All Over Albany

Film Columbia 2013

Film Columbia -- the annual autumn film festival in Chatham -- returns October 22-27. As we've come to expect, the festival slate includes a bunch of films that are already getting attention because of screenings at other festivals and/or they're eagerly awaited because of stars or directors involved.

A few of this year's selections that caught our eye are after the the jump.

Tickets for the festival go on sale October 4. Individual screenings are $10 (day) and $15 (evening). An all-festival pass is $199. Many of the screenings sell out, so if you'd like to attend, it's probably better to buy earlier rather than later.

Nebraska
October 23, 8 p, Crandell Theatre
Alexander Payne's followup to The Descendents, starring Bruce Dern and Will Forte.

How I Live Now
October 24, 5 pm, Crandell Theatre
Saoirse Ronin plays an American who must survive in the English countryside after World War III breaks out. Directed by Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland, State of Play).

Like Father, Like Son
October 25, 3 pm, Crandell Theatre
A film about kids switched at birth by Japanese director Hirokazu Koreeda. Won the special jury prize at Cannes after Steven Spielberg apparently became a big fan.

The Armstrong Lie
October 25, 6 pm, Crandell Theatre
Oscar-winning documentary director Alex Gibney started out making a documentary about Lance Armstrong's comeback -- and then changed direction when it became apparent Armstrong had been lying about doping.

Inside Llewyn Davis
October 25, 9 pm, Crandell Theatre
The Coen Brothers return with a film about folk singer in 1960s New York. It won the second highest award at Cannes this year.

Animation for Grownups
October 26, 12:30 pm, Morris Memorial
"An international array of cutting-edge animation. Not for kids!" Animators will be there for Q&A.

Food and farm docs
October 26, 2:30 pm, Morris Memorial
Ruth Reichl will present two food/farm docs: The Kings of BBQ Kuwait (about pitmasters making barbecue for troops in Kuwait) and After Winter, Comes Spring (about family farms in the southwest of France).

The Past
October 26, 4:30 pm, Crandell Theatre
Iranian director Asghar Farhadi -- whose A Separation won the foreign film Oscar last year -- returns with Berenice Bejo (The Artist) in a "a dark drama of family conflict."

Sneak preview
October 26, 8:30 pm, Crandell Theatre
The annual sneak preview screening. The title isn't announced ahead of time. The teaser: "This drama has not been widely screened, but audiences who have seen it have been ecstatic. Several well known American actors turn in riveting performances."