Current_Movies at New York Film Festival 2009!
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="I think this is funny on a number of levels. "]
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Right now, I'm somewhere hovering over Wisconsin en route to Manhattan for the 47th Annual New York Film Festival. While everyone else is at the Toronto International Film Festival, I figured it be a decent idea to get a head-start on my former home for a few years. So what's going on? Is NYFF like Toronto or Fantastic Fest?
Well, yes and no.
Join me on a brief history of the NYFF, since I once was goaded into giving a loaded quote for a feature last year. Currently curated by some of New York's most esteemed critics and writers--not to mention Village Voicers--like J. Hoberman, Melissa Anderson, Dennis Lim and Scott Foundas (LA Weekly, but who cares when you're all under one LLC?)
Richard Peña, program director for the festival, has said that this year the festival is "less Cannes dependent than other years." While Antichrist and White Ribbon, which won the Palme d'Or, are a part of this year's line up, so is the the 13th annual Views from the Avant-Garde and directors' dialogs.
The full list of films can be found here. But, no Jennifer's Body or Coen Brothers, right? So why are we even bothering to cover it?
NYFF remains one of the more selective and, dare I say, "art fuck" of the major U.S. festivals. It is a tightly curated and films are selected for more artistic and cinematica merit than having a semi-nude Megan Fox. Though I could still see that on Friday if I wanted to. But the "why" of who comes to NYFF is different as well, since it's nicely sandwiched between Toronto, Venice and Fantastic Fest.
So, we're going to prove a point.
And to provide some coverage.
But most importantly, we're in New York to shed some light on the cinematic experiences I've missed--like the Anthology Film Archives and a special screening of The Exiles or giving out free Rotten Tomatoes Show t-shirts to people that find me. Check back and check out our group on Current, where I'll be throwing all my photos, video and reviews from the fest.
Good thing too--cause I'm almost over Pennsylvania. Later!
-John Lichman
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