I appreciated a taste of autumn earlier this week in the Hamptons, where I caught the first 2 days of the Hamptons International Film Festival... The event (celebrating its 15th birthday) is in the midst of a transition, having recently announced the appointment of a new leader, in a a year when a group of folks took the helm to make the fest happen. I'm a fan of the event, having attended annually for the past 13 years. Its a great place to relax, catch some films and hang out with an eclectic mix of folks in a more mellow fest setting. The Hamptons event has come a long way and seems to have hit its stride in recent years as organizers avoided the temptation to expand beyond their foundation as a top notch weekend showcase for both emerging and established filmmakers.

Over the past few years, indieWIRE hosted an annual industry toast honoring a member of the film community. While we put those plans aside this year amidst all the changes taking place at the fest, I hope we can bring back the salute in '08.
[iphone photo by eugene hernandez]