FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS

Stephen Soucy (dir. Merchant Ivory, Opening Night film) with Hamptons Doc Fest 2024 poster

James Ivory during the Q&A following Merchant Ivory

Stephen Soucy (dir. Merchant Ivory, Opening Night film) and James Ivory in conversation with Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman (dirs. Música!, Art & Inspiration Award)

Stephen Soucy during Q&A following Merchant Ivory

Jacqui Lofaro and Lana Jokel

Stephen Soucy (dir. Merchant Ivory, Opening Night film) and Jacqui Lofaro

Leslie Siben with friends at Opening Night

Jackie Leopold, Taimoor Choudhry, Solara Dang

Jamie Coy Wallace, Jeffrey Friedman, and Rob Epstein

Karen Arikian and Jean Hangarter

Opening Night attendees

Karen Arikian, Jeffrey Friedman, Rob Epstein, (dirs. Música!, Art & Inspiration Award) Jacqui Lofaro, Judy Epstein, and David Gage (Música! subjects)

Jeffrey Friedman, Rob Epstein, (dirs. Música!, Art & Inspiration Award), and Kevin Miserocchi

Música! Q&A, moderated by Andrew Botsford

Jill Campbell and Greg Gerhard (Beyond the Gaze: Jule Campbell’s Swimsuit Issue)

Christie Brinkley during the Q&A following Beyond the Gaze

Beyond the Gaze: Jule Campbell’s Swimsuit Issue Q&A

Jacqui Lofaro, Paulina Súarez (Impact Award, Ford Foundation’s JustFilms), Susan Lacy

Paulina Súarez, receiving the Impact Award on behalf of Ford Foundation’s JustFilms

Karen Arikian

Mirra Bank in conversation with Rachel Elizabeth Seed (dir. A Photographic Memory)

Attendees at the Friday night reception following Union

Holly Carter and Jackie Leopold

Paulina Súarez, Gillian Coyne, Jacqui Lofaro, Brian Newman

Mirra Bank, Steve Maing (dir. Union), Jamie Coy Wallace

Camille Petrillo and Madison Church

Solara Dang, Taimoor Choudhry, Tawney Milne

Hamptons Doc Fest tech team

Paulina Súarez (Ford Foundation JustFilms Impact Award), Steve Maing (dir. Union)

Impact Award reception attendees

Ryan Smith (dir. Soldiers of Song) and Jacqui Lofaro

Ryan Smith (dir. Soldiers of Song) and fan club

Jacqui Lofaro explaining the 2024 poster

Andrew Botsford in conversation with Ryan Smith (dir. Soldiers of Song)

Steve Maing (dir. Union) in conversation with Brian Newman

Steve Maing

Jackie Leopold introducing Black Table

Ron Simon in conversation with Bill Mack (dir. Black Table)

Sydney Lecker, Aaron Bunda, Haley May, and Gaurav Adhikari at the Pennebaker Award Gala

Nigel Noble and friends at the Pennebaker Award Gala

Gala attendees

Claudia Pilato and friends at the Pennebaker Award Gala

Hon. Deborah Kooperstein and Ron Simon

Jamie Coy Wallace and Melissa Chung

Leslie Siben and friends at the Pennebaker Award Gala

Mary Ellen Coyne, Catherine Coyne, and Madison Church

Chris Hegedus, Seth Karall and Max Karpman (dir. Did You Forget Mr. Fogel?)

Jean-Albert Lièvre (dir. Whale Nation) and his guests

Jacqui Lofaro, Leslie Siben, and Jean-Albert Lièvre (dir. Whale Nation)

2024 Pennebaker Award Gala at Bay Street Theater

Chris Hegedus introducing Pennebaker Award

Chris Hegedus presenting Michael Moore with the 2024 Pennebaker Award

Amy Hobby in conversation with Michael Moore

Saturday Morning Shorts & Breakfast Bites attendees with Bill Steig and Jennifer Lin (dir. Ten Times Better)

Kate Taverna (dir. The Art of Metaphor – Donna Dennis), Mirra Bank, and Alan Adelson

Saturday morning at Bay Street Theater

Alan Adelson and Kate Taverna (The Art of Metaphor – Donna Dennis)

Volunteers Will Yennie and Liz Yennie

Claudia Pilato introducing Saturday Morning Shorts & Breakfast Bites Program 1

Jennifer Lin (dir. Ten Times Better)

Max Karpman (dir. Did You Forget Mr. Fogel?)

Kate Taverna and Alan Adelson (The Art of Metaphor – Donna Dennis)

Q&A following Shorts and Breakfast Bites Program 1

Carl Safina during Q&A following Whale Nation

Jean-Albert Lièvre during Q&A following Whale Nation

Jackie Leopold, Jacqui Lofaro, and Stefanie Anarumo with Hometown Heroes student film competition winners

Jackie Leopold, Jacqui Lofaro, Gillian Coyne

Susanna DiSunno, 2nd place winner, Hometown Heroes short film competition

Jackie Leopold introducing Sunday Shorts and Breakfast Bites Program 2

Stefanie Anarumo announcing Hometown Heroes student film competition winners

Hometown Heroes student filmmakers

Zachary Browngardt, 1st place winner, Hometown Heroes short film competition, with his grandfather

Charles Pinck (producer, Filming Under Fire) in conversation with Roger Sherman

Charles Pinck (producer, Filming Under Fire: John Ford’s OSS Field Photo Branch)

Roger Sherman, moderator of Sunday Shorts and Breakfast Bites Program 2

Angela Patton and Natalie Rae (dirs. Daughters, Breakthrough Director Award)

Breakthrough Director Award, presented to Natalie Rae and Angela Patton for Daughters

Angela Patton during Q&A following Daughters

Cynthia Lopez in conversation with Angela Patton and Natalie Rae (dirs. Daughters, Breakthrough Director Award)

Giulia D’Agnolo Vallan during Q&A following Mistress Dispeller

Lana Jokel during Q&A

Andrew Botsford in conversation with Xinyan Yu (dir. Made in Ethiopia)

Andrew Botsford in conversation with Ziya Tong (dir. Plastic People: The Hidden Crisis of Microplastics, Environmental Award)

Gio Gaynor, Take Two Film Academy, leads Young Voices filmmaking workshop

LTV Studio Tour, part of Young Voices youth education program

Gio Gaynor, Take Two Film Academy, with two students during Young Voices filmmaking workshop

Gio Gaynor, Jackie Leopold, and Stefanie Anarumo at LTV Studios for Young Voices youth education program

Julie Anderson in conversation with Raoul Peck (dir. Ernest Cole: Lost and Found)

Andrew Botsford in conversation with Ilana Trachtman (dir. Ain’t No Back to a Merry-Go-Round)

Audience interviews after Ain’t No Back to a Merry-Go-Round screening

Ilana Trachtman (dir. Ain’t No Back to a Merry-Go-Round)

Longtime Hamptons Doc Fest fans

Ellen Pearlman and Jacqui Lofaro

Jacqui Lofaro presenting the 2024 Human Rights Award to Zurawski v Texas

Andrew Botsford in conversation with Abbie Perrault (dir. Zurawski v Texas, Human Rights Award)

Dedicated HDF volunteers collecting Audience Award ballots

All smiles in attendance at Bay Street Theater

Roger Sherman in conversation with Daphne Matziaraki (dir. The Battle for Laikipia)

Hamptons Doc Fest Team!

Jacqui Lofaro and Andrew Botsford at Closing Night

Andrew Botsford in conversation with Jeremy Xido (dir. The Bones, Closing Night Film)

Jeremy Xido (dir. The Bones, Closing Night Film)

Jackie Leopold introducing The Strike

JoeBill Muñoz during Q&A following The Strike

Michael Saavedra (film participant) and JoeBill Muñoz (director) during Q&A following The Strike

Michael Saavedra and Jamie Coy Wallace

Austin Tucker, Taylor Taglianetti, and Sam Sibby (What’s Next?)

Andrew Botsford in conversation with Taylor Taglianetti and Austin Tucker during Q&A following What’s Next?

Taylor Taglianetti (dir. What’s Next?)

FESTIVAL NEWS: Our 2024 Award films salute outstanding directors and film subjects. This year’s lineup brought audiences rich and diverse docs for 7 days. We welcomed filmmakers, documentary film lovers, and local students to the historic village of Sag Harbor, New York for dozens of films, discussions, media labs, awards, cocktail receptions, and celebrations. In these intimate, walkable settings, festival-goers enjoyed the local area’s many shops, restaurants, galleries, and museums in between the screenings of outstanding new documentary films accompanied by discussions with the filmmakers.

2024 AWARD FILMS

The Pennebaker Career Achievement Award.jpg

The 2024 Award Recipients

The Pennebaker Award for Career Achievement in Documentary Film. This year it goes to Michael Moore, an award-wining director, producer, screenwriter and author. He electrified the documentary world with his first film in 1989, Roger & Me. His films often generate debate that lead to important policy discussions. Over his career he has directed 13 films, all incorporating a dark sense of human and a keen sense of satire.

Our prestigious Career Achievement Award, the PENNEBAKER, is named for one of the pioneers and innovators in the field, the late DA Pennebaker. The Award is sponsored by Regina K. Scully, Artemis Rising Foundation. Now Penny’s indomitable spirit will be with us as we award the PENNEBAKER to a documentary filmmaker whose exceptional body of work deserves acclaim.

The Art & Inspiration Award sponsored by the Tee & Charles Addams Foundation goes to Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman for their film Música!.

The Human Rights Award goes to Maisie Crow and Abbie Perrault for their film Zurawski v Texas.

The Impact Award, goes to Ford Foundation’s JustFilms for their support of Union and The Battle for Laikipia.

The Environmental Award goes to Ben Addelman and Ziya Tong for their film Plastic People: The Hidden Crisis of Microplastics.

The Breakthrough Director Award goes to Angela Patton & Natalie Rae for their film Daughters. Co-presented with NYWIFT, New York Women in Film and Television.

The Audience Award winner goes to Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman for their film Música!. Thanks to the audience for casting your ballots. Thank you to Brown Harris Stevens for sponsoring this annual award.

2024 SPONSOR SUPPORTED PROGRAMS

The Tee & Charles Addams Foundation. Special recognition goes to the festival’s ELITE SPONSOR, whose support & belief in the power of the arts has enabled us to bring our audiences a rich program of non-fiction storytelling. With thanks for supporting The Arts & Inspiration Award.

Regina K. Scully, Artemis Rising Foundation. Special thanks for supporting the prestigious Pennebaker Career Achievement Award.

Yaffa Foundation. In appreciation for their support of Young Voices, our important education program.

Brown Harris Stevens. BHS has a long history with our festival for supporting the Audience Award. We thank them.