Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: R.I.P. New Yorker Films

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Posted by Chris Iacofano (Member # 5074) on 02-23-2009, 07:21 PM:

If you've ever worked in an arthouse or college film society you have likely dealt with these folks or their films.

Indiewire article

Posted by Tony L. Hernandez (Member # 3524) on 02-25-2009, 12:50 AM:

I've worked for both types of venues Chris mentioned and alas, I am very familiar with New Yorker Films. I've run countless prints from there...mostly 16mm but a couple 35mm prints as well.
This really breaks my heart and also worries me about the future of independent film/theater related businesses.
I also remember very vividly remember running 16mm prints from Kit Parker Films. They are not exactly dead but they sure are not doing much these days and have completely discontinued film rentals.

Posted by Mark Ogden (Member # 43) on 02-25-2009, 10:00 AM:

Very sad to see this happen to Dan Talbot, a true stand-up guy and a hero of independent cinema. I remember the last great indie cinema explosion, in the late seventies and early eighties when I was working at an art-house in upstate NY. I used to book from Dan all the time, and I used to make runs into the city to see films at his New Yorker Theatre (where, in Annie Hall, Woody Allen pulled Marshall McLuhan out from behind the standee). I was madly jealous of both him and Ben Barenholtz, who had the Elgin Cinema and Libra Films going at the same time. To some extent, these guys invented the whole art-house scene.

Of course, in some way I am surprised that New Yorker hung on as long as it did, as all the other great art/alternative distributors of that era have long gone: Cinema 5, Walter Reade, Circle Releasing, Cinecom et. al. I think Janus is the only one still hanging on.

Posted by John Hawkinson (Member # 1135) on 02-25-2009, 11:53 AM:

Thanks, Chris, for posting this. I'm not sure I would have noticed quickly otherwise.

Most significantly for a bunch of us, New Yorker held the nontheatrical rights for Sony Pictures Classics (e.g. Oscar-nominated films like Waltz with Bashir and Rachel Getting Married). So I'm sure people like us and Randy are figuring out how to handle that.

Isn't KINO still around?

--jhawk

Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 02-25-2009, 12:12 PM:

Yes, Kino is still around.

Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 02-25-2009, 02:47 PM:

According to somebody our GM spoke with today, their entire library is up for auction this Friday.

[ 02-26-2009, 10:45 AM: Message edited by: Bill Enos ]

Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 02-25-2009, 03:25 PM:

They used the films as collateral for a loan that came do.

Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 02-26-2009, 10:40 AM:

The title we wanted was only available on film from them, fortunately it's on DVD too. Over the years we've done a lot of business with them, I wonder if the library will auctioned all together or in pieces.