Gold Coast Film Festival at Nassau County Museum of Art

Nassau County Museum of Art Screens Six Films in Gold Coast Festival

In collaboration with the Gold Coast Film Festival, Nassau County Museum of Art is offering offer public screenings of several films that complement Richard Avedon: Photographer of Influence, a major exhibition opening on May 21, 2011.

From Tuesday, May 31 through Saturday, June 4, the museum is showing six films: Blow-Up, Rear Window, Unzipped, The September Issue, Richard Avedon: Darkness and Light, and Funny Face.

Blow-Up

Tuesday, May 31 at 12 & 2 p.m.

Legendary director Michelangelo Antonioni scores with this tense mystery (his first English-speaking film) set in London among the city's hipster crowd, the story of a popular fashion photographer (David Hemmings) who inadvertently shoots evidence of a murder. As he processes the negative in order to unravel the mystery, he must also deal with a dangerous woman (Vanessa Redgrave) who knows more than she admits. 1966, Not Rated, 111 minutes.           

Free with museum admission. No registration. Seating is limited to 50. First come, first seated!

Rear Window

Wednesday, June 1 at 12 & 2 p.m.

As his broken leg heals, wheelchair-bound photographer L.B. Jefferies (James Stewart) becomes absorbed with the parade of life outside his window and soon fixates on a mysterious man whose behavior has Jefferies convinced a murder has taken place. Meanwhile, other windows reveal the daily lives of a dancer, a lonely woman, a composer, a dog and more. Grace Kelly, Thelma Ritter and Wendell Corey co-star in this Alfred Hitchcock classic. 1954, PG, 115 minutes

Free with museum admission. No registration. Seating is limited to 50. First come, first seated!

Unzipped

Thursday, June 2 at 12 & 2 p.m.

Director Douglas Keeve captures the glamour and mayhem of high fashion in this eye-popping documentary that follows designer Isaac Mizrahi as he puts together his 1994 runway collection to be presented during New York's fall shows. A slew of supermodels and other famous faces -- including Richard Gere, Sandra Bernhard, Liza Minnelli, and Faye Dunaway -- make appearances. The film received the Audience Award at Sundance. 1995, R, 73 minutes.

Free with museum admission. No registration. Seating is limited to 50. First come, first seated!

The September Issue

Friday, June 3 at 12 & 2 p.m.

Director R.J. Cutler's documentary offers a rare look inside Vogue as the fashion magazine's influential editor, Anna Wintour, and creative director, Grace Coddington, produce the highly anticipated September issue. Cutler captures the demanding creative process in action for nine months, following perfectionist Wintour and stylist Coddington as they attend fashion week in Europe, endless photo shoots and intense staff meetings. 2008, PG-13, 90 minutes.

Free with museum admission. No registration. Seating is limited to 50. First come, first seated!

Richard Avedon: Darkness and Light

American Masters: The Artists Series

Saturday, June 4 at 12 & 2 p.m.

Richard Avedon was one of the most famous and influential photographers in the worlds of fashion and portraiture. Beginning with his work in post-World War II Paris, the film follows Avedon's 50-year career photographing both the famous and the not so famous. Avedon himself provides commentary on his signature black-and-white style in this documentary created for the "American Masters" series. 1996, Not Rated, 87 minutes.

Free with museum admission. No registration. Seating is limited to 50. First come, first seated!

Funny Face

Saturday, June 4 at sundown

Inspired by Richard Avedon’s role in the reconstruction of French glamour, Funny Face features Fred Astaire as fashion photographer “Dick Avery,” and Audrey Hepburn as a naïve young American transformed into an exquisite woman of haute couture. Avedon acted as visual consultant to the film, which features cameos by models Dovima, Suzy Parker and Sunny Harnett. The film has a Gershwin score with such classics as S’Wonderful and He Loves and She Loves. 1957, Not Rated, 103 minutes.

This event is held outdoors, on the museum’s grounds. The grounds will be open from 6 p.m., introduction at 8:30 p.m.; film begins at 9 p.m. Parking fee is $20 per car (cash only). Space is limited; first come, first served! Bring blankets, chairs and a picnic. In case of inclement weather, cancelation notification will be available from 4 p.m. on by calling (516) 484-9338, extension 12.

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Film descriptive courtesy of Netflix.com

Nassau County Museum of Art is located at One Museum Drive (just off Northern Boulevard, Route 25A, two traffic lights west of Glen Cove Road) in Roslyn Harbor. Hours are 11 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Docent-led tours of the exhibition are offered at 2 p.m. each day; meet in the lobby, no reservations needed. Admission to the galleries in the Arnold & Joan Saltzman Fine Art Building is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors (62 and above) and $4 for students and children (4 to12) and includes same day admission to the Art Space for Children (Tuesday-Sunday, 12-4:30 pm). Members are admitted free. There is a $2 parking fee on weekends (free for members). The Museum Gift Shop is open during museum hours.

Call (516) 484-9337 for current exhibitions, events, hours and directions or log onto nassaumuseum.org.