EditFest NY, the east coast version of American Cinema Editor’s successful EditFest series, launched last weekend at The Director’s Guild Theater in Manhattan. Kicking off at the DGA on June12 & 13th, the event was followed by Certification Sunday at Manhattan Edit Workshop on Sunday. The attendees, who came from New York and states surrounding, included working editors, professionals from related disciplines, industry experts and students. EditFest NY is presented by American Cinema Editors (ACE) and Manhattan Edit Workshop (MEWshop).

Over the course of the weekend, EditFest NY presented some of the best known and highly regarded east coast film editors who turned out to mingle, mentor, and present. EditFest NY kicked off on Friday with an industry insider’s view of how to break into the editing business, moderated by ACE President Randy Roberts, ACE editor and Supervising Producer, Law & Order: SVU.” Friday’s Breaking In panel featured ACE members Bill Pankow, Troy Takaki, Michael Berenbaum, Scott Brock, Lee Percy, and Plummy Tucker in a candid discussion of the rigors of starting and maintaining a long-lasting editing career. The panel was followed by an opening night gala, a wall-to-wall party where panelists from every EditFest NY panel mingled with rapt attendees. Saturday’s panels featured a who’s who of editing talent and focused on key areas of interest:


•Television - Kate Sanford, Meg Reticker, Troy Takaki, Michael Berenbaum and Alexander Hall, moderated by editor and author Bobbie O’Steen
•Comedy - Ken Eluto, Stephen Rotter, Anne McCabe, moderated by MEWShop founder Josh Apter
•Documentary - Robert Eisenhardt, Sam Pollard, Tom Haneke, Larry Silk, and Karen Schmeer, moderated by Tom Atkin
•Feature Film - Chris Tellefson, Jeffrey Wolfe, Tim Squyres, Brian Kates, Craig McKay, and Jay Rabinowitz, moderated by American Cinema Editor Vincent Lobruto

The presenters shared equal parts inspiration, insight and knowledge that only such an esteemed group can deliver.

MEWshop hosted Certification Sunday at their mid-town headquarters, which offered hands on review followed by the certification test for Final Cut Pro. They also held Re-Tool Bootcamp, an intensive three-hour seminar demystifying key areas of the digital media pipeline while filling in knowledge gaps along the way. Each workshop was sold-out.

EditFest NY 2010 will take place June 11-13, 2010 in New York, details on locations, events and panelists will be forthcoming. EditFest LA is slated for August 8th & 9th, 2009 at Universal Studios in Los Angeles.

For further information about EditFest NY, visit www.editestny.com, for further information about American Cinema Editors and EditFest LA, visit
www.americancinemaeditors.com, and for information about Manhattan Edit
Workshop, visit www.mewshop.com.