Films Featuring Artists Screen at HIFF | Hamptons Art HubHamptons Art Hub

The Hamptons International Film Festival returns to The Hamptons to present its 23rd annual festival. Held October 8 to 12, 2015 at theaters from Southampton to Montauk, the film line up is diverse and the stars are plentiful with red carpets rolled out daily throughout Columbus Day Weekend, enlivening The Hamptons in a dramatic grand hurrah.

Expected to show are Emily Blunt, Michael Moore, Dan Rather, Dennis Quaid and others, including Steven Spielberg whose "Bridge of Spies" closes the Hamptons film festival on Monday at Guild Hall.

“Our Spotlight and World Cinema films, from all around the world and right here in the Hamptons, make up the heart of our Festival’s line up, and we are so proud of this year’s selections,” said HIFF Artistic Director David Nugent. “In addition, it is an honor for us to close our 23rd festival with Steven Spielberg’s new film, as he was a part of our very first edition.”

This year's festival features premieres of seven full-length films and two shorts. Click here for the list. This year's festival features multiple films featuring musicians. Click here to find them. In addition, visual artists as subject or character are among the offerings in this year's film festival.

We've put together a list of films that centers around an artist, or the film was made by an artist or an artist has a part to play that may or may not have anything to do with painting, photography, sculpture or art in general.

The Russian Woodpecker

Director: Chad Gracia

Screens Oct. 9 at 11:30 a.m. and Oct. 10 at noon in East Hampton and Sag Harbor

The Chernobyl disaster remains a mystery and for Ukrainian artist Fedor Alexandrovic, it fuels an obsession. Haunted by the events that forced his family to evacuate, Fedor begins to investigate the Duga, a massive radio antenna next to the nuclear plant. Once the most expensive Cold War weapon and possibly the key to understanding the explosion, the Duga leads Fedor and filmmaker Chad Gracia on a wild hunt for the truth. Weaving Soviet history with the current events in Ukraine, the Sundance Grand Jury prizewinner THE RUSSIAN WOODPECKER is a highly thrilling documentary about an artist’s courage and determination.

Still from "The Russian Woodpecker." Courtesy of the Hamptons International Film Festival.

It's Me, Hilary: The Man Who Drew Eloise

Director: Matt Wolf

Screens Oct. 9 at 5:30 p.m. and Oct. 10 at 5 p.m. in East Hampton

Illustrator Hilary Knight reflects on his life as an illustrator and his relationship to his most successful work: Eloise, the precocious six-year-old who lives in New York’s Plaza Hotel. IT'S ME, HILARY: THE MAN WHO DREW ELOISE has a running time of 36 minutes and screens in theaters in East Hampton.

Still from "It's Me, Hilary: The Man Who Drew Eloise." Courtesy of the Hamptons International Film Festival.

April and the Extraordinary World

Director: Christian Desmares, Franck Ekinci

Screens Oct. 10 at 1 p.m. and Oct. 12 at 2:30 p.m. in East Hampton

In an alternate reality, where scientific innovation has stalled and electricity has yet to be invented, April (voiced by Academy Award® winner Marion Cotillard) is a young scientist trying to find her parents, who were mysteriously abducted while researching a powerful longevity serum. Accompanied by her talking cat Darwin and new friend Julius, April bravely embarks on a journey to discover the truth. From the producers of PERSEPOLIS and renowned graphic novelist Jacques Tardi, APRIL AND THE EXTRAORDINARY WORLD is a riveting adventure through a dystopian society where government agents and a master conspiracy stand in the way of human progress.

Still from "April and the Extraordinary World." Courtesy of the Hamptons International Film Festival.

Picturing Barbara Kruger

Director: Pippa Bianco

Screens Oct. 10 at 5 p.m. in East Hampton

Narrated by artist herself, this brief portrait of Barbara Kruger raises many questions about art and the artist. Directed by Pippa Bianco, the short has a running time of 5 minutes.

Artwork by Barbara Kruger. Courtesy of the Hamptons International Film Festival.

Harry Benson: Shoot First

Director: Matthew Miele

Screens Oct. 10 at 6:15 p.m. and Oct. 11 at 4:30 p.m. in East Hampton and Sag Harbor

HARRY BENSON: SHOOT FIRST chronicles the illustrious career of the prolific photographer Harry Benson who initially rose to fame alongside The Beatles, having been assigned to cover their inaugural trip to the United States. With unprecedented “behind the scenes” access, Benson captured some of the most vibrant and intimate portraits ever taken of the most popular band in history. His extensive portfolio includes iconic images of Winston Churchill, Bobby Fischer, Muhammad Ali, Greta Garbo, Michael Jackson, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Robert F. Kennedy assassination. Now 85, workaholic Benson has no intention of stopping.

Still from "Harry Benson: Shoot First." Courtesy of the Hamptons International Film Festival.

Other films incorporating the arts include:

Fell: Oct. 8 at 4 p.m. and Oct. 10 at 12:15 p.m.

11 Minutes: Oct. 8 at 7 p.m., Oct. 9 at 7:30 p.m.

When I Live My Life Over Again: Oct. 9 at 1 p.m.

Missing People: Oct. 9 at 2 p.m. and Oct. 10 at 7 p.m.

Flame: Oct. 9 at 3:15 p.m., Oct. 10 at 2:45 p.m.

Bolshoi Babylon: Oct. 9 at 5 p.m. and Oct. 10 at 12:15 p.m.

The Many Sad Fates of Mr Toledano: Oct. 9 at 5:30 p.m.

Louder Than Bombs: Oct. 9 at 6:15 p.m.

Song of Lahore: Oct. 10 at 2:45 p.m. and Oct. 12 at 6:45 p.m.

I Saw The Light: Oct. 10 at 8 p.m.

Born to Be Blue: Oct. 10 at 9:30 p.m.

Nicodemus: Oct. 11 at 2 p.m. and Oct. 12 at 1:45 p.m.

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BASIC FACTS: The 23rd Annual Hamptons International Film Festival takes place from October 8 to 12, 2015. For tickets, theater locations, programming and more, visit www.hamptonsfilmfest.org.