The Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF), presented by Artemis Rising Foundation, announced today its 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 Groff, Daniel Radcliffe 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. The 33rd edition of the festival, which runs October 3 – 13, 2025, 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 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. Demi Moore was honored with the Career Achievement in Acting Award at the 2024 festival.
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 HAMNET 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’sNUREMBERG 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. Previously announced Spotlight Films include BLUE MOON and KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN.
“This year’s program reflects the incredible range of contemporary cinema we strive to celebrate. To close with MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG feels both joyous and poignant, a film that encapsulates the spirit of looking back and moving forward.” said David Nugent, Chief Creative Officer of HamptonsFilm. “Our Centerpiece selection CHRISTY anchors the festival with its daring artistry and gives us the opportunity to honor the luminous Sydney Sweeney. Through our full lineup of Spotlight Films section, we’re proud to showcase stories and voices that remind us of the vitality, ambition, and emotion that define today’s filmmaking.”
The 33rd annual Hamptons International Film Festival will run October 3-13, 2025, with screenings and events taking place across the Hamptons. HIFF thanks this year’s festival sponsors: Presenting Sponsor Artemis Rising Foundation; Premier Sponsor Audi; Signature Sponsors Redbreast Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey, UBS and IL Buco; official Media Partners WNBC, The Atlantic, Hamptons Magazine, The East Hampton Star and Variety; Premium Contributing Sponsors Netflix, Luminara Napa Valley, Assemble Media, Fox Rothschild, King & Spalding, Twomey Latham, Sotheby’s International realty, Wolffer Estate and Louisville Tourism; and foundation supporters New York State Council on the Arts and Suffolk County Film Commission. For more information, please visit www.hamptonsfilmfest.org.
2025 Hamptons International Film Festival Lineup:
CLOSING NIGHT FILM
Sponsored by Redbreast, the World’s Most Awarded Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey*
*Based on nine competitions in 2024: The Irish Whiskey Masters, IWSC, ISC, BTI, SFWSC, NY World Wine & Spirits Competition, Singapore World Spirits Competition, Luxury Masters, and World Whiskies Awards
MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG
dir. Maria Friedman (USA), 2025
In a bold new cinematic presentation of the Tony Award®-winning musical filmed across multiple performances during its sold-out run in July 2024, MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG invites audiences into the heart of the beloved story—not just watching it unfold, but inhabiting it. Spanning two decades, MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG traces the complex, often heartbreaking unravelling of a once-unbreakable friendship between composer Franklin Shepard (Jonathan Groff) and his two closest friends—playwright-lyricist Charley (Daniel Radcliffe) and writer Mary (Lindsay Mendez). But this is no ordinary story. Told in reverse, the story winds backwards through time, beginning in fractured adulthood and journeying back to the bright-eyed optimism of youth—when everything still seemed possible.Long considered a cult classic ahead of its time, MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG features some of Stephen Sondheim’s most personal and piercing songs. Shot with intimacy and immediacy, this film places viewers on stage and inside the action, offering a deeply immersive experience that reveals the emotional truth of the piece in a way no theatre seat ever could. A Sony Pictures Classics release.
CENTERPIECE FILM
Sponsored by Sotheby’s International Realty
CHRISTY
dir. David Michôd (USA), 2025
Christy Martin (Emmy Award® nominee Sydney 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 (Ben 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 is a story of resilience, courage, and the fight to reclaim one’s life. Sweeney’s transformative performance showcases her deep commitment to her craft, earning the HIFF 2025 Achievement in Acting award. A Black Bear Pictures release.
SPOTLIGHT FILMS
Sponsored by Audi
AFTER THE HUNT
dir. Luca Guadagnino (USA), 2025
In this gripping psychological drama, a college professor (Academy Award® winner Julia Roberts) finds herself at a personal and professional crossroads when a star student (Emmy Award® winner Ayo Edebiri, The Bear) makes an accusation against one of her colleagues and a dark secret from her own past threatens to come to light. Director Luca Guadagnino (CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, CHALLENGERS) returns to HIFF with this shrewd and titillating story written by Nora Garrett, featuring all-star supporting cast including Andrew Garfield, Chloë Sevigny, and Michael Stuhlbarg. An Amazon MGM Studios release.
BUGONIA
dir. Yorgos Lanthimos (UK), 2025
Academy Award® winner Emma Stone (LA LA LAND) and nominee Jesse Plemons (THE POWER OF THE DOG) star in this explosive psychological thriller about a high-powered pharmaceutical CEO (Stone) who gets kidnapped by two conspiracy-obsessed young men (Plemons and newcomer Aidan Delbis). Convinced she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth, the pair hold her hostage in hopes of disrupting her sinister plans. Academy Award winner Yorgos Lanthimos (POOR THINGS, THE FAVOURITE) returns to HIFF this pitch-black comic window into our modern age of madness. A Focus Features release.
THE CHORAL
dir. Nicholas Hytner (UK), 2025
As World War I rages on the Western Front, the Choral Society in Ramsden, Yorkshire has lost most of its men to the army, leaving a ragtag group of women, elderly men, and boys too young to enlist. Determined to press ahead, the Choral’s ambitious committee hires a new chorus master, Dr. Henry Guthrie (Academy Award® nominee Ralph Fiennes)—driven and uncompromising, but controversial due to his many years working in Germany. In the face of uncertainty, sacrifice, and loss, Guthrie sets out to help the community cope with the chaos laying waste to their lives through the power of music. A Sony Pictures Classics release.
DREAMS
dir. Michael Franco (Mexico/USA), 2025
In this sharp, unflinching social critique, a powerful American philanthropist (Academy Award® winner Jessica Chastain) and the promisingly talented Mexican ballet dancer she champions (Isaac Hernández) begin a salacious and dangerous affair. Each with their own threshold for risk and ramification, the pair revel in the compounding pleasure and destruction that threatens their reputations and livelihoods. But when the power imbalance between them shifts, any remaining affection transforms into pain and revenge. Charged with searing chemistry between Chastain and Hernández, DREAMS offers a heightened, allegorical portrayal of class dynamics with glaring honesty from director Michel Franco. A Greenwich Entertainment release.
FANTASY LIFE
dir. Matthew Shear (USA), 2025
Winner of the SXSW Audience Choice Award, Matthew Shear’s directorial debut follows overly anxious and out of work Sam (Shear), who agrees to join his psychiatrist’s (Judd Hirsch) family as a nanny for the summer on Martha’s Vineyard. When Sam meets his charges’ mother (Amanda Peet), a middle-aged actress in a rocky marriage, the pair form an intimate and unexpected bond. This charming indie comedy playfully explores themes of self-doubt and self-discovery and features a winning ensemble cast including Alessandro Nivola, Bob Balaban, Andrea Martin, Zosia Mamet, and Holland Taylor. A Greenwich Entertainment release.
HAMNET
dir. Chloé Zhao (UK), 2025
Academy Award®-winning writer/director Chloé Zhao (NOMADLAND, HIFF 2020) returns with the powerful story of love and loss that likely inspired the creation of Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece Hamlet. Based on Maggie O’Farrell’s best-selling novel of the same name, HAMNET follows William Shakespeare (Academy Award nominee Paul Mescal, AFTERSUN) and his wife Agnes (Academy Award nominee Jessie Buckley, WOMEN TALKING) from their early courtship to their unimaginable loss, and how their all-consuming grief influenced the writing of a masterpiece. With immersive and textured cinematography, Zhao’s latest work is an emotional testament to the healing power of art. A Focus Features release.
HEDDA
dir. Nia DaCosta (USA), 2025
From writer-director Nia DaCosta comes a provocative, modernized reimagining of Henrik Ibsen’s classic play Hedda Gabler. Tessa Thompson (HIFF Variety 10 Actors to Watch 2015) stars as Hedda, a brilliant but unsatisfied new bride who finds herself torn between the lingering ache of a past love and the quiet suffocation of her present life. Over the course of one debaucherous party at her extravagant estate, long-repressed desires and hidden tensions erupt—pulling her and everyone around her into a titillating spiral of manipulation, passion, and betrayal. An Orion Pictures/AmazonMGM Studios release.
IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU
dir. Mary Bronstein (USA), 2025
Golden Globe® Award and Emmy® Award nominee Rose Byrne (Damages) gives a wrenching, career-defining performance as Montauk therapist Linda, an overwhelmed mother whose life is crashing down around her. As she attempts to navigate her child’s mysterious illness, her absent husband, a missing person, and an increasingly hostile relationship with her own therapist (Conan O’Brien), she becomes desperate for some kind of relief from her difficult reality. Director Mary Bronstein delivers a harrowing, surreal ride through Linda’s psyche, vividly excavating anxieties around motherhood and the impossible expectations we place on ourselves, also starring A$AP Rocky and Christian Slater. An A24 Films release.
IS THIS THING ON?
dir. Bradley Cooper (USA), 2025
As their marriage quietly unravels, Alex (Will Arnett) faces middle age and an impending divorce, seeking new purpose in the New York comedy scene while Tess (Laura Dern) confronts the sacrifices she made for their family—forcing them to navigate co-parenting, identity, and whether love can take a new form.
NUREMBERG
dir. James Vanderbilt (USA), 2025
Imprisoned Nazi leader Herman Göring (Academy Award® winner Russell Crowe) awaits the consequential Nuremberg Trials while chief prosecutor for The Allies Robert H. Jackson (Academy Award® nominee Michael Shannon) maps out his case against Göring. As US Army psychiatrist Douglas Kelley (Academy Award® winner Rami Malek) is tasked with keeping him alive through the trial, the pair develop a complicated doctor-patient dynamic in which boundaries dissolve and psychological warfare ensues. NUREMBERG’s lauded leads and standout ensemble cast—including John Slattery, Colin Hanks, Richard E. Grant, and Leo Woodall—imbue this lesser-known piece of World War II history with thrilling suspense and palpable personal stakes. A Sony Pictures Classics release.
ON THE END
dir. Ari Selinger (USA), 2025
Tom (Tim Blake Nelson) is a down-on-his-luck Montauk mechanic who finds his fortune changing when he unexpectedly falls in love with Freckles (Mireille Enos), a fellow outcast. Their love is jeopardized when the town of East Hampton conspires to forcibly remove Tom from his beachfront home and auto repair shop. With delightful performances from an ensemble cast including Anna Chlumsky, Lois Smith, and Sawyer Spielberg, ON THE END is a love story inspired by true events that evolves into a David vs. Goliath battle against greed and power in the rapidly changing East End.
PETER HUJAR’S DAY
dir. Ira Sachs (USA/ Germany), 2025
Ira Sachs’ (FRANKIE, HIFF 2019) latest is a rich cinematic rendering of a conversation recorded in 1974 between two major figures in the legendary 1970s New York downtown scene: the singular writer Linda Rosenkrantz (Rebecca Hall) and the brilliant and famously uncompromising photographer Peter Hujar (Ben Whishaw). As the sun sets in Linda’s West Side apartment, she interviews him about every detail of his previous 24 hours, including vivid recounts of interactions with contemporaries Allen Ginsberg and Susan Sontag. A masterclass in acting from Whishaw and Hall, PETER HUJAR’S DAY is an immersive rumination on both an artist’s life and the ephemerality of time itself. A Janus release.
A PRIVATE LIFE
dir. Rebecca Zlotowski (France), 2025
Academy Award® winner Jodie Foster (NYAD, HIFF 2023) stars in this playful and thrilling mystery from French director Rebecca Zlotowski. Lilian (Foster) is a renowned American psychiatrist living in Paris. Deeply troubled by the sudden death of one of her longtime patients (Virginie Efira), Lilian teams up with her ex-husband Gabriel (French film star Daniel Auteuil) to investigate what she believes is foul play. Foster and Auteuil light up the screen in this delightful Cannes hit, which merges titillating pursuits, whodunit intrigue, and even experimental hypnosis with the sophistication of French arthouse cinema. A Sony Pictures Classics release.
REBUILDING
dir. Max Walker-Silverman (USA), 2025
Writer-director Max Walker-Silverman (2020 HIFF Screenwriters Lab alum) returns with this gently humanist story of the American West. Dusty (Josh O’Connor, CHALLENGERS) is a divorced father whose ranch burns down in a devastating wildfire. Living in a government-run trailer campsite with nearly nothing left, he seeks a way forward by reconnecting with his young daughter Callie-Rose (Lily LaTorre) and ex-wife Ruby (Emmy Award® nominee Meghann Fahy, The White Lotus) and by finding common ground with his new neighbors. Filmed against the rapturous backdrop of southern Colorado, REBUILDING is a ruminative, moving portrait of resilience and human connection in the wake of loss. A Bleecker Street release.
RENTAL FAMILY
dir. HIKARI (USA), 2025
Set in modern-day Tokyo, RENTAL FAMILY follows an American actor (Academy Award® winner Brendan Fraser) who struggles to find purpose until he lands an unusual gig: working for a Japanese “rental family” agency, playing stand-in roles for strangers. As he immerses himself in his clients’ worlds, he begins to form genuine bonds that blur the lines between performance and reality. Confronting the moral complexities of his work, he rediscovers purpose, belonging, and the quiet beauty of human connection. RENTAL FAMILY is a touching depiction of the quiet beauty of human connection. A Searchlight Pictures release.
SENTIMENTAL VALUE
dir. Joachim Trier (Norway/France/Denmark/Germany), 2025
SENTIMENTAL VALUE reunites Renate Reinsve with director Joachim Trier (THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD, HIFF 2021) in this Cannes Grand Prix winner. After the loss of their mother, Nora (Reinsve) and Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) reconnect with their estranged father, the charismatic, once-renowned filmmaker Gustav (Stellan Skarsgård). When Nora turns down a role written for her in Gustav’s ambitious, highly personal new film, she soon finds he has instead given her part to an eager young Hollywood star (Elle Fanning). With masterfully rendered emotion, Trier delivers a stirring portrait of a family grasping for connection through grief and art when ordinary language fails. A NEON release.
TRAIN DREAMS
dir. Clint Bentley (USA), 2025
Based on Denis Johnson’s beloved novella of the same name, TRAIN DREAMS is the moving portrait of Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton, in a magnetic lead performance), a logger and railroad worker who leads a life of unexpected depth and beauty in the rapidly-changing American West of the early 20th century. Academy Award®-nominated writer-director Clint Bentley (JOCKEY, HIFF 2021) and Academy Award® nominated co-writer Greg Kwedar (SING SING, HIFF 2024) craft a sweeping and visually lush epic of one man’s place in American history, featuring fantastic supporting turns from Felicity Jones, William H. Macy, and Kerry Condon. A Netflix release.
WAKE UP DEAD MAN: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY
dir. Rian Johnson (USA), 2025
Everyone’s favorite modern movie detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is back on the case for the third installment of this beloved murder-mystery franchise, following KNIVES OUT (HIFF 2019) and GLASS ONION (HIFF 2022). Set in a small-town church, WAKE UP DEAD MAN: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY follows Blanc as he cleverly tries to solve another seemingly uncrackable case. Josh Brolin, Glenn Close, Kerry Washington, Jeremy Renner, Cailee Spaeny, Andrew Scott, Josh O’Connor, and Mila Kunis join the star-studded ensemble for the most dangerous installment of Rian Johnson’s franchise yet. A Netflix release.
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 33rd 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 $241,500 this 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.
