FSLC, FILM COMMENT MAGAZINE, AND INDIEWIRE ANNOUNCE FINALISTS FOR THE 4th ANNUAL NYFF53 CRITICS ACADEMY

New York, NY (August 27, 2015) – The Film Society of Lincoln Center, Film Comment magazine and Indiewire announced the eight finalists for the fourth annual New York Film Festival (NYFF) Critics Academy, a workshop for aspiring film critics that takes place before and during the festival (September 25– October 11). The program is designed to nurture promising film critics and journalists as they attend and cover screenings and events at this year’s festival.

For this year’s NYFF, the eight chosen participants – all based in the New York area – will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in a wide variety of international cinema while dealing with the practical challenges of covering a festival at the epicenter of New York’s film culture. The participants will cover the festival with reviews of films in the selection, articles on sidebar events, in-depth reflections on the various program sections, or interviews with the festival’s guests.

The 2015 NYFF Critics Academy will begin several days prior to the start of the festival with roundtable discussions continuing over the course of the following five days (participants will also have the option of attending press screenings earlier in the month). Participants will then work on covering the festival once it begins, with guidance from the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Deputy Director Eugene Hernandez and NYFF Critics Academy mentor Brian Brooks, Indiewire’s Deputy Editor and Chief Film Critic Eric Kohn, Film Comment magazine Senior Editor Nicolas Rapold, and Film Comment Digital Editor Violet Lucca. Their coverage will be published on Indiewire’s Criticwire blog and FilmComment.com. The workshop will officially conclude on October 11, the last day of the festival.

These are the names of the eight people selected for the second annual NYFF Critics Academy: Philip Falino (Nassau County), Demitra Kampakis (Queens), Phuong Le (Westchester City), Katherine Nero (Manhattan), Conrado Falco Raez (Manhattan), Elissa Suh (Brooklyn), Rodney Uhler (Brooklyn), and Nick Usen (Manhattan).

First launched as an initiative during the 2012 Locarno Film Festival, with a local version produced during the 2012 New York Film Festival, the combination of candid discussions with working critics and other members of the industry—paired with experience covering cinema in a deadline-driven environment—has proven to be the right kind of fuel for the professionally minded critic to begin sketching out a career plan. Over 50 writers have participated in both Critic Academies since its inception since 2012.

The Critics Academy is one of two educational initiatives set to take place during NYFF, the other being the Artists Academy for young filmmakers. Just as that program guides filmmakers who show tremendous promise, the Critics Academy aims to provide context and pointers for critics who are already showing great potential in their writing, sensibilities, and professional motivation.

The 17-day New York Film Festival highlights the best in world cinema, featuring top films from celebrated filmmakers as well as fresh new talent. The selection committee, chaired by Kent Jones, also includes Dennis Lim, FSLC Director of Programming; Marian Masone, FSLC Senior Programming Advisor; Gavin Smith, Editor-in-Chief, Film Comment; and Amy Taubin, Contributing Editor, Film Comment and Sight & Sound.

Tickets for the 53rd New York Film Festival will go on sale to Film Society patrons at the end of August, ahead of the general public. Learn more about the patron program at filmlinc.org/patrons. Becoming a Film Society Member offers the exclusive member ticket discount to the New York Film Festival and Film Society programming year-round plus other great benefits. Current members at the Film Buff Level or above enjoy early ticket access to NYFF screenings and events ahead of the general public. Learn more at filmlinc.org/membership.

For even more access, VIP Passes offer buyers the earliest opportunity to purchase tickets and secure seats at the festival’s biggest events including Opening, Centerpiece, and Closing Nights. VIP passes also provide access to many exciting events including the invitation-only Opening Night party, “ An Evening With…” Dinner, Filmmaker Brunch, and VIP Lounge. Benefits vary based on the pass type. For more information about purchasing VIP Passes, go to filmlinc.org/NYFF or contact [email protected].

ABOUT FILM SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER
Founded in 1969 to celebrate American and international cinema, the Film Society of Lincoln Center works to recognize established and emerging filmmakers, support important new work, and to enhance the awareness, accessibility, and understanding of the moving image. The Film Society produces the renowned New York Film Festival, a curated selection of the year’s most significant new film work, and presents or collaborates on other annual New York City festivals including Dance on Camera, Film Comment Selects, Human Rights Watch Film Festival, New Directors/New Films, New York African Film Festival, New York Asian Film Festival, New York Jewish Film Festival, Open Roads: New Italian Cinema and Rendez-Vous with French Cinema. In addition to publishing the award-winning Film Comment magazine, the Film Society recognizes an artist’s unique achievement in film with the prestigious Chaplin Award, whose 2015 recipient is Robert Redford. The Film Society’s state-of-the-art Walter Reade Theater and the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center, located at Lincoln Center, provide a home for year-round programs and the New York City film community.

The Film Society receives generous, year-round support from American Airlines, The New York Times, Stella Artois, HBO, The Kobal Collection, Variety, Row NYC Hotel, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the New York State Council on the Arts.
Support for the New York Film Festival is also generously provided by Jaeger-LeCoultre, FIJI Water, KIND Bars, Portage World Wide Inc., WABC-7, and WNET New York Public Media.

For more information, visit www.filmlinc.org, follow @filmlinc on Twitter, and download the FREE Film Society app, now available for iOS (iPhone and iPad) and Android devices.

For Media specific inquiries, please contact:
David Ninh
(212) 875-5423
[email protected]