NORTHAMPTON INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL UNVEILS 2006 LINEUP

Northampton, MA... The Northampton Independent Film Festival (NIFF) has made a name for itself showcasing the best in independent filmmaking. This year just may be the most ambitious event in the festival's 12-year history, with more than 130 films from around the globe on the schedule during the festival's November 8-12 run. "We really believe this year's festival will be second to none, with something sure to please every taste," says NIFF director David Leo. Offerings run the gamut from dramatic features, c omedies, shorts, documentaries, and in a first for the festival, two programs of children's fare. Screenings will be held at the Academy of Music, Smith College, and the Pleasant Street Theater.

The 12th annual Northampton Independent Film Festival kicks off with a reception Wednesday, November 8 at 5:30 p.m. at the Northampton Center for the Arts. The reception offers members of the public a chance to meet some of the filmmakers involved in this year's festival. Immediately following the opening reception, the festival will feature a screening of director Jay Craven's Disappearances at 7:30 p.m. at the historic Academy of Music. Based on the award-winning novel by Howard Frank Mosher, Disappearances is a spellbinding tale of high-stakes whiskey smuggling in Prohibition-era Vermont. The film stars Grammy-winner Kris Kristofferson, Academy Award-nominee Genevieve Bujold, and young up-and-coming teen actor Charlie McDermott. Craven and Mosher will answer questions about the film following the screening. Disappearances was recently selected by the American Film Institute (AFI) as one of eight American and eight international films to be included in a global cultural initiative, with screenings around the globe.

NIFF's Saturday night lineup features director Claudia Myers romantic comedy Kettle of Fish at 7:00 p.m. in the Academy of Music. The film stars Matthew Modine as a lifelong bachelor who confronts his intimacy issues by subletting his apartment to a fetching biologist (Gina Gershon), and then is forced to move back in as her roommate. Producers Laura Bernieri (Next Stop Wonderland), Michael Mailer, and Christy Scott Cashman (who has a starring role in the film) will attend the screening and take questions from the audience.

Upholding a NIFF tradition, local filmmakers will share the spotlight with some of the finest independent filmmakers from across the country. On Thursday, November 9, the Academy of Music will host a screening of Cathedral Pines at 7:00 p.m. Filmed locally, the spiritual thriller is the work of director David Horgan of Ludlow and screenwriter Donnie Moorhouse of WRNX radio. Longmeadow filmmaker Scott Kittredge will have two locally-produced short films, Snacks and Terminal Conversation, included in a program of local and regional shorts on Sunday at 3:15 p.m. On Saturday at 7:00 p.m., The Norman Rockwell Code highlights a slate of comedy shorts. Set in Stockbridge's Norman Rockwell museum, the spoo f of The Da Vinci Code was recently selected for inclusion in the Library of Congress' official film collection.

While the focus is on film, two musical acts with western Massachusetts roots will have starring roles at this year's festival, thanks to a pair of documentaries. On Friday at 6:30 p.m., Smith College's Stoddard Hall will host a screening of So Glad I Made It: The Saga of Roger Salloom, America's Bets Unknown Songwriter. Chris Sautter's documentary about the career of Northampton musician Roger Salloom, once hailed as the next Bob Dylan. Salloom will perform following the screening. Rock and rollers The Unband get the documentary treatment in WE LIKE TO DRINK: We Like to Play Rock and Roll, showing Saturday night at 9:00 p.m. in Smith College's Stoddard Hall. The film tells the story of the trio whose career went from playing the clubs of Northampton to opening for such national acts as Dio, Anthrax, and Def Leppard. Following the movie, The Unband will perform live at The Elevens in a special event sponsored by The Valley Advocate.

2006 will see a number of NIFF firsts. Among the new wrinkles at this year's festival is a program of short films from around the globe Saturday at 4:30 p.m. in Smith College's Graham Hall. The program features films from Italy, Israel, Hungary, Canada, Greece, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Adding to the international flavor, the festival has partnered with the University of Massachusetts to feature several films from the College's DEFA Film Library of East German cinema. For Saturday and Sunday mornings, NIFF has partnered with the Coalition for Quality Children's Media/Kids First! to offer old-fashioned children's matinees each morning at 10:30. Tickets for the matinees will be $4.00 for children 12 and under.

The festival has partnered with the Veterans Education Project and the Northampton Office of Veterans Services to offer two powerful films in honor of Veterans' Day weekend. On Thursday at 7:00 p.m., the Pleasant Street Theater will host a showing of the critically-acclaimed film The Ground Truth. Patricia Foulkrod's searing documentary tells the story of patriotic young Americans who heeded the call to serve in Iraq, and offers an unflinching look at the war's physical and emotional impact on the soldiers. On Friday at 2:00 p.m. in the Academy of Music, filmmaker Daniel Lohaus will be on hand for a screening of his film When I Came Home, which chronicles the stories of homeless veterans - from Vietnam to Iraq.

Filmmakers and aspiring filmmakers can take advantage of three outstanding panels designed to help hone their skills and market their works. On Saturday, November 11, "From Script to Screen" and "Producers Panel" will feature writers who have sold to the industry and producers who have made independent films discussing how to get an independent film made. On Sunday, November 12, award-winning filmmaker Larry Hott of Hott Productions/Florentine Films will present "Anatomy of a Documentary." Hott will touch on his nearly 30-year career that includes an Emmy Award, two Academy Award nominations, and a George Foster Peabody Award. All panels are free.

Tickets for individual screenings and all festival passes will be sold at the Academy of Music box office and all venues during the festival before each screening. All festival passes will be available for $125 through www.ticketweb.com starting Wednesday, October 25. Advance general admission tickets will be available starting Wednesday, November 1 at the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce and the Academy of Music Box Office. Tickets are $8.00 for general admission and $7.00 for students and seniors, except for opening night ($10.00). WGBY Public Television members receive a $2.00 discount off individual tickets, and $15.00 off all festival passes. For more information, including a complete festival schedule, visit www.niff.org.

About the Northampton Independent Film Festival

The Northampton Independent Film Festival (NIFF) is committed to establishing a northeast center for the exploration, examination, and celebration of independent filmmaking. NIFF showcases the works of filmmakers whose films demonstrate quality, innovation, and independence in both form and content. NIFF is sponsored by Comcast, , The Valley Advocate, WGBY, WRNX 100.9 FM, Western New England College, 88.5 FM WFCR, the Mirage Group, and Stolichnayaź Russian Vodka. The Northampton Independent Film Festival can be found on the web at www.niff.org.