BIFF Will Be Boffo

The Berkshire International Film Festival has grown and matured over nearly two decades and is looking forward to another stellar season for its 18th annual festival, slated for May 30 through June 2.

This year’s festival pays tribute to one of the titans of the cinematic world, James Ivory, creator, with his partner Ismail Merchant, of such classics as Howard’s End, Remains of the Day and A Room with a View.

Founder and Artistic Director Kelley Vickery is excited by the range of films that will be offered as well as the lineup of visiting celebrities. But what is particularly comforting, she said, is that festival films will again be screened at the Triplex. The theater was briefly closed last year before being rescued through a grassroots effort to purchase and upgrade it. “It’s all been renovated,” she said. “They’ve created a restaurant and it’s cool and a lot of fun. BIFF’s home is intact.”

She is changing the tenor of this year’s opening slightly. “I decided this year to open with a narrative feature,” she said. “I went to the Sundance Festival and saw this wonderful film, Thelma, which is about a 93-year-old grandmother who is scammed by someone pretending to be her grandson. She goes on a mission to get back what has been taken from her. It’s charming and I thought that this year we need that.”

The film stars June Squibb, Fred Hechinger and the late Richard Roundtree in his final performance. It will be screened Friday, May 30th, at 7PM at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center. Hechinger (The White Lotus, The Pale Blue Eye) will be present for a question-and-answer session.

Prior to the opening film, BIFF will present The Taste of BIFF, showcasing area restaurants in the Berkshires under the BIFF tent. This dinner-by-the-bite event includes delicacies from The Breakroom, Dare Bottleshop & Provisions, The Elm, Frankie’s, Haven Cafe, JuJu’s, Moon Cloud, Morgan House, Number Ten, The Old Inn on the Green, The Red Lion Inn, SoCo Creamery and SoMa Creative Cuisine.

Opening night begins with a presentation of the 14th annual Next Great Filmmaker Award, sponsored by Berkshire Bank. Voting began May 1 and viewers can watch five films by May 29 and cast the votes for their favorite.

The evening closes with an opening night dance party featuring DJ Soren at Number Ten. The event is open to sponsors, filmmakers, all-inclusive and opening night passholders.

Saturday, June 1st, brings the festival’s annual Tribute Night, 6 to 9PM at the Mahaiwe Center for the Performing Arts. “We’re so excited to honor James Ivory who, with Ismail Merchant, really changed the dynamics of filmmakers,” said Vickery. They “created lush romantic worlds.”

“James is still very much alive and well at 95 and won a screenwriting Oscar at 90, the oldest person to ever do that,” she said. “He’s a very elegant and bright and funny man—really a legend.”

Ivory will be joined by Stephen Soucy, director of Merchant Ivory, the first definitive feature documentary to explore the partnership—both professional and personal—of director Ivory, producer Merchant and their primary associates, writer Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and composer Richard Robbins. The film will be screened during the event.

“I saw it last November and I loved it,” Vickery said.

BIFF’s popular Tea Talks return Friday, May 31, for the sixth year. This year’s selection includes in-depth conversations with “the Doyennes of Documentary,” special guests Sheila Nevins and Barbara Kopple. They will screen Nevin’s 2023 Oscar-nominated documentary, ABCs of Book Banning and discuss it and Kopple’s two Oscar-winning films, sharing insights into their illustrious careers.

The conversation will be with writer and BIFF board member Mary Mott and will be held 2:30 to 4:30PM at the Mahaiwe Center for the Performing Arts.

“Shiela, who has a place in Lenox, has been active on the producing side,” said Vickery, “while Barbara, who lives in Great Barrington, has worked in the trenches, making films. They have changed the landscape of documentaries.”

Closing night, June 2, 6:30 to 8:30PM, brings a screening of Diane Warren: Relentless, an intimate look at the life, career and process of one of the most prolific songwriters of all time. The film shares stories from Cher, Gloria Estefan, David Foster, Jennifer Hudson, Celine Dion, Kesha and many more.

“Diane Warren wrote the songs that were part of our growing up,” said Vickery. “She wrote tons of songs for Cher, Jennifer Hudson, Gloria Estefan, and other artists.” Indeed, her oeuvre includes songs performed by artists as diverse as Steven Tyler, Alice Cooper, Roy Orbison, Joe Cocker and LeAnn Rimes.

“Relentless is very funny and very witty,” said Vickery. “She writes all these songs out of a small apartment, piled high with books, awards and a piano.” The producers, Michele Farinola, Bess Kargman and Peggy Drexler will be present for a question-and-answer session following the screening.

The four days will bring a barrage of films from around the world screened at Triplex, the Mahaiwe and Lenox Town Hall. BIFF programmers have curated 70 international and national narrative features, documentaries and short films. Dozens of the filmmakers will be in attendance.

“We have a lot of great stuff,” said Vickery, noting that capacity has been reached for some of the films but that for many other tickets are still available. “Of course, we have to reserve tickets at all the movies for passholders, so the best thing to do is buy a pass,” she said.

Tickets and passes can be obtained here.

The full lineup of films can be found here.