Lights, Camera, Art!

With a hint of fall in the air, October, along with its pumpkin profusion, ushers in a cultural highlight, the Hamptons International Film Festival running October 2 to 12, 2026. For co-owners of The White Room Gallery in East Hampton, Kat O’Neill and Andrea McCafferty, it is a chance to host the official Filmmakers Lounge and welcome talent from across the world. With over 200 filmmakers attending the festival from first timers to Academy Award winners, the lounge is a perfect place for a meet and greet against the backdrop of world class art.

McCafferty comments, “I’ve gone to this festival for almost 30 years myself and Kat is a playwright who also loves movies, so it’s exciting to host this lounge in a very relaxed environment with great energy from the filmmakers.”

Just as the programming team for the festival curates which films to show, O’Neill and McCafferty carefully curate their selection of artists. Their collection is known as eclectic, edgy, elegant, and engaging, terms which also mirror the documentary, feature and short films shown over the ten days.

In choosing which of their artists to showcase for this prestigious gathering in “Captured,” they focused on storytelling which seems the perfect theme for the month featuring artists such as John Francis Gallagher, Greg Lotus and Russell Young. The evocative black and white photographs are reminiscent of classic film noir mixed with contemporary visions of beauty be it flowers and mirrored butterflies or the perfect stiletto. Large abstracts create worlds within worlds, while mixed media floppy disks of Porsche and Rolex capture the spoils of success with a playful nod to the past.  

“This exhibit coincides with our partnership with the Hamptons International Film Festival so with that in mind portraits of movie legends like Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor, Brigitte Bardot, Catherine Deneuve and Monica Vitti take center stage alongside vibrant abstract paintings that would enhance any set design.” They comment on some of their selections, “There is a strong element of storytelling in Captured.  Why is that woman alone in the parking garage?  Who is Catherine Deneuve calling on the phone and why does she look so scared? Mugshots of Bowie and Hendrix are the literal interpretation of ‘captured’ creating their own narrative, with Morrison shown captured several times.” 

One of their featured artists, John Francis Gallagher takes a similar approach to a director, “My work begins with a story. Imagery comes, both abstract and representational. A story is born and lives within the work. It is my goal that the story does not end on the canvas. The work may resonate with the viewer and connect with each in a personal way. The story may drift, hide and evade. The story may beckon, whisper and peek. A story with no words, experienced through emotion and sensation.
It belongs to you; it’s your story. When we love a piece of work, it is because it touches something true within us and reflects that back to us. We are as much a part of the art as the artist.”

Of course, the art buyers also are keen to tell their own story. And as all roads in the Hamptons lead to real estate, The White Room Gallery works closely with homeowners and interior designers to fit their personal artistic visions with a diverse portfolio including pop art, mixed media, photography, sculpture and abstract and figurative painting.  So as the director is ready, let the worlds collide with filmmakers and artists, emerging and established, local and international, knowing the most valuable experience is the connection. Action!