Film Festival Season
A film lover’s guide to film festival season in NYC
Los Angeles is where movies are made, but New York City is where they’re celebrated. Spring is film festival season in NYC, and thousands of directors, producers, actors, and fans gather to celebrate the best talent coming to the big screen. These are the festivals featuring premieres, screenings, and events that you don’t want to miss.
Every April, the Tribeca Film Festival takes Manhattan by storm. Screenings, director talks, panel discussions, live performances, interactive installations, an award show — you name it, the Tribeca Film Festival has it, with a star-studded red carpet to boot. Our suggestion: Pick up an Awards Day Pass, which will grant you access to all Award Winner screenings on the last day of the festival.
If Tribeca Film Festival has the stars, BAMcinemaFest has the rising stars. This showcase of American independent film has only been around for less than 10 years, but it’s already introduced audiences to now-high profile indie films like Richard Linklater’s Academy Award-winning Boyhood, Lena Dunham’s Tiny Furniture, and James Ponsoldt’s The End of the Tour. In addition to showcasing new filmmakers, BAMcinemaFest also features live music, Q&As, and more.
Big Hollywood names are glamorous, but there’s something to be said for discovering a young talent before they make it big. The Lower East Side Film Festival does just that: celebrates the best and the brightest rising filmmakers. Their screenings feature films not necessarily made with big budgets, but made with creativity, innovation, and heart.