Director Steven Bernstein To Receive HIFF Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize

The Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) and The Sloan Foundation will award director Steven Bernstein with the $25,000 Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize for his film “Decoding Annie Parker,” starring Helen Hunt, Samantha Morton, and Aaron Paul.

Based on a true story, the film follows the journey of Annie Parker (Morton) who learns she has breast cancer, the disease which she lost her mother and sister to. Geneticist Mary-Claire King (Helen Hunt) is a researching the still unidentified link between DNA and cancer. “Decoding Annie Parker” depicts the heartbreaking struggle of battling breast cancer and the scientific dedication that led to revolutionary 1990 breakthrough of the BRCA1 gene responsible for many breast and ovarian cancers.

“In its unsparing, clear-eyed depiction of the scourge of breast cancer on one remarkable woman’s life and its role in helping another remarkable woman make a major scientific discovery, this film shows how stories of science and technology cut to the heart of our human ability to triumph over the most overwhelming odds,” said Doron Weber, Vice President, Programs at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

HIFF will screen “Decoding Annie Parker” on Friday, October 11, followed by a panel discussion featuring director Steven Bernstein and special guest experts in the fields of genetics and cancer research.

The 21st Annual Hamptons International Film Festival is Thursday, October 10, through Monday, October 14.

For more information visit hamptonsfilmfest.org.