Margarethe Von Trotta’s Hannah Arendt

Athena Film Festival Lineup

On Monday the Athena Film Festival, a New York-based celebration of women in film, announced the slate for its third edition and we’re happy to see so many titles that have a history with the Film Society! Taking place at Barnard College’s campus in Morningside Heights next month, the festival will screen a concise but enticing group of women-driven films such as Ginger and Rosa (NYFF ’12), Beasts of the Southern Wild (ND/NF ’12), Violeta Went to Heaven (Latinbeat ’12) Indie Night alum The Girl, and Hannah Arendt, which will close the New York Jewish Film Festival here at the Film Society later this month. Along with some of our favorite films, Film Society Exective Director Rose Kuo will be honored at the festival! 

Anticipated Indie & Foreign Films in 2013

With the Sundance Film Festival set to open next week, the new year in independent film is nearly upon us. In anticipation, The Playlist has gathered a list of independent and foreign films, some of which will debut in Park City in the coming weeks, and others that may require some wishful thinking if we’re even going see them within the year. Indie film fans have reason to be excited about 2013 with a list that includes films such as The Look of Love, the latest Michael Winterbottom-Steve Coogan collaboration that studies the life British pornographer Paul Raymond, and God Help the Girl, the debut feature from Stuart Murdoch (better known as the frontman of Belle & Sebastian) that appears to be a musical set in Murdoch’s native Glasgow.


Alex Ross Perry’s The Color Wheel

2012 Hammer to Nail Awards 

From looking forward to the year in independent cinema, Hammer to Nail recently looked back on 2012 and listed their favorite independent films of the year, along with two special awards recognizing specific achievements in the indie film community. Those two honors went to Matt Grady, whose Factory 25 was behind some of the very best works from the low-budget scene, and Rick Alverson, the director behind the site’s favorite film of the year, The Comedy. The rest of their top 15 of 2012 includes some noteworthy achievements such as Alex Ross Perry’s The Color Wheel, Indie Night alum Francine, Film Society New Release favorite Starlet, and Abel Ferrara’s 4:44 Last Day on Earth (NYFF ’11).

Dan Craft (1971-2013)

It’s with much sadness that we report of the passing of Dan Craft, whose work with Subway Cinema helped the Film Society program the yearly New York Asian Film Festival. As one of his last wishes, Dan was able to see J.J. Abrams’ upcoming film, Star Trek Into Darkness. He will be terribly missed when next year’s NYAFF rolls around.