East Hampton, NY — [September 10, 2026] — The Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF), presented by Artemis Rising Foundation, today announced its Closing Night selection, Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson’s WICKER, sponsored by Withum, screening Monday, October 12. Starring Olivia Colman, Alexander Skarsgård, Elizabeth Debicki and Peter Dinklage, the film follows an ostracized fisherwoman (Colman) who commissions a husband from the local basketmaker (Dinklage). When her wicker husband (Skarsgård) proves more spectacular than she ever imagined, his soulful spirit and unique prowess awaken something within her, unleashing a wave of jealousy, fascination and upheaval that threatens the very fabric of village life.
This year’s Centerpiece screenings include the US Premiere of Tim Blake Nelson’s THE LIFE AND DEATHS OF WILSON SHEDD will screen Saturday, October 3, (Sponsored by Sotheby’s International Realty) starring Amanda Seyfried and Scoot McNairy, and Noah Segan’s THE ONLY LIVING PICKPOCKET IN NEW YORK will screen on Saturday, October 10, (sponsored by IL Buco) starring John Turturro, Steve Buscemi, Giancarlo Esposito, Will Price and Tatiana Maslany.
The festival will host their Conversation With.. series, sponsored by Medallion Financial. This will include:
● Amanda Seyfried who stars in THE LIFE AND DEATHS OF WILSON SHEDD will be joining the festival for a conversation at East Hampton Middle School on Sunday, October 4. Based on actual events, when a teacher in an abusive marriage takes a job leading creative writing classes at a maximum security prison, she begins to fall for a charismatic inmate. The consequences call into question not only the nature of punishment and retribution, but the very limits of our humanity.
● John Turturro who stars in THE ONLY LIVING PICKPOCKET IN NEW YORK will join the festival on Sunday, October 11, for a special conversation at Guild Hall. Turturro gives one of the year’s most exceptional performances as Harry, an old-school hustler and classic native New Yorker who moves through life greasing palms, relying solely on his wits and connections. As times change, his daily pickpocket take of cash and wristwatches is replaced with credit cards and cell phones—and on one unfortunate night, cryptocurrency and a handgun—setting off a cat-and-mouse fight for survival.
● Jesse Eisenberg will attend the festival in conversation Saturday, October 10, at Guild Hall. Eisenberg wrote and directed THE DEBUT which will screen on Friday, October 9. The film stars Julianne Moore, Paul Giamatti, Halle Bailey, and Jesse Eisenberg. Eisenberg (A REAL PAIN, HIFF 2024) returns with a playful love letter to the vibrant, larger-than-life world of community theater. When Mona Friedman (Moore) is cast in a bit part at her local theater, she transforms from a shy, unassuming housewife into a zealous method actor willing to do anything to protect the artistic integrity of her marginal role—even if it means waging war against the show’s domineering director (Giamatti).
● Ron Howard will attend the festival for a conversation on Saturday, October 10, at Guild Hall. Howard’s film AVEDON, will have its East Coast Premiere at HIFF. In AVEDON, Howard traces the life and legacy of an artist who used photography to reinvent the world around him. From world leaders to pop culture icons and international supermodels, Richard Avedon’s influence is the blueprint for our image-driven world. His photographs didn’t just reflect culture; they shaped it. Drawing on unprecedented access to his personal archives—including never-before-seen stills, intimate behind-the-lens footage and new interviews with his closest collaborators—AVEDON explores how his singular eye both reflected and reshaped the visual language of the 20th century, and why even the most iconic image is only half the story.
“Each year, HIFF aims to bring audiences not just the best films from around the world, but the opportunity to hear from the artists that create them. This year’s slate reflects the variety of viewpoints and interests that contemporary filmmakers have highlighted in each of their unique projects. We are thrilled that our ‘Conversations With’ series—featuring Amanda Seyfried, Jesse Eisenberg, John Turturro, and Ron Howard—once again gives our audiences a rare, intimate window into the work, creative process, and experiences behind some of this year’s most exciting films.” said Chief Creative Officer David Nugent.
Additional Spotlight Films include Tony Gilroy’s BEHEMOTH!, starring Pedro Pascal, Olivia Wilde, Eva Victor and Will Arnett; the East Coast Premiere of Siân Heder’s BEING HEUMANN, starring Ruth Madeley, Madeline Delp, Mark Ruffalo, and Dylan O’Brien; Josh Alexander’s SARA BAREILLES: GOOD GRIEF, featuring Sara Bareilles; the East Coast Premiere of Simon Stone’s ELSINORE, starring Andrew Scott and Olivia Colman; the East Coast Premiere of Beth de Araújo’s
JOSEPHINE, starring Mason Reeves, Channing Tatum, and Gemma Chan; the International Premiere of Vic Sarin’s THE LIGHTKEEPER, starring Dominic Cooper, Sarah Gadon, Aidan Quinn, Sarah Bolger; the East Coast Premiere of Guy Nattiv’s THE LIBERATION, starring Carrie Coon, Lily James, Bella Ramsey, Odessa Young, Tracy Letts; the East Coast Premiere of Rachel Morrison’s LOVE OF YOUR LIFE, starring Margaret Qualley, Aaron Pierre, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Gabriel Basso, and Catherine Keener; James Gray’s PAPER TIGER, starring Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, and Miles Teller; the North American Premiere of Lance Hammer’s QUEEN AT SEA, starring Juliette Binoche, Tom Courtenay, Anna Calder-Marshall, Florence Hunt; the East Coast Premiere of Jennifer Peedom’s TENZING, starring Genden Phuntsok, Tom Hiddleston, Willem Dafoe, Caitríona Balfe, Tenzin Dalha and Thinley Lhamo; the US Premiere of Trudie Styler’s UP AGAINST IT, starring Antonio Banderas, Eva Birthistle, and Forest Whitaker; and the East Coast Premiere of Martin McDonagh’s WILD HORSE NINE, starring John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, Steve Buscemi, Tom Waits and Parker Posey.
“This year’s HIFF lineup is a true reflection of the breadth and vitality of contemporary cinema that we strive to celebrate and champion,” said Executive Director Bob Feinberg. “We’re especially proud to present the North American premiere of MOUSE, a film that has its roots in our 2020 Screenwriters Lab—there’s nothing more rewarding than watching a project we championed early come full circle. Audiences can also look forward to our Directing Award and Anatomy of a Scene conversation with Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, a special appearance and program from Sara Bareilles, and a screening honoring Bob Balaban that celebrates his extraordinary career. What makes HIFF especially meaningful is the opportunity to experience these films and conversations alongside the artists who created them, and we look forward to another year of discovery, conversation, and celebration in the Hamptons. Cinema creates community, and this festival is proof of that every year.”
This year’s World Cinema Narratives lineup includes Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s ALL OF A SUDDEN, starring Virginie Efira, Tao Okamoto, & Kyozo Nagatsuka; Pedro Almodóvar’s BITTER CHRISTMAS starring Bárbara Lennie & Leonardo Sbaraglia; Lindsay Calleran’s CAITY, starring Chiara Aurelia, Morgan Spector & Zach Cherry; Arie Esiri and Chuko Esiri’s CLARISSA, starring Sophie Okonedo, David Oyelowo, & Ayo Edebiri; the New York Premiere of Lukas Dhont’s COWARD, starring Emmanuel Macchia & Valentin Campagne; Valeska Grisebach’s THE DREAMED ADVENTURE, starring Yana Radeva & Syuleyman Letifov; Sandra Wollner’s EVERYTIME, starring Birgit Minichmayr & Tristan Lopez; Paweł Pawlikowski’s FATHERLAND, starring Hanns Zischler & Sandra Hüller; Cristian Mungiu’s FJORD, starring Sebastian Stan & Renate Reinsve; the East Coast Premiere of Marie Kreutzer’s GENTLE MONSTER, starring Léa Seydoux & Catherine Deneuve; the US Premiere of Clio Barnard’s I SEE BUILDINGS FALL LIKE LIGHTNING, starring Anthony Boyle & Joe Cole; Rob Burnett’s IN MEMORIAM starring Marc Maron, Talia Ryder, Sharon Stone, and Lily Gladstone; Louis Clichy’s IRON BOY, starring Gary Clichy & Rod Paradot; Marine Atlan’s LA GRADIVA, starring Antonia Buresi & Colas Quignard; Andrew Haigh’s A LONG WINTER, starring Fred Hechinger, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Caitríona Balfe, & Kit Connor; Ellie Sachs’ LUCY SCHULMAN, starring Ellie Sachs & Thomas Mann; Emmanuel Marre’s A MAN OF HIS TIME, starring Swann Arlaud & Sandrine Blancke; Andrey Zvyagintsev’s MINOTAUR, starring Dmitriy Mazurov & Iris Lebedeva; the North American Premiere of Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson’s MOUSE, starring Sophie Okonedo & Katherine Mallen Kupferer; Lee Chang-dong’s POSSIBLE LOVE, starring Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Zo In-sung, & Cho Yeo-jeong; Mike Leigh’s TENDER LOVING CARE, starring Kate O’Flynn & Alice Bailey Johnson; the New York Premiere of Ilker Çatak’s YELLOW LETTERS, starring Özgü Namal
& Tansu Biçer; and the US Premiere of Dallan Shovlin’s YOU’LL NEVER BELIEVE WHO’S DEAD, starring Ardal O’Hanlon & Michelle Fairley.
In addition to previously announced films, the World Cinema Documentary section of the festival includes Greg Kohs’ THE A-WORD: THE FUTURE OF AGING, Pete Mueller’s BUCKS HARBOR, the East Coast Premiere of Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw’s BURGUNDY, the New York Premiere of Nanette Burstein’s CARL SAGAN: WE ARE MADE OF STAR STUFF, the New York Premiere of Michał Marczak’s CLOSURE, Alison Chernick’s HOUSE OF CRITICISM, Quinn Whitney Wilson and Viridiana Lieberman’s JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT, the New York Premiere of Barnaby Thompson’s MAVERICK: THE EPIC ADVENTURES OF DAVID LEAN, the New York Premiere of Alex Gibney’s MUSK, the US Premiere of Silje Evensmo Jacobsen’s THE MYSTERY PACKAGE, Sam Green’s THE OLDEST PERSON IN THE WORLD, the East Coast Premiere of Frank Marshall and Nigel Sinclair’s PETE TOWNSHEND: BEHIND BLUE EYES, Phillip Byron’s SPIN WARS, and the World Premiere of Chris Smith’s WILDER.
The Competition Documentary section includes the New York Premiere of Carolina Gonzalez Valencia’s HOW TO CLEAN A HOUSE IN 10 EASY STEPS, the US Premiere of Pepa Lubojacki’s IF PIGEONS TURNED TO GOLD, William Greaves and David Greaves’ ONCE UPON A TIME IN HARLEM, the US Premiere of Anette Ostrø’s THE GOLDEN SWAN, and the New York Premiere of Lexie Bean and Logan Rozos’ WHAT WILL I BECOME?, and Competition Narrative section includes the US Premiere of Mads Mengel’s THE GUEST, starring Trine Dyrholm, Simon Bennebjerg, Josephine Park, Peter Gantzler, Petrine Agger, Mette Klakstein, Kristine Kujath Thorp; the New York Premiere of Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo’s LA BOLA NEGRA, starring Guitarricadelafuente, Miguel Bernardeau, Carlos Gonzalez, Milo Quifes, Lola Duenas, Penelope Cruz, Glenn Close; the US Premiere of Manuela Martelli’s THE MELTDOWN, starring Maya O’Rourke, Saskia Rosendahl, Maia Rae Domagala; and Markus Schleinzer’s ROSE, starring Sandra Hüller, Caro Braun, Marissa Growaldt, Robert Gwisdek, and Godehard Giese.
The Compassion, Justice and Animals section includes Mye Hoang’s 25 CATS FROM QATAR, Gabriela Osio Vanden and Jack Weisman’s NUISANCE BEAR, and Penny Lane’s WILD INSIDE.
Sponsored by Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, With Support from the Suffolk County Film Commission, additional titles included in this year’s Views from Long Island section includes the North American Premiere of Lindsey Ryan’s CAPSIZED, featuring Rhys Ifans, Lily Rabe, Sarah Catherine Hook, Griffin Gluck, Eli Goss, Joan Stein, Ada Bland, as well as the previously announced World Premiere of Jake Silbermann’s BARBIZON, featuring Erica Pappas, Jake Silbermann, Michael DeGrandpre, McKenna Parsons, and the World Premiere of Eric Weber and Nick Weber’s NOT DEAD YET, featuring Richard Kind, Paul Raci, Polly Draper, Tovah Feldshuh, Toby Huss, Seth Herzog, Ed German, Bill Smitrovich.
Sponsored by Twomey Latham, the Films of Conflict and Resolution section of the festival includes the US Premiere of Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo’s BEN’IMANA, Maiken Baird’s EDWARD SAID: BETWEEN WORLDS, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor’s NAZA, the New York Premiere of Pegah Ahangarani’s REHEARSALS FOR A REVOLUTION, and the New York Premiere of Jeremy Workman’s SCHOOL FOR DEFECTORS.
