Love at First Sight
Romeo and Juliet, Oct 1
Shakespeare’s classic tragedy of naive young lovers gets a modern update. Shakespeare aficionado Kenneth Branagh and Rob Ashford direct this production, which was staged and filmed at the Garrick Theater in London. Lily James of
Downton Abbey fame shines as Juliet alongside Richard Madden, who shot to stardom in the HBO hit series Game of Thrones, as Romeo. The two are tried and true as each other’s romantic interests as they both starred in the 2015 Disney live-action Cinderella (also directed by Branagh).
1 pm, Bardavon 1869 Opera House, 35 Market St, Poughkeepsie; 845.473.2072
Independent to the Max
Woodstock Film Festival, Oct 13-16
This Valley favorite celebrates its 17th anniversary this year. Now taking place in Woodstock, Kingston, Rhinebeck, Saugerties, and Rosendale, the internationally renowned event screens more than 120 films from the United States and around the world. The fest is known for its casual atmosphere, where attendees can rub elbows with filmmakers, actors, producers, industry members, and artists. Aside from film screenings and panel discussions, participants also can enjoy live musical performances and star-studded parties, which have included the likes of Natalie Portman, Steve Buscemi, Uma Thurman, and Daniel Day-Lewis, and many others.
845.679.4265
Hometown Charm
FilmColumbia, Oct 24-30
Also celebrating its 17th anniversary is FilmColumbia, which prides itself on its small-town charm: Each participating venue is located within walking distance of the others. For example, the Crandell Theater and the Tracy Memorial are separated only by about three blocks on Chatham’s Main Street. Films are always high-quality pre-releases, and the festival has been known to screen future Oscar winners. Among the 7,000 yearly attendees are celebs like Parker Posey, Kristanna Loken, James Schamus, and Ruth Reichl. The most exciting aspect year after year is the “Saturday Night Sneak” mystery screening, at which festival staff select a film from any genre, but do not reveal its title until the lights go down. Inevitably, it always sells out.
518.392.3459
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An Old-Time Movie
Frankenstein, Live, Oct 28
Film geeks get into the Halloween spirit with a black-and-white classic. The 1931 film comes back to the Silver Screen courtesy of ArtsRock, the Rivertown Film Society, and Arts Angels. Boris Karloff stars as Frankenstein’s Monster alongside Mae Clark and Colin Clive. The only thing missing from the film? A musical score. So contemporary composer Michael Shapiro wrote pieces to go along with the story. He conducts 15 members of the Chappaqua Orchestra while the film plays, creating a movie-going experience similar to what it would have actually been like in 1931.
8 pm, Nyack High School Auditorium, 360 Christian Herald Rd; Nyack
