TRIBUTE NIGHT
TRIBUTE EVENT
5:00-7:00PM Cocktails and dinner-by-the-bite at the BIFF Tent behind Town Hall. Catered by The Old Inn on The Green Catering & Events
(Open to Sponsors, Filmmakers, All-Inclusive and Tribute Night passholders.)
7:00PM SPECIAL TRIBUTE EVENT TO KAREN ALLEN Join us for an intimate conversation with award-winning actress and director Karen Allen in conversation with production designer Kristi Zea, at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center. Followed by a screening of STARMAN.
(Open to ALL passholders and ticket holders.)
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STARMAN
1984 | 115 min. | US
In 1977, the launch of Voyager 2 carried a message beyond our solar system—a golden record extending an invitation from Earth to the unknown. In STARMAN, that invitation is answered—but not with the welcome humanity might have hoped for. An alien scout ship is intercepted and destroyed by the U.S. government, crashing into the frozen waters of Wisconsin. From the wreckage emerges a being of pure energy that seeks refuge in the home of grieving widow Jenny Hayden (Karen Allen). There, it discovers a lock of hair belonging to her late husband and
uses it to assume his human form.
What unfolds is both a science fiction odyssey and an intimate love story, as Jenny is confronted with the impossible—the return of the man she lost, inhabited by a visitor trying to understand humanity. STARMAN blends wonder, vulnerability, and quiet humor into a poignant exploration of connection, grief, and what it truly means to be human.
Directed // John Carpenter
Writers // Bruce A Evans, Raynold Gideon
Cast // Karen Allen, Jeff Bridges, Charles Martin Smith
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There are movie stars, and then there are the rare few who carry their stardom lightly— who pair a remarkable career with a deeply rooted sense of place and community.
Karen Allen is one of those rare few.
To audiences around the world, she is unforgettable as Marion Ravenwood in Raiders of the Lost Ark—a performance of wit, grit, and undeniable charisma that helped redefine the modern action heroine. She brought that same intelligence and emotional clarity to Starman, opposite Jeff Bridges, and to a wide range of films including Scrooged, The Wanderers, and The Perfect Storm. Across genres and decades, Karen Allen has built a body of work marked
not by flash, but by substance—by characters who feel grounded, alive, and fully human.
Her career extends far beyond film. A gifted stage actress, she has appeared in and directed numerous theatrical productions, including work with the Berkshiire Theatre Festival, where she further honed the craft that has always been at the center of her work. She has also stepped behind the camera as a director and maintained a lifelong commitment to artistic exploration, including her work in textile design—another expression of her thoughtful, hands-on creativity.
And yet, here in the Berkshires, Karen is known for something even more meaningful: her presence as a neighbor, a collaborator, and a cornerstone of the Berkshire International Film Festival.
Nearly twenty years ago, when Kelley Vickery first approached her about joining what was then a fledgling festival, there was, understandably, a moment of hesitation. After all—this was Karen Allen. But that moment dissolved instantly upon meeting her. What Kelley discovered, and what anyone who encounters Karen quickly learns, is that behind the celebrated career is a woman of extraordinary warmth, generosity, and grace.
From that first conversation, Karen became not just a supporter, but a foundation stone of BIFF. As a board member, she has devoted nearly two decades to shaping the festival’s voice and vision—traveling annually to Sundance with a group, championing films with discernment and heart, and quietly using her influence to bring remarkable artists into the BIFF community.
There is a steadiness to Karen Allen that those around her rely on. She is a rock. A broad smile in the midst of the whirlwind. A voice of encouragement and clarity. In a festival that has grown and evolved over twenty years, she
has remained its constant—its heart and its spirit.
In honoring Karen Allen, we celebrate not only an accomplished actress
with an extraordinary career, but a woman who has given deeply of herself
to this community.
The Berkshire International Film Festival would not be what it is today without her—and we are all the better for having her among us.
