Meet David Nugent, Hamptons International Film Festival Chief Creative Officer

It must be very good to be David Nugent, especially if you like movies. Nugent is the chief creative officer of the 33rd annual Hamptons International Film Festival, and a big part of the job for him and his staff is to watch movies as they prepare for the annual film festival. They also curate the Screenwriters Lab and SummerDocs Series, but the International Film Festival is the big one, the one about which everyone gets excited.

Co-chaired by actor and Hamptons resident Alec Baldwin, the festival is Oct. 3-13, and will include 145 feature-length and short films.

“How many films you’ll see depends on how strong your coffee is,” Nugent said jokingly. “The average person could screen about 25 films in the course of the festival. You could screen at least two a day. You will 100 percent see a great film, no matter which one you see, I promise you that.”

This year’s opening film is Eternity, which will be making its U.S. premiere. Directed by David Freyne, it is about an afterlife where souls have one week to decide where to spend eternity. Jane, played by Elizabeth Olsen, must decide between spending eternity with the man she spent her life with, or her first love who died young and has waited decades for her.

While Nugent encourages people to buy some tickets in advance, or become a member, he says that buying the day of will still allow you to see some great films. In addition, buying a badge entitles you to see any film being screened.

An insider tip from Nugent: Waiting until the day of a screening could net you some of the prized tickets because they set aside a certain number for people who have bought an all-festival pass, but the festival sells them near screen time if they are not claimed. These are called rush tickets.

“We set enough aside for all who bought those passes, but we’ve never had a situation where everyone comes to one showing,” Nugent explains. “So, we will release some tickets as we get close to the start of the film. It is always worth checking. I personally buy rush tickets. I was at the Toronto Film Festival and used rush tickets. Even if you don’t get into the one you wanted to see, you’ll still see a great film.”

Nugent is a fan of taking chances. Remember a little-known movie called Slumdog Millionaire? The first time American audiences saw it was at the Hamptons International Film Festival.

“It was 2008, my first year here,” Nugent says. “There were no actors in it that anyone knew. It won eight Academy Awards. Remember Argo? It had its East Coast premiere here. We also premiered Greenbook. It is exciting when you happen upon an under-the-radar film like that. It is the reason people come to a film festival. That, and the chance to sit in a dark theater with 200 other people who love films as much as you do.”

While the film festival caters more to adult tastes, Nugent says Arco is an animated film that should be good for the whole family. For those hard-core movie lovers, last year, the films shown at the festival garnered 51 different Oscars.

“I really think this year will be similar,” Nugent says. “I guarantee you some of the films will win Oscars.”

The festival also will host discussions after certain films. He and his staff moderate some. Baldwin also steps in as host. Any talks are included in the price of the ticket. The first screening will be at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3. Weekend screenings start at 11 a.m. and weekday screenings start at 5 p.m. There is no particular attire for any of the screenings or talks.

This also will be the inaugural awarding of the Achievement in Casting Award, which will go to Bernard Telsey, an influential casting director in theater, film and television. Telsey was the casting director for Kiss of the Spider Woman, Wicked: For Good and Rachel Getting Married. Throughout his career, he has helped to redefine casting as an essential creative force in storytelling.

The Breakthrough Director Special Screen will be Sorry, Baby, directed by Eva Victor, about a woman who suffers something bad, but it takes a major milestone for her to realize how stuck she’s been and that she must work through it.

The range of films will include documentaries, narratives and world cinema. The festival will showcase 12 world premieres, 20 U.S. premieres, 21 East Coast premieres and 27 New York premieres.

Locations include the Regal UA Cinema in East Hampton, 30-38 Main Street; Guild Hall, 158 Main Street in East Hampton; Southampton Playhouse, 43 Hill Street in Southampton; East Hampton Middle School, 76 Newtown Lane; and Sag Harbor Cinema, 90 Main Street.

Visit hamptonsfilmfest.org for more information and to purchase tickets.

Todd Shapiro is an award-winning publicist and associate publisher of Dan’s Papers.