Highlighting Barbara DeFina, Kathleen Carroll Award Recipient

Festival passes are on sale for the expanded 22nd annual Lake Placid Film Festival (Oct. 26-29). The four-day festival applauds cutting-edge feature films, award-winning shorts, precedential independent television, engaging movies and moving tributes. All of these stories are set in the charming village of Lake Placid in Upstate New York.

Adirondack Film is honored to celebrate esteemed American Film Producer, Barbara DeFina, at the Friday night’s Red Carpet Cocktail. Join us for a conversation with DeFina, as well as with producer Paul Hardart, as she is presented the Kathleen Carroll Award on October 27, 2023. Ms. DeFina is receiving the award for her decades long dedication to education, diversity, and opportunity within the film industry.

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DeFina produced high-toned genre films of the late 1980s and 90s and usually worked in collaboration with Martin Scorsese.

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DeFina got her start in the industry as a production assistant on such films as "Little Murders" (1971), "The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3" (1974) and "An Unmarried Woman" (1978). She swiftly climbed the industry ladder to executive producer by working in a variety of capacities, such as production coordinator ("The Next Man," 1976; Woody Allen's "Interiors," 1978), assistant director ("Gilda Live," 1980) and unit manager ("Prince of the City," 1981), on over twenty films. DeFina was also an associate producer on staff for comedian Alan King.

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Some of her most well-known films are The Color of Money, Goodfellas, The Age of Innocence, Casino, The Last Temptation of Christ and The Grifters. Barbara DeFina also produced Michael Jackson's music video "Bad" with Quincy Jones. In 2001 she and the production team of the film You Can Count on Me were presented the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature, which will be screened with an introduction and Q&A with Ms. DeFina on Saturday, October 28th at the Palace Theatre.

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Stay up-to-date on all the latest news regarding the Lake Placid Film Festival and film events in the Adirondacks. Visit adirondackfilm.org and follow Adirondack Film on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook (@AdirondackFilm).

For more information or questions regarding the Lake Placid Film Festival, please contact info@adirondackfilm.org. We hope to see you there!