Nantucket Film Festival Update

Here’s a better picture of what this year’s 12th Annual Nantucket Film Festival will look like.

Look for 30 features with 20 shorts, and, according to Artistic Director
Mystelle Brabbee, “This year in particular, we were delighted to find that the line-up has a strong representation of female talent, whether it’s an engrossing film from a female director, or a film telling the story of an incredible woman.”

The Festival will this year introduce the Adrienne Shelley Excellence in Filmmaking Award, which awards a cash prize to an exceptional female writer or director at the festival. Robert Benton will accept in person the NBC Universal Screenwriting Award at the NBC Universal Screenwriter’s Tribute on Saturday, June 16th. Expected to attend are Stanley Jaffe, Ron Meyer, Jeff Zucker, Brian Williams, and James Schamus.

Benton will be interviewed by film critic Janet Maslin in In Their Shoes on Sunday, June 17th, which will include clips of the best scenes from Mr. Benton’s work as chosen by him. Places in the Heart, which earned Benton an Academy Award for Best Screenplay, will be screened during the Festival.

Our own Anne Meara and Peter Farrelly will again host Late Night Storytelling with surprise guests and audience members participating. Past storytellers include Jim Carrey, Tina Fey, Mos Def, Rosie Perez, Laird Hamilton, Olympia Dukakis, Paul Rudd, Alan Cumming, and Brian Williams.

“Iconoclasts” will see William Monahan, Donna Giolotti, and Rachel Grady interview each other about their lives and work leading up to and after their Oscar nominations and awards (Thursday, June 14th). Sharon Swart will moderate. Past participants include Tom McCarthy and Campbell Scott.

This year’s staged screenplay reading is Filthy, Dirty, Twisted Lust by Steven Weber, who will also be directing the performance. Saturday, June 16th.

Also scheduled to appear at the festival are Canvas stars Marcia Gay Harden and Joe Pantoliano as well as Evening co-writer Michael Cunningham.

The previously announced Opening Night Film, presented by Ralph Lauren, will be the feature Evening directed by Lajos Koltai. Based on Susan Minot’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book and starring Meryl Streep, Clair Danes, and Toni Collette, Evening explores the emotional and romantic past of a 65-year-old woman diagnosed with terminal cancer.

The previously announced Closing Night Film will be the feature Rocket Science directed by Jeffrey Blitz. Rocket Science is the debut narrative feature from Blitz, and won the coveted Directing Award at Sundance 2007. The film centers on a shy high school student with a stuttering problem who tries to win a girl’s heart by joining his school’s debate team.

The feature films of the 2007 Nantucket Film Festival are:

Autism Every Day
Begging Naked
Broken English
Canvas
The Devil Came on Horseback
Evening
Everything’s Cool
Flakes
The Good Night
The Go-Getter
Great World of Sound
I Am an Animal: The Story of Ingrid Newkirk and Peta
Low and Behold
Nomanak Tx
Note by Note
Places in the Heart
Pretty In the Face
The Price of Sugar
Rocket Science
Row Hard No Excuses
Shame
Soldiers of Conscience
Son of Rambow
Teeth
The Ten
War/Dance
Waitress
Year of the Fish