Seventh Annual Hamptons Take 2 Documentary Film Festival To Celebrate Local Filmmakers

In celebration of local filmmakers and “the art of the documentary,” the 7th annual Hamptons Take 2 Documentary Film Festival (HT2FF) is coming to Sag Harbor. The weekend filled with documentary screenings at Bay Street Theater will run Thursday, December 4 through Sunday, December 7, 2014.

“The Big Beat” is the opening night film. (Courtesy Photo)

Opening day of the Festival features a focus on local filmmakers. The Young Voices Program with Filmmaker Roger Sherman will kickoff the screenings. The opening documentaries were created by film school graduates as well as middle and high school students. After celebrating the next generation of filmmakers, the festival will continue with three short films as part of “Long Island Voices” at 3 p.m. and “Welcome To Soldier Ride” is next up at 6 p.m. The film documents the creation of The Soldier Ride Project and its tremendous grown. The annual Hamptons Soldier Ride was created in 2005, and benefits Wounded Warrior Project. The night will culminate with the opening night film, “The Big Beat: The Story Of Fats Domino And His Band,” a 90 minute documentary directed and produced by Joe Lauro, which will be showcased at 8 p.m.

The celebration will continue on Friday, December 5th with additional student film productions, “Future Voices” and “Emerging Voices.” “Basta,” the story following a scandal in the Catholic clergy, will be showcased at 11:30 a.m. and “Here One Day,” an emotional story concerning the effects of mental illness and suicide, will be showcased at 3:30 p.m. At 8 p.m. attendees will be treated to the spotlight film, Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi’s “The 50 Year Argument,” a 96 minute documentary about the history of The New York Review of Books.

On Saturday, December 6th, the Best Shorts Program will begin at 10 a.m. with a series of four short productions, and will be followed by a showing of “Imber’s Left Hand” at 12 p.m. At 2 p.m., “A Film Is a Film Is a Film,” will document changes in the film industry and “Bending the Light” will illustrate that art of filmmaking and photography. At 4 p.m., “Afternoon of a Faun: Tanaquil Le Clercq” will showcase the inspiring story of a talented ballerina.

Matt Hindra directed “Welcome To Soldier Ride,” which was produced by Nicholas Kraus. (Photo: Facebook.com/WelcomeToSoldierRide)

Following the Saturday screenings, HT2FF will honor filmmaker Barbara Kopple during their annual gala, which begins at 7 p.m. Kopple’s films “Harlan County” and “American Dream” enabled her to become the first woman to win two Oscars for Best Feature Documentary. The evening will include a cocktail reception, opening remarks by Susan Lacy, a conversation with Julie Anderson and Barbara Kopple, and a special screening of “Harlan County U.S.A.”

Sunday, December 7th, the final day of the festival will include “Men of The Cloth” at 10 a.m., “112 Weddings” at 12:30 p.m., “Ballet 422” at 2:30 p.m., and “TWA Flight 800” at 5 p.m. The weekend will come to a close at 7:30 p.m. with the presentation of the Filmmaker’s Choice Award, which will honor Wendy Keys and her documentary “Milton Glaser: To Inform & Delight,” which follows Milton Glaser, co-founder of New York Magazine, who created the I heart NY campaign.

Bay Street Theater is located at 1 Bay Street in Sag Harbor. For more information, visit www.ht2ff.com.