The film , originally titled '' '' ' Sydney '' ' '' , was Anderson 's first feature , and was expanded from the principal idea of Anderson 's short film '' Cigarettes & Coffee '' ( 1993 ) . '' Hard Eight '' was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival . Hall , Reilly , Ridgely , and Walters have regularly appeared in the director 's subsequent films , and the late Hoffman had a role in all but one released during his lifetime . '' Hard Eight '' 's central character , Sydney , was inspired by the character of the same name ( also played by Philip Baker Hall ) in the 1988 film '' Midnight Run ''
1996 Cannes Film Festival
1996 Cannes Film Festival
Hard Eight (film)