The Hamptons International Film Festival will be held October 3-13, 2025. This will be the 33rd Annual festival. Opening Night selection is David Freyne's ETERNITY and will be the US premiere of the film. The film stars Elizabeth Olsen who will be in attendance October 3rd in East Hampton. Olsen will also be joining for an "In Conversation With" on Saturday, October 4th highlighting her career as an actress and celebrating her performance in ETERNITY.
The film also stars Miles Teller and Callum Turner and takes place in an afterlife where souls have one week to decide where to spend eternity. Joan (Olsen) is faced with the impossible choice between the man she spent her life with (Teller) and her first love (Turner), who died young and has waited decades for her to arrive.
The 33rd edition of the festival will also present a lineup of Centerpiece, Spotlight and narrative, documentary and shorts screenings, alongside distinguished tributes to artists and additional programming at the forefront of contemporary cinema.
The Spotlight Section is Richard Linklater's BLUE MOON, on Saturday, October 4th, starring Ethan Hawke, Margaret Qualley, Bobby Cannavale, and Andrew Scott, showcasing legendary lyricist Lorenz Hart, who confronts his shattered self-confidence in Sardi's bar as his former collaborator Richard Rodgers celebrates the opening night of his ground-breaking hit musical "Oklahoma!". Hawke will be featured in a special "A Conversation With Ethan Hawke," sponsored by Il Buco, on Saturday, October 4th, celebrating his expansive career as an actor, writer, and director.
Bill Condon's KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN, starring Diego Luna, Jennifer Lopez and Tonatiuh, about two cellmates in an Argentine prison - one a political activist, the other a flamboyant storyteller—who forge an unlikely bond through tales of romance and fantasy will also screen in the Spotlight section. The festival will honor Tonatiuh with the festival's UBS Breakthrough Performer Award.
Bernard Telsey, an influential casting director in theater, film, and television, is being honored with the festival's inaugural Achievement in Casting Award in recognition of his groundbreaking contributions to the industry. Telsey is the casting director for this year's KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN and WICKED: FOR GOOD, with a resume that also includes other films in his storied career including ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, MARY POPPINS RETURNS, RACHEL GETTING MARRIED, among others. His trailblazing work has not only elevated countless actors' careers but also redefined the role of casting as an essential creative force in storytelling. This inaugural honor celebrates Telsey's enduring legacy and his profound impact on the entertainment world. He will accept the award on Saturday, October 4th, at the screening of KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN, with actor Tonatiuh (festival's 2025 UBS Breakthrough Performer) and director Bill Condon in attendance.
The festival has announced the remainder of this year's Spotlight Films, including Luca
Guadagnino's AFTER THE HUNT, starring Julia Roberts, Ayo Edebiri, Andrew Garfield, Michael Stuhlbarg and Chloë Sevigny; Yorgos Lanthimos' BUGONIA starring Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Aidan Delbis, Stavros Halkias and Alicia Silverstone; the U.S. Premiere of Nicholas Hytner's THE CHORAL starring Ralph Fiennes, Roger Allam, Mark Addy, Alun Armstrong, and more; the New York Premiere of Michael Franco's DREAMS starring Jessica Chastain, Isaac Hernández and Rupert Friend; the New York Premiere of Matthew Shear's FANTASY LIFE starring Amanda Peet, Matthew Shear, Alessandro Nivola, Judd Hirsch and Bob Balaban; Chloé Zhao's HAMN starring Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Emily Watson and Joe Alwyn; the East Coast Premiere of Nia DaCosta's HEDDA starring Tessa Thompson, Imogen Poots, Tom Bateman, Nicholas Pinnock and Nina Hoss; Mary Bronstein's IF I HAD LEGS I'D KICK YOU starring Rose Byrne, Conan O'Brien, Danielle Macdonald, Christian Slater, and A$AP Rocky with director Mary Bronstein in attendance; Bradley Cooper's IS THIS THING ON? starring Will Arnett, Laura Dern, Andra Day, Bradley Cooper, Amy Sedaris, Sean Hayes, Christine Ebersole, Ciarán Hinds, Scott Icenogle; the U.S.Premiere of James Vanderbilt's NUREMBERG starring Russell Crowe, Rami Malek, Michael Shannon, Richard E. Grant, Leo Woodall, John Slattery, and more; the World Premiere of Ari Selinger's ON THE END starring Tim Blake Nelson, Mireille Enos, Lois Smith, Anna Chlumsky and more; Ira Sachs' PETER HUJAR'S DAY starring Ben Whishaw and Rebecca Hall; Rebecca Zlotowski's A PRIVATE LIFE starring Jodie Foster, Daniel Auteuil, Virginie Efira, Mathieu Amalric, and more; the East Coast Premiere of Max Walker-Silverman's REBUILDING starring Josh O'Connor, Meghann Fahy, Amy Madigan, Kali Reis, Lily LaTorre, and more; the U.S. Premiere of HIKARI's RENTAL FAMILY starring Brendan Fraser, Takehiro Hira, Mari Yamamoto, Shannon Gorman and Akira Emoto; Joachim Trier's SENTIMENTAL VALUE starring Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, Elle Fanning and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas; the East Coast Premiere of Clint Bentley's TRAIN DREAMS starring Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, William H. Macy and Kerry Condon; the U.S. Premiere of Academy Award-nominated Rian Johnson's WAKE UP DEAD MAN: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY starring Daniel Craig, Josh O'Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, and more.
HIFF will host a special screening of the Sundance breakout SORRY, BABY, the sharp, darkly comedic debut feature from writer, director, and star Eva Victor. A biting exploration of modern love, ambition, and self-sabotage, the film follows Victor as a young woman whose messy entanglements unravel into both hilarious and heartbreaking territory. In recognition of their multi-hyphenate achievement, Victor will be honored with the festival's UBS Breakthrough Director Award.
"Our lineup this year represents the spirit of discovery that defines HIFF. With powerful premieres and inspiring conversations, we're proud to curate programming that invites audiences to experience the artistry, imagination, and diversity of today's filmmakers. By honoring emerging talents like Tonatiuh and Eva Victor alongside established talents, we are reminded of how vital film remains as an art form. It's an honor to bring these works to the Hamptons and to celebrate the creative voices shaping the future of cinema," said David Nugent, Chief Creative Officer of HamptonsFilm.
"I'm very proud of our programming team, led by David Nugent, for curating a group of dynamic and distinct films", said Executive Director Richard Gladstein. "I'm excited our festivalgoers will have the opportunity to engage with stories and storytelling spanning all genres, in narrative and documentary, from around the globe."
The festival will screen the U.S. Premiere of David Michôd's CHRISTY, starring Sydney Sweeney, Ben Foster, Merritt Wever, Katy O'Brian, and Ethan Embry as a Centerpiece on Saturday, October 4th, in East Hampton. Christy Martin (Sweeney) never imagined life beyond her small-town roots in West Virginia—until she discovered a knack for knocking people out. Fueled by grit, raw determination, and an unshakable desire to win, she charges into the world of boxing under the guidance of her trainer and manager-turned-husband, Jim (Foster). But while Christy flaunts a fiery persona in the ring, her toughest battles unfold outside it—confronting family, identity, and a relationship that just might become life-or-death. Based on remarkable true events, Christy Martin's story is one of resilience, courage, and the fight to reclaim one's life. The festival will honor Sweeney with the Achievement in Acting Award, and she will be in attendance for a post-screening conversation.
Closing Night, the World Premiere of the filmed stage version of the Tony-Award® winning musical, Maria Friedman's MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, starring Jonathan Gro?, Daniel Radcli?e and Lindsay Mendez. Director Maria Friedman will be in attendance at the screening on Sunday, October 12th, in East Hampton, along with cast members. Spanning three decades, Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's Merrily We Roll Along charts the turbulent relationship between composer Franklin Shepard and his two lifelong friends—writer Mary and lyricist & playwright Charley. Originally produced on Broadway in 1981, then becoming an inventive cult-classic ahead of its time, Merrily We Roll Along features some of Stephen Sondheim's most celebrated and personal songs.
Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) was founded in 1992 to celebrate the art of film and to introduce a unique and varied spectrum of international films and filmmakers to audiences.