The 2015 Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) will honor Emily Blunt, iconic independent film production company Killer Films (celebrating its 20th anniversary), legendary documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles (receiving a posthumous tribute), and longtime HIFF board chairman Stuart Match Suna, at its inaugural Awards Dinner to take place in East Hampton on Sunday, October 11, 2015. The Dinner, which will take place during the 23rd annual Hamptons International Film Festival, taking place October 8 to 12, 2015, will benefit the Festival’s year-round programming initiatives, the annual Screenwriters’ Lab, and the longtime summer initiatives; SummerDocs and the Student Filmmaking Workshops.
As part of the Awards Dinner, Emily Blunt will be presented with the Variety Creative Impact in Acting Award. Blunt has been to the festival previously in 2005 when she was recognized as one of HIFF’s Rising Stars [now Ten Actors to Watch] program in 2005 in conjunction with her performance in GIDEON’S DAUGHTER, for which she won a Golden Globe. Blunt can also be seen in the upcoming release SICARIO (pictured above), in which she stars as an FBI agent enlisted by an elected government task force to aid in the escalating war against drugs at the border area between the U.S. and Mexico. The Lionsgate film also stars Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin.
Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler, who founded the New York-based production company Killer Films in 1995, will be honored with the HIFF Industry Award for 20 years of innovative, risk-taking movies and for consistently championing unique voices in independent cinema. Killer Films has produced several of the most acclaimed American independent films over the past two decades, including CAROL, STILL ALICE, which made its US Premiere at last year’s Closing Night of HIFF with Julianne Moore in attendance, FAR FROM HEAVEN, BOYS DON’T CRY, HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, HAPPINESS, and KIDS.
Legendary documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles will receive a posthumous tribute. Maysles passed away in March 2015, leaving a rich cinematic legacy, including GREY GARDENS, GIMME SHELTER, SALESMAN, and IRIS, which won HIFF’s Audience Award last year for Documentary.
HIFF founding board member, Stuart Match Suna, will be honored for his 18 years as Board Chairman. After this year’s festival, Suna will step into the Chair Emeritus role, handing the Chairman reins over to longtime board members Randy Mastro and Alec Baldwin. Under Suna’s leadership, the Festival expanded into Southampton, Montauk, Sag Harbor, and Westhampton, and evolved into a year-round cultural organization dedicated to championing film culture. Alec Baldwin will present the award to Suna.