Artist of the Month > 2008 Artists
ARTIST PROFILE
NAME: New York LGBT Film Festival (NewFest)
LOCATION: New York, NY (Screenings in Manhattan and Brooklyn)
ORIGIN: New York, NY
ART: film/video
MAIN GENRE: all film genres, focused on LGBT work
LATEST WORKS: The 20th Anniversary New York LGBT Film Festival (June 5-15, 2008)
INTERVIEW
Please describe your artistic themes
NewFest (The New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Film Festival) features films by, about, or of interest to LGBT people.
Please describe your creative process
As New York City’s premier LGBT film organization, NewFest empowers, educates, entertains, and provokes the culturally rich and diverse communities of the greater metropolitan region. Through our annual film festival and year-round programming, NewFest showcases international, US, and local film, video, and other media, fostering a greater sense of awareness and community among LGBT and LGBT-friendly audiences.
What are your artistic goals?
To foster and showcase the best in international and domestic LGBT film and video for NYC audiences.
Tell us about your organization’s programming
The NewFest’s year-round programming includes the annual NewFest: The New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Film Festival, one of the mst comprehensive showcases of international LGBT film/video in the world; NewFest’s Filmmakers Forum, a panel and workshop series bringing audiences together with filmmakers and industry; NewFest@BAM, an annual “Best of NewFest” showcase at the landmark Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Rose Cinemas; and NewFest at the IFC Center, a monthly LGBT programming series in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village.
Tell us about your organization’s views on the industry
In an era of Logo and Here! TV, as well as specialized film and DVD distributors, there are many opportunities for filmmakers to get LGBT films out in the world. NewFest and festivals like ours are part of these opportunities, helping to unite LGBT makers with the industry and with their audience.
WEBSITE: newfest.org
