Ralph Macchio's ACROSS GRACE ALLEY to Make East Coast Premiere at HIFF

Ralph Macchio's ACROSS GRACE ALLEY East Coast Premiere will be at HAMPTONS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Oct 10-14! Starring Karina Smirnoff, Ben Hyland and Marsha Mason, this poignant and visual coming-of-age story illustrates how brief encounters can profound emotional effects. Written and Directed by Ralph Macchio.

The film stars new discovery, Ben Hyland, four time Oscar nominee, Marsha Mason and world-class dancer, Karina Smirnoff, in her film lead debut.

More on the HAMPTONS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL:

Director Richard Curtis' ABOUT TIME will be the Southampton opener on Friday, October 11th and that Saturday's Centerpiece Film is AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY directed by John Wells. As previously announced, KILL YOUR DARLINGS will open the Festival on October 10th; 12 YEARS A SLAVE will close the Festival; and NEBRASKA is the Sunday Centerpiece.

The Spotlight films include: BREATHE IN, FREE RIDE, HER, LABOR DAY, LOUDER THAN WORDS, MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM, THE PAST and CAPITAL.This year the festival will pay special tribute to Oscar Award winning director Costa-Gavras before the screening of his latest film CAPITAL.

The Festival is proud to have the World Premiere of AMERICAN MASTERS - MARVIN HAMLISCH: ONE SINGULAR SENSATION as well as the U.S Premiere of Oscar Winner Alex Gibney's latest doc THE ARMSTRONG LIE about Lance Armstrong. Additional World Cinema highlights include the World Premiere of GERALDINE FERRARO: PAVING THE WAY, the North American Premiere of A FRAGILE TRUST and the Palme d'Or prize winner from the 2013 Cannes film festival, BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR.

"The films in our 21st edition represent our mission of bringing the best cinema from around the world to the impassioned and curious audiences in the Hamptons," said David Nugent, HIFF Artistic Director. "With a mixture of new films from master filmmakers, plus work from the next wave of filmmaking talent, we are very excited to share this program with our community."

Documentary innovator Barbara Kopple (RUNNING FROM CRAZY) will kick off HIFF's third annual ROWDY TALKS series, taking place at Rowdy Hall in East Hampton on Friday at 10am. On Saturday morning, HIFF's Golden Starfish Competition contenders Christine Molloy (MISTER JOHN), Dan Shadur (BEFORE THE REVOLUTION), and Gudmundur A. Gudmundsson (WHALE VALLEY) will talk highs and lows of their burgeoning filmmaking careers, while "New York Independent Film: Rewind & Fast Forward" is featured on Sunday morning. Variety Executive Editor Steven Gaydos will moderate a discussion focusing on the past, present and future of independent cinema in New York with director Whitney Ransick (MISFIRE: THE RISE AND FALL OF THE SHOOTING GALLERY which is World Premiering at HIFF), Producer John Sloss, and IFP's Joana Vicente of Independent Filmmaker Project.

In addition to awarding the Alfred P. Sloan film prize to Steven Bernstein's DECODING ANNIE PARKER, HIFF will present the Sloan Screenplay Readings on Sunday, October 13 at 4:00PM. David Schwab's FRANCIS TURNBULL and THE BURIED LIFE by Joan Stein Schimke and Averie Storck are the featured selections. Director Terry George will direct the reading of FRANCIS TURNBULL and Joan Stein Schimke and Averie Storck will direct THE BURIED LIFE. Both films were featured in HIFF's Sloan Screenwriters Lab last April.

New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) members Joshua Rothkopf, Joe Neumaier, Bilge Ebiri and jury member Karen Durbin will serve as mentors, panelists and jurors at various events throughout the Festival. "We in the New York Film Critics Circle are honored to be a part of this festival, an event that's marked by provocative screenings and spirited Q&As. The Hamptons audience is a perfect one in which to see some of the fall's most rewarding work -- our members wouldn't miss it," said New York Film Critics Circle Chairman Joshua Rothkopf.

For World Cinema feature films, HIFF boasts 13 world premieres, seven North American premieres and ten US premieres. The 21st edition will included films from over 35 countries. Five foreign titles in the lineup are in contention for Academy Award consideration including THE ROCKET (Australia), THE BROKEN CIRCLE BREAKDOWN (Belgium), IN BLOOM (Georgia), THE NOTEBOOK (Hungary), and MOTHER, I LOVE YOU (Latvia). HIFF will also present special screenings of THE SHORT GAME, the SummerDoc Audience Award winner at the Southampton Center, and ABSOLUTE WILSON, in partnership with the Watermill Center.