NEWSLETTER
The 27th annual Woodstock Film Festival takes place October 14–18, 2026, across Woodstock, Saugerties, Rosendale and Kingston, NY
Woodstock, NY (September 2, 2026) - The Woodstock Film Festival (WFF) is putting the Hudson Valley center stage for its 27th edition, today announcing a special Festival Kick-off screening and conversation of the documentary American Zoo in Catskill on Tuesday, October 13; the first-ever discounted ticket and pass options created exclusively for Hudson Valley residents; the unveiling of its official 2026 Festival poster by Woodstock artist Eliza McKenna; and a new collaboration with Kingston-based Good Neighbor on a limited-edition collectible Festival zine highlighting WFF.
The announcements come on the heels of WFF’s recently unveiled new visual identity, its first major rebrand in 26 years, and offer an early look at an exciting new chapter for the Festival and its continued celebration of the Hudson Valley community it has called home for more than a quarter century. WFF returns October 14–18 across Woodstock, Saugerties, Rosendale and Kingston, with the full 2026 program lineup, including films shot throughout the Hudson Valley, to be revealed in mid-September.
FESTIVAL KICK-OFF EVENT | TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13 | AMERICAN ZOO
The Festival will kick off on Tuesday, October 13 at 7:00 p.m. with the Hudson Valley premiere of a special screening of American Zoo at the Community Theater, 373 Main Street in Catskill, NY, followed by a conversation with director Tim Travers Hawkins and special guests, moderated by Noah Eckstein, founding editor-in-chief of The Overlook, with the publication serving as a Community Presenter for the event. The nonprofit Catskills news outlet reported earlier this summer on the history explored in American Zoo and the documentary's examination of the complicated legacy of the Catskill Game Farm.
The Catskill Game Farm, America’s first and eventually largest privately owned zoo, created beloved childhood memories for generations before closing in 2006 after 73 years. But among the ruins of the once-idyllic Hudson Valley institution, filmmakers discovered thousands of archival materials and reels of home movies that revealed a far more complicated history. Directed by Tim Travers Hawkins, American Zoo traces the Game Farm from its 1933 founding by German immigrant Roland Lindemann through his 1959 decision to bring German zoologist Dr. Heinz Heck to America as zoo director, a move that would forever entwine the attraction with a disturbing zoological legacy. Through newly uncovered archival material and interviews with those who lived and worked at the Game Farm and historical experts, the documentary explores the startling history behind a place remembered fondly by generations.
Hawkins is an Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker known for cinematic and investigative nonfiction exploring systems of power, justice and institutional accountability. His debut feature, XY Chelsea, premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival and earned two Documentary Emmy Award nominations. His other work includes The Movement for The Guardian, Persona for HBO Max, Burn It Down! for Paramount and Capturing the Killer Nurse for Netflix. Hawkins studied filmmaking at EICTV in Cuba and trained in Latin America with filmmakers Fernando Birri and Pino Solanas. His latest feature documentary, American Zoo, had its world premiere at the 2026 Tribeca Festival.
Eckstein is the founding editor-in-chief of The Overlook, a nonprofit news outlet providing public-service journalism across seven towns in the Catskills. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Vogue, Semafor, Variety, The Guardian and Fast Company, among other national and international publications.
Tickets for the American Zoo Festival kick-off event are available beginning today at woodstockfilmfestival.org/
WFF INTRODUCES FIRST-EVER HUDSON VALLEY LOCALS TICKET PROGRAM
For the first time, the Woodstock Film Festival is introducing discounted ticket packages and passes exclusively for Hudson Valley residents, making it easier for the Festival's neighbors to experience more of the annual five-day celebration. The HV Locals program is available starting today to residents of Ulster, Dutchess, Columbia, Greene and Orange Counties, with eligibility verified by ZIP code at checkout.
Three options will be available:
- HV Locals Date Night: A two-pack of screening tickets at 25% off the regular price, allowing residents to bring a friend, date, family member or neighbor to an eligible Festival screening. Purchasers will also receive 10–15% off at participating local restaurants, including The Dutch, Brickmen Kitchen + Bar, The Cornell Restaurant + Bar, Cucina, and Darlings.
- HV Local Film Buffs: A six-pack of screening tickets offering local cinephiles the opportunity to see up to six eligible Festival films while saving $20 off the regular package price.
- HV Locals Reel Deal Pass: A full Festival pass offering access to screenings, panels, parties, the Maverick Awards Ceremony, Festival Kick-off and Opening Night, Closing Night and Centerpiece films at $200 off the regular price.
“The Hudson Valley has been our home since our inception back in 2000, shaping our identity and inspiring our journey, and the community here has been an essential part of our path forward throughout it all,” said Meira Blaustein, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Woodstock Film Festival. “Every fall our neighbors welcome filmmakers and audiences from around the world, fill our theaters and restaurants, and help create the energy that makes this Festival so special. We wanted to find a meaningful way to make the Festival more accessible to the people who live here and give our local community even more opportunities to experience it together, making ours, theirs too.”
WFF UNVEILS 2026 FESTIVAL POSTER BY WOODSTOCK ARTIST ELIZA McKENNA
WFF is also unveiling its official 2026 Festival poster, featuring original work by Hudson Valley artist and Woodstock native Eliza McKenna.
Created locally and photographed at The Overlook, the image celebrates the persistence and humanity of the creative process at a moment when the nature of artistic creation itself is rapidly evolving.
"Now, more than ever, the creative process deserves to be recognized," said McKenna. "As artists march up mountains, gear strapped to their backs, with a sense of undying curiosity propelling them forward, the creative act becomes a work of art in itself. As we enter an era of artificially-generated works, artists remain on mountaintops, in their studios, and on location doing what they love because they love it," McKenna continued. "As we look to the horizon of what is to come, we will push forward into deeper undiscovered ideas that mandate time and human connection to our collective consciousness."
Eliza McKenna (b. 1997, Woodstock, NY) is an artist, educator and mystic based in the Hudson Valley. Moving between photography, writing and experimental materials, her work explores grief, memory and consciousness within and beyond the human body. Her practice draws from Buddhism, philosophy and mysticism and examines art's ability to expand human perception.
WFF x GOOD NEIGHBOR | LIMITED-EDITION FESTIVAL ZINE
The Woodstock Film Festival is teaming up with Kingston-based Good Neighbor, an independent arts, culture, and community publication, on a limited-edition, collectible zine celebrating WFF. Part Festival guide, part Hudson Valley field guide, the collaboratively produced publication will spotlight must-see screenings and events alongside local places to eat, drink, shop and explore throughout the Mid-Hudson Valley during Festival season. The zine will debut at a special launch event at Unicorn Bar, 224 Foxhall Ave. in Kingston, on October 8 from 6–8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public but reservations are required. The zine will be available at select Festival events, the Festival box office and participating locations throughout the Hudson Valley, while supplies last.
MORE HUDSON VALLEY STORIES TO COME
The Festival's connection to the region will extend throughout its 2026 program. When WFF unveils its complete lineup in mid-September, audiences can expect to see the largest number of Made in the Hudson Valley films to ever screen at the festival. This Hudson Valley focused programming will span across its lineup, including feature narratives, feature documentaries, shorts, panels, musical performances, live filmmaker Q&As and special events.
ABOUT THE WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL
Established in 2000, the Woodstock Film Festival (WFF) is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization that nurtures and supports emerging and established filmmakers, sharing their creative voices through an annual festival and year-round programming to promote culture, diversity, community, educational opportunities and economic growth. WFF provides innovative mentoring and educational programs benefiting filmmakers, students and diverse audiences while serving as a cultural and economic engine for New York’s Hudson Valley and beyond. These efforts have consistently resulted in the Festival being recognized as one of the top regional film festivals worldwide.
The Woodstock Film Festival is an Academy Awards® qualifying festival in the categories of Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film and Documentary Short Film.
The 27th Annual Woodstock Film Festival runs October 14–18, 2026, in the New York State towns of Woodstock, Saugerties, Rosendale and Kingston. For more information and the organization’s year-round event calendar, visit woodstockfilmfestival.org.
The Woodstock Film Festival is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Gold Sponsors include ESPN Films, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, and Gigantic Pictures. Silver Sponsors include Gray Schwartz LLP, Apple TV, gbgg productions, Netflix, Radio Woodstock, Times Union, 1800 Tequila, and We Transfer.
Press accreditation applications for the 2026 film festival are now open. THE DEADLINE TO APPLY BY IS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2026. Click Here to fill out our application form.
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