If you live on Long Island, you know your neighbors have opinions, creativity and talent to spare (!).
Check out the diverse and dynamic selections in this year’s Views From Long Island section, featuring both truth-is-stranger-than-fiction local stories and the uniquely East End vision of local filmmakers.
Supported by the Suffolk County Film Commission.
Docu-Series
THE KILLING SEASON
Running time: 88 minutes
Directors: Joshua Zeman, Rachel Mills
Executive Producers: Alex Gibney, Joshua Zeman
The Killing Season is a raw and immersive documentary series following filmmakers Joshua Zeman (CROPSEY) and Rachel Mills as they investigate one of the most bizarre unsolved serial murder cases of our time—the deaths of 10 sex workers discovered on Gilgo Beach, Long Island. Working with citizen-sleuths to crowd source clues the police cannot, Zeman and Mills uncover eerie connections to other similar murders from Atlantic City to Daytona and beyond. Delving into the darkest corners of our own backyards, The Killing Season shines a light on a world of serial murder rarely seen before, uncovering a real-life American nightmare. This eight-episode series is produced for A&E Network by Jigsaw Productions. Executive producers for Jigsaw Productions are Alex Gibney, Joshua Zeman, Rachel Mills.
The first two episodes will screen at HIFF, followed by an extended discussion with the artistic team. The series premieres on November 5 at 9pm on A&E.
Documentary Features
GOD KNOWS WHERE I AM
New York Premiere, USA, 2016, 99 minutes, English
Directors: Todd Wider, Jedd Wider
Following one of the coldest winters in New Hampshire’s history, the body of Linda Bishop is discovered in an abandoned farmhouse. Beside her is a journal, revealing a lovely, vibrant woman waiting to be saved. Pushing the boundaries of documentary storytelling, filmmakers Todd Wider and Jedd Wider—and narrator Lori Singer—bring her words to life as they uncover the truth about Linda in their compelling and empathetic documentary debut. An evocative story of a woman held prisoner by her own mind, GOD KNOWS WHERE I AM is a powerful indictment of our society’s failure to protect those who cannot protect themselves.
LEGS: A BIG ISSUE IN A SMALL TOWN
USA, 2016, 77 minutes, English
Directors: Beatrice Alda, Jennifer Brooke
LEGS: A BIG ISSUE IN A SMALL TOWN explores one town’s reactions when two homeowners install a provocative 16-foot Larry Rivers sculpture in their yard. Based and filmed in the Hamptons’ own Sag Harbor, the film is full of real-life characters, conflicts, and controversy, as townspeople struggle to define their community. Is this seemingly idyllic village the accepting, welcoming place it appears to be? As they investigate the response to the sculpture, filmmakers Beatrice Alda and Jennifer Brooke not only examine who gets to decide what art is, but also issues of race, class, sexual orientation, and discrimination, which are intricately woven into the fabric of the town.
Narrative Shorts
BLACK SWELL
New York Premiere, USA, 2015, 9 minutes, English
Director: Jake Honig
One man’s (Richard Kind) suicide attempt is interrupted by an acquaintance from the past.
Precedes GOD KNOWS WHERE I AM.
THE PROPHET OF PLAS-TEEK
USA, 2016, 3 minutes, English
Director: Joshua Cohen
The satirical tale of a prophetic hermit who dedicates his life to worshiping the plastic deities he collects from Montauk’s hidden coves.
Precedes SONIC SEA.
