FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Ilene Marder, Communications Director, 845-246-1122;
Gabe Meyers, Press Director, 845-679-8245; press@woodstockfilmfestival.com
Fright Night: A Woodstock Film Festival Double Horror Header!
An Eerie Evening at the Emerson Resort & Spa
Friday, October 1, 2010
DON’T GO IN THE WOODS, directed by VINCENT D’ONOFRIO
BITTER FEAST, directed by JOE MAGGIO, produced by LARRY FESSENDEN
FILMS SCREENED SIMULTANEOUSLY AT EMERSON RESORT & SPA,PRECEDED BY PRE-SCREENING FEAST & FOLLOWED BY GALA FILMMAKERS PARTY
(WOODSTOCK, NY) August 26, 2010: The 2010 Woodstock Film Festival and the Emerson Resort & Spa have partnered to present a spectacular, spooky night of independent film, Friday, October 1st. The sur-reel evening features the simultaneous screenings of two highly anticipated indie horror films at 8pm. The slasher/musical DON’T GO IN THE WOODS, the directoral debut of actor Vincent D’Onofrio (Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Full Metal Jacket, Men In Black), with musical score by singer/songwriter/producer Sam Bisbee, will be shown, appropriately so, in the Emerson’s outdoor Catamount Pavilion; The Emerson Great Room will host the macabre cinema of BITTER FEAST, directed by Joe Maggio (Paper Covers Rock, Milk and Honey, Virgil Bliss) and produced by indie horror genius (and long-time Boiceville resident) Larry Fessenden.
D’Onofrio, Bisbee, Maggio and Fessenden will be in attendance for Q & A’s after their films. The Q & A for Don’t Go in the Woods will also include a performance by the Don’t Go in the Woods band featured in the film.
As a special treat, Mary Giuliani Catering, ‘party planner to the stars’, and Woodstock resident, will create a sumptuous, pre-screening banquet for BITTER FEAST ticket-holders. She is working closely with renowned chef Mario Batali, who makes a cameo appearance in the film, to create a menu that is Batali-inspired. This very special feast will consist of Italian hors d’oeuvre, a buffet dinner and delectable dessert, offering a true culinary adventure for both the eyes and palate. This pre-screening feast begins at 6:30.
This unusual evening of horror fantasy will be followed by WFF’s annual Filmmakers Party. Only Fright Night ticket holders and WFF filmmakers will receive exclusive entry to the Filmmakers Party. Attendees should purchase their tickets early as this event will sell-out quickly.
Tickets will be available on-line, and at the WFF Box Office, 13 Rock City Rd., Woodstock NY, which will open the beginning of September.
The full WFF 2010 Program Line-up will be announced on September 1. For details, visit www.woodstockfilmfestival.com.
This is not the first collaboration between WFF and the Emerson. The very first screening and concert of the very first Woodstock Film Festival in 2000, was held at the Emerson compound, with other events highlighted through the years.
“We always love working with The Emerson because we know our events there are spectacular, and serve our respective communtities in a very special way,” said Meira Blaustein, WFF’s co-founder and Executive Director. “The Fright Night screenings will be a completely unique film-going experience. Coupled with the gala reception celebrating our talented indie filmmakers, it will undoubtedly be a night that will be long-remembered!”
Naomi Umhey, chief executive officer of the Emerson Resort and Spa, acknowledged as one of the most outstanding small luxury resorts in the USA, said hosting Woodstock Film Festival events is in line with the Emerson’s mission to serve and highlight the regional community, while hosting guests from all around the world.
“We are thrilled and honored to be a part of WFF 2010, which had its inaugural event with us, and has since become one of the most recognized independent film fests in the world,” said Umhey, who participated in the first WFF screening and concert at the Emerson complex eleven years ago. “WFF events attract extraordinary attention to the Hudson Valley Catskills as a mecca for the arts, something that is very important to the Emerson. We have now come full circle, and look forward to a continued relationship for many years to come.”
The 11th Woodstock Film Festival kicks off Wednesday, Sept. 29 through Sunday Oct. 3rd, featuring more than 150 ‘fiercely independent” films, panels, events and parties in Woodstock, Rhinebeck, Rosendale and Kingston.
For more information on WFF programming and tickets, call (845) 679-4265, and visit www.Woodstockfilmfestival.com
For more information on the Emerson Resort and Spa, call (877) 688-2828, and visit www.emersonresort.com.
Synopsis: Don’t Go in the Woods
Described as “Glee” meets “The Blair Witch Project,” Don’t Go in the Woods is a slasher/musical which cleverly walks an unusual line, always maintaining a sinister and creeping sense of dread, with characters bursting into song at the oddest of times. An indie rock band of five young men heads into the woods for a weekend of creative inspiration away from modern distractions. New songs are sung and written, but female groupies crash the creative jam session causing distraction. In traditional slasher movie style, characters begin disappearing. The film oozes with thrills and a dark sense of humor, complemented by a solid rock soundtrack. This offbeat horror film explores the lengths that people will go to in order to make their dreams come true, and marks the directoral debut of actor Vincent D’Onofrio.
Synopsis: Bitter Feast
Renowned chef Peter Gray, played smartly by James LeGros, is having an awful day. His celebrity cooking show is sinking fast in the ratings and his posh New York City restaurant Feast has once again received a nasty review from online food critic JT Franks (Joshua Leonard), leaving Gray frazzled, frustrated and fired. Gray seeks retribution by kidnapping the critic who has tormented him for so long. What follows in Joe Maggio’s revenge thriller is a delightfully crafted tale of intrigue, torture and culinary delight. Featuring a cameo by celebrity chef Mario Batali. Hudson Valley resident Larry Fessenden produced and co-stars in a film that is sure to be a banquet not just for your eyes and ears, but your taste buds as well. Bon Appetit.
FRIGHT NIGHT SCHEDULE RECAP-
BITTER FEAST-
6:30p- Pre-screening banquet by Mary Guiliani Catering, working closely with renowned chef Mario Batali to create an extraordinary Batali-inspired dinner.
8p- BITTER FEAST screens @ Emerson Great Room.
Question & Answer follows film.
DON’T GO IN THE WOODS-
8p Screening @ Catamount Pavillion
Question and Answer follows film, along with performance by the Don’t Go in the Woods band!
FILMMAKERS GALA PARTY- (Ticket Holders Only)
10pm – The Phoenix at the Emerson Resort & Spa.
About the Emerson Resort & Spa:
Located in New York’s renowned Hudson Valley, Emerson Resort & Spa is less than two hours from Manhattan. The hideaway property offers luxurious and spacious accommodations, a Forbes four-star spa and exceptional dining venues in the Catamount Restaurant and Spa Café. Emerson’s Eastern-inspired Inn boasts 26 jewel-toned suites accented by lush canopy beds with hand-carved teak headboards. The adjacent 27-room Adirondack-style Lodge provides a casual yet sophisticated respite for families and outdoor enthusiasts. Overlooking the Esopus Creek and one of the region’s most magnificent peaks, Mount Tremper, Emerson is also an ideal location for special events, including corporate retreats and destination weddings. For more information please visit www.emersonresort.com and for reservations call (877) 688-2828.
About the Woodstock Film Festival:
The Woodstock Film Festival is a not-for-profit, 501©(3) organization whose mission is to present an annual program and year-round schedule of film, music and art-related activities that promotes artists, culture, inspired learning, and diversity.
The 11th annual Woodstock Film Festival will take place September 29-October 3, 2010. The “fiercely independent” festival includes more than 150 films, panels, concerts and special events in Woodstock and the neighboring towns of Kingston, Rhinebeck and Rosendale. WFF premieres exceptional films; hosts emerging and established filmmakers; presents A-list concerts, parties and panels, and creates stimulating, innovative year-round programming
Hailed by Indiewire as “A true American Maverick Among Fests,” and one of the top film festivals in the world, the Woodstock Film Festival has been praised by actor Ethan Hawke as “among the finest of a dying breed: a festival that isn’t trying to sell you anything, but simply and beautifully celebrating the art & craft of filmmaking.”
For more information visit www.woodstockfilmfestival.org or call (845) 679-4265
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