By Maria Esteves – October 19, 2012 An outpouring of farewells were expressed by executive director Rose Kuo, Film Society of Lincoln Center, directors of programming Robert Koehler (year round) and Kent Jones, New York Film Festival to Richard Peña, program director, Film Society of Lincoln Center and selection committee chair, New York Film Festival, during the 50th New York Film Festival (NYFF50) Closing Night Gala at Alice Tully Hall, New York, Sunday, October 14, 2012. Pe&nti...

By Maria Esteves – October 15, 2012 The 50th New York Film Festival 2012 (NYFF50) presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center Closing Night World Premiere press screening of FLIGHT, by Academy Award-winning director Robert Zemeckis was held at the Walter Reade Theater, Sunday, October 14, 9:00 AM. A live press conference immediately followed with director Zemeckis, screenwriter John Gatins, casts members John Goodman, Don Cheadle, Melissa Leo, Bruce Greenwood and Academy Award-winnin...

By Maria Esteves – October 14, 2011 The 49th New York Film Festival 2011 (NYFF 2011) presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center press screening of VITO, directed by Jeffrey Schwarz was held at Lincoln Center’s Walter Reade Theater on Wednesday, October 12, 2011, 1:00 pm. A live press conference immediately followed with director Schwarz, editor Philip Harrison, Phyllis Antonellis (Vito's cousin), and Charles Russo (Vito's brother) moderated by NYFF program director Richard Pena. ...

By Maria Esteves – October 14, 2011 The 49th New York Film Festival 2011 (NYFF 2011) presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center press screening of VITO, directed by Jeffrey Schwarz was held at Lincoln Center’s Walter Reade Theater on Wednesday, October 12, 2011, 1:00 pm. A live press conference immediately followed with director Schwarz, editor Philip Harrison, Phyllis Antonellis (Vito's cousin), and Charles Russo (Vito's brother) moderated by NYFF program director Richard Pena. ...

By Maria Esteves – October 13, 2011 The 49th New York Film Festival 2011 (NYFF 2011) presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center press screening of THE SKIN I LIVE IN, directed by Pedro Almodovar was held at Lincoln Center’s Walter Reade Theater on Tuesday, October 11, 2011, 12:00 pm. A live press conference immediately followed with director Pedro Almodovar, casts members Antonio Banderas, and Elena Anaya moderated by NYFF program director Richard Pena. THE SKIN I LIVE IN opens ...

By Maria Esteves – October 13, 2011 The 49th New York Film Festival 2011 (NYFF 2011) presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center press screening of THE SKIN I LIVE IN, directed by Pedro Almodovar was held at Lincoln Center’s Walter Reade Theater on Tuesday, October 11, 2011, 12:00 pm. A live press conference immediately followed with director Pedro Almodovar, casts members Antonio Banderas, and Elena Anaya moderated by NYFF program director Richard Pena. Questions posed by Richar...

  The specialty theatrical scene in New York City is about to get a new jolt with the highly anticipated expansion by the Film Society of Lincoln Center, among the city's most prestigious film institutions. The long-awaited Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center is a gloriously modern 17,500 square-foot venue, will house two theaters, an amphitheater and a café, adding a potential for 4 different screens at the same time (including the Walter Reade Theater, the Film Society's current showca...

Interview with New York Film Festival Program Director Richard Pena By Maria Esteves - October 26, 2009 Dedicated to the loving memory of Florence Perlow Shientag (September 9, 1908 - October 7, 2009)As Lincoln Center celebrates it's 50th Anniversary (October 15, 2009 - January 16, 2010), Richard Pena (RP) program director and chairman of the selection committee at The Film Society of Lincoln Center presents Italian Neorealism and the Birth of Modern Cinema at the Walter Reade Theater, October 3...

By Maria Esteves - October 26, 2009Dedicated to the loving memory of Florence Perlow Shientag (September 9, 1908 - October 7, 2009)As Lincoln Center celebrates it's 50th Anniversary (October 15, 2009 - January 16, 2010), Richard Pena (RP) program director and chairman of the selection committee at The Film Society of Lincoln Center presents Italian Neorealism and the Birth of Modern Cinema at the Walter Reade Theater, October 30 - November 24, 2009. Pena discovered his love of film early in l...

To help you get an insider's tip on this year's NYFF lineup we have a series of videos featuring Richard Peña (Film Society program director and NYFF selection committee chairman) introducing the films and explaining why they're worth seeing. Here we have Richard talking about Manoel de Oliveira's Eccentricities of a Blond Hair Girl, which played this Saturday, Sep. 26 Eccentricities of a Blond Click to the view:    Alain Resnais at NY Fest: 87...

To help you get an insider's tip on this year's NYFF lineup we have a series of videos featuring Richard Peña (Film Society program director and NYFF selection committee chairman) introducing the films and explaining why they're worth seeing. Here we have Richard talking about Manoel de Oliveira's Eccentricities of a Blond Hair Girl, which played this Saturday, Sep. 26 Eccentricities of a Blond Click to the view:...

By Maria Esteves - November 18, 2008 The 46th New York Film Festival 2008 (NYFF08), presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center, Closing Night Premiere of THE WRESTLER, directed by Darren Aronofsky was held at the Avery Fisher Hall, Sunday, October 12, 2008, 8:30 PM. A special Q&A with director Darren Aronofsky, producer Scott Franklin, actor Mickey Rourke, and actress Marisa Tomei, moderated by NYFF selection committee chairman, Richard Pena, program director, Film Society of Lincoln...

Like other festivals, the Lincoln Center Film Society’s 46th New York Film Festival experienced a steady increase in films submitted amounting to about 1500 productions this year, far below the 8500 which the Sundance program coordinator Zakheim is quoted as having received for the 2008 edition, even less than the 1600 productions send now to the four year old Dubai festival. Yet the importance of the NYFF and of the 2008 main selection of 28 titles is not measured by competitive numbers, rat...

The New York Film Festival never attempted to provide an overview of the contemporary film scene, the sort of panorama offered by the New York Tribeca film festival, Toronto or other major international festivals, nor does the NYFF stand for the marketing frenzy for independents increasingly noted at Sundance. To the contrary, selecting about 28 or 29 films each year, the NYFF has identified over the last 20 years under Richard Pena’s direction innovative film makers challenging past filmmakin...

The 45th New York Film Festival runs through: September 28 – October 14, 2007The 45th New York Film Festival will premiere 28 films when it runs September 28 - October 14 at the Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center. The festival, presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center and sponsored by Sardinia Region Tourism and The New York Times, also features three showcases, three music documentaries and six retrospective films.Opening NightThis year’s festival opens on Friday,...

Viggo Mortenson in ALAISTRE Thursday, December 7-----The high profile being brought to contemporary Spanish cinema by the international successes of Pedro Almodóvar’s VOLVER and Guillermo del Toro’s PAN’S LABYRINTH (both screened to audience acclaim at the 2006 New York Film Festival) has only stimulated the interest of international filmgoers to explore deeper into the prolific Spanish cinema scene. Giving New Yorkers a sampling of the blazing talents currently at work in Spain is the ...

The 44th New York Film FestivalSeptember 29 – October 15, 2006The 17-day festival, presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center, is a highly-selective showcase of new, inspiring and provocative cinema by both emerging talent and recognized international artists. This year’s line-up includes:Opening Night: Stephen Frears’ acidly funny portrait of the British royal family, The Queen (Miramax Films), stars Helen Mirren.Centerpiece: Pedro Almodóvar’s supernatural tale of murder, adultery...

RICHARD PENA ON HIS WORK III Do you think that the continued expansion of film festivals is indication of the growing cinematic interest by the audience?I wish it were that. I don’t know. It is probably an indication of more people looking for ways of having jobs that are more glamorous. I am not sure how much it helps films. The vast majority of the festivals have no impact on the films at all. In the best possible of all worlds it is a nice cultural activity, but they do not really affec...