| Posted by mondave

News from the Lake Placid Film Forum: Special Guest Whit Stillman, Plus Films Announced

Whit Stillman at the Lake Placid Film Forum, Plus Initial Films & Programming Announced!

The Lake Placid Film Forum will take place June 16-19 at both the Palace Theater and the Lake Placid Center for the Arts. The opening night film will be 110%, director Cara Perlman‘s unusually intimate documentary which tags along with the members of the U.S. Women’s Ski Jumping Team as they give 110% to their sport in the hope of being allowed to participate in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

The film is especially timely since the International Olympic Committee just announced that women ski jumpers will finally be allowed to compete at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi. The Olympic Regional Development Authority will co-sponsor the film presentation. On Friday, June 17, there will a special presentation of Rise, an extremely poignant documentary that measures the impact of a devastating 1961 airplane crash that killed all the members of the U.S. World Figure Skating team along with their coaches.

Directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmakers, Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern Wilder, the documentary features revealing conversations with just about every great U.S. figure skating champion, including Dick Button, Carol Heiss, Scott Hamilton, Peggy Fleming, Dorothy Hamill and Brian Boitano.

Writer-director Whit Stillman, who first captivated audiences with his sophisticated comedy of upper class manners, Metropolitan, will be one of the special guests at this year’s Forum. He will present his 1998 film The Last Days of Disco and also show scenes from his upcoming film, Damsels in Distress, which will be released in the fall.

On Saturday, June 18, The Forum will introduce Letters from the Big Man, a breathtakingly beautiful film by writer-director Christopher Munch that explores both the mysteries and wonders of nature. The film records the experiences of a spunky hydrologist (Lily Rabe) who fearlessly ventures into the woods alone to get over a broken romance and to do a government water survey. Quietly watching her every move is a seemingly gentle Sasquatch or Bigfoot, the mythical ape-like creature that is alleged to inhabit the Pacific Northwest.

The Forum will also present The Blood in this Town, a warm-hearted, inspirational documentary by Art Jones. The setting in this case is Rutland, Vermont. Known as “the only ugly town in Vermont,” Rutland has had more than its share of hard times recently, but the residents remain remarkably upbeat and full of community spirit, so much so that they manage to round up a record number of contributors to the local Red Cross blood drive.

Actor-director Kevin Craig West will once again conduct a Children’s Acting Workshop on Saturday morning, June 18 at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts. Also returning is the fourth North Country Shorts, selected films from filmmakers around the region that will be shown throughout the program. In addition, Asbury Shorts, a nationwide program, will present the LPFF Shorts Showcase, bringing some of the “world’s best shorts” to town.

Stay current with the program developments as more films and guests are confirmed, friend the Film Forum on Facebook, check in with the website – lakeplacidfilmforum.com and the blog “Fade In.” Keep an eye on this blog as well. The Free George is a Media Sponsor of the Forum this year, and they’ll be bringing you regular updates.

Actors who would like to participate in Sleepless in Lake Placid, a 24-Hour Filmmaking competition or those who are interested in the children’s acting workshop may contact tjb@lakeplacidfilmforum.com. Anyone seeking more information may also call 518-523-3456.

–This article was co-written by TJ Brearton and Kathleen Carroll.

The Free George is the online magazine and visitors’ guide of Upstate NY, covering things from Albany to Lake Placid, including Saratoga, the Lake George region and the Adirondacks. Check out our new City Blogs section for our extended coverage areas as well.

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