Sylvester Stallone biopic 'I Play Rocky' to open Hamptons film fest
Anthony Ippolito, who plays Sylvester Stallone in "I Play Rocky," will be attending the Hamptons International Film Festival. Credit: Amazon MGM Studios / Claire Folger
A movie about Sylvester Stallone’s early struggles in Hollywood, "I Play Rocky," will be the opening night screening at this year’s Hamptons International Film Festival, organizers announced Tuesday.
The 34th annual edition of the festival will run Oct. 2-12 at venues around the East End. Tickets go on sale Sept. 22 at hamptonsfilmfest.org.
In addition to announcing its kickoff film, the festival revealed several of its high-profile Spotlight screenings. Those include "Club Kid," a buzzy first-time feature about a fast-living party promoter who discovers he has a 10-year-old son; "The Man I Love," starring Oscar winner Rami Malek as a gay theater actor coping with AIDS; "Misty Green," a show-business drama written and directed by Chris Rock; "A Talent for Murder," featuring Academy Award winner Helen Mirren as acclaimed mystery writer Patricia Highsmith; and "Bunker," a thriller with an architectural theme starring Oscar laureates Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz.
A Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Bob Balaban, the beloved character actor seen in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," "Best in Show" and many a Wes Anderson film. Balaban, 81, is a longtime East End resident and is listed among the festival’s board of directors. The Achievement in Directing Award will go to Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, whose credits include "Project Hail Mary," "The Lego Movie" and "21 Jump Street."
The Views from Long Island section includes two Hamptons-set films: "Barbizon," which stars Erica Pappas as a struggling sculptor who starts teaching chess to wealthy East Enders, and "Not Dead Yet," in which a seasoned advertising executive (Richard Kind) joins a Hamptons senior breakfast club. Both will be world premieres.
Anthony Ippolito, the star of "I Play Rocky," and Rosalind Eleazar, the star of "Misty Green," will attend the festival, with each set to receive the FLYTE Breakthrough Performer Award. Justin Firstman, of "Club Kid," will receive the FLYTE Breakthrough Director Award.
The Texas-based duo Chaparelle, the subject of the documentary "Bleeding Hearts," will perform live at the Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett following a screening on Oct. 9.
Most Popular
Top Stories
