Contact: Julie Rulon Greene Stony Brook Film Festival (631) 632-7233 Julie@stonybrookfilmfestival.com

13^th Annual Stony Brook Film Festival to be held

July 17-26, 2008 – Opening and Closing Night Films Announced

May 15, 2008, Stony Brook, NY – A contingent of devoted moviegoers plan their vacations around the Stony Brook Film Festival, this year scheduled for July 17-26. “It’s great to know how devoted people are to the Festival,” said Alan Inkles, Director of the Stony Brook Film Festival. “And first-timers are appreciative as well, with many telling us they’ll be back with their friends next year.” At the end of July, Stony Brook University brims with people out to enjoy movies, ask questions of filmmakers, and talk about film. Last year 15,000 tickets were sold to a wide-range of independent films. Parties were well-attended, with filmmakers mingling with the crowd.

Independent films will once again be shown on Staller Center’s impressive 40-foot screen in its 1000-seat Main Stage Theatre. Over the course of ten days, films are screened on evenings and throughout the weekend. Almost all of the films are in competition. Filmgoers receive ballots to rate the films and their votes count for the Audience Choice awards for Best Feature and Best Short.

The entire festival schedule will be announced at www.stonybrookfilmfestival.com on June 2. A number of world premieres are screening throughout the Festival, with directors and recognizable actors in attendance. Film passes for entrance to all films are $65, which includes a Passholder/Filmmaker reception on Saturday, July 19 at 5:30 pm. Individual tickets will also be available: $8 general admission; $6 for students and seniors. Single tickets go on sale July 7.

Opening Night and Closing Night Parties are planned. Tickets for each party are $20 for passholders and $25 for non-passholders. Party tickets go on sale to non-passholders on July 7 as well.

Opening Night Film

This year the Stony Brook Film Festival opens Thursday, July 17 with a New York premiere of “Emotional Arithmetic,” a powerful and moving drama with Susan Sarandon, Christopher Plummer, Gabriel Byrne, Roy Dupuis and Max Von Sydow. The Canadian film “Emotional Arithmetic” is directed by Paolo Barzman, and is based on an award-winning novel by Matt Cohen. It charts the fateful reunion in the 1980s of

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Page 2 – Stony Brook Film Festival

three survivors of the notorious French "transit" camp, Drancy. Melanie (Susan Sarandon), an unhappy wife obsessed with record-keeping, Jakob (Max Von Sydow), a poet and the ultimate survivor, and Christopher (Gabriel Byrne), a shy academic who has repressed both his memories and his childhood love for Melanie, meet again and feast on a fall evening on an idyllic farm. Memories and feelings emerge, reshape, and collide during a night of conflict, sadness and ultimately, healing.

Closing Night

The festival will close with “Camille,” an East Coast premiere directed by Gregory MacKenzie. The film features Sienna Miller (“Stardust”), James Franco (“Pineapple Express” - August ‘08 release), David Carradine, Ed Lauter and Scott Glenn. “Camille” is a delightfully twisted adventure about a young couple on their way to Niagara Falls for their honeymoon. The groom is a moody petty-thief who has dark ulterior motives when he marries his parole officer's niece.

21 features will be shown at the 13^th Annual Stony Brook Film Festival. There are 14 short films on the program. Most features have a short film preceding them.

For more information and to order tickets go to www.stonybrookfilmfestival.com or call the Staller Center for the Arts Box Office at 631-632-2787.

Presenting sponsors this year are HBO, JetBlue Airways, Suffolk County, Teachers Federal Credit Union, The Village Voice and WALK 97.5 Radio.

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Caption: "Emotional Arithmetic" starts off the Stony Brook Film Festival. Susan Sarandon, Christopher Plummer, Max Von Sydow, Gabriel Byrne and Roy Dupuis are among the stars in the film.

Caption: Closing the Stony Brook Film Festival: "Camille" with Sienna Miller and James Franco in starring roles. A chance to see Niagara Falls and a blue horse.