Cape Cod film is alive and well: Here are upcoming festivals for you film buffs
Editor's Note: Because of a reporting error, two changes were made July 19 in this story to correct the director of "Locked Out," who is Kate Davis, and to correct the title of the film "Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project."
Cape Cod film is alive and well as the Woods Hole Film Festival prepares to host its eight-day program, celebrating its 32nd year on the Cape. Screenings will start at the end of July and continue through the beginning of August as more than 100 films are set to show throughout the festival alongside a series of talks, workshops and masterclasses.
Just before Woods Hole kicks off, the Hyannis Film Festival will be premiering two films by Must See Pictures, a film studio based out of Tokyo, during a special event at Fellowship Hall in the Federated Church at 7 p.m. July 22. The event features two showings, "Killing the Muse," a feature-length film by former Cape Cod teacher turned film director, producer, and now actor Steven Martin, and "Ours," a short-film by Must See Pictures producer and actress Kozue Ito.
With so many films to see and so little time, here are our previews of the events so you can get ready to head to the box office and grab a bag of popcorn.
Woods Hole Film Festival returns for 32nd year
The Woods Hole Film Festival is back for its 32nd year. The oldest-running film festival on the Cape has a lot to offer this year with 45 feature films and 76 shorts set to screen across eight days from July 29 through Aug. 5. Virtual screenings will be held following the in-person festival from Aug. 6 to Aug. 13.
“That's different this year because for the past few years during the pandemic, the virtual screenings were held simultaneously with the in-person, but our goal really is to get back this year to a more traditional in-person festival like we had prior to the pandemic,” said festival director Judy Laster.
With over 1,000 submissions, this year’s selections feature works from across the globe as 19 countries are represented at the festival.
“We try and put together a program that we think is going to be sort of unique, not something you’ll see at every other festival although some of these films have played in other festivals for sure,” Laster said. “...We love pretty much anything that is considered an interesting story and something that we think that audiences will want to see and that they won't get a chance to see anywhere else.”
Films are placed into two categories for features — documentary and narrative — and shorts are placed into four categories — drama, comedy, documentary and animation — and screened in 10 programs. Due to the festival's location, Laster also said they work to screen science-based films whenever possible.
“We try and show films around topics that are relevant to the work that is being done at the institutions,” she said. “And that regard provides a greater opportunity to sometimes amplify the work that is happening in science and also help tell those stories to audiences that may not get a chance to see them otherwise.”
When asked what this year’s must-sees were, Laster deferred but recommended seeing “26.2 to Life,” “Karen Carpenter: Starving for Perfection,” “My Love Affair with Marriage,” “Destiny and Stones,” “All Men are Wicked,” “The Space Race,” and “Earlybird.”
“There's a feature, an animated feature film, called 'My Love Affair with Marriage,' which is kind of a brilliant film,” she said. “You rarely see animated feature films made anymore by independent filmmakers. Definitely worth seeing.”
Seven of the 110 films being shown at the festival have a Cape Cod connection: “All Men are Wicked,” directed by Michael Hansen and Peggy O’Sullivan features an all Cape Cod cast and crew; “Somewhere Quiet,” directed by Olivia Lloyd West is set on the Cape; “Locked Out,” directed by Kate Davis, a Belmont native who spent summers in Woods Hole, and Luchina Fisher; “In the Company of Rose,” a documentary about Rose Styron, poet, journalist, and widow of William Styron, a Martha’s Vineyard resident, by Tony-award-winning director and playwright James Lapine; “Earlybird” stars Cape Cod native Joshua Koopman; “Clam Shack Blues,” a short by Matt Ott tells the story of New England clammers; “Coskata-Coaute: A Refuge on the Edge,” a short by Laura Cunningham follows the changing wildlife and ecosystem of the Coskata-Coaute Wildlife Refugee off of the Cape.
The Woods Hole Film Festival takes place from July 29 until Aug. 9. Tickets are currently on sale and range in price depending on pass purchased. Individual tickets can be purchased for $16. Ticket packages range from $90 to $300. VIP all-access passes cost $500. An “All Films” pass costs $350 and includes cost of all in-person and virtual events. Virtual passes are $80 for all the short films and $130 for all films.
Workshops, masterclasses, and panel discussions will also be given at the event by Filmmaker in residence, Allison Otto, Speed & Spark, and filmmaker Steve Young. Tickets for these events range from $16-$20.
Screenings will take place across three locations, the Redfield Auditorium, the Cornelia Clapp Auditorium, and the Simon Center for the Arts and Morse Hall at Falmouth Academy.
A pre-festival special screening of “Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project," winner of the Sundance Grand Jury Award, will also be held on July 27.
Hyannis Film Festival to host American premier of “Killing The Muse” and “Ours” by Must See Pictures
The Hyannis Film Festival is set to host a special event presenting new works, “Killing the Muse” and “Ours,” from long-time festival partners Must See Pictures, at Fellowship Hall on July 22.
For “Killing the Muse” the event marks its American premier after being released in Tokyo in 2023. As described by director and former Cape Cod teacher, Steven Martin, “Killing the Muse” is a self-reflective film about a director trying to rediscover himself in an inspiration-less world.
“...The entire film is sort of my journey, trying to look for my muse, which happens after a suicide attempt, and I'm reborn as one of the actresses in one of my films who takes over my life and basically reinvents me in a more modern way,” he said.
The idea came about from Martin’s real-life after he presented a different screenplay to his colleagues and it was the first time they didn’t like something he had created. He took 48 hours to reflect and penned “Killing the Muse” during that time. He wrote everyone’s names as they were, his name as it was, and when he showed his new script, they loved it. But, they had one condition, the names had to be changed.
When they got to work, Martin said it was the best shoot he’s ever been on.
“Everyone got along,” he said. “Everything went completely smooth. It was very creative. It was very fruitful. It was a great production and it was my first time to be on a full leading role. I acted and I played myself... that was also a great experience to actually be the one in the film that it sort of centers around and have everyone in the film putting me down and hating on me. It's basically 80 minutes of self-abuse.”
As for “Ours,” which is also receiving its American debut at the event, the film follows a young, closeted lesbian and her openly gay roommate who is trying to get married. The film serves as a coming-out for its director, Kozue Ito, and as a commentary on recent LGBTQ+ legislation passed in Japan and the illegal status of same-sex marriage in the country.
“She's in love with this woman that she works with as a photographer and she can't really tell her,” Martin said. “Meanwhile, it's sort of this understated relationship where they just share glances and exchanges, but there's never any like overt ‘I love you,’ so it's very sweet. It's kind of heartbreaking.”
Hosting a summer event is new for Hyannis Film Festival
In regard to the collaboration between Must See Pictures and the Hyannis Film Festival, the event marks the fourth year each have worked together. Managing Director for the festival, Bill Ferrall, was introduced to Martin and his company through a mutual contact and decided to show his film, “Unplayed Lullaby” at a July event in 2021.
“We've been working with them for three years now,” he said. “We really liked them. We like what they're doing. It's ambitious. It's sophisticated filmmaking for a startup group, in my mind, and it has a connection here. To the Cape.”
While the festival hosts year-round events, the Hyannis Film Festival of 2023 doesn’t take place until November. The decision to host the premiers of Must See Picture’s latest works was largely influenced by the summer season and wanting to work with Martin again.
“Our board, our group has been wanting a chance to do an event during the height of the visitor season, because most of our stuff is done in the offseason,” said Ferrall. So, this was a chance to do something in the visitor season and it's something with a special appeal to international visitors, we hope. And it's a sophisticated, worldly kind of thing.”
The screenings also coincidentally coincide with Cape Cod Pride, which the festival will be attending.
“They wanted to come and we looked at dates and July 22 was good and that happens to be gay pride day too,” Ferrall said. “Since there are themes and storylines of same-sex relationships in most of his movies, but especially in “Ours,” a storyline is also part of “Killing the Muse." So we thought, well, heck, we might as well link up with Cape Cod pride as much as we can.”
The event will take place on July 22 in Fellowship Hall at Federated Church at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 and can be bought online.
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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Film Festivals on Cape Cod: Woods Hole Film Fest and Hyannis Film Fest
