First films are special. They tend to be passion projects; their budgets may be limited, but the energy and resourcefulness of the filmmakers can be felt in every frame. And often, the themes, preoccupations, and personality of the filmmaker we’ve come to know are evident in their debut films. First Exposure is a selection of great first films by prominent directors and cinematographers, followed by in-depth and intimate conversations. These are movies that seemingly came out of nowhere – but have stood the test of time.
20TH ANNIVERSARY SCREENING - A BRONX TALE - ROBERT DE NIRO
YEAR 1 OPENING NIGHT FILM: THE VIRGIN SUICIDES - SOFIA COPPOLA
π (PI) - DARREN ARONOFSKY
JACK GOES BOATING - PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN
ROGER & ME - MICHAEL MOORE
TITUS - JULIE TAYMOR
THE STATION AGENT - TOM McCARTHY
WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE - TODD SOLONDZ
YEAR 2 OPENING NIGHT FILM: PARIS IS BURNING - JENNIE LIVINGSTON
POISON - CHRISTINE VACHON
THE STORY OF A THREE-DAY PASS - MELVIN VAN PEEBLES
IN A WORLD... - LAKE BELL
FINGERS - JAMES TOBACK