Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts turns into a movie lover’s mecca when new independent films screen at the Stony Brook Film Festival on evenings from Thursday, July 16 to Saturday, July 25.

The popular festival, now in its 31st year, will become a hub for some of the best filmmakers working today, a meeting ground for favorite actors and rising stars, and a showcase of new masterpieces as it pairs memorable short films with an array of features you won’t see anywhere else.

Presented by Stony Brook Medicine for the first time, this year’s festival will showcase 36 films from 23 countries with filmmaker Q&As, special events, and some of the year’s most acclaimed independent cinema. The festival annually attracts approximately 10,000 attendees and is recognized as one of the region’s premier showcases for independent film.

“Stony Brook Medicine is proud to support the Stony Brook Film Festival and its longstanding tradition of bringing powerful storytelling to our community,” said Carol A. Gomes, MS, FACHE, CPHQ, Chief Executive Officer of Stony Brook University Hospital. “We recognize that health and well-being extend beyond clinical care. This partnership reflects our shared commitment to bettering the lives of people across Long Island through art that inspires, educates, and fosters meaningful dialogue.”

The festival kicks off with Once Upon My Mother, the inspiring true story of Esther Perez, a Moroccan-Jewish immigrant in France, portraying a mother’s determination to help her son overcome a severe disability against all odds.

Many films in this year’s lineup explore themes of family and connection through stories from around the world. A Mosquito in the Ear follows an American couple traveling to India to meet the 4-year-old girl they have adopted; and the timely The Sea, which follows a Palestinian father trying to find his son who has decided to journey illegally from the West Bank through Israel to visit the sea; and the mesmerizing If I Go Will They Miss Me, in which a 12-year-old tries to connect with his recently incarcerated father.

American independent cinema thrives in Downbeat, a zero-budget kinetic drama about a self-sabotaging, down-on-his-luck drummer trying to eke out a living as a street performer in Boston; plus indie gem The Art of Quitting Gracefully, and the meta Bravado, while lighter offerings include the crowd-pleasing It Takes Two to Tango; and the delightfully unpredictable road-trip adventure Crystal Cross, in which a small-town, church-going singer decides to run away from her problems by hitching a ride with a depressed stranger she thinks looks like Jesus.

Acclaimed international selections include Frontier, a WWII epic about small-town residents in a Spanish border town hiding Jewish refugees; HEYSEL 85, a heart-pounding film about the 1985 European Cup; and Hungarian Wedding, a spirited crowd-pleaser set against the rich backdrop of Hungary’s vibrant folk traditions.

Closing this year’s festival is the East Coast premiere of Swiss blockbuster Hello Betty, the story of the woman behind Switzerland’s most beloved culinary icon.

“We are very excited to have filmmakers from all over the world join us for their premiere screenings. Our audiences can gather in a huge theater with Long Island’s largest screen, to see movies the way they were meant to be seen,” says SBFF & Staller Center Director, Alan Inkles.

Notable cast from the films include Jake Lacy (A Mosquito in the Ear), Kamilla Kowal (Serenity), Daniel Rashid (Downbeat), Daniel Bruhl (Berlin Hero), Danielle Brooks (If I Go Will They Miss Me), Adele Exarchopoulos (DOG 51), and more. Many of the filmmakers, along with cast members, will attend the festival, participate in Q&A’s with the audience, and attend the afterparties following their premiere screenings.

In addition, the Stony Brook Film Festival and Stony Brook Southampton’s campus will present an encore screening of the award-winning film Westhampton on Sunday, July 26, at 7 p.m. at Stony Brook Southampton’s Avram Theater. A reception will precede the event at 6:30 p.m., followed by a post-film Q&A with the filmmakers. Admission is free; RSVP is recommended at StonyBrook.edu/avram.

FILM SCHEDULE

OPENING NIGHT

Thursday, July 16 at 7 p.m.

Short: The Doorman

Feature: Once Upon My Mother

Friday, July 17 at 7 p.m.

Short: Shaba Daba

Feature: A Mosquito in the Ear

Friday, July 17 at 9:30 p.m.

Short: The Sentry

Feature: Downbeat

Saturday, July 18 at 7 p.m.

Short: This Conversation Has Been Removed

Feature: Berlin Hero

Saturday, July 18 at 9:30 p.m.

Short: Robinzon?

Feature: It Takes Two to Tango

Sunday, July 19 at 7 p.m.

Short: Broken Down

Feature: Frontier

Sunday, July 19 at 9:30 p.m.

Short: The Acres

Feature: The Art of Quitting Gracefully

Monday, July 20 at 7 p.m.

Short: 113 Words for You Today

Feature: Anne Packard: An Artist’s Resolve

Monday, July 20 at 9 p.m.

Short: Body of Work Early Start Time

Feature: Colours of Time

Tuesday, July 21 at 7 p.m.

Short: So, Boom

Feature: If I Go Will They Miss Me

Tuesday, July 21 at 9:30 p.m.

Short: Sound Asleep

Feature: The Soundman

Wednesday, July 22 at 7 p.m.

Short: Serenity

Feature: Crystal Cross

Wednesday, July 22 at 9:30 p.m.

Short: Light Bunny

Feature: HEYSEL 85

Thursday, July 23 at 7 p.m.

Short: Francine, East-West

Feature: The Sea

Thursday, July 23 at 9:30 p.m.

Short: To-Go

Feature: Bravado

Friday, July 24 at 7 p.m.

Short: Last Minute

Feature: Hungarian Wedding

Friday, July 24 at 9:30 p.m.

Short: Everything Between Us

Feature: DOG 51

CLOSING NIGHT

Saturday, July 25 at 7 p.m.

Short: Mother

Feature: Hello Betty

CLOSING NIGHT AWARDS

9:30 p.m. Presented on stage.

For a complete description of all of the films, visit stonybrookfilmfestival.com.

Ticket information

All screenings (with the exception of Westhampton) are held at Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook on a 40-foot screen in the 1,000-seat Main Stage theater.

Pass options include a VIP Gold Pass for $250 and a Regular Pass for $100, granting access to all ten days of the festival, and a Flex Pass for $75. Individual tickets — $15 adults, $13.50 seniors — are also available after July 1.

The Gold Pass includes VIP access to Opening and Closing Night parties, which include hors d’oeuvres, drinks, a...

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