East Hampton - The Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) is proud to announce its "Conversation With..." series along with The Golden Starfish Short Films in this year's Competition. Now in its 18th year, The 2010 HIFF runs from Thursday, October 7 through Monday, October 11 (including Columbus Day weekend) in East Hampton with additional venues in Southampton, Sag Harbor and Montauk. Festival headquarters are located at the beautiful c/o The Maidstone Hotel on Main Street in East Hampton.

The festival also announces the addition of the U.S. premiere of Max Winkler's "Ceremony" to the Spotlight Section. The comedy, starring Uma Thurman, Lee Pace and Michael Angarano, was shot on Long Island.

The HIFF is proud to continue its popular "Conversation With..." series with Isabella Rossellini who will be attending the Festival to exhibit new episodes of her Sundance Channel short series, "Seduce Me," which is the follow up to her previous series, entitled "Green Porno."

Montauk resident Julian Schnabel will be attending the festival for both his "Conversation With...," and for the U.S. premiere of his new film "Miral" from The Weinstein Company which stars Freida Pinto, Willem Dafoe and Hiam Abbas.

James Franco will be attending the festival for both his "Conversation With..." and for his screening of Danny Boyle's new film "127 Hours" from Fox Searchlight, and for the East Coast Premiere screening of his competition short film "The Clerk's Tale."

Stanley Tucci is attending the Festival as this year's Mentor for the Hamptons' signature Breakthrough Performers Program, which is a collaboration with European Film Promotion's Shooting Stars initiative, highlighting the work of up and coming young actors. He will also take part in a "Conversation With..." where he will be recognized with an Outstanding Achievement in Acting Award.

The Golden Starfish Awards short film competition represents the finest achievements of the year in short form filmmaking. The winner will be announced at the awards ceremony on Sunday, October 10 and will be awarded $1,000 in cash and will qualify for consideration at the 2010 Academy Awards.

"Our 'Conversation With...' series will be one of the hot tickets of the festival again this year. To be able to sit back and listen to such distinguished guests as Schnabel, Franco, Tucci and Rossellini discuss their crafts is one of the things that really make our festival special," states Director of Programming David Nugent. "We are excited to present such a great collection of short films from both emerging filmmakers, and distinct voices such as Neil LaBute, Cynthia Wade and Bill Plympton" adds Short's Programmer, Cullen Gallegher.

As previously announced last week, the fest will open with the U.S. Premiere of the Sony Pictures Classics "Barney's Version." The Festival's Southampton venue will kick off the following night with Tom Hooper's "The King's Speech." The U.S. premiere of "The Debt," featuring 2010 HIFF Rising Star Jessica Chastain, is the Centerpiece Film of the festival and HIFF alum Darren Aronofksy's chilling thriller "Black Swan" is the Closing Film for the Festival.

Spotlight Film Ceremony
A perfect autumn getaway on Long Island shores goes hilariously awry in this heartfelt comedy from first time director Max Winkler. Sam (Michael Angarano) is a young, overly confident wannabe children's book author who evasively ropes his forlorn ex-best friend into joining him on a weekend beach trip. In a not-so-coincidental encounter, the two young men happen upon the pre-nuptial festivities of the older woman (Uma Thurman) that Sam happens to be madly in love with.

GSA Short Films
 • "The Clerk's Tale" - East Coast Premiere - Director James Franco: Acclaimed actor and artist James Franco directs this psychological thriller about a sales clerk. Based on a poem by Spencer Reece.

 • "Clean" - East Coast Premiere - Director Isold Uggadottir: A woman who works as a dance instructor struggles to keep her drug habit under control. Directed by Hamptons alum Isold Uggadottir ("Committed").

 • "Barking Island" ("Chienne d'histoire") - East Coast Premiere - Director Serge Avedikian: A haunting political allegory set in 1910 Constantinople, "Barking Island" was awarded the Palme d'Or for Best Short Film at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

 • "Rachel" - East Coast Premiere - Director Leonardo Guerra Seragnoli: Hamptons alum Jena Malone ("The Messenger") stars as a young woman who encounters unforeseen trouble as she travels to enlist in the military.

 • New Media" - New York Premiere - Director J.J. Adler: Morris, a wealthy and unsatisfied middle-aged man, tries to make his mark on the world by creating his own "viral video."

 • "Laughter, Love and Life" - Sometimes love makes us do silly things. Other times we have no one to blame but ourselves. But all's well that ends well in this endearing collection of comedic short films from around the globe.

 • "Flat Love" - Director Andres Sanz: Internationally acclaimed actor Isabella Rossellini narrates this visually stunning story about one man's complicated love affair with a woman who only exists in a 2D world.

 • "Canary" - North American Premiere - Director Oli Hudson - A young man will stop at nothing to achieve his dream to hold the world's record for holding one's breath under water.

 • "And You?" ("Et toi?") - Directors Meliane Marcaggi and Jean Marc Peyrefitte: L'amour fou! She loves him, and he loves her - right? A comical fable about how love can sometimes drives us crazy.

 • "Gayby" - Director Jonathan Lisecki: A gay man and a straight woman discover that biological reproduction isn't as simple as it seems.

 • "Sexting" - U.S. Premiere - Director Neil LaBute: Neil LaBute directs Julia Stiles in this story of woman who is fed up with her relationship with a married man and decides to meet his wife for lunch.

 • "The Dinner Party" - Director Peter Glanz proves himself the heir to Woody Allen in this wry look at a dinner party amongst New York City's cultural elite.

 • "The Cow Who Wanted To Be A Hamburger" - Director Bill Plympton: The latest from celebrated and beloved animator Bill Plympton is about the strange and deluded desire of a young cow who really, really wants to be a burger.

 • "The Criminal Kind": Criminals come from all walks of life and from every corner of the world, and their stories are as diverse and complex as the crimes they commit.

 • "Off Season" - Director Jonathan van Tulleken: In the dead of winter, a thief and his dog cross a frozen lake to burgle abandoned cottages. One day, he finds something more horrific than he ever imagined.

 • "Echo" - Director Magnus Von Horn: A stark, atmospheric thriller about two Polish youths who are taken to the scene of their crime and forced to walk the officers through their grisly actions.

 • "The Grey Coat" - Director Bob Giraldi: Bob Giraldi directs this story of a New York City police officer caught between his corrupt partner, his job, and the Korean community where he lives.

 • "Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been" - World Premiere - Director Alexa Barrett: Alexa Barrett brings to life Joyce Carol Oates' celebrated short story of a young woman whose burgeoning sexuality is corrupted by a manipulative, terrorizing stranger.

 • "Mister Green" - Director Greg Pak: In a dystopic future, global warming has advanced to an alarming degree. Politicians have failed to get things under control, so a small group of eco-terrorists take action.

Real Stories, Real People
This international collection of documentary short films chronicles seemingly normal individuals and their extraordinary stories.

 • "Tussilago" - Director Jonas Odell - An animated documentary based on interviews with a young woman who fell in love with a political radical and soon found herself part of a West German terrorist organization in the 1970s.

 • "Without Breath" ("Ohne Atem") - Director Fabio Stoll: Do you have what it takes to hold your breath underwater for several minutes with Nik Lander?

 • "They Are Giants" ("Ellos son Gigantes") - Director Koert Davidse: An endearing portrait of Guus Thurkow and his lovingly handcrafted library, The Bibliotheca Thurkowiana Minor, comprised entirely of miniature editions of literary classics.

 • "Plank" - Director Billy Pols: A cross-cultural story of Nassim Guammaz, a Morroccan teenager who embraces the art of skateboarding and begins touring the world with his talents.

 • "Born Sweet" - Director Cynthia Wade: A 15-year-old boy in rural Cambodia with arsenic poisoning dreams of becoming a karaoke star. A social issue story with heart directed by Academy Award-winner Cynthia Wade ("Freeheld").

 • "Out Here in The Fields: Shellfisher Preserve" - Director Alec Hirschfeld: The final installment of Alec Hirschfeld's trilogy about the need to protect the natural environment of the Hamptons.

New York Women In Film And Television
We are pleased to continue our partnership with New York Women in Film and Television for this seventh annual showcase of outstanding achievements by female filmmakers.

 • "Salamander" - Director Jen Heck: It is 1986. The Challenger is getting ready to launch, and a young girl is about to come of age as she decides whether or not to follow in her peers' footsteps.

 • "Capture The Flag" - Director Lisanne Skyler: An annual capture the flag gathering becomes a search for identity. Teenage Annie doesn't fit in with the younger kids, she isn't accepted by the older kids, but the adults still see her as a child.

 • "Awaiting Examination" ("I väntan på examinering") - North American Premiere - Director Elisabet Gustafsson: A boy and a girl sit in the waiting room at the Ministry of Order. As they await their turn, the two share a common sense of anxiety, rebellion, and companionship.

 • "Knock Off" - Director Rosanne Flynn: A pregnant teenager clashes with her father over her past decisions and possible future plans.

 • "Some Boys Don't Leave" - Director Maggie Kiley: Jesse Eisenberg ("The Social Network, "Adventureland") plays a boy who just doesn't get it when his girlfriend tells him to move out.

 • "Bread & Kisses" - World Premiere - Director Katherine Fitzgerald: A mathematician stuck on an equation takes up cooking and discovers the answer to his problem might just be love.

Family Shorts
This collection of family-friendly shorts appeals to viewers of all ages and includes plenty of charming comedies, adorable animations, touching dramas, and inspirational true stories.

 • "Cooked" - Director Jens Blank: Love melts even the coldest arctic chill in this story of a self-doubting walrus and a vain lobster who vie for the attention of a lovely seal.

 • "My Sixth Birthday" - World Premiere - Director Kurt Steinmuller: Local filmmaker Kurt Steinmuller blends comedy and horror in this tale of a young girl's birthday gone wrong.

 • "Alma" - Director Rodrigo Blaas: A mysterious toy store holds many secrets behind its doors.

 • "The Auction" - U.S. Premiere - Director Gloria Ui Young Kim: A little girl must choose between buying the perfect gift for herself or a special present for her mother.

 • "Whistleless" ("Flojtelos") - Director Siri Melchior: A little bird that can't sing struggles to find its own voice.

 • "Delmer Builds A Machine - Director Landon Zakheim: Even Delmer couldn't anticipate what his latest invention would do!

 • "Nico's Challenge" - Director Steve Audette: An inspiring documentary about a 13-year-old boy who overcomes his physical disability to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and raise money to buy wheelchairs for the handicapped of Tanzania.

 • "Ormie" - Director Josh Wexler Ormie is a determined pig who lets nothing get between him and his cookies. Now move!

Before Features
 • "Bathing Micky" ("Micky Bader") - Precedes "Ahead of Time" - Director Frida Kempff: A subtle portrait of Micky, an aging woman who reflects on her long life as she makes her daily visit to her bathing club.

 • "Death and The Blue-Eyed Boy" - Precedes "King of the Hamptons" - Director Grant Curatola: There is more than meets the eye to this young romance between two middle-school students.

 • "Further Lane - Precedes "Kisses, Chloe" - Director Mesh Flinders: Noah Fleiss ("Brick") stars as the caretaker of a beach house whose owners suspect that he is taking advantage of his position. Written and directed by Mesh Flinders, creator of the webseries "LonelyGirl15."

 • "Incident by a Bank" ("Händelse vid bank") - Precedes "Oldboys" - Director Ruben Ostlund: A re-enactment of a bank robbery shot from across the street as two friends out for a stroll become spectators, commentators, and ultimately documentarians, of the crime.

 • "It's Me. Helmut" ("Ich bin's. Helmut") - Precedes "Nenette" - Director Nicolas Steiner: Helmut's 60th birthday (or is it his 57th?) yields surprises and unexpected pleasures.

 • "Loop Planes" - Precedes "Soul Boy" - Director Robin Wilby: On thirteen-year-old Nick's last day of working at the amusement park, a chance meeting with Katie shows the emotional complexity of young romance.

 • "Mary Last Seen" - Precedes "Small Town Murder Songs" - Director Sean Durkin: Mary thinks they are just out for a hike - if only she knew where he was really leading her.

 • "Where is Kim Basinger?" - ("Donde Esta Kim Basinger?") - Precedes "The Little Tailor" - Director Edouard Deluc: Marcus and Antoine travel to Buenos Aires for their cousin's wedding and experience a whimsical, unforgettable night on the city's streets.

Student Award Shorts 74 Minutes
 • "Vinyl" - Director Ashley Fairfield: A young man deals with life and trouble in big city Australia.

 • "Deeper Than Yesterday" - Director Ariel Kleiman, Victorian College of the Arts: Terrible life and discovery on a Russian submarine.

 • "Two Friends" ("To Venner") - Director Paw Charlie Ravn, The National Film School of Denmark: A land where there are no longer women alive and two little boys, one with a secret.

 • "After The Shearing" - Director Vanessa Rojas, UCLA - Two sisters try to deal with the illness of their mother while living on their farm.

 • "The Hirosaki Players" - Director Jeff Sousa, Columbia University: A famous Japanese actor refuses to play his part unless his writer/director son rewrites it.

About The HIFF
The Hamptons International Film Festival was founded to celebrate the Independent film - long, short, fiction and documentary - and to introduce a unique, varied spectrum of international films and filmmakers to the public. The Festival is committed to exhibiting films that express fresh voices and differing global perspectives, with the hope that these programs will enlighten audiences, provide invaluable exposure for filmmakers and present inspired entertainment for all. The Hamptons International Festival headquarters are located at the beautiful c/o The Maidstone Hotel on Main Street in East Hampton

For more information go to www.hamptonsfilmfest.org.