33rd Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) to Open with ‘Eternity,’ Spotlights on ‘Blue Moon,’ ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’
The Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF), presented by Artemis Rising Foundation, announced today its Opening Night selection, David Freyne’s Eternity (US Premiere), with star Elizabeth Olsen in attendance on Friday, October 3 in East Hampton.
Olsen will also be joining for an “In Conversation With” on Saturday, October 4th highlighting her dynamic career as an actress and celebrating her performance in Eternity. The film also stars Miles Teller and Callum Turner and takes place in an afterlife where souls have one week to decide where to spend eternity, Joan (Olsen) is faced with the impossible choice between the man she spent her life with (Teller) and her first love (Turner), who died young and has waited decades for her to arrive.
The 33rd edition of the festival, which runs October 3 – 13, 2025, will also present a lineup of Centerpiece, Spotlight and narrative, documentary and shorts screenings, alongside distinguished tributes to artists and additional programming at the forefront of contemporary cinema.
The festival will also screen in the Spotlight Section Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon, on Saturday, October 4th, starring Ethan Hawke, Margaret Qualley, Bobby Cannavale, and Andrew Scott, showcasing legendary lyricist Lorenz Hart, who confronts his shattered self-confidence in Sardi’s bar as his former collaborator Richard Rodgers celebrates the opening night of his ground-breaking hit musical “Oklahoma!”. Hawke will be featured in a special “A Conversation With Ethan Hawke,” sponsored by Il Buco, on Saturday, October 4th, celebrating his expansive career as an actor, writer, and director. In addition, Bill Condon’s Kiss of the Spider Woman, starring Diego Luna, Jennifer Lopez and Tonatiuh, about two cellmates in an Argentine prison —one a political activist, the other a flamboyant storyteller—who forge an unlikely bond through tales of romance and fantasy will also screen in the Spotlight section. The festival will honor Tonatiuh with the festival’s UBS Breakthrough Performer Award.
HIFF will host a special screening of the Sundance breakout Sorry, Baby, the sharp, darkly comedic debut feature from writer, director, and star Eva Victor. A biting exploration of modern love, ambition, and self-sabotage, the film follows Victor as a young woman whose messy entanglements unravel into both hilarious and heartbreaking territory. In recognition of their multi-hyphenate achievement, Victor will be honored with the festival’s UBS Breakthrough Director Award.
“Our lineup this year represents the spirit of discovery that defines HIFF. With powerful premieres and inspiring conversations, we’re proud to curate programming that invites audiences to experience the artistry, imagination, and diversity of today’s filmmakers. By honoring emerging talents like Tonatiuh and Eva Victor alongside established talents, we are reminded of how vital film remains as an art form. It’s an honor to bring these works to the Hamptons and to celebrate the creative voices shaping the future of cinema,” said David Nugent, Chief Creative Officer of HamptonsFilm.
“I’m very proud of our programming team, led by David Nugent, for curating a group of dynamic and distinct films”, said Executive Director Richard Gladstein. “I’m excited our festivalgoers will have the opportunity to engage with stories and storytelling spanning all genres, in narrative and documentary, from around the globe.”
The 33rd annual Hamptons International Film Festival will run October 3-13, 2025, with in-person screenings and events taking place across the Hamptons.
2025 Hamptons International Film Festival Lineup:
OPENING NIGHT FILM
Sponsored by Audi
ETERNITY
US Premiere
dir. David Freyne (USA), 2025
In an afterlife where souls have one week to decide where to spend eternity, Joan (Elizabeth Olsen) is faced with the impossible choice between the man she spent her life with (Miles Teller) and her first love (Callum Turner), who died young and has waited decades for her to arrive.
SPOTLIGHT FILMS
Sponsored by Audi
BLUE MOON
dir. Richard Linklater (USA), 2025
On the evening of March 31, 1943, legendary lyricist Lorenz Hart confronts his shattered self-confidence in Sardi’s bar as his former collaborator Richard Rodgers celebrates the opening night of his groundbreaking hit musical “Oklahoma!”.
KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN
dir. Bill Condon (USA), 2025
Valentín, a political prisoner, shares a cell with Molina, a window dresser convicted of public indecency. The two form an unlikely bond as Molina recounts the plot of a Hollywood musical starring his favorite silver screen diva, Ingrid Luna.
UBS BREAKTHROUGH DIRECTOR SPECIAL SCREENING
SORRY, BABY
dir. Eva Victor (USA), 2025
Something bad happened to Agnes. But life goes on… for everyone around her, at least. When a beloved friend visits on the brink of a major milestone, Agnes starts to realize just how stuck she’s been, and begins to work through how to move forward.
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Critics Choice Association (CCA), San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
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