Take a Storytelling Journey that Inspires, The 13th Annual Woodstock Vermont Film Series Opens At Billings Farm & Museum
The 2022-23 Woodstock Vermont Film Series will take viewers on a journey from Japan to remote Idaho, with stops in New York, New Orleans, and home to Vermont. Storytelling is at the heart of the Billings Farm & Museum mission. The Film Series, produced by Billings Farm & Museum, is dedicated to sharing place-based stories of people near and far, engaging audiences, and inspiring conversations that increase connections with each other and the world.
Now entering its 13th season, the Film Series will open with a Celebration of Film, Food, and Community, on Saturday, November 19. The celebration begins at 3:00PM with a special screening of Come Back Anytime. Directed by John Daschbach, originally from Hanover, New Hampshire, Come Back Anytime is centered on the life of a self-taught Japanese ramen master and the community that is built around the food and friendship he provides. The screening will be followed by a discussion featuring people in the region who bring the Upper Valley community together through food. The reception will feature delectable bites by The Village Butcher, No Reservations Vermont, the Farmer & the Bell, and Billings Farm’s Chef Emery Gray. Drinks and live music by Jim Yeager round out the event. Tickets are $100/person. Proceeds will support the Woodstock Vermont Film Series.
Beginning on December 31 and continuing through February 19, there will be weekly showings on Saturdays and Sundays at 3:00PM in the Billings Farm & Museum Visitor Center Theater. Tickets are $15 for all regular screenings, and $12 for Billings Farm & Museum members. For tickets and more information, visit billingsfarm.org/filmseries/ or call 802-457-5303.
The Woodstock Vermont Film Series 2022-23 Lineup Includes:
November 19 – Come Back Anytime
The film presents a window into the lives of self-taught Japanese ramen master Masamoto Ueda and his wife Kazuko, and their scores of devoted customers who have joined them over the decades in making the restaurant an intimate place of community. The screening is followed by a reception, including appetizers, drinks, and live music by Jim Yeager. Proceeds benefit the Woodstock Vermont Film Series.
December 31 & January 1 – Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp. 90 minutes. Rated PG.
The tiny humor of this stop-motion animated mockumentary will bring big joy to the Billings Farm & Museum Visitor Center Theater. Get to know Marcel, a beloved character in this hilarious and heartwarming story about finding connection in the smallest corners.
January 7 & 8 – Ruth Stone’s Vast Library of the Female Mind
Directed by Nora Jacobson. 76 minutes. Not rated.
Saturday’s screening will be followed by a discussion with the filmmaker.
A visually beautiful film that captures the rural grist of Stone’s heroic career as a poet, mother, and teacher, leaving no question as to why she has become both a Vermont and national treasure. It leaves its viewers inspired, enlightened, entertained, and uplifted.
January 14 & 15 – Citizen Ashe
Directed by Sam Pollard and Rex Miller. 94 minutes. Not rated.
Saturday’s screening will be followed by a discussion with the filmmakers.
The film charts Arthur Ashe’s personal evolution from Grand Slam champion to global activist against a tumultuous backdrop that included the civil rights movement, South African apartheid, and the AIDS epidemic.
January 21 & 22 – Bitterbrush
Directed by Emelie Mahdavian. 91 minutes. Not rated.
A portrait of friendship, life transitions, and the work of two skilled young women in the isolated and beautiful landscape of the American West.
January 28 & 29 – Art & Krimes by Krimes
Directed by Alysa Nahmias. 85 minutes. Not rated.
As a convicted felon and celebrated artist, Jesse Krimes turns the spotlight on people still in prison, asking us to recognize overlooked beauty and celebrate the transcendent power of art.
February 4 & 5 – The Automat
Directed by Lisa Hurwitz. 79 minutes. Not rated.
Saturday’s screening will be followed by a discussion with the filmmaker.
The Automat recounts the lost history of the iconic restaurant chain Horn & Hardart, featuring interviews with Mel Brooks, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Colin Powell, and other famous fans.
February 11 & 12 – Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song
Directed by Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine. 118 minutes. Rated PG-13.
A deep dive into the eponymous, iconic hymn performed by a multitude of artists in the film, including Bono, Rufus Wainwright, Bob Dylan, and k.d. lang.
February 18 & 19 – Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story
Directed by Frank Marshall and Ryan Suffern. 95 minutes. Rated PG-13.
Saturday’s screening will be followed by a Film & Food Soiree with special event pricing. Advanced reservations required.
This film not only captures the festival in all of its beauty and glory, but also delves deep into the rich culture of The Big Easy.
The Woodstock Vermont Film Series is curated and directed by award-winning filmmaker Jay Craven, produced by the Billings Farm & Museum, with generous support from local sponsors. We gratefully acknowledge the Film Series season underwriter Mad Old Nut, and lead sponsors Farmhouse Pottery, Woodstock Inn & Resort, and Ellaway Property Management.
