In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon Will Premiere at the Hamptons International Film Festival

HamptonsFilm, the home of the Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF), announced today that the New York Premiere of Academy Award-winning director Alex Gibney’s IN RESTLESS DREAMS: THE MUSIC OF PAUL SIMON will screen as this year’s festival Centerpiece presentation on Friday, October 6, sponsored by UBS.

The festival also announced that Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Todd Haynes will attend the festival to screen his latest narrative feature MAY DECEMBER, and will receive the festival’s Achievement in Directing Award. The festival is also set to host five World Premiere screenings of narrative and documentary features at this year’s edition. The 31st annual Hamptons International Film Festival will run October 5-12, 2023, with in-person screenings and events across the Hamptons.

Directed by Alex Gibney, IN RESTLESS DREAMS: THE MUSIC OF PAUL SIMON is the definitive portrait of Paul Simon that follows him inside the studio as he makes his new album Seven Psalms, while also looking back on his six-decade, Grammy Award-winning career with countless musical peaks from Sounds of Silence to Graceland. Gibney is scheduled to attend the festival and will participate in a post-screening conversation on the film. 

“We are honored to be able to share this exclusive look into the creative process and legacy of Paul Simon, who is undoubtedly among the most influential artists of the twentieth century,” said Anne Chaisson, HamptonsFilm Executive Director. “Alex Gibney is one of the foremost documentary storytellers of our generation, and we look forward to hosting him and the incredible film he created with Paul Simon at this year’s event.”

The festival will also present filmmaker Todd Haynes with the Achievement in Directing Award. Haynes is an Academy Award-nominated screenwriter, director, and producer whose work has spanned more than four decades. Haynes will attend the festival to receive the award in person and participate in an “A Conversation With…” discussion on Monday, October 9, sponsored by The Macallan. Haynes is also attending on behalf of his latest narrative feature MAY DECEMBER, which will screen as a Spotlight selection as part of this year’s program. The film, which stars Academy Award winners Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, follows a married couple who, twenty years after their notorious tabloid romance gripped the nation, buckles under the pressure when an actress arrives to do research for a film about their past. MAY DECEMBER premiered in competition at the 76th Cannes Film Festival and is scheduled to be released by Netflix later this year.

“MAY DECEMBER is a gripping exploration of scandal and its influence over American society,” said HamptonsFilm Artistic Director David Nugent. “Todd Haynes has a unique ability to captivate audiences through his provocative explorations of identity and performance, and we are thrilled to welcome him back to HIFF to speak about his latest film and his prolific career.”

Passes and packages for the 31st edition of HIFF will be on sale beginning September 5, 2023, at the HamptonsFilm website. Additional programming will continue to be announced in the coming weeks.