IFC Center’s General Manager Picks Favorite Moments from 20 Years in New York City

IFC Center turns 20 this week, and we’re celebrating by turning nan timepiece backmost to 2005. On our existent birthday, June 17, a typical one-day-only day event showcases nan 4 movies that played our opening week – “I Was Born But…,” “Maniac,” “Don’t Look Back,” and “Me and You and Everyone We Know” — each astatine 2005 prices. Later successful nan summer, a “20 Films for 20 Years” bid will spotlight immoderate cardinal films from IFC Center’s history, pinch a different movie representing each twelvemonth we’ve been open. 

To people nan anniversary, IndieWire asked maine to bespeak connected immoderate of my individual programming highlights from almost 2 decades astatine nan theater. There are dozens and dozens, but present are immoderate of nan ones that really instrumentality retired for me, successful astir chronological order:

David Lynch Introducing “Vertigo”

A fewer days earlier we opened what would beryllium his last feature, “Inland Empire,” successful December, 2006, Lynch made a typical quality to coming 1 of his favourite films, “Vertigo.” In summation to nan Hitchcock classic, he besides talked astir his emotion of coffee. It was everything you would person expected.

“Killer of Sheep”

Charles Burnett’s landmark of American cinema had its theatrical premiere astatine IFC Center successful 2007, immoderate 30 years aft it was made. It was an grant to person Burnett astatine nan theater, and to thief yet bring nan movie to a wider audience.

“White Material”

Claire Denis’ films often make viewers uneasy, and moderating a Q&A for this 1 pinch Isabelle Huppert and nan head herself was possibly my astir intimidating infinitesimal onstage astatine IFC Center (though a Q&A pinch Frederick Wiseman was a adjacent second). 

“Tabloid” astatine nan Closing Night of nan first DOC NYC

In 2010, nan first version of our documentary show DOC NYC closed pinch Errol Morris’ “Tabloid,” a image of nan larger-than-life Joyce McKinney, nan one-time Miss Wyoming who was accused of kidnapping a young Mormon missionary successful England. As Errol started his Q&A aft nan film, Joyce called retired from nan backmost of nan theatre and insisted connected joining him connected shape (along pinch her cloned canine Booger) to show her broadside of nan story.

“Boyhood”

I emotion this movie. That’s all. 

“Parasite”

Sometimes, everything conscionable clicks. A awesome movie and a awesome filmmaker recovered richly deserved occurrence crossed nan board. We opened “Parasite” connected 4 screens and sold retired each show opening weekend. It’s still our biggest hit. 

The ‘Bacarau’ squad astatine IFC CenterIFC Center

“Bacarau”/Shutting Down

I’m a large instrumentality of Kleber Mendonça Filho’s films (we opened “Neighboring Sounds” backmost successful 2012), but this 1 stays pinch maine arsenic overmuch for what followed arsenic for nan movie itself. It was 1 of nan past films we opened, and 1 of nan past filmmaker Q&As we had earlier nan COVID-19 shutdown. On Sunday, March 15, 2020, I was bumping elbows to shake hands Sonia Braga (we were already avoiding shaking hands); that Friday, we closed down–and would stay shuttered for astir a afloat year. 

Reopening

We were yet capable to reopen nan theatre connected March 5, 2021 — astatine only 1/4 capacity, but nary matter, we were back.  We deed nan crushed moving pinch 24 different titles playing that first week, because, arsenic Mae West said, excessively overmuch of a bully point tin beryllium wonderful. 

“The People’s Joker” and “Hundreds of Beavers”

We played immoderate awesome films successful 2024, but these 2 were other special: unstoppable individual visions that proved that DIY American indie cinema is live and well. Vera Drew’s “The People’s Joker” was nan satirical trans takedown of superhero movies and nan drama segment that we didn’t cognize we needed. And Mike Cheslik’s “Hundreds of Beavers” recovered endlessly inventive ways to bring slapstick into nan 21st century. Neither was for illustration thing other retired there. (Props to professional Jason Bailey for noting they were nan cleanable double characteristic of nan year.)

Justin Theroux, Naomi Watts, and Scott Coffey Introducing “Mulholland Drive” connected David Lynch’s Birthday

When David Lynch passed distant earlier this year, we knew that IFC Center had to salary homage to his legacy. We put up a tribute connected our marquee, for illustration different theaters astir nan country, and launched a retrospective. Justin Theroux dropped successful and asked if he could present our screening of “Mulholland Drive,” scheduled for Lynch’s day connected January 20 — and past ended up bringing Naomi Watts and Scott Coffey pinch him. It was a complete astonishment to nan audience, and an incredibly rubbing evening. Only successful New York, kids, only successful New York. 

Of course, there’s truthful overmuch much to come. Later this month, an unseen Wong Kar Wai short premieres arsenic portion of a 25th-anniversary tally of nan sparkling “In nan Mood for Love.” In July, we person caller movies by Alex Ross Perry, Jem Cohen, and Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, to sanction conscionable a fewer — not to mention immoderate awesome caller restorations of long-unavailable films successful August, nan 16th version of DOC NYC successful November, our yearly vacation tally of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” and more.

And many, galore acknowledgment to each nan filmmakers and filmgoers who’ve made our first 20 years specified a dream — spot you astatine nan movies!