A Life Illuminated is a documentary that follows the life and career of pioneering marine biologist and deep-sea explorer, Dr. Edith Widder, as she descends 3,300 feet to the bottom of the ocean on an expedition in search of one of the greatest bioluminescent mysteries on our planet. Director Tasha Van Zandt will join post-screening via Zoom for a conversation with Jon Bowermaster. (dir. Tasha Van Zandt, U.S., 2025, 90 mins.)

A mysterious young man from a New York publisher is sent to Switzerland to persuade the renowned writer Patricia Highsmith to write one final installment of the Ripley anthology.

Kathryn (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Sebastian (Ryan Phillippe), two wealthy, manipulative teenage step-siblings from Manhattan’s upper-crust, conspire in Cruel Intentions, a wickedly entertaining tale of seduction and betrayal. The stakes are high when the duo agrees upon a deliciously diabolical wager of sexual conquest without consequences. The pawns? The naïve Cecile Caldwell (Selma Blair) and the virginal Annette Hargrove (Reese Witherspoon) ... It’s summer break, and Kathryn has been dumped by her beau, Court Reynolds, for the innocent Cecile. Desperate to get even, Kathryn challenges Sebastian to ruin Cecile by deflowering her and turning her into a tramp—thus humiliating Court by delivering Cecile to him as damaged goods. Sebastian has pretty much ‘had’ all of the girls in New York City up to this point, and he’s gotten a bit bored of it all. Though this is too easy a conquest for him, he obliges. He sets his sights on a greater challenge—the new headmaster’s daughter, Annette, who recently wrote an article in a magazine about how she intends to stay pure until she marries her boyfriend. Sebastian bets Kathryn that he can seduce the chaste and pristine Annette before school begins in the fall. Kathryn thinks this feat impossible and quickly agrees to the wager. The stakes: if Sebastian succeeds, Kathryn must give him a night of unbridled biblical pleasure, something he’s wanted since their parents got married. If he fails, he must forfeit his priceless 1956 Jaguar to Kathryn and suffer the shame of defeat.

The most powerful man in the world embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity's saviour before the disaster he’s unleashed destroys everything.

Live From Upstate Discounted ticket for members + Saugerties (12477) residents (with ID) Join Upstate Films in welcoming Ian Flanigan home for the holidays. A night of storytelling and holiday tunes on an intimate stage in his hometown, by the musician praised by Blake Shelton as a “once-in-a-lifetime vocalist.” Flanigan has since built a career rooted in authenticity, heart, and relentless touring. Originally from Saugerties, NY, Ian began touring independently at just 17 years old, carving his path across the country as a grassroots performer. He’s played renowned stages including Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, Kerrville Folk Festival,Dripping Springs Songwriters Festival, and Austin City Limits, steadily building a loyal fan base through raw talent and genuine connection. He has shared the stage with Blake Shelton, Parker McCollum, Trace Adkins, Larry Fleet, Bob Schneider, and many more—bringing his commanding presence and heartfelt storytelling to venues and festivals across the country. Whether solo or backed by a full band, Flanigan’s live show is both intimate and unforgettable. Ian Flanigan is a nationally touring singer-songwriter known for his soulful, gravel-toned baritone and standout performances on NBC’s The Voice, where he finished as a Top 3 finalist on Team Blake.

An enduring, singular masterpiece of cinema starring Academy Award®-winner Vanessa Redgrave and Oliver Reed, KEN RUSSELL’S THE DEVILS is a prescient epic of obsession and corruption – and a defining work of art from seminal filmmaker Ken Russell. Assembled from the original camera negative, this new 4K restoration presents Ken Russell’s definitive vision of THE DEVILS by referencing the edit he privately constructed in 2004. KEN RUSSELL’S THE DEVILS is the uncut and unfiltered theatrical experience that Russell always envisioned – and the first time the film will be presented restored and in 4K.

followed by A Rare Linton Kwesi Johnson concert from 1985 Restored by the British Film Institute, Franco Rosso’s (Babylon) powerful documentary on legendary dub reggae poet and activist Linton Kwesi Johnson captures the cultural hero in active protest, in the recording studio, and reading his poetry live. Although the 1975 poem (of the same name as the film) is 50 years old, the film celebrating his verse has barely been seen in North America. It addresses the racial oppression, police brutality and the sociopolitical struggles of the African-Caribbean diaspora in Britain using dub-inflected rhythms. (dir. Franco Rosso, Jamaica/U.K., 1979, 49 min.)

This pulpy sapphic tragedy, celebrating its 25th anniversary, follows Mary “Mouse” Bradford (Mischa Barton) during her first year at an elite all-girls boarding school in rural Ontario. She’s devastated when dire circumstances force her deeply in love roommates to separate. (dir. Lea Pool, U.S., 2001, 103 min.) “A movie for those who are so filled with hope and longing that they feel like uttering wild goat cries to the moon. You know who you are.” —Roger Ebert

A definitive and unvarnished examination of the controversial and headline-making CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and Twitter.

Join 90s grunge bassist Melissa Auf der Maur, of HOLE and Smashing Pumpkins fame, as she takes us on a grunge journey through her decade of road photographs. Courtney Love goofing around backstage, self-portraits from sold-out arenas, moody images that mirror the complex grief of losing friends to drugs, suicide and illness. Auf der Maur accidentally became a 1990s musical icon and originally meant to become a photographer, so her archive of this historical time period with her fellow cultural tastemakers is a sometimes brutal but always real slice of touring life.

When Vladimir Putin labeled a group of dissident journalists as spies, they fled overnight, beginning a twisting, sometimes terrifying odyssey. Julia Loktev’s astonishing documentary captures their life on the road, as they find ingenious new ways to report on their country’s human rights abuses and brutal war on Ukraine, even as they dodge Russian agents. It’s one of cinema’s most potent portraits of everyday heroism (dir. Julia Loktev, U.S., 2026, 355 min.) Presented with two short intermissions. “An immersive portrait of roving defiance … as necessary as nonfiction gets.” –L.A. Times

Filmed at night from Tel Aviv rooftops, this investigative documentary examines the civilian casualties of Israel's military operations in Gaza and the systems behind targeted killings of Palestinians.

Academy Award winning filmmaker Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman) brings us a beautifully wicked tale of privilege and desire. Struggling to find his place at Oxford University, student Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) finds himself drawn into the world of the charming and aristocratic Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi), who invites him to Saltburn, his eccentric family’s sprawling estate, for a summer never to be forgotten.

From Focus Features and Working Title comes an irresistible new take on Jane Austen’s iconic Sense and Sensibility: a charming, witty, and deeply relatable story of love and sisterhood starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles.

This lavish fantasy film, shot in Agfacolor (known for its vintage, soft contrast), was originally commissioned by Joseph Goebbels with the incredible budget of 6.5 million Reichsmarks, though it avoids the war altogether and has no overt propaganda themes. An immortal 18th-century baron recounts to a young couple his adventures—his time with the cavalry of Catherine the Great, an affair with an empress, a voyage to Constantinople, a rescue in Venice and a trip to the Moon. (dir. Josef von Báky, 1943, 119 min.) “A total state fantasy … designed to make audiences forget the horrific realities by offering them pure, unadulterated wonder." –Village Voice

In January, 2003, Afropop’s Sean Barlow and Banning Eyre borrowed two movie cameras and headed to the Malian desert to attend the fourth Festival in the Desert. In the rolling white dunes outside Timbuktu, organizers constructed a sound stage and presented three nights of music from Ali Farka Touré, Oumou Sangaré, Lobi Traoré, Tartit, Lojo, Tinariwen and Robert Plant, among others. The Afropop team filmed intimate daytime performances in tents around the site, and spoke deeply with artists about that era’s newfound peace in northern Mali. The resulting film captures a moment of hope and solidarity not to be repeated in our time, not to mention spine-tingling performances by some of Mali’s greatest hidden talents. In subsequent years, as security conditions deteriorated, the Festival was moved into Timbuktu. Its final edition came in 2012, just as Tuareg and Islamist rebels seized control of the region, igniting conflicts that continue to this day. This film stands today as a record of a poignant but perilous time in this fantastically rich musical country. (dir. Banning Eyre and Sean Barlow, Mali/USA, 2003, 42 mins.)

The Hydrosphere is a one day festival exploring our water world in films, books and food; encouraging a dialogue about ocean health, ocean economy, and ocean as sustenance.

With a psychopath named Buffalo Bill murdering women and believing it takes one to know one, the FBI sends Agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) to interview a demented prisoner: Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), a cannibalistic psychiatrist whose fascination with the young agent is as great as his hunger for murder. As their relationship develops, Starling is forced to confront not only her own demons, but also an evil so powerful she may not have the courage to stop!

Sofia Coppola’s feature film directorial debut spins the tale of five sisters raised in Michigan by conservative parents.  After Lux (Kirsten Dunst) dates the dreamy Trip (Josh Hartnett) and stays out late, the adolescent girls are locked down—a very dark comedy adapted from Jeffrey Eugenides’ award-winning novel. (dir. Sofia Coppola, U.S., 1999, 97 min.) “Mixes disparate, delicate ingredients with subtlety and virtuosity.” -New York Post

Raven Chacon, winner of the MacArthur genius grant, creates a city-wide, day-long performance in his hometown of Albuquerque. Among the musicians he conducted: a cellist floating down the Rio Grande, lowriders singing on Central Avenue, choirs on volcanic peaks, and singers at City Hall. He’ll present the film and speak afterward. (dir. Raven Chacon, U.S., 2026, 85 min.) “A colossal artistic achievement.” -California Aggie Raven Chacon is a Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, performer and installation artist born at Fort Defiance, Navajo Nation. A recording artist over the span of 24 years, Chacon has appeared on over eighty releases on national and international labels. He has exhibited, performed, or had works performed at LACMA, The Renaissance Society, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Borealis Festival, Whitney Biennial, Ende Tymes Festival, and Swiss Institute of Contemporary Art New York, and is a 2023 MacArthur Fellow. As an educator, Chacon is the senior composer mentor for the Native American Composer Apprentice Project (NACAP).

What I Want You To Know, executive produced by two veterans, is an intimate journey alongside Iraq and Afghanistan veterans as they share deeply personal stories from their deployments and explore truth and justice in the context of their wars. Interspersed with actual images and video from both wars, their stories present an intense and compelling picture of the post-911 wars and their cost to the men and women who fought, and to civilians on the ground.

Thirty-four days before she’s sent to prison, notorious Silicon Valley founder Elizabeth Holmes invites a skeptical film crew to document her every move. What begins as an intimate portrait of an enigmatic felon becomes a mind-bending three-year journey into the abyss. From boundary-pushing directors Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim comes You Can See Everything.