James IvoryHudson, NY (August 3, 2023) - Hudson Hall at the historic Hudson Opera House honors multi-award-winning writer, director, and producer James Ivory with a two-day celebration of film screenings, Q&As, and special events on September 16 & 17, 2023.

The weekend’s screenings traverse the decades and exemplify Ivory’s talents as director and screenwriter: Shakespeare Wallah (1965), The Bostonians (1984), and Call Me by Your Name (2017), for which he won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. Special guests include James Ivory – who will be attendance at all screenings, producer Peter Spears (Call Me by Your Name), screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala’s daughter Firoza Prawer, and more to be announced.

With a career spanning over 70 years, director, producer, screenwriter, and Hudson Valley local James Ivory is best known for his decades-long collaboration with producer Ismail Merchant and writer Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. Together they created their own brand of richly textured and emotionally charged films like A Room with a View, Howard’s End, and The Remains of the Day.  Merchant Ivory’s period pieces earned them multiple Academy Awards and international acclaim yet represent just a fraction of Ivory’s intensely varied body of work. Over the course of the weekend, audiences go behind the scenes with Ivory himself and his collaborators, who will discuss each film in pre- or post-screening conversations. The weekend includes a three-course meal with James Ivory at Hudson's Feast & Floret and concludes with drinks at Red Dot Restaurant & Bar following the screening of Shakespeare Wallah on Sunday, September 17.

“Few filmmakers can boast the excellence and longevity of Jim’s incredible career,” says Executive Director, Tambra Dillon. “We are so proud to have the opportunity to honor his contribution to the arts in the community he’s called home for many years now, and in the presence of his collaborators and friends. We couldn’t think of a better place to enjoy his stunning films than framed by the beautiful 19th-century proscenium in New York State’s oldest surviving theater.”

All Access passes are on sale now at hudsonhall.org and include all three screenings and dinner Feast & Floret. Individual screening tickets on sale soon.

A CELEBRATION OF JAMES IVORY
With James Ivory and Special Guests
September 16 & 17, 2023


SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2023

2PM: THE BOSTONIANS (1984, 2hr 2m)
Followed by a Q&A with James Ivory & Special Guests
Directed by James Ivory
Screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala; based on the novel by Henry James
Starring Christopher Reeve, Vanessa Redgrave, Madeleine Potter, Jessica Tandy
 

5PM: DINNER AT FEAST & FLORET with JAMES IVORY

7PM: CALL ME BY YOUR NAME (2017, 2h 12m)
With a pre-film discussion with James Ivory, producer Peter Spears & Special Guests
Screenplay by James Ivory, based on the novel by André Aciman
Directed by Luca Guadagnino
Starring Timothée Chalamet, Armie Hammer, Michael Stuhlbarg

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17

3PM: SHAKESPEARE WALLAH (1965, 2hr)
Followed by a Q&A with James Ivory & Firoza Prawer
Directed by James Ivory
Written by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala & James Ivory
Starring Felicity Kendal, Shashi Kapoor, Madhur Jaffrey, Geoffrey Kendal


5PM: Continue the conversation over drinks at Red Dot Restaurant & Bar (no reservations required, cash bar)

ABOUT JAMES IVORY

Film director, producer, and screenwriter James Francis Ivory (born June 7, 1928) was born in Berkeley, California and educated at the University of Oregon, where he majored in Architecture and Fine Arts. His first film, the short documentary Venice: Theme and Variations, was named by The New York Times in 1957 as one of the ten best non-theatrical films of the year. He then shifted his focus to India, where he made The Sword and the Flute (1959) and The Delhi Way (1964) before forming a four decades-long professional and personal relationship with producer Ismail Merchant (1936–2005). Merchant Ivory Productions went on to make 40 films, with 23 scripted or co-written by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (1927–2013). Best known for their literary adaptations, Merchant Ivory productions won seven Academy Awards and are honored in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest partnership in independent cinema history.

James Ivory's directorial work for Merchant Ivory includes A Room with a View (1985), Maurice (1987), Howards End (1992), and The Remains of the Day (1993). For his work on Call Me by Your Name (2017), which he wrote and produced, Ivory won awards for Best Adapted Screenplay from the Academy Awards, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Writers Guild of America, the Critics' Choice Awards, and the Scripter Awards, among others. Upon winning the Oscar and BAFTA at the age of 89, Ivory became the oldest-ever winner in any category for both awards.

ABOUT HUDSON HALL

Hudson Hall (www.hudsonhall.org) is a cultural beacon in the Hudson Valley, offering a dynamic year-round schedule of music, theater, dance, literature, exhibitions, workshops for youth and adults, as well as family programs and large-scale community events such as Winter Walk. Located in a historic landmark that houses New York State’s oldest surviving theater, Hudson Hall underwent a full restoration and reopened to the public in April 2017 for the first time in over 55 years. In 2019, through an extensive program encompassing live performance, art exhibitions, city-wide festivals, free community events and workshops, Hudson Hall served an audience of 50,000 and employed over 400 artists and skilled technicians, making it a valuable contributor to Columbia County’s $8 million creative economy. Approximately 70% of Hudson Hall’s programs are free of charge or subsidized to ensure equitable access to the arts.

Photo: James Ivory backstage at the Academy Awards. Photo by Jeff Kravitz

MEDIA CONTACT:
Caroline Lee
caroline@hudsonhall.org
(518) 822-1438