Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin’s “Nyad” will be the opening night film of the Hamptons International Film Festival. The event will take place on Oct. 5, according to HamptonsFilm, which runs the festival.
It is the East Coast premiere of the Netflix release, which is shaping up to be one of the streaming service’s major awards season hopefuls. It has a cast of heavyweights, including Oscar-nominee Annette Bening, Oscar-winner Jodie Foster and Rhys Ifans. Julia Cox wrote the script.
The film details the quest by American marathon swimmer Diana Nyad (Bening) to complete a 53-hour, 110-mile swim from Cuba to Florida, through open ocean, without a shark cage. Vasarhelyi is scheduled to attend the festival and will participate in a post-screening conversation on the film. The premiere is sponsored by Audi.
“Nyad” is the narrative feature directorial debut for Vasarhelyi and Chin, who have won an Academy Award, BAFTA and Emmy Award for their documentaries. Their work includes “The Rescue” and “Free Solo.” The 31st annual edition of the Hamptons International Film Festival will take place Oct. 5-12, with in-person screenings and events across the Hamptons.
“After welcoming Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin’s incredible documentary film ‘The Rescue’ at the 2021 edition of our festival, it is an honor to celebrate their narrative debut as this year’s Opening Night presentation,” said HamptonsFilm Artistic Director David Nugent. “Vasarhelyi and Chin are two of this generation’s most compelling storytellers, and ‘Nyad’ is further proof that their creativity and eye for filmmaking knows no bounds. We are thrilled to share their story with our audiences.”
“Following another successful summer of programming, it is with great enthusiasm that we begin to unveil the lineup for this year’s 31st annual festival,“ said HamptonsFilm Executive Director Anne Chaisson. “We are grateful to our audiences out East for their continued support and we look forward to bringing the community another diverse, engaging, and entertaining festival curation.”