admission to all films on Friday, Saturday, AND Sunday.

VIP Passes - $85 - Admission to all films on both days, along with:

• Priority seating (VIP pass-holders are admitted in to the theater earlier than the general public)
• Admission to Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night after-parties
• Admission to Virtually Reality screenings of GLOOMY EYES and PLANK EXPERIENCE
• Special AFF 2nd Annual Season bag
• Special AFF Cardboard VR Headset
• Admission to Stunt Panel

Student Discount - $30 - Admission to all films on both days ($35 off the standard Two-Day Pass rate)

2019 Feature Films

CAMP WEDDING

Mia's wedding party is not too keen on transforming a dilapidated summer camp into the wedding venue of her dreams. When people begin disappearing, that doesn't help either...

DAWNLAND

For decades, child welfare authorities have been removing Native American children from their homes to save them from being Indian. In Maine, the first official "truth and reconciliation commission" in the United States begins a historic investigation. DAWNLAND goes behind-the-scenes as this historic body grapples with difficult truths, redefines reconciliation, and charts a new course for state and tribal relations.

FAR FROM THE APPLE TREE

Judith, a struggling artist, gets her dream job of working for a renowned visual artist named Roberta Roslyn. While cataloging Roberta's work she is shocked to keep seeing a girl who closely resembles herself, she learns that this girl is actually her boss's missing daughter Maddy. As she investigates the mystery of just what could have happened to this girl, she starts to develop a new persona and it comes to a point where she must decide if she is to leave her job or continue and risk losing who she is.

GOOD FEELS ON WHEELS

Opal arrives in Austin, Texas for an exciting weekend in a new city, invited by a guy she met at a party back home. They've been talking for months and she's excited to get to know him better. Until...he cancels on her shortly after she lands. On top of being stood up, the Airbnb she's staying in belongs to a real creep. To escape, Opal sets out for a night of drunken antics.

INVISIBLE HAND

In the fall of 2014, for the first time in United States history, an ecosystem filed to defend itself in a lawsuit claiming its 'right to exist' in Grant Township, Pennsylvania. For attempting such a radical act, Grant's rural community of 700 people were sued by a corporation, then by the state government, and are now locked in a battle to defend the watershed they call home, the water they drink, and enforce the local laws they enacted that gave legal Rights to Nature.

Half a continent away in Standing Rock, North Dakota, the same industry threatening Grant Twp. is using militarized force against indigenous tribes and allies fighting to protect Mother Earth. The two, Grant Township and Standing Rock, are joined in an international fight to protect more than just water. They fight for their community, democracy, and for Nature as a living entity unto itself.

Produced by award-winning actor Mark Ruffalo, INVISIBLE HAND takes you behind the curtain of the global economy where 'Rights of Nature' becomes "capitalism's one true opponent."

LAKE ARTIFACT

Five friends pick up a drifter on their way to a cabin in Upstate New York for a three-day weekend of beer drinking. Upon arrival, they discover a picture of themselves posing at the cabin, of which they've never been to. Time and space begin to function without rhyme or reason, slowly turning them against each other one by one.

OFF THE RAILS

This is the coming-of-age story of three young men. It's not long after the 'summer of love', early 70's, the Age of Aquarius, social growth, political awareness and unrest. Freedom is the byword of existence and Chris, Liam, & Manny are floating aimlessly in this youth-fueled counter culture. Equally lovable as they are inept, they decide to open a bar without any previous ability or concept of what it takes. Through the trials and tribulations of their journey, they come to discover who they are as individuals and what they really want in life.

ONCE UPON A RIVER

In rural Michigan, 1978, part Native teenager Margo Crane must take to the river in this odyssey after her father is killed, and she seeks to find her estranged mother. Along the way she meets characters who will shape her destiny.

SALVAGE

Salvage is a documentary about the city dump in Yellowknife, Canada. Yellowknife, the remote capitol of the Northwest Territories, is home to one of the last and largest dumps in NORTH AMERICA open to the public for salvaging. Mined by a colorful community of thrifty locals, it has long played a central role in the city's civic and social life. But government bureaucrats are determined to see it tamed, and the battle for Yellowknife's identity is on.

THE MINOR LEAGUE MECCA

As the premier franchise in the Continental Basketball Association from 1982 to 1992, the Albany Patroons left an indelible mark on the city of Albany, the CBA and the NBA. From elite coaches like Phil Jackson, Bill Musselman and George Karl to standout players like Michael Ray Richardson, Mario Elie, Tony Campbell, Sidney Lowe, Rick Carlisle and Scott Brooks, the Patroons' legacy continues to shape the world of professional basketball. We are working to bring you THE UNTOLD STORY of the Patroons' quick rise, championship success and ultimate downfall. Beyond the franchise's ups and downs, the stories of the individuals involved, from fans, to executives to coaches and players are implausible, hilarious and inspiring.

VIRGIN BLACKTOP: A NY SKATE ODYSSEY

An often thrilling and sometimes heart-breaking coming of age story about group of kids from Hudson River towns. When they met in 1977, they had nothing in common except a love of skateboarding. Despite their vastly different ages, races and economic backgrounds, they formed "The Wizards," a competitive, traveling team. Now, nearly 40 years later, they remain friends but their lives have followed very different paths, from board rooms to jail cells.

2019 Short Films

• 500+ THE RIDE of a

Lifetime

• A Blue Sky Like No Other
• A Period Piece
• A Prince is Not Respected in His

Hometown

• A Sari for Pallavi
• Anxiety's Wilma
• Beachworld
• Believin'
• Between Upstate and

Down

• Bodymore
• Canada
• Cat
• Change
• Check Please
• Chinese Breakfast
• Come At Me, Bro
• Compartmentalization

Storage Facility

• Connie
• Conspiracy Party
• Crab Special
• Crescent
• Dakota
• Dementia
• Dick Pics! (A Documentary)
• Hiding in Daylight
• Home: The Children of

the Interstices

• How Do You Type a

Broken Heart

• I Taste Blood
• If the Shoe Fits
• In Dog Years I'm Dead
• Into My Life
• Jessica
• Juniper
• Kaya
• Light
• Little Boy
• Little Texas
• Los Viejos Heraldos
• Matter of Time
• Meat Eater
• Museum
• My Day//The Love

Project

• Nora Ephron Goes to

Prison

• Old Hearts Café
• Peru
• Poem 1
• Portraits of My Mother
• Power Out
• Pretty People, Inc.
• Prom Queens
• Rebuilding Puerto Rico
• Reclamation: The Rise at

Standing Rock

• Revelations
• Roots
• Sad Hour
• San Miguel
• Shine in the Darkness
• Showtime
• Signal to Noise
• Sombra City
• Some of Her Parts
• Sophie
• Summer Fridays
• Suncatcher
• Super Sonic
• The Amiss Advice of

Anna Lou

• The Clinic
• The Dendrite
• The Gaze
• The Good Death
• The Helping Hand
• The Last Doll Lady
• The Orchestra
• The Pact
• The Phantom 52
• The Seal
• The Shallow End
• The Tattooed Heart
• The Wind Phone
• Third Wheel
• This Bra is Killing Me
• Time-Out
• Tina
• Trigger
• Veiled Tractate
• Violence
• Wanting
• Wham
• When You Get Carried Away

Making a Sandwich

• Where's Lilli?

aitlin MilliganEntertainment Editor BroadwayWorld.com

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