The beloved Berkshire International Film Festival is returning to Great Barrington and Lenox, Massachusetts, for its 19th edition.
IndieWire exclusively announces the lineup for the annual event, which this year includes a tribute to “Succession” Emmy winner Brian Cox, the opening night premiere of Dori Berinstein’s documentary “A Man with Sole: The Impact of Kenneth Cole” and the closing night local premiere of Shoshannah Stern’s “Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore,” which played Sundance.
The festival runs May 29 – June 1 and features 27 documentaries, 23 narrative features, 25 short films, and a free animated shorts selection for kids. Venues include the Lenox Town Hall, where films will be presented throughout the weekend. Check out the full lineup via the Berkshire International Film Festival website here.
Kelley Vickery, BIFF founder and artistic director, said in a press statement, “One of the things I love most about the BIFF is the diversity of films that our filmmakers bring to the Berkshires. Each year, we curate and present films from around the world to reflect our ever-changing, ever-growing, and ever-hopeful global and local communities. It is my hope that BIFF will inspire our audience with wonder, curiosity, engagement, laughter, and perhaps even a call to action. I continue to be amazed at the amount of inspired filmmaking that is being created, and I celebrate those filmmakers who share their stories and their talent. Independent film is alive and well and coming to the Berkshires!”
The opening night premiere of the Kenneth Cole documentary will take place at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, Great Barrington, on Thursday, May 29. The film features talking heads Alan Cumming, Katie Couric, Deepak Chopra, Donna Karan, and Sam Edelman, among others. Kenneth Cole will be joined by Berinstein for an onstage Q&A.
The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center is also where Brian Cox will discuss his life and career on Saturday, May 31 for the tribute. He’ll be joined onstage by his wife, Nicole Ansari-Cox, also an actor, director, and producer.
There at the Mahaiwe, you can also catch the closing night screening of “Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore” on Sunday, June 1.
The Berkshire International Film Festival also revives its popular Tea Talks. This festival-favorite began seven years ago, and this year’s selection includes in-depth conversations with special guests, including sustainable fashion and international author and writer Dana Thomas (“Fashionopolis”), author Kevin Smokler (“Break the Frame”), and directors/actors Rashaad Ernesto Green (“Premature”) and Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine (“The Chi”).
In addition to the dozens of films, BIFF will host special events throughout the weekend, including the Juried Prize Award for narrative and documentary filmmaking, free family film screenings, and panel discussions. The jury includes distribution guru Josh Braun; director Kent Jones; actors Karen Allen, Peter Riegert, and Michel Gill; film publicist Laura Sok; and production designer Kristi Zea. In competition are four documentaries and four films in the narrative category. The award will be presented during a brunch on Sunday, June 1, at the Granville House in Great Barrington.
Passes are on sale now. Single tickets go on sale for REEL Friends of BIFF on Friday, April 25 and to the general public on Monday, April 28, by visiting www.biffma.org.
