The 18th Annual Berkshire International Film Festival

Actor Freddie Gibbs in “Down With The King,” which was filmed in Berkshire County and screened at BIFF.
Film still by Visit Films
Actor Freddie Gibbs in “Down With The King,” which was filmed in Berkshire County and screened at BIFF.
The 18th Annual Berkshire International Film Festival began on Thursday, May 30, and ended on Sunday, June 2. (BIFF) features films, events, and special guests annually in Great Barrington and Lenox, Massachusetts. The festival gathers industry professionals and fans for a four-day celebration.
This year’s lineup featured documentaries, narrative features, short films, and an animated shorts selection for kids with stories from all over the world and Berkshire-based stories. To handle increased growth, the festival expanded to the Lenox Town Hall.
Founder Kelley Ryan Vickery worked for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for nearly five years as the press manager and spent the next 10 years overseas where she worked for art museums, as a photographer, and as a gallery owner.
“My then-husband and I were living in Singapore. We came to the Berkshires, saw Jacob’s Pillow, and fell in love with the area. Initially, we had a summer home, but then I decided to settle here. I was going through a divorce and needed a job. I talked to a family friend who started the Denver Film Festival and was inspired. I felt like we have so many amazing things in the Berkshires, but film wasn’t really celebrated, so I thought there was a need. BIFF was born in 2006 and was immediately embraced by Great Barrington and the owner of the Triplex Cinemas. I created my own thing. It’s been a great journey,” she explained.
Over the years the festival has grown and has featured cinematic giants such as Martin Scorsese, actress and Berkshire resident Karen Allen (“Raiders of the Lost Ark”) as well as local filmmakers. When asked what makes the festival unique to the area, Vickery explained, “We’ve featured local filmmakers like Diego Ongaro whose film “Down With The King” was shot here in the Berkshires. You can attend the festival and spend a whole day here. Great Barrington is an amazing, walkable town that has so much to offer.”
A key aspect of the festival is the interaction between filmmakers and their audience. Whether through workshops, moderated conversations, or question-and-answer forums, BIFF sheds light on the art of filmmaking.
“Filmmakers and audiences love each other; it’s really what creates the sense of all of us coming together and exchanging ideas and conversations with stories. People want to know more. They need that Q&A. That’s inherent in what we do,” Vickery said.
Film director Susanna Stryon has twice had films in BIFF. Her documentary short My Father’s Name is the intimate story of one woman’s attempt to uncover the truth about her father’s participation in a lynching and premiered at BIFF this year. About the festival, she said, “BIFF is one of the most fun festivals. Kelley and her team go out of their way to make filmmakers feel comfortable and valued. The Filmmakers Summit for the two days before the festival is an incredible opportunity for filmmakers to get to know each other and discuss industry issues.”
Over the years, BIFF has grown steadily, which has been a pleasant surprise for Vickery.
“Never did I think I’d still be here after 18 years. We started small in 2006, and now we’re Lenox. We’ve bounced back to pre-Covid numbers. More filmmakers come than ever before, and the growth has been incredible. It culminates in these four days, but now we’re year-round with films every month in Lenox, Great Barrington, and Stockbridge,” Vickery said.
To find films, Vickery goes to other festivals like Sundance to scout talent. Filmmakers also submit their work for consideration, which has allowed BIFF to expand its global reach.
“We have distribution partners and deep relationships with different companies. We probably wade through 1000 films and chose 80. We work with all the big film companies in the US but also European Film Festivals. We get a lot of amazing content from international companies,” Vickery said.
“We bring the world to the Berkshires with international films. It’s amazing and a lot of fun,” Vickery added.
Devon Allman
On Friday, Aug. 15, The Devon Allman Project will play Infinity Hall in Norfolk. As the son of the legendary musician Gregg Allman, Devon carries on the family tradition while stepping out on his own.
“We’re honored to keep the tradition alive,” said Allman. “But I don’t play my records and try to compare them to records from 50 years ago. I try to write songs that mean something to me, and hopefully they’ll resonate with other people.”
His band features harmonica player/singer Jimmy Hall, guitarist Larry McRae and singer Sierra Green.
“It’s an all-star show. Jimmy Hall is from the great Wet Willie band from the ‘70s. Larry McCray is regarded in blues circles as a legend, and we’re honored to introduce Sierra Green. She’s a fantastic up-and-coming R&B singer from New Orleans who has been wowing the crowds. Everybody gets to pick up the ball and run with it. It’s an elevated show for sure.”
Their Infinity Hall Norfolk gig will feature cuts from his new album “Blues Summit,” as well as hits from The Allman Brother’s catalog, tunes from Devon’s early catalog and songs by Jimmy Hall.
The Devon Allman ProjectHeather Johnson
Asked what he learned about life from his famous father, Allman chuckled and said,
“Stay away from drugs and don’t get married seven times! My dad would laugh and agree to that. Musically, just let the music ooze out of you know. You don’t want to force it. Play what moves you.”
“I didn’t meet my father until I was 17. Once I met him, I went out on tour with The Allman Brothers instead of going to my senior year of high school. I already knew what I wanted to do, but I really wanted to see if it was going to be my calling. They had me sit in on the final night of the tour in Miami singing “Midnight Rider” to 5,000 people. I was 17, and that did it. The energy was just amazing. I was putting bands together from then on,” he added.
Various members of the extensive Allman Brothers family have their own musical projects such as the “Allman Betts Family Revival.” For those shows, Devon tips his hat to Duane Allman and Dicky Betts by playing a Gibson Les Paul but for The Devon Allman Project, he primarily plays a 1966 Fender Stratocaster.
Gregg Allman, who died on May 27, 2017, passed down many of his prized instruments to his son.
“He left me 43 guitars. I also got his grand piano and his Hammond B3 organ. The grand piano is set up in my music room; the Hammond B3 comes with us on the revival tours. I try to utilize his instruments so they’re not just sitting around,” he said.
Audiences at Infinity Hall Norfolk can expect solid grooves, dynamic range, and a lot of energy.
Having started their tour in Sweden, the band will carry on playing the USA and Europe for three week stretches over the next year.
“We’re just having a lot of fun. Infinity Hall is a great venue, and we always love playing it. We hope to see everybody!” Allman said.
For ticket info, merchandise and more, visit:devonallmanproject.com
AMENIA — Peggy Ann McEnroe, 60, a lifelong area resident, passed away surrounded by her family on Aug. 4, 2025, at Vassar Brothers Hospital in Poughkeepsie, New York.Peggy Ann was the owner and operator of Peggy’s Sweet & Savory café in Amenia, New York (formerly known as Back in the Kitchen).
Peggy had a passion for food and travel and her creativity and generosity knew no bounds. Born on Dec. 10, 1964, in Sharon, Connecticut, she was the daughter of the late William Thomas McEnroe and Caroline Ann McEnroe.She was a graduate of Our Lady of Lourdes High School and received her Bachelor of Arts degree from SUNY Purchase.
Peggy is survived by her sister, Colleen McEnroe (Philip (Pete) Evans) of Bethesda, Maryland; her brothers, W. Patrick McEnroe (Lisa Roberts-McEnroe) of Rhinebeck, New York, and Kieran McEnroe of Amenia, New York. She is also survived by nieces, Sarah (Sally) Evans, Ryan McEnroe, Christy McEnroe, Kerry McEnroe, Katerin McEnroe, and nephews, Philip Evans (fiancé Rebecca Krysiak) and Carlin McEnroe, and her maternal aunt, Agnes Redmond of Smithtown, New York, as well as many cousins.
In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by a nephew, Gavin McEnroe.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, at Immaculate Conception Church, 4 Lavelle Rd., Amenia, New York, with Rev. Andrew O’Connor officiating.Burial will follow at Immaculate Conception Cemetery in Amenia, New York.In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Little Guild (animal shelter), 285 Sharon Goshen Turnpike, West Cornwall, CT06796 (or online at https://www.littleguild.org) or Immaculate Conception Church, 4 Lavelle Rd., Amenia, NY12501.
To send the family an online condolence, please visit www.hufcutfuneralhome.com.
WASSAIC — Evelyn Ann Moody Lamberti, 87, passed away July 13, 2025, in Barre, Vermont.
Born on Dec. 13, 1937, in Hartford, Connecticut to Hazen and Helen Moody, she spent her early years in Wassaic, New York and graduated from the first graduating class of Webutuck Central High School in 1955. She attended New Paltz College and then worked for the Dutchess County Supervisors Office in Poughkeepsie, New York.She married David Lamberti on Oct. 10, 1959, in Wassaic and moved to Vermont.
She began her career at the Vermont State Liquor Board and remained with them loyally for eleven years. In addition to her job, she also contributed to the success of her husband’s monument drafting studio. Her most important role in life was being a mother to her three children.
She was a woman with humble tastes and found contentment doing everyday tasks and providing a welcoming home for friends and family. With a love of the English language, her passions included word puzzles and learning on the computer. Her selfless and kind demeanor made the Lamberti house in Williamstown, Vermont, a center for family. Her memory lives on in the heart and minds of everyone who was fortunate enough to cross paths with her.
She is survived by her husband, David, and three children; Lisa Hard of Enfield, New Hampshire, David Lamberti and his wife, Joy, of St. George, Vermont, and Rhonda Warren and her husband, Don, of Clifton Park, New York. In addition to her husband and children, she is also survived by her granddaughter, Brittany Hard, sister Susan Metcalfe and husband John T. Metcalfe, and sister-in-law Caroline Tucker-Stook, as well as her nieces and nephews.
On Sunday, July 27, 2025, therewas a gathering of close friends and family at the Barre Elks Club in Barre.
In lieu of flowers, please send memorial contributions to the Central Vermont Humane Society, 1589 VT-14S, East Montpelier, VT05651.
SOUTHFIELD, Mass — Lynn Chase of Southfield, Massachusetts, passed away on July 30, 2025, at Berkshire Medical Center after a courageous seven-month battle with an aggressive cancer. Despite the challenges, Lynn continued to inspire those around her with her strength and determination.
How do you begin to talk about the extraordinary life of Lynn Chase?
A native New Yorker, Lynn Chase graduated from Bennett College and completed her studies at the New York School of Interior Design. Lynn was a lover of animals from birth, and had a habit of rescuing any animal in need, from birds to squirrels, sneaking them into her room and nursing them back to health. This deep connection with nature was a driving force in her life and work.
In the 1970s, Lynn traveled extensively through Africa and South America, and it was there she found the inspiration that shaped the rest of her life. Those travels led to her spectacular body of work — paintings and sketches, porcelain dinnerware collections and giftware, and home furnishing designs unlike anything else, which she brought to the world first for Lenox china, and then under the name Lynn Chase Designs LCD, which she launched in 1988.
Lynn’s collections celebrated jaguars, monkeys, tigers, parrots, sea life, and many more, becoming not just beautiful objects, but statements of her deep fascination with wildlife. Lynn Chase’s Jaguar Jungle design won Best Pattern and the Impact Award at the International Tabletop Association in 1991 despite being told that no one would “eat off animals, or black plates.”Her stunning Harmony Bowl paid homage to wildlife species of the land, sea, and air from the seven continents, and was one of her favorite designs.
Her following was large and loyal. People from all over the world collected her work. Her friends often shared stories of being at a dinner party and finding her designs on the table. It was striking that people hadn’t just bought her tableware because it was beautiful; they bought it because it spoke to them personally.
Lynn’s love of wildlife went far beyond her art. She founded the Lynn Chase Wildlife Foundation, an independent nonprofit dedicated to preserving endangered animals around the globe. The fund has contributed much-needed funds to the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia and the Amboseli Trust for Elephants in Kenya (where she also served on its board), among others.
She was a woman of great integrity, of immense talent, and of a generosity that matched her passions. Lynn touched so many lives, and while her loss is felt deeply, her work, her vision, and her compassion will live on in the hearts of everyone who knew her—and in the homes of people around the world who still set their tables with her creations.
Lynn Chase was predeceased by her father, Paul Jerome Chase, and her mother, Mary (Jennings) Chase of New York. On May 2, 1998, Lynn married Richard (Dick) A. Flintoft in New York, and together they enjoyed a full and happy life in New York City and Southfield, Massachusetts, until he died in 2020.
Surviving Lynn are her sister Susan (Edward “Ned”) Culver of Wayland, Massachusetts and Charleston, South Carolina, and brother Brewster (Marilyn) Jennings Chase of Ithaca, New York; her nieces Jennings Lee Camerson (Charleston, South Carolina) and Anne (Dawson) Culver Bird (Norfolk, Virginia); her special stepsons Philip Grant (Jennie) Flintoft of Millerton, New York, and Peter (Yuliya) Flintoft of New York, New York.
Lynn leaves countless beloved friends in the Massachusetts Berkshires, Connecticut, New York, throughout the U.S., and around the world, all of whom she loved and who love her. Our lives will never be the same without her.
Finally, Lynn was grateful to her outstanding doctors and medical providers at Hartford HealthCare Cancer Institute at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital.
A Celebration of Life for Lynn is being planned for this autumn.