Where does one start? The lights, the cameras, or the action? The action, of course, at the 13th Annual Hamptons International Film Festival!
Celebs had an abundant amount of parties to carouse, including Ann Barish's fete at her ocean-front home in Southampton, honoring Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick for their film, Loverboy. In Easthampton, Vicki and Stuart Match Suna hosted the Chairman's Reception, and Debra Winger joined the VIPs at the engaging brunch held at Nick & Toni's. Other celebs partying it up: Charlize Theron, Danny Aiello, Cherry Jones, Alan Cumming, Ned Beatty, and Liza Minnelli.
Panasonic sponsored the "48-Hour Film Challenge," where four festival-award-winning filmmakers were given 48 hours to present a short film. Audiences then judged the final product, and the winner (Savannah Haske, Rising Star Award '03 for Piggy) received a Panasonic AG-DVX100A cinema camera.
An ultra-exclusive screening and party for the Johnny Cash biopic, Walk the Line, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon, was held at the closing of the Festival. Phoenix, who plays Cash, was on hand to introduce the film, but not before we spotted him removing gum from his mouth… then placing it right back in after the intro! Most stars stay for their films, but we noticed Joaquin took off, which sparked our curiosity… read on!
Pharmaceutical mogul Stewart Rahr (a Festival sponsor) of Kinray Inc., and wife, Carol, held the after-party at their 24,000-sq.-ft. Burnt Point estate in Wainscott (recently purchased for $45 mil). Luminaries at the soiree: Dyan Cannon, Marianne Williamson, gossip-maven extraordinaire Cindy Adams, Alec Baldwin, Miranda Richardson, and football Hall of Famer Marcus Allen.
Joaquin, who lost his 23-year-old brother, River, to a drug overdose in 1993, left rehab for alcohol abuse earlier this year. The star wasn't chatting it up with the press, so we went straight to the horse's mouth-his mother, Heart, in attendance-to get our scoop. Mom explained, "It was very difficult for Joaquin to make this movie, but it was a cleansing and profound experience for him." She continued, "Joaquin never watches his own movies… he never has. He's too critical of himself. He'll say, 'I don't like how my tooth looks,' or 'I don't like my lip'… there's always something." Mama tells all!
