The ultimate activities guide for the 2017 Nantucket Film Festival.
1. Screenwriters Tribute
Friday, June 23
6:30 P.M. @ ‘Sconset Casino
Join Ben Stiller as he hosts NFF’s most prestigious gala celebration in honor of this year’s Screenwriters Tribute Award recipient, Tom McCarthy. Hosted at the ‘Sconset Casino, the Screenwriters Tribute annually recognizes an esteemed individual whose work has impacted the world through thought-provoking storytelling. For more information, click here.
2. Morning Coffee With…
Saturday, June 24
9 A.M. @ Dreamland Harborview Room
Wake up and smell the coffee at the Legacy Lounge for an early morning talk about comedy in film hosted by Silicon Valley producer, Donick Cary. In addition to a delicious assortment of coffee and treats, the event will feature four directors, writers, and producers to share the captivating and hilarious truths behind our favorite comedies. For more information, click here.
3. All-Star Comedy Roundtable
Saturday, June 24
12:30 P.M. @ Nantucket High School
This year, Ben Stiller’s All-star Comedy Roundtable is making a comeback for the seventh time with some of comedy’s funniest and most prominent females hitting the state. Hosted by one of Saturday Night Live’s newest cast members Sasheer Zamata, comedians Whitney Cummings, Kristen Schaal and Bridget Everett will engage in inspiring, hilarious conversation about their big breaks and their next steps. For tickets and more information, click here.
4. 500 Years: Screening & Conversation
Saturday, June 24
3:45 P.M. @ White Heron Theatre
In this third and final documentary within director Pamela Yates’s epic trilogy about Guatemala, viewers will find a story of resistance and the ouster of a corrupt president through the experiences of the persecuted indigenous Mayan population. The screening will be followed by a conversation with Yates, subject Irma Alicia Velásquez Nimatuj, and Marc Skvirsky of Facing History and Ourselves, which is co-presenting the screening. For tickets and more information, click here.
5. Whitney: Can I Be Me
Saturday, June 24
5:30 P.M. @ Dreamland Main Theater
This year’s centerpiece film is a compelling and sensitive account about the life of one of the most successful female recording artists of all time, Whitney Houston. Some of Houston’s highlights include six Grammy Awards — among 400 awards rewarded in her lifetime — and more consecutive number one hits than the Beatles. Acclaimed documentarian Nick Broomfield and music video director Rudi Dolezal explore Houston’s greatest moments, as well as the factors that contributed to the talented performer’s fate. For tickets and more information, click here.
6. Late Night Letters
Saturday, June 24
8 P.M. @ ‘Sconset Casino
Introducing Late Night Letters, a new festival event that aims to highlight correspondence as a form of storytelling. Crafted memos from writers, actors, and politicians will be read by handpicked guests of the festival, giving listeners a glimpse into the iconic personalities of some of television’s most beloved stars. The letters may vary from Conan O’Brien’s response to a prom invitation to Richard Burton’s farewell letter to Elizabeth Taylor. For tickets and more information, click here.
7. Serenade for Haiti
Sunday, June 25
9:15 A.M. @ Dreamland Main Theater
Discover the power of resilience, hope, and music to transform a community in the documentary feature film Serenade for Haiti. Following the 2010 earthquake that shook the lives of millions, this documentary unveils how the students and faculty of Sainte Trinite Music School used humanity, strength, and musical heritage to rebuild their community. For tickets and more information, click here.
8. Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton
Sunday, June 25
11:30 A.M. @ Dreamland Main Theater
Dive into the life of legendary maverick Laird Hamilton, the innovator who transcended the sport of big wave surfing for the past four decades. Take Every Wave, a NFF spotlight film, portrays Hamilton’s fearlessness to conquer the unthinkable in a dangerous, yet necessary, way in order to push surfing to new limits. The film’s prolific director, Rory Kennedy, will be in attendance for the screening. For tickets and more information, click here.
9. TV and Talk: The Keepers
Sunday, June 25
11:45 A.M. @ White Heron Theatre
Uncover the harrowing truth behind the disappearance of nun and Catholic schoolteacher Sister Cathy Cesnik in a special screening of the new Netflix documentary series The Keepers. Following the episode, director Ryan White will join in a conversation with Jane Doe, a former student of Cesnik, to piece together untold elements of the mystery and discuss the ongoing issues of clergy abuse. For tickets and more information, click here.
10. An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power
Sunday, June 25
5:15 and 8 P.M. @ Dreamland Main Theater
Conclude the 22nd annual Nantucket Film Festival with An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power, an inspirational conclusion to the Oscar-winning film An Inconvenient Truth, which brought climate change to the popular consciousness over a decade ago. Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk’s documentary details the possibility of an alternate energy revolution, Al Gore’s influence on climate leaders, and his pivotal role in affecting global climate policy. For tickets and more information, click here.
