Hamptons Doc Fest Honors Michael Moore in 17th Year

Hamptons Doc Fest will return for its 17th year with a seven-day festival screening 32 documentary films from December 5–11 at the Sag Harbor Cinema and the Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor. In addition to all the excellent films to watch, several awards will be given to worthy recipients throughout the week, including Oscar-winning filmmaker Michael Moore.

“Join us for a week of looking back at a film classic like Michael Moore’s Roger & Me and moving forward with a dynamic lineup of just-out documentary films,” Hamptons Doc Fest founder and executive director Jacqui Lofaro says. “We are thrilled not only to showcase the extraordinary work of a diverse group of talented documentary filmmakers, but also to recognize the people and organizations that make it all possible. Please come along for the ride. We think you’ll love the journey.”

The Opening Night Film, Merchant Ivory directed by Stephen Soucy, kicks things off at 8 p.m. on Thursday, December 5 at the Sag Harbor Cinema (90 Main Street). The doc looks at the extraordinary film duo of producer Ismail Merchant and director James Ivory, while the Closing Night Film, The Bones directed by Jeremy Xido — about traveling the globe with paleontologists to unearth dinosaur fossils — screens at Bay Street Theater (1 Long Wharf) on Wednesday, December 11 at 7 p.m.

This year’s Pennebaker Career Achievement Award, named for late Sag Harbor filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker, will be presented to Michael Moore (Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11, Sicko) at a gala starting at 6:30 p.m. at Bay Street Theater on Saturday, December 7. Moore’s influential debut film Roger & Me(1989), about the devastating effect of General Motors’ plant closures in Flint, Michigan, will also be shown. The director produced and wrote most of his 13 films, he acted in four movies, produced three television series and published eight books. His belief is that “one great movie can change your life, and that powerful films can help change the world,” Hamptons Doc Fest shares in their announcement saluting Moore, who they also congratulate for the Traverse City Film Festival which he founded in 2003 and ran for 20 years until its closure in 2023.

“We are so honored to present this year’s Pennebaker Career Achievement Award to Michael Moore,” said Hamptons Doc Fest artistic director Karen Arikian. “He is a true giant in the documentary field — an award-winning director, writer and producer of more than three decades of groundbreaking films. Through his unique ability to bring dark humor and biting satire to some of the very difficult topics he has tackled, he forever upended the way documentary stories were told, as well as the impact they can have on critical social issues.”

Like past years, the festival will also present the Young Voices Education Program on December 9, where the Take Two Film Academy conducts a workshop on the elements of filmmaking for middle and high school students.

New for 2024, Hamptons Doc Fest also launched a Hometown Heroes film contest, with the top three students winning a cash prize, and the top winner having the honor of premiering the film at the festival’s Shorts & Breakfast Bites program on Sunday morning, December 8.

Other standouts among the award winners this year: The HDF Environmental Award will go to director Ben Addelman’s Plastic People: The Hidden Crisis of Microplastics, screening at Bay Street Theater on Monday, December 9 at 8 p.m. Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman’s film, Musica!, about Cuban musicians, will be presented the HDF Art & Inspiration Award at Sag Harbor Cinema on Thursday, December 5 at 5:30 p.m.

A new distinction for 2024, the HDF Breakthrough Director Award will go to directors Angela Patton and Natalie Rae for their film Daughters at Sag Harbor Cinema on Sunday, December 8 at 2 p.m.

The HDF Impact Award will be presented to Ford Foundation’s JustFilms at Sag Harbor Cinema on Friday, December 6 at 7:30 p.m. JustFilms has for 75 years funded social impact films, many of which have screened at Hamptons Doc Fest, including two this year: directors Brett Story and Stephen Maing’s Union, about Amazon workers attempting to organize on Staten Island, screening after the Impact Award at Sag Harbor Cinema on Friday, December 6 at 7:30 p.m.; and directors Peter Murimi and Daphne Matziaraki’s The Battle for Laikipia, demonstrating how climate change can directly lead to conflict, screening at Bay Street Theater on Wednesday, December 11 at 5 p.m.

Finally, the HDF Human Rights Award will be given to directors Maisie Crow and Abbie Perrault for their riveting film Zurawski v. Texas, about the fight against the Texas abortion ban, at Bay Street Theater on Tuesday, December 10 at 5:30 p.m. Among the film’s executive producers are former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her daughter Chelsea Clinton.

Tickets and passes for films at both theaters, along with a full schedule of screenings and events, are available now at hamptonsdocfest.com.