Nantucket Film Festival releases full list of films
BY MARLI GUZZETTA INDEPENDENT ARTS EDITOR
While last year's Nantucket Film Festival spotlighted documentary films, the 30 features and 20 shorts at this year's festival are there to emphasize the Mark Twain-ian ability to spin

a good yarn.

"This year's festival has a wide

range of films, but they all have one common thread: telling a solid story," said Mystelle Brabbée, Artistic Director, who added, "This year in particular, we were delighted to find that the line-up has a strong representation of female talent, whether it's an engrossing film from a female director or a film telling the story of an incredible woman."

NFF's Writer/Director Award Jury this year will include William Monahan (writer of "The Departed" screenplay), Lee Daniels (producer of "Monsters Ball") and Rachel Grady (director and producer of "Jesus Camp"). The Screenplay Competition Jury includes Donna Giolotti (producer of "Shakespeare in Love"), Anthony Swofford (author of "Jarhead" and producer of the upcoming "Semper Fi") and Variety senior editor Sharon Swart. Also scheduled to appear at the festival are Canvas stars Marcia Gay Harden and Joe Pantoliano as well as Pulitzerwinning author Michael Cunningham, co-writer of the film "Evening," which opens the festival at the hands of presenter Ralph Lauren.

Based on Susan Minot's Pulitzer Prize-winning book, "Evening" stars Meryl Streep, Clair Danes and Toni Collette in an exploration "of the emotional and romantic past of a 65-yearold woman diagnosed with terminal cancer," according to festival organizers.

As previously announced, the festival will use the occasion of having a large number of female filmmakers in attendance to launch the Adrienne Shelley Excellence in Filmmaking Award, which gives a cash prize to an exceptional writer/director female at the festival.

Also during the festival, critic Janet Maslin goes one-on-one with Oscarwinning filmmaker Robert Benton ("Kramer vs. Kramer," "Places in the Heart," "The Human Stain") - recipient of the NBC Universal Screenwriting Award - for the festival's "In their Shoes" event.

Various colleagues will be in attendance when Benton receives his award at The NBC Universal Screenwriter's Tribute on June 16, including Stanley Jaffe, Ron Meyer, Jeff Zucker, Brian Williams, and James Schamus.

Anne Meara and Peter Farrelly return this year to host the slightly slushy and always fun Late Night Storytelling, which will solicit stories from Nantucketers and five surprise guests.

Oscar winners Monahan, Giolotti, and Grady will interview one another for this year's Iconoclasts, moderated by Swart on June 14.

Last year's festival saw a 35 percent rise in ticket sales, according to festival organizers.

"We're proud to see our work with NFF pay off so well with the spike in attendance," said Co-Founder and Executive Director, Jill Burkhart. "We always strive to pack the schedule with great films, insightful panels and exciting events each year. Our primary goal has always been to provide attendees with a rewarding experience, but we hope for another successful year as a bonus."

For more on the festival and to purchase tickets, go to www.nantucketfilmfestival. org.

Festival features: I

+ Autism Every Day + Begging Naked + Broken English + Canvas + The Devil Came on Horseback + Evening + Everything's Cool + Flakes + The Good Night + The Go-Getter + Great World of Sound + I Am an Animal: The Story of Ingrid

Newkirk and Peta + Low and Behold + Nömanak Tx + Note by Note + Places in the Heart + Pretty In the Face + The Price of Sugar + Rocket Science + Row Hard No Excuses + Shame + Soldiers of Conscience + Son of Rambow + Teeth + The Ten + War/Dance + Waitress + Year of the Fish