BIFF announces 2022 festival lineup
GREAT BARRINGTON — The 16th annual Berkshire International Film Festival (BIFF) announces a weekend of films, events, and special guests, to be held Thursday, June 2–Sunday, June 5 in Great Barrington and Lenox. The festival brings together films, filmmakers, industry professionals, and fans for a four-day celebration featuring 25 documentaries, 27 narrative features, 15 short films, and 13 animated shorts from 30 countries.
This year, BIFF will expand to the Linde Center at Tanglewood, where films will be presented throughout the weekend. The festival will also present a curated selection of the feature and short films being presented at the in-person festival, to be screened virtually.
Thursday, June 2, opening night, Great Barrington: The festival opens with “Art & Krimes by Krimes,” which shares the story of artist Jesse Krimes, who, while in federal prison for six years, secretly created monumental works of art, including an astonishing 40-foot mural made with prison bed sheets, hair gel, and newspaper. Leaning into his identity as a convicted felon and celebrated artist, Krimes turns the spotlight on people still in prison, asking us to question surface representations, recognize overlooked beauty, and celebrate the transcendent power of art to connect us and elevate the human spirit. The director, Alysa Nahmias, and artist Jesse Krimes will be in attendance for a Q&A following the film.
The opening night begins with a presentation of the 12th annual Next Great Filmmaker Award. Cast your vote before May 31.
Saturday, June 4, tribute night, Great Barrington: Alfre Woodard, a veteran of film, theater, television, and spoken word, is also a tireless social activist. She will be in conversation with WAMC’s Joe Donahue on the stage of the Mahaiwe prior to the screening of her film “Juanita.”
Sunday, June 5, closing night, Great Barrington: BIFF will close with the award-winning feature film “Pretty Problems,” a hilarious new film about Jack and Lindsey, who are invited on a getaway trip with affluent strangers: down the rabbit hole, and into the most unhinged weekend of their lives. Winner of the SXSW Audience Award and the Sonoma Film Festival Jury Prize Award, the film will have you laughing out loud. The film’s director, Kestrin Pantera, writer and actor Michael Tennant, writer and actor Britt Rentschler, and actor Alex Klein will be in attendance at the Mahaiwe for a Q&A following the film.
BIFF will host special events throughout the weekend, including GWFF USA’s Juried Prize Award for narrative and documentary filmmaking, free family film screenings, and panel discussions. BIFF’s popular Tea Talks also return with artists Don Gummer and Stephen Hannock in conversation with MASS MoCA Executive Director Kristy Edmunds; and a talk on the challenges and opportunities for women in film. The film lineup also includes a new French film with Juliette Binoche, the much-anticipated new A24 film about the beloved character Marcel the Shell, SXSW Audience Award-winning documentary “Bad Axe,” and Sundance Grand Jury prize winner “Fire of Love,” the Leonard Bernstein documentary “Bernstein’s Wall,” and the world premiere of “As Prescribed,” from Berkshire resident Holly Hardman.
—A.K.
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Study of local food system now available
GREAT BARRINGTON — Growing Better Great Barrington, a report and action plan to strengthen the town’s local food system, is now complete and available to the public.
The report, completed by The Conway School and funded with a grant from the state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, can be viewed here. Its findings and recommendations will be the topic of a conversation Wednesday, May 4 at 10 a.m. during Coffee with the Town Manager. Guests Jovanina Pagano, vice chair of the town’s Strategic Sustainability and Livability Committee, and Luke Pryjma, vice chair of the town’s Agricultural Commission will join the online talk.
The Growing Better report was prepared in collaboration with members of the town Agricultural Commission and the Strategic Sustainability and Livability Committee, with support from the town’s office of planning and community development. The Agricultural Commission held a lead role in planning, grant writing and project development. The study involved community forums held during the winter, along with research into the local food economy through the lens of farms and farmers, food security, natural resources, social justice, climate change and historical land use.
Among the recommendations:
- Increase security for farmers and farms through community land ownership, conservation easements, farmland leases and land sponsorship programs
- Explore rematriation and reparations with indigenous people of the region
- Create community growing spaces, especially for under-represented community members
- Invest in food processing infrastructure, including community kitchens
- Prioritize vocational training and affordable housing that supports agricultural and food workers
- Develop regional working groups to leverage shared funding and resources and equitable decision-making
To join Coffee with the Town Manager, click here for log-in details on May 4.
—A.K.
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Stockbridge Festival Chorus presents spring concert
STOCKBRIDGE — Stockbridge Festival Chorus will present its spring concert on Saturday, April 30 at 5 p.m., at the First Congregational Church of Stockbridge. The concert program is all-American, welcoming back live choral singing. Selections performed will include works by Copland, Thompson, Hurd, Parker, Hogan, Wilberg and Sametz, and two premieres by local composers Steve Murray and Anson Olds. The community chorus of 40 voices is conducted by Tracy Wilson, and accompanied by Bob Logan on piano and Ed Lawrence on organ.
Admission at the door is $20 for adults; $10 for members of local choruses; free for students ages 18 and under. Masks will be welcomed; a section of the sanctuary is set aside for anyone who prefers to remain masked and distanced. The concert will be livestreamed on the church’s website. The sanctuary is handicap accessible. For more information, call 413-298-3137.
—A.K.
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Tom Tyning to present virtual talk on mountain streams, big salamanders
PITTSFIELD — On Thursday, May 5 at 6 p.m., Tom Tyning will give a virtual presentation on the amphibians and other organisms that use small mountain streams, which are the source of every lake, pond, stream, and brook. Rich in oxygen and with temperatures that remain chilled throughout summer, these streams make up an ecological community that is unique. Tyning will discuss the importance of these headwater streams and how the species that rely on them for survival are at risk due to a lack of conservation. He will speak for 30-45 minutes, followed by a discussion and Q&A period. This event will be held on Zoom and conclude around 7 p.m. Registration is required to join.
Tom has been a Professor of Environmental Science at Berkshire Community College since 1999. Previously, he was a Field Biologist and Master Naturalist for the Massachusetts Audubon Society for 24 years. Tom also served for 15 years as an adjunct professor in the Environmental Studies Program at Antioch New England Graduate School, as well as Springfield College and MCLA. For 25 years, he wrote a weekly nature column for the Springfield Union-News. As an authority on New England natural history, Tom’s main research interests are amphibians and reptiles. His book, “A Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles,” is published by Little, Brown and Company. As a member of several professional natural history societies, he served for 15 years as managing editor of the scientific journal Herpetological Review.
—A.K.
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Ancram Opera House announces casting call
ANCRAM, N.Y. — The Ancram Opera House (AOH) announces a call for submissions from Equity and Non-Equity performers for their August production of “INVASION!” by Jonas Hassen Khemiri, translated by Rachel Willson-Broyles. Auditions will be hosted by Jeffrey Mousseau, co-director of the Ancram Opera House, who will be directing this production.
AOH will present “INVASION!” from August 5-21, 2022, with rehearsals beginning on or around July 12. Rehearsals will take place in either New York City or Ancram, depending upon casting. All performances will take place at the Ancram Opera House. AOH works under a Special Appearance Contract.
Auditions, by invitation only, will take place on or around May 16, 2022. Please submit one PDF with a headshot and resume, as well as a short (1-2 minute) comedic monologue viewable via YouTube, Vimeo, or website link. Materials should be submitted to casting@ancramoperahouse.org. You will be contacted if you are invited to audition
Performers of all ethnicities, gender identities, and ages, as well as performers with disabilities, are encouraged to audition. The script specifies characters are: Ethnically Ambiguous/Multiracial, Middle Eastern, South Asian/Indian, Southeast Asian/Pacific Islander.
Cast break-down:
Actor A (Actor 1, Lance, Guide, Journalist, Apple Picker): plays male characters, 40-50 years old. Fluent speakers of Arabic preferred.
- Actor 1: Classically trained actor
- Lance: Lebanese, termite exterminator, dreams of being a dancer
- Guide: Television talk-show host
- Journalist: Local news reporter, taking a sabbatical to study theatre
- Apple Picker: Illegal immigrant seeking asylum in the U.S., speaks broken English
Actor B (Arvind, Expert 1, Fanon-Lover): plays male characters, 20-25 years old
- Arvind: Indian, young, reckless high school student, grows up to be a telemarketer
- Expert 1: Military expert, talking head
- Fanon-Lover: Just learned what postcolonialism is and wants everyone to know he knows about it
Actor C (Actor 2, Lara, Expert 2, Interpreter): plays female characters, 20-25 years old
- Actor 2: Classically trained actor
- Lara: Kurdish, theatre student, tired of educating her white friends about race
- Expert 2: Military expert, talking head
- Interpreter: Professional interpreter
Actor D (Yousef, Alexandra, Eric, Expert 3, Anti-Nuclear Lady, Little Brother): plays male/female characters, mostly in the 20-25 age range
- Yousef: Lebanese, young, reckless high school student
- Alexandra: Arvind’s friend from high school
- Eric: Arvind’s friend from high school
- Expert 3: Military expert, talking head
- Anti-Nuclear Lady: Middle-aged woman with a white savior complex, studying documentary theatre
- Little Brother: The playwright’s younger brother, recounts a traumatic experience from his childhood
—A.K.
