by Larry Kardish The Toronto International Film Festival just celebrated its 50th anniversary. It began a half century ago with typical municipal bravado as “The Festival of Festivals,” and indeed, it quickly became one. A behemoth with over 210 feature films, all of major interest, shown over ten packed days, TIFF 2025 was expansive, inclusive, and a true treasure chest of recent cinema. Films that premiered at other major festivals like Berlin, Cannes and Venice, were shown along with a significant number of world premieres. Many of those films were from the U.S., as Hollywood jumpstarts its Oscar campaigns in Toronto. Torontonians love their festival and attend it in droves, filling theaters as early as 8:30 am every morning and enduring long waits in rush lines to take the seats of no-shows. TIFF is located in a hideous but contained…

25 Years of Exceptional Films Past FilmColumbia patrons know that for two weeks in October you’re in for a fall harvest like no other. This 25th anniversary year, we look forward to welcoming you back into a newly renovated, restored and refurbished Crandell Theatre. A few of the festival’s many exciting highlights include: Nuremberg, featuring powerhouse performances by Russell Crowe, Rami Malek, Michael Shannon and Richard E. Grant during the trial of the century Nouvelle Vague, Richard Linklater’s delightful tribute to Jean-Luc Godard that recreates the making of the film that launched the auteur’s singular style A Private Life, a sophisticated and spritely whodunit starring a French-speaking Jodie Foster as a renowned American psychoanalyst in Paris Sentimental Value, writer/director Joachim Trier’s follow-up to his hit The Worst Person in the World, once again starring actress Renate Reinsve in an intense family drama with…

by Larry Kardish Cannes is the mother of all film festivals. Not only because of where (on the Cote d’Azur) and when (mid-spring) it takes place, but because, at its core, Cannes is a festival for film professionals. Unlike most other festivals, which serve the citizens of their locations, Cannes requires anyone who attends its Official Selection to be accredited. If in its Paris office the organizers of the festival grant an accreditation (there are more applications than accreditations) to someone as a professional in a particular cinema field (actor, director, producer, writer, press, film festival organizer, etc.), then that person is invited, free of charge, to attend screenings. Free of charge is nice, but one still has to get to the south of France, only to find both accommodation and food, especially in Cannes itself, quite pricey. The Competition…

by Peter Biskind A behind-the-scenes look at what has made The Crandell’s FilmColumbia Festival, approaching its 25th anniversary this fall, the toast of the town. Speaking for the Crandell board, I’m happy to assure Chatham’s movie lovers that the renovation slash restoration of the theater is proceeding on schedule, and will be finished in plenty of time for the theater’s 100th anniversary next year. Running a single-screen theater at a time when even the multiplexes are struggling to stay alive is no small thing, but with the help of our loyal audience, we’ve managed to scrape by, furnishing Chathamites with a regular diet of studio and indie hits, despite the fact that the big studios often demand that we run their films for two or three weeks, which is fatal to our box office. We’re particularly proud of our annual…

by Larry Kardish The Berlin International Film Festival, known as the Berlinale, ended on Sunday, February 23, the day Germans went to the polls. I suppose this was appropriate, as the first Berlin Film Festival, which took place in 1951 on the initiative of an American serviceman in Berlin, a city then in ruins and divided into four districts each administered by an Allied occupying force, was established to “showcase” the culture of the “free world.” In short, the Festival began as a political gesture aimed at the civilian population of Berlin, and for the next seventy-four years, through the creation of West Germany and East Germany, and the building and the dismantling of the Berlin Wall, it has remained, more than less, an artistic event inflected by politics. This year, the 75th edition of the Berlinale, now under the…

October 11, 2024, Chatham, N.Y.— From Friday, October 18th to Sunday, October 27th, the Crandell Theatre presents FilmColumbia 2024. FilmColumbia is celebrating its 24th year with the year’s best upcoming American, international, and animated features, documentaries, and shorts. This year’s lineup includes a treasure trove of new films, breakouts, new and seasoned talent, and stellar standouts from the festival circuit that have not yet opened commercially, featuring 50+ exceptional new films and shorts you won’t see in wide release until later this fall and winter. Walton Goggins. Courtesy Crandell Theatre. The annual Kick-Off Party at the home of Crandell benefactor Jack Shear, to be held this year on Sunday, October 20th, will honor Emmy-nominated actor and area resident Walton Goggins, with appetizers and full buffet by Bimi’s Canteen. Tickets are available online. The festival is Friday, October 18th to Sunday, October 27th at the Crandell…

By Remy Commisso Known for his action-packed films and morally gray characters, Walton Goggins is a dynamic actor whose supporting roles have earned him Emmy nominations in “Fallout” and “Justified.” With his new movie, The Uninvited, Goggins takes a break from playing compelling anti-heroes as the lead in Nadia Conner’s dramedy. Goggins, who moved to Columbia County during the pandemic, is this year’s honoree at FilmColumbia. At the 24th FilmColumbia, from October 18-27, over 50 pre-release films will be shown at Chatham’s Crandell Theatre. The programming has a wide range of insightful international films as well as domestic. All We Imagine As Light is an Indian film directed by Payal Kapadia about two hospital nurses in Mumbai navigating their love life, one who has a distant husband and the other in a taboo interfaith relationship. Read the Full Article in CHRONOGRAM’s October issue online…

Film Columbia is highlighted in the opening spread of Chronogram’s Fall Arts Preview in its latest issue. Read the article in CHRONOGRAM’s October issue online

By Francesca Furey The best time to be in the Hudson Valley is now! And whether you’re a foodie looking for you next great meal, a family craving adventure, a fall foliage lover, or an art connoisseur—these eight day trips will create unforgettable autumn memories. Arts, Culture & History Northern Columbia County Don’t Miss: A theatrical or musical event at PS21: Center for Contemporary Performance in Chatham. Also, FilmColumbia is showing flicks, advance screenings, and filmmaker-led panels at the historic Crandell Theatre from October 18–27.   Read the article in HUDSON VALLEY MAGAZINE’s October issue online