Woodstock Film Festival News and Reviews

Back from the festival, which was a lot of fun. Let Them Chirp Awhile got a really positive response, not only from the people who saw it, but from reviewers as well. You can read a nice review of the film here (be sure to scroll down to the end). Another reviewer, John Barry, who writes for the Poughkeepsie Journal (circulation 40,000), predicts future Oscar potential for director Jonathan Blitstein in his blog here.
It's difficult to describe the stunning landscape of the Hudson Valley. Rhinecliff, the site of the local train station, was jaw-droppingly beautiful when I picked up my equally beautiful wife on a glorious Friday afternoon. Woodstock was an explosion of green, red and gold; October in the Northeast is, quite simply, as good as it gets.
I saw two amazing films at the WFF as well. Julian Schnabel's The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is so well crafted and powerful, and such an amazing story, I found myself thinking about it all weekend. It's a must-see, and one of the best films I've seen in the last five years. Surfwise, a documentary about the Paskowitz surfing family, is similar to Crumb, one of my all time favorite docs, in that it starts out being about one thing (a famous surfing family) and ends up being about something totally different (the shocking level of dysfunction within the family). Brilliant, unforgettable stuff. If you love movies, don't miss either of these gems.