IFC Center turns 20 this week, and we’re celebrating by turning the clock back to 2005. On our actual birthday, June 17, a special one-day-only anniversary event showcases the four movies that played our opening week – “I Was Born But…,” “Maniac,” “Don’t Look Back,” and “Me and You and Everyone We Know” — all at 2005 prices. Later in the summer, a “20 Films for 20 Years” series will spotlight some key films from IFC Center’s history, with a different movie representing each year we’ve been open.
To mark the anniversary, IndieWire asked me to reflect on some of my personal programming highlights from almost two decades at the theater. There are dozens and dozens, but here are some of the ones that really stick out for me, in roughly chronological order:
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David Lynch Introducing “Vertigo”
A few days before we opened what would be his final feature, “Inland Empire,” in December, 2006, Lynch made a special appearance to present one of his favorite films, “Vertigo.” In addition to the Hitchcock classic, he also talked about his love of coffee. It was everything you would have expected.
“Killer of Sheep”
Charles Burnett’s landmark of American cinema had its theatrical premiere at IFC Center in 2007, some 30 years after it was made. It was an honor to have Burnett at the theater, and to help finally bring the movie to a wider audience.
“White Material”
Claire Denis’ films often make viewers uneasy, and moderating a Q&A for this one with Isabelle Huppert and the director herself was perhaps my most intimidating moment onstage at IFC Center (though a Q&A with Frederick Wiseman was a close second).
“Tabloid” at the Closing Night of the first DOC NYC
In 2010, the first edition of our documentary festival DOC NYC closed with Errol Morris’ “Tabloid,” a portrait of the larger-than-life Joyce McKinney, the one-time Miss Wyoming who was accused of kidnapping a young Mormon missionary in England. As Errol started his Q&A after the film, Joyce called out from the back of the theater and insisted on joining him on stage (along with her cloned dog Booger) to tell her side of the story.
“Boyhood”
I love this movie. That’s all.
“Parasite”
Sometimes, everything just clicks. A great film and a great filmmaker found richly deserved success across the board. We opened “Parasite” on four screens and sold out every show opening weekend. It’s still our biggest hit.
“Bacarau”/Shutting Down
I’m a big fan of Kleber Mendonça Filho’s films (we opened “Neighboring Sounds” back in 2012), but this one stays with me as much for what followed as for the film itself. It was one of the last films we opened, and one of the last filmmaker Q&As we had before the COVID-19 shutdown. On Sunday, March 15, 2020, I was bumping elbows to greet Sonia Braga (we were already avoiding shaking hands); that Friday, we closed down–and would remain shuttered for nearly a full year.
Reopening
We were finally able to reopen the theater on March 5, 2021 — at only 1/4 capacity, but no matter, we were back. We hit the ground running with 24 different titles playing that first week, because, as Mae West said, too much of a good thing can be wonderful.
“The People’s Joker” and “Hundreds of Beavers”
We played some great films in 2024, but these two were extra special: unstoppable personal visions that proved that DIY American indie cinema is alive and well. Vera Drew’s “The People’s Joker” was the satirical trans takedown of superhero movies and the comedy scene that we didn’t know we needed. And Mike Cheslik’s “Hundreds of Beavers” found endlessly inventive ways to bring slapstick into the 21st century. Neither was like anything else out there. (Props to critic Jason Bailey for noting they were the perfect double feature of the year.)
Justin Theroux, Naomi Watts, and Scott Coffey Introducing “Mulholland Drive” on David Lynch’s Birthday
When David Lynch passed away earlier this year, we knew that IFC Center had to pay homage to his legacy. We put up a tribute on our marquee, like other theaters around the country, and launched a retrospective. Justin Theroux dropped in and asked if he could introduce our screening of “Mulholland Drive,” scheduled for Lynch’s birthday on January 20 — and then ended up bringing Naomi Watts and Scott Coffey with him. It was a complete surprise to the audience, and an incredibly touching evening. Only in New York, kids, only in New York.
Of course, there’s so much more to come. Later this month, an unseen Wong Kar Wai short premieres as part of a 25th-anniversary run of the luminous “In the Mood for Love.” In July, we have new movies by Alex Ross Perry, Jem Cohen, and Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, to name just a few — not to mention some major new restorations of long-unavailable films in August, the 16th edition of DOC NYC in November, our annual holiday run of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” and more.
And many, many thanks to all the filmmakers and filmgoers who’ve made our first 20 years such a dream — see you at the movies!
