The Jackson Hole International Film Festival (JHIFF) announced today, in collaboration with Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF), the Opening Night and Centerpiece films for the second annual event that will take place from December 12 – 15, 2024 in Jackson, Wyoming. Additional films part of the lineup will be announced in the coming weeks.
The festival will open with Scott McGehee and David Siegel’s THE FRIEND, starring Naomi Watts and Bill Murray on Thursday, December 12th. In the film, writer and teacher Iris (Watts) finds her comfortable, solitary New York life thrown into disarray after her closest friend and mentor (Murray) dies suddenly and bequeaths her his beloved 150 lb. Great Dane.
Ben Sturgulewski’s CHAMPIONS OF THE GOLDEN VALLEY wil screen at the festival’s Centerpiece Film on Saturday, December 15th. In the remote mountains of Afghanistan, a newfound passion for skiing attracts young athletes from rival villages to the slopes. With minimal gear and makeshift wooden skis, the determined coach Alishah Farhang organizes a ski race like no other that unites the community in a moment of peace and triumph, just before the country’s collapse. The film was recently awarded Best Documentary at SCAD Savannah Film Festival.
Founded by local Jackson Hole resident Stuart Suna, who is also a founder of HIFF, the festival celebrates the art and science of cinema and shares the power of film in educating, engaging, and inspiring the community. The four-day festival will program nine films, including narrative and documentary feature films from around the globe, and a peek at some of this year’s Oscar hopefuls. The films are all selected by Hamptons International Film Festival Artistic Director David Nugent.
“Expanding on last year’s debut, we are thrilled to return for our second year of the Jackson Hole International Film Festival and celebrate these incredible films with our community,” said Stuart Suna, Founder and Chair of Jackson Hole International Film Festival and Co-Founder and Chair Emeritus of Hamptons International Film Festival.
“After such a successful inaugural festival I look forward to another year of our collaboration and bringing must-see cinema to this film loving audience” said David Nugent, Artistic Director of the Hamptons International Film Festival.
Along with Chair Stuart Suna, the Jackson Hole International Film Festival Board will also include Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Jimmy Chin, as well as Emmy Award®-nominated cinematographer Danny Moder.
Films will be screened at The National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson, WY. JHIFF will kick off Thursday, December 12th, with a daytime and opening night film, followed by three films each on Saturday, December 14th and Sunday, December 15th. In addition to screenings, the festival will also include Q&A sessions with filmmakers and networking events.
Festival passes and tickets are on sale now and are available for purchase at JHIFF.org.
2024 Jackson Hole International Film Festival Lineup:
THE FRIEND
Opening Night Film
Directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel
After the unexpected death of her closest friend and mentor, New York novelist and writing teacher Iris becomes the caretaker of both his literary legacy and his beloved Great Dane, Apollo. Reluctantly bringing the enormous dog into her tiny Manhattan apartment, Iris develops a surprising kinship with the soulful animal—even though his outsized presence upends both her professional commitments and her daily routine. Together, the unlikely duo begins to move through their shared grief, tentatively embarking on a surprising path toward acceptance and healing.
Adapted from the National Book Award-winning novel by Sigrid Nunez, THE FRIEND stars Naomi Watts (“Feud: Capote vs. The Swans,”Mulholland Drive), Bill Murray (Lost in Translation, Rushmore) and a remarkable Great Dane named Bing. The film’s ensemble cast also includes Sarah Pidgeon (Stereophonic, “The Wilds”), Carla Gugino (“The Fall of the House of Usher”, San Andreas), Constance Wu (Crazy Rich Asians, Hustlers), Noma Dumezweni (“The Undoing”, “The Wilds”) and Ann Dowd (Hereditary, Bleecker Street’s Mass).
Written and directed by award-winning filmmakers David Siegel and Scott McGehee (Montana Story,
What Maisie Knew), THE FRIEND is also produced by McGehee and Siegel, Mike Spreter and Liza
Chasin (The Lost City, Stillwater). Margaret Chernin and Watts serve as executive producers. Bleecker Street will release the film in theaters in 2025.
Screening Thursday, December 12 at 6:30PM at National Museum of Wildlife Art
CHAMPIONS OF THE GOLDEN VALLEY
Centerpiece Film
Directed by Ben Sturgulewski
In the remote mountains of Afghanistan, a newfound passion for skiing attracts young athletes from rival villages to the slopes. With minimal gear and makeshift wooden skis, the determined coach Alishah Farhang organizes a ski race like no other that unites the community in a moment of peace and triumph, just before the country’s collapse.
Champions of the Golden Valley merges the spirit of a classic underdog sports story with the heartfelt portrait of a community finding hope amid disrupted dreams. Revealing a stunning unseen side of Afghanistan, it is an uplifting exploration of what it means to be a champion – in all its forms.
Saturday, December 14th at 5:30PM at Jackson Hole High School
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ABOUT THE JACKSON HOLE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Jackson Hole International Film Festival (JHIFF), a non-profit arts organization, is a hub that connects the community with screenings of some of the year’s best offerings in contemporary cinema, spanning genres from narrative to documentary films. Founded by Stuart Suna, former owner of Silvercup Studios and Chair Emeritus of Hamtpons International Film Festival, JHIFF aims to share the power of film to educate, engage, and inspire our community by showcasing world-class films from various genres and inviting the people who create them for stimulating conversations. JHIFF will provide innovative and accessible educational film programs for all ages.
ABOUT HAMPTONSFILM
HamptonsFilm, home of the 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 our audiences. A non-profit organization with year-round screenings of global narrative and documentary films, an annual Screenwriters Lab, a summer documentary showcase, and extensive educational initiatives, HamptonsFilm offers programs that enlighten, educate, and provide invaluable exposure for filmmakers, while also providing the East End of Long Island with an educational and cultural experience that enriches the lives of its citizens and contributes to the local economy. HIFF, celebrating its 32nd year, is an annual premiere film event in New York State, and an intimate showcase of some of the year’s best offerings in contemporary cinema from around the world. Awarding prizes to filmmakers in cash and goods and services of over $130,000 each year, with over $5 million awarded in competition funds and services over the decades, our program continues to play an important role during awards season. For more information, please visit hamptonsfilmfest.org.
