Photo: Filmlinc

The 49th annual New York Film Festival began this past Friday, September 30. The goal of the festival is to bring the best aspects of cinematic culture together under one roof, or in this case under three roofs. Lincoln Center in Alice Tully Hall, the Walter Reade Theater and the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center are the three designated venues for the NYFF, all of which will be dedicated to screening both feature length and short films. Only 40 films are chosen out of the many submissions, making this festival highly competitive.

A prestigious five-person panel headed by the Film Society’s Program Director, Richard Peña, is in charge of making final selections. Unlike many other film festivals, there are no categories or awards given, keeping the intent of the festival as pure as possible. Therefore, attendees are able to view the films without any sort of label or prejudgement.

If you’re in the greater New York area, make sure not to miss out on this important cultural event. The festival runs through October 16. Check out the website for more details.

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