Harry Dean Stanton Festival 2022

​Join us in Lexington, Kentucky on July 15 - 17 as we honor one of the world's most beloved (and prolific!) actors with a weekend of movies, music, and speakers. We are thrilled to welcome this year's featured guests: Allison Anders, Joseph Atkins, Silas House, Billy Swan, and Andreas Werner!
Here is this year's schedule:
Friday, July 15:
8 pm: Killer cars under the stars! We'll kick off the festival with a free outdoor screening of CHRISTINE at Base 249. Bring your lawn chairs and an appetite. There will be food trucks and Base 249 will be serving spirits. Doors open at 8 and screening will start at dusk (approximately 9 pm)
Location: Base 249 at 249 West Main Street
Saturday, July 16:
Noon: Free screening of STARS AND BARS (1988) Harry Dean Stanton has second billing to Daniel Day-Lewis in this rowdy farce that is part '80s street movie and part southern road trip. We've been looking for a print of this forever and finally found one. It's a delightfully expansive who's who of terrific character actors--see if you can name them all!
Location: Farish Theater at the Lexington Public Library, 140 E Main Street

2 pm: Silas House hosts a free screening of WHERE THE LILIES BLOOM followed by discussion. We are tickled pink that one of Kentucky's greatest literary treasures is joining us to share one of his favorite childhood films. This is sure to be a festival highlight!
Location: Farish Theater at the Lexington Public Library, 140 E Main Street

8 pm: Equus/Standardbred Station presents Billy Swan and Andreas Werner! Billy Swan was a longtime member of both Kris Kristofferson's band and Harry Dean Stanton's friend group. In this rare musical performance he will share some of his favorite songs (including his 1974 hit "I Can Help") as well as stories from his time in Hollywood with Harry.
Location: The Green Lantern, 497 West 3rd Street
Price: $20 for guaranteed seating, $15 for standing room
Sunday, July 17
1 pm: Free screening of HOSTAGE (1967) This is another rare film that we've long wanted to screen but have only recently located a print. Harry has a great deal of screentime and some touching scenes opposite his young co-star in this thriller about a young boy who inadvertently stows away in the truck of a volatile murderer (Don O'Kelly) and his good-hearted sidekick (Harry Dean Stanton) as the two are en route to dispose of a body.
Location: Farish Theater at the Lexington Public Library, 140 E Main Street

3 pm: Joseph Atkins presents Harry Dean Stanton: Hollywood's Zen Rebel! We are so excited to welcome Harry Dean's award-winning biographer for a reading of his work and Q&A. Joe Atkins has attended previous festivals during the research process, and we're thrilled to share the beautiful book that his years of hard work have yielded. This is a free event and books will be available for purchase.
Location: Farish Theater at the Lexington Public Library, 140 E Main Street

7 pm: Screening of Paris, Texas followed by a Q&A with legendary filmmaker Allison Anders moderated by bestselling novelist Silas House. Allison Anders is well-known for her classics of independent cinema including GAS FOOD LODGING and MI VIDA LOCA, but before she became a celebrated film director she was a production assistant on PARIS, TEXAS. An exchange that she had on the set of that film with fellow Kentuckian Harry Dean Stanton helped inform both the character of Travis Henderson and Anders' own future. A lifetime of friendship followed.
Location: The Kentucky Theatre, 214 E Main Street
Price: $15

Ticket information coming soon! Many thanks to our sponsors and partners: Equus/Standardbred Station, 21c Museum Hotel, CD Central, Base 249, The Lexington Public Library, The Green Lantern Bar, and The Kentucky Theatre. Additional thanks to David Kenton Kring for creating the SPECTACULAR art for this year's festival. T-shirts featuring his design will be available during all evening events!

Video by John Ferguson, Danny Coy and Kim Conlee

In loving memory of Luke Gilbert