Berkshire International Film Festival

Stephen R. Lawson, 73, a longtime resident of Williamstown died on February 7, 2023, of natural causes. In varying capacities he was an associate of the Williamstown Theatre Festival for some five decades. For 13 years he curated the Williamstown Film Festival which was produced at Images Cinema and MASS MoCA.

Participating cultural organizations include Barrington Stage Company, Berkshire Botanical Garden, Berkshire International Film Festival, Berkshire Theatre Group, Community Access to the Arts, The Clark, Hancock Shaker Village, Jacob’s Pillow, Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, MASS MoCA, The Mount, Norman Rockwell Museum, Shakespeare & Company, The Trustees and Williamstown Theatre Festival. 

Winner of the Audience Award for Best Documentary Film at the 2021 Berkshire International Film Festival (BIFF) and the first feature-length film project in the Company’s 44-year history, Speak What We Feel follows hundreds of students from 10 high schools across Berkshire, Hampden, and Columbia counties as they prepare to stage a full production of a Shakespeare play under the guidance of Shakespeare & Company education artists.

BIFF continues to celebrate independent film and this year we share stories of hope, of our future, of our past, of heroism, of inspiration and of laughter, loss and love.  So, we invite you to check out the program and watch all the films you want, whenever you want, wherever you want. Specific instructions will follow on the BIFF website for passholders and all others interested in the virtual event.  

In response to the financial impact caused by COVID-19, Shakespeare & Company is cutting expenses and launching the Springboard fundraising campaign to help cover the loss of earned income from ticket sales this summer. The Company’s administrative offices will be on limited hours and limited operations July 6 through October 4.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra announces Tanglewood’s first-ever fall/winter/spring schedule of performances and activities to take place on the grounds of the famed music festival, October 2019 through June 2020.

The 10X10 Upstreet Arts Festival returns to downtown Pittsfield for the sixth year and features music, theatre, dance, film, visual art, spoken word, comedy and more, including BSC’s 10X10 New Play Festival.

Barrington Stage Company, has announced casting for the 10-minute plays for the 4th Annual 10X10 New Play Festival, with performances February 12 through March 1, as part of the 2015 10X10 Upstreet Arts Festival.

The 10X10 Upstreet Arts Festival returns to downtown Pittsfield for the fourth year from February 12-22, 2014, and features music, theatre, dance, film, visual art, spoken word, comedy and more, including BSC’s 10X10 New Play Festival. Directors for the 10X10 New Play Festival are BSC Artistic Director Julianne Boyd and Artistic Associate and Director of New Play Development Stephanie Yankwitt.

Beth Harrington’s film follows the rich musical legacy of seminal country trio The Carter Family, themselves influenced by white and black string music, as passed down to their daughters, to son-in-law Johnny Cash and to his offspring, while inspiring many other musicians. Ten years in the making, the film itself is an historical treasure.

This summer, The Mount is pleased to announce a full schedule of lectures, readings, performances, music and more. The Mount will be open daily starting May 3rd through October 31st.

The Berkshire International Film Festival will showcase 75 of the latest in independent feature, documentary, short and family films from some 18 countries. The festival, which takes place from May 29 – June 1, 2014 in Great Barrington and May 31 – June 1st in Pittsfield, MA, will bring films, filmmakers, industry professionals and film fans together for a four-day festival celebrating independent film featuring 29 documentaries, 28 narrative features and 16 short films. Some of the countries represented this year are Jordan, Afghanistan, Philippines, India, Chile, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Iceland, Morocco, Iceland, Israel and France, and a record 41 filmmakers will be in attendance with their films.

No it ain't Mardi Gras in New Orleans but Pittsfield is giving it a shot. Shake off the funk with the annual city wide Ten by Ten Festival. There's lots to do so bundle up and break out of the cabin.

Barrington Stage Company (BSC) announces casting and the creative team for its 10×10 New Play Festival, with performances February 13 through March 2, as part of the 2014 10×10 Upstreet Arts Festival.

On Saturday of the recent, third Wilco Solid Sound Festival at about 7,800 Mass MoCA set a single day attendance record. While it would be possible to sell a few hundred more tickets Mass MoCA director Joe Thompson insists that for the comfort and quality of the event that's just about capacity. With the sale of some 7,200 tickets, about 10% to Berkshire county residents, the event took in but also spent a lot of money. Given ongoing infrastructure development and expenses Thompson said that the museum will be close to breaking even or making a little after the final tally. But it's a ton of work.

During the four day festival with 75 screenings we managed three days with seven films and one short film. So we review only a slice of the 8th annual Berkshire International Film Festival. Even with limited exposure it was an intense and absorbing experience.

From May 30 to June 2 the Berkshire International Film Festival will be simultaneously be screened with many additional special events at the Mahaiwe in Great Barrington and The Beacon Cinema in Pittsfield, The festival combines feature fikms and documentaries. There will be some 15 documentaries in the categories of Celebrity and Politics.

Seeing Joan Rivers on stage at the Colonial Theater in Pittsfield prompted us to check out the video documentary. It was featured a couple of years ago in the Berkshire International Film Festival. With an appearance by the star at the Mahaiwe in Great Barrington. Missed it. Having seen the bitch in heat we were curious to learn more about the insecure, fragile little girl from Brooklyn lurking behind that ferocious, grotesque, surgically altered mask. If you think you know Joan Rivers see this documentary and think again.

Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Tom Reiss, Shakespeare & Company, SculptureNow, BIFF and Lift E'vry Voice have something in common: they are all part of The Mount's 2013 summer season.

The 8th Annual season of The Berkshire International Film Festival (BIFF) today announces the line-up to the action packed program showcasing over 75 of the latest in independent feature, documentary, short and family films from some 20 countries. The festival, which takes place from May 30 – June 2, 2013 in Great Barrington and May 31 – June 2nd in Pittsfield, MA, will bring films, filmmakers, industry professionals and film fans together for a four-day festival celebrating independent film featuring 27 documentaries, 25 narrative features and 24 short films.

The 10×10 Upstreet Arts Festival returns to downtown Pittsfield for the second year from February 14-24, 2013, and features music, theatre, dance, film, visual art, spoken word, comedy and more, including BSC’s 10×10 New Play Festival.

There were many daunting impediments in presenting Phoenix a vast sculptural installation by the leading Chinese artist, Xu Bing, at Mass MoCA. This third major project with contemporary Chinese artists remains on view in North Adams for the coming year.

Passes and packages for the annual Berkshire International Film Festival (BIFF) for May 30 to June 2, 2013 are now on sale. Heirloom Meals’ Christmas Special is the follow-up program to the widely-seen and highly-praised Heirloom Meals’ Thanksgiving Special. Like the Thanksgiving Special, the Heirloom Meals’ Christmas Special features real people, with real food and heartfelt memories.

Now in its 14th year the Williamstown Film Festival has been compressed from two weekends to one Wednesday through Sunday stretch. That saw an increase of guest artists and visitors who hung in for the duration of the unique cinematic event. Yet again, artistic director, Steve Lawson, concocted a heady mix of many short films and several stunning features. There was a sell out for the thursday opening night of Dreamscape, followed by a party at Mezze. On Friday Mass MoCA was packed for Knuckleball. This is the first of two reports and several interviews.

During a post mortem of her second season as artistic director of the Williamstown Theatre Festival we discussed producing as inheriting the family business. Her earliest memories go back to two when she saw Two Gentleman of Verona, at the Public Theatre where her father, Bernard, worked until he was fired by Joe Papp in 1978. As a toddler, her Mom brought her on stage while taking a bow at Jacob's Pillow. In the first of this two part report we discuss a portrait of the artist as a young producer.