The New York City Traveler

New York may not have the television industry that California does, but the Big Apple is quickly gaining on its West Coast competitor.  Just a few months ago, it was announced that ABC’s hit comedy Ugly Betty will move production, joining an impressive list of shows that are taped in New York.
The American Museum of the Moving Image is dedicated to the art of film and television production by collecting and preserving moving image-related artifacts.  The museum is housed on the same block as the legendary Kaufman Astoria Studios.  The studio was home of the Marx Brothers and Cosby …read more

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Dalí: Painting and Film, MoMA’s newest exhibition, examines how Spanish surrealist Salvador Dalí’s relationship with film and cinema affected his art.  In the first exhibition of its kind, over 130 of Dalí’s paintings, drawings, and letters are on display showing how cinema was, in his early years, an inspiration that evolved into an outlet outlet for the artist. 
The exhibition is in conjunction with a selection of weekly film programs featuring Salvador Dalí: Creator Collaborator, Dalí Laughs, Salvador Dalí and Three American Surrealists, and Salvador Dalí: Consumer/Consumed.  Other works, such as the 1930 film by Luis Buñuel and …read more

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The free summer film series, Bryant Park Film Festival, will begin this Monday evening with a screening of Dr. No, the 1962 James Bond film starring Sean Connery.
The film festival is entering its 16th year and will feature classic American films like Superman and Bride of Frankenstein.  For a full movie schedule, visit the Bryant Park film festival calendar.
Location: Bryant Park, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues at 42nd Street (map)
Subway: 7 to Fifth Avenue; B, D, F, V to 42nd Street-Bryant Park
Dates and Time:  Every Monday from June 16th until August 18th, 2008.  Lawn opens at 5pm for blankets …read more

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Reporting and gathering information on human rights for a film is not an easy task.  Too often, governments and financial restrictions stand in the way of filmmakers completing projects which is why each of the 32 films presented in the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival-New York is triumph.         
The 19th Annual Human Rights Watch International Film Festival will feature 19 full-length films and 13 shorts from 20 countries, including 31 New York premieres. This year, nearly half of the films are by women.
The central theme of the film festival is human rights, but the festival features films that …read more

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River to River, a downtown festival that stretches from June to September with various events, is will underway.  Featuring world-class performing arts and free admission, the festival takes place in a variety of Downtown Manhattan public venues, from Chambers Street to the Battery on Manhattan’s southern tip, and includes Governors Island. 
There are a number of free events virtually everyday.  Highlights of the summer festival include:

Otis Clay and Ryan Shaw June 11  Free
Sonic Youth  July 4  Free
Folk Music Festival on Governors Island  July 26  Free
The Big River Project: The Music of Johnny Cash  July 26  Free
Seaport Music Festival  …read more

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The Rooftop Films Summer Series is returning this year and will begin this Saturday, May 31, 2008.  The series has come a long way since its inception in 1997 when films were screened atop a tenement on the Lower East Side.  This year the IFC will screen 19 feature films and over 150 short films in 38 screenings.  All screenings include live music before the films, and most screenings include after-parties with free drinks.
Screenings take place at a number of outdoor locations across the boroughs of New York, including Open Road Rooftop on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, …read more

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Visit the rainforest of Brazil without leaving the jungle of New York City.  Amazônia Brasil has a four-part exhibit that provides insight into the complex Amazon of Brazil.  Learn about how climate change is affecting the diverse ecosystem of the rainforest, visit a re-creation of an Amazon village, and meet indigenous artisans and shamans.    
Amazônia Brasil – Main Exhibit:  South Street Seaport, Pier 17
South Street Seaport has been transformed into a re-creation of the Brazilian rainforest.  In the 13,000-sq.-foot experience, visitors can see the sights and sounds of the Amazon and walk through a replica of a Amazon village.  Lending …read more

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The 2008 Tribeca Film Festival debuted Wednesday night with the lukewarm reception of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler’s comedy, Baby Mama.  This weekend, marking the first full weekend of festivities, more independent, foreign films will make their New York, North American, and World Debuts. 
As I sit here in a Tribeca coffee shop, cinemaphiles to my left and right are are pouring over the 2008 TFF Official Guide, trying to decide which films they want to put on their list.  Here is a short list of films that the feel are noteworthy:    
Friday, April 25th

Eden (Ireland)   Adapted from an award-winning …read more

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Somebody must be smiling on New York City because New York’s own resident weatherman Sam Champion says we can expect clear skies and temperatures in the 60s for the Tribeca Drive-In, the Tribeca Film Festival’s classic outdoor screening series.  The three day event will screen three movies: a 25th anniversary celebration of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” the family-friendly Meerkat Manor, and the winning film of the Fans’ Favorite Football Flick. 
Thursday, April 24th

Thriller  Filmmaker and “Thriller” video director John Landis will be on hand for a special 25th anniversary screening of Michael Jackson’s 1984 music video, plus the classic Making …read more

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The Tribeca Film Festival (TFF) kicks off next week, Wednesday, April 23rd and individual tickets will be available to the general public starting tomorrow, Saturday April 18th.  This is your chance to be part of the downtown event that Jane Rosenthal and Robert De Niro made famous. 
There is something for everybody at this year’s TFF.  The festival will feature films from Latin America, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, as well as from New York.  Such special interests as Women’s Issues, Environmental Issues, Political lssues, Health Issues, and Social Issues will be covered in films.  There will be films for …read more

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