With the 61st New York Film Festival kicking off, we invite you to get to know the FLC theater staff that make the festival possible! Check back for updates, also featured in our NYFF Daily Newsletter.
Walter Blum
How many NYFFs have you worked?
Six.
What film are you most excited to see at NYFF and why?
It has to be either The Boy and the Heron or Poor Things (really tough decision). You can never go wrong with a Miyazaki film; to say that you’ll be seeing his final film (this time for real) at a prestigious film festival is a treat; also it would be a first time for me seeing a new Miyazaki film in theaters. Poor Things for me is to see what Yorgos is going to pull up his sleeve again; I guarantee that I’ll be laughing hysterically in my seat as well be in awe from the acting, cinematography and art direction. I’ve loved him since I saw The Lobster, I got to see The Favourite for NYFF56 Opening Night, and I got to watch his entire filmography for the Yorgos retrospective at Walter Reade; you could call me a small fan per se. Might as well add that 35mm short Bleat, that Yorgos did as well. Two Yorgos Lanthimos pieces is pure bliss! Way to go George! (My friend who is learning Greek told me that Yorgos is translated to George in English.)
Are there any other films you want to see or recommend audiences don’t miss?
The Zone of Interest and Harmony Korine’s AGGRO DR1FT.
What do you love about NYFF?
I really love working with the team, whether it was volunteering when I first started here or working Front of House, where I am now. The entire staff from full to seasonal care so much about the art of film and to present it in a way that makes it always feel like a world premiere and that each film is an important work of art. I remember when I graduated from college in 2017, I didn’t know what I was going to do and when I started volunteering at NYFF that same year, I knew that I wanted to stay! When I got hired for Front of House the following year, I made a strong bond with the team. We’ve had many laughs, fun adventures, and crazy cinema stories (whether from work or outside)! It’s also lovely to say that I don’t work these festivals with my coworkers, I work these festivals with my friends. With that said, I really need to thank the Front of House team, Jeff Delauter, Manny Lage-Valera, all the volunteers I worked with from 2017-2018, the FLC staff, Manuel Santini, and Christian Palacios because if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be working here! NYFF/Film at Lincoln Center is a place I like to call home!
Do you have a favorite NYFF memory or experience?
I must say that working NYFF57 was a great time! It was my first time working at FLC as an employee instead of volunteer. I got to take my grandfather to the Opening Night for The Irishman. We got to see a wonderful film with Scorsese, De Niro, Pacino, and Pesci onstage and that was unreal. Seeing Uncut Gems was also the secret screening for NYFF that year (or as Eugene Hernandez said in his intro “the worst kept NYFF secret”); to me that whole night felt like going to a film premiere for the first time ever! I think most of the employees who work at FLC saw it that night too. Great film! Great crowd! Great reactions! That magic can’t be replicated!
Nicholas Byrne
How many NYFFs have you worked?
Two.
What film are you most excited to see at NYFF and why?
In Water by Hong Sangsoo. This is Hong’s 29th feature, and he has never been more poised to take the risks he looks to be taking with this one. With an illustrious career behind him and a completely independent production model, Hong is no longer limited by his shots being in focus.
Are there any other films you want to see or recommend audiences don’t miss?
In Our Day (Hong Sang-soo), Fallen Leaves (Aki Kaurismaki), Perfect Days (Wim Wenders), Trailer of a Film That Will Never Exist: Phony Wars (Jean-Luc Godard), The Daughters of Fire (Pedro Costa), Man in Black (Wang Bing), Unhappy Hour (Ted Fendt), La Roue (Abel Gance), and Un rêve plus long que la nuit (Niki de Saint Phalle).
What do you love about NYFF?
That I can count on seeing 1-3 Hong Sang-soo films.
Do you have a favorite NYFF memory or experience?
Clocking out after a long, hectic shift and sitting with my coworkers in the front row seats our manager Eric had reserved for us for Hong Sangsoo’s Walk Up.
Maximilian Isaacs (NYFF Theater Staff)
How many NYFFs have you worked?
One.
What film are you most excited to see at NYFF and why?
From the Main Slate my first choice would be Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things. Ever since The Lobster his films have constantly stood out to me for being so weird and inventive in their form both narratively and cinematically. His latest seems to be the furthest into the weirdness he has dared to go thus far and with such a magnificent cast I am on the edge of my seat to catch this film on the big screen.
Are there any other films you want to see or recommend audiences don’t miss?
I had the great privilege to work on Sean Price Williams’s directorial debut The Sweet East in both a crew and cast capacity and the joy of that process was something I will never forget. Additionally I was fortunate enough to see its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year and I must say this film is such a joyride. Great performances all around and some incredibly zany work in the edit, I think this film is a must see and I am so happy to see it get selected for NYFF.
What do you love about NYFF?
I really love the slate and programming. I feel like the curators, especially this year, are providing audiences with such a wide spectacle of films and filmmakers to highlight, that it truly gives something for everyone. I also really love the theaters. The Walter Reade is hands down the best movie theater the city has to offer on any given day and the campus is just so full of life during the season, it makes it such a fun place to be even if you don’t see any films! I really love how intimate everything is too so I feel incredibly grateful to be part of the team this year making it all happen.
Eric Maala
How many NYFFs have you worked?
Eight.
What film are you most excited to see at NYFF and why?
Hayao Miyazaki movies will forever remind me of my dad driving my sister and I to pick out a VHS to rent at the cheap, dingy video rental spot inexplicably hidden behind a liquor store in Hackensack, New Jersey, and time and again us both picking out My Neighbor Totoro, its quiet, patient groove and fuzzy cast of creatures somehow capturing our attention just as much as any top-volume Disney Sing-Along Songs cassette. That’s all to say that amid all the fast-paced work days The Boy and the Heron is the one I’ll be slowing down for!
Are there any other films you want to see or recommend audiences don’t miss?
It’s all unmissable, as cheesy as that sounds—next time you’re at Film at Lincoln Center ask the friendly face scanning your ticket what they’re most looking forward to and I guarantee you’ll hit on something 100% worth seeing.
What do you love about NYFF?
Getting to put on the best fest on the Upper West with a gaggle of talented muppets I’m proud to call colleagues—showing movies, talking movies, seeing movies, eating, sleeping, and breathing movies (and also coffee, so much coffee) for the better part of two weeks.
Do you have a favorite NYFF memory or experience?
Taking a breather during a long, tiring shift and spotting Agnes Varda napping on a couch beside me. One naps, the other doesn’t.
Kyle Milner
How many NYFFs have you worked?
Three.
What film are you most excited to see at NYFF and why?
Janet Planet is my most anticipated. I love Annie Baker’s plays so I’m excited to see how she translates her sensibilities to film. Also a coming-of-age movie set in early ’90s rural New England is very much my jam!
Are there any other films you want to see or recommend audiences don’t miss?
Two others I’m very excited about are Hong Sang-soo’s In Water and Harmony Korine’s AGGRO DR1FT. From the little I know about both these films, they are pushing the idea of what movies can look like and carving out new stylistic ground. They’ll both probably be polarizing, too, which is always exciting!
What do you love about NYFF?
The energy. The constant flow of guests keeps me invigorated and the smorgasbord of films fuels my ever changing taste and appreciation for the moving pictures!
Do you have a favorite NYFF memory or experience?
Watching Anne Hathaway handle a mob of autograph hounds trying to get their Catwoman posters signed with complete professional aplomb was definitely a highlight!
Sydney Mortensen
How many NYFFs have you worked?
Five.
What film are you most excited to see at NYFF and why?
I most excited to see Maestro because I’m a fan of Leonard Bernstein and it will be especially meaningful to see this film at Lincoln Center.
Are there any other films you want to see or recommend audiences don’t miss?
I also want to see Priscilla, The Zone of Interest, and The Curse.
What do you love about NYFF?
I love the energy that the festival brings, as well as the extra camaraderie that I feel from my colleagues.
Do you have a favorite NYFF memory or experience?
When Frances McDormand answered her flip phone in the middle of the press conference for The Tragedy of Macbeth—what a legend!
Lucy Sarasin
How many NYFFs have you worked?
One.
What film are you most excited to see at NYFF and why?
Poor Things.
Are there other films you want to see or recommend audiences don’t miss?
All of Us Strangers.
What do you love about NYFF?
The special events and talks with filmmakers/actors.
Do you have a favorite NYFF memory or experience?
Seeing a talk with Maggie Gyllenhaal for her The Lost Daughter release.
Rebecca Slaman
How many NYFFs have you worked?
Three.
What film are you most excited to see at NYFF and why?
Poor Things! I’ve seen The Favourite many many times and I just love Yorgos Lanthimos’ weirdness. He always opens my mind to a new and unexpected perspective.
What do you love about NYFF?
It feels great to be a part of something so significant and historic. And people know it! The energy people bring to screenings is really uplifting. We rely on that through our long and exhausting work days. We see people who come to every series FLC has, and people who have never been to Lincoln Center before. Our FOH staff are all incredible, and they work so hard to make sure everyone has a memorable time so we see those faces again.
Do you have a favorite NYFF memory or experience?
Any time I get to sit in Alice Tully Hall and experience the excitement right before a movie is magical. Everyone in the theater is aflutter with getting to be among the first to see something new. The audience is so active and appreciative. It’s a blast to be part of such an engaging communal experience!
Chelsea Tomasi![]()
How many NYFFs have you worked?
Five.
What film are you most excited to see at NYFF and why?
The Boy and the Heron
Are there any other films you want to see or recommend audiences don’t miss?
In our year of the Barbie? I wonder…
What do you love about NYFF?
The moment the lights go down.
Do you have a favorite NYFF memory or experience?
Watching Hong Sangsoo’s latest with all my friends.
Chris Torres
How many NYFFs have you worked?
Six.
What film are you most excited to see at NYFF and why?
Menus-Plaisirs Les Troisgros by Frederick Wiseman, easily one of the most thoughtful and patient directors in the festival this or any other year. Every time Wiseman’s work has been presented to me I have discovered a side of myself I didn’t see before, a version that I hope is more compassionate and empathetic. His work is at once humbling and shocking, finely organized but unscripted, and passionate despite a world full of cynics. It is a treasure to have such a devoted artist like Fred around, I’ll always take the time to hear what story he has to tell.
Are there other films you want to see or recommend audiences don’t miss?
This year is unbelievable, let me list just a couple I’ve been dying to see (sorry they are mostly over three hours):
Youth (Spring) by Wang Bing
Perfect Days by Wim Wenders
Janet Planet by Annie Baker
The Beast by Bertrand Bonello
Occupied City by Steve McQueen
and I ALWAYS make time for Director Hong.
What do you love about NYFF?
Going into a movie completely blind and having the wildest time of my life. I’ve been caught off guard so many times it’s hard to count. My advice is that if your Plan A screening is sold out, see whatever you can. Chances are you’ll find a filmmaker you’ll follow for years to come. Especially give a look to Currents and Revivals, they contain the true essence of modern cinema and our societal values in retrospect.
Do you have a favorite NYFF memory or experience?
Seeing Ed Lachman’s Songs for Drella at NYFF59 with an impromptu and very personal Q&A felt like I was floating on a cloud. An unforgettable collaboration that was hidden for so long which punched me in the gut, and remains Lachman’s only solo director credit to this day. He’s the GOAT.