South O' the Highway (and the North too)

The Hamptons International Film Festival kicked off its 15th year this Wednesday with Bob Balaban's Bernard and Doris, a biopic about tobacco billionaire Doris Duke starring Susan Sarandon and Ralph Fiennes. This year's roster of films includes 17 world premieres, 11 U.S. premieres, 17 East Coast premieres and 13 New York premieres. Lisa Kudrow, Lauren Ambrose, Gretchen Mol, Sean William Scott and Marcia Gay Harden are all expected to be present at the festival for their participation in the 100-plus feature films.

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Hamptonite Russell Simmons turned 50 this month, with a lavish black-tie surprise party thrown by his ex-wife, fellow Hamponite Kimora Lee Simmons. The party, a complete shock to the normally in-the-know Simmons, took place at Gustavino's under the 59th Street Bridge. Patti LaBelle, LL Cool J and Musiq Soulchild performed for a room that included East Enders Andre Balazs and Denise Rich. Simmons was with his girlfriend Porschla Coleman and Kimora Lee was with her new beau, Djimon Hounsou.

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Bridgehampton songstress Gabriella Caspi is performing at Amagansett's Stephen Talkhouse this Friday at 8 p.m. The local artist also has one of her songs featured in the film Childless, starring Joe Mantenga and Barbara Hershey, showing this weekend at the Hamptons International Film Festival.

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Film star Roy Scheider, who sold his oceanfront Sagaponack home to Billy Joel for $18.75 million in June, has endorsed Sag Harbor resident and Southampton Town Supervisor candidate Jim Henry. In an effort to ensure change at Town Hall, Scheider joined Henry on a campaign stop on Wednesday at the Bishop Ryan Senior Housing Village in Hampton Bays.

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This past Thursday at Manhattan's Bergdorf Goodman, East Hampton fashion mogul Ralph Lauren had a party to celebrate the release of his new coffee table book. The book marks the 40th anniversary of the all-American fashion label and features photos from Lauren's life in the fashion industry and in real estate.

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An absolute advertising genius, Arnie Arlow, former Creative Director for the Absolute Vodka advertising campaign, has been spending his time on the East End lately, painting. An art exhibit featuring his work is on display at Sylvester at Home in Amagansett until October 30th.

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Nightlife hotshot John Flanagan is selling his eighteen-year-old iconic Southampton nighttime hotspot, Tavern. Off of Montauk Highway, the locale of so many memorable summer nights has an asking price of $4.9 million. One of the few places in the Hamptons with a full, legal cabaret license, Tavern is listed with Manhattan's Helen Downey Company. If those walls could talk, they would probably write this column.

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Following Tavern's lead, Amagansett's Pacific East has been put up for sale. Co-owner and nightlife impresario Aram Sabet of 49 Grove fame has been embroiled in a year-long bitter court battle with his ex-partner and co-owner/chef Michael Castino over ownership rights of the celebrity filled eatery. Despite discussion of P. Diddy purchasing the palatial restaurant last year, the 2-acre property, complete with liquor and cabaret licenses and over 10,000 square feet of space, is now for sale for $6.5 million.

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Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie recently caused a stir in Union Square when they took in the off-Broadway play Jump, a martial arts/comedy spectacle from Korea. The power couple is now living with their children in a newly renovated 6,000 square foot apartment at the Waldorf Astoria Towers that they are renting, nearby the United Nations and son Maddox's Upper East Side private school, Lycee Francais de New York. Despite the swarm of cameras that have been following her, Jolie seems to fit in nicely with the other thin, chic UES mothers picking up their kids in the afternoon.

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Man around town and television icon Kelsey Grammer has put his Bridgehampton mansion up for sale, less than two years after purchasing the new-construction home. The actor and his wife Camille have just listed the 8,000-square-foot pad for $16.1 million. The property includes a landscaped 1.7-acre lot (as well as a pool, spa, wine cellar, elevator, cottage, gym, home theatre, and tennis court). The Grammers closed on the Joseph Farrell-built home in January 2006 for $8.517 million.

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The Hamptons International Film Festival is honoring Vanessa Redgrave with this year's Golden Starfish Award for Career Achievement in Acting. Redgrave, an Academy Award winner and six-time nominee, is premiering her newest film The Shell Seekers at the festival and she will be speaking at the Bay Street Theatre for its annual "A Conversation With..." series on October 18 at 3 p.m. Outstanding American auteur Sidney Lumet will also be speaking at the Bay Street Theatre for the series on October 19 at 3 p.m.

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Southampton's Jeff Allen, head of Universal Attractions, has signed with R&B singer Bobby Brown, ex-husband of Whitney Houston. Allen is arranging a national tour for the controversial singing star starting in Washington, DC on November 9.

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