New York Jewish Film Festival 2017 – January 11-24
Senior Film Critic Kurt Brokaw picks favorites from the 26th annual fest co-presented by the Jewish Museum and the Film Society of Lincoln Center
Kurt Brokaw
Kurt Brokaw joined The Independent in 2010 as Senior Film Critic, covering New York’s six major film festivals and reviewing individual features and shorts of merit. He was Associate Teaching Professor at The New School for 33 years, and has taught courses on film noir, early lesbian fiction and Jewish-themed cinema at The 92nd Street Y for 15 years. His memoir, The Paperback Guy, was published in 2020.
John Cassavetes Talks Comedy, Life, and Reputation in Rare 1989 Interview
John Cassavetes is one of the founding fathers of independent cinema. In this article Kurt Brokaw examines a rare Cassavetes interview. A powerful interview where the legendary director reflects on himself and his life, in 1989, the same year of his death.
New York Film Festival 2016 (Sept. 30-Oct. 16)
Senior film critic Kurt Brokaw views the entire Main Slate and selects his favorites from the 54th NYFF.
Tribeca 2016: Critic’s Choice
77 World Premieres, 42 Directorial Debuts, 23 VR exhibits and interactive installations from the leading filmmakers, and 11 Award-Winning Films to watch on the last day of the Festival. That’s what Tribeca Film Festival has in store for us this year, and The Independent is there to soak it all up.
New Directors/New Films 2016 – Critic’s Choice
Kurt Brokaw selects his favorites from the 45th edition of the fest (27 features, 10 shorts) at the Film Society of Lincoln Center and the Museum of Modern Art screening March 16th –
Rendez-Vous with French Cinema 2016 – Critic’s Choice
Senior Critic, Kurt Brokaw views all 21 features at the 21st annual festival which runs March 3rd to 13th
New York Jewish Film Festival 2016 – Critic’s Choices
Senior film critic Kurt Brokaw selects his favorites from the 25th edition of the NYJFF, which runs January 13-26, 2016. Among them are Ellis, Rabin, The Last Day, Dear God, and The Law.
DOC NYC 2015: Critic’s Picks
Films by directors Barbara Kopple, Kristina Sorge, Douglas Sloan, Kent Jones, Jason Hutt, Marc Levin, Stephen Maing, Jimmy Goldblum, and Amy Berg are Kurt Brokaw’s critic’s picks from DOC NYC, the all-documentary festival that runs from November 12-19, 2015.
NYFF 2015: Critic’s Choice
Remember 2008’s spectacular doc-based-on-a-book Man On Wire? Now it’s fictionalized as The Walk and Kurt Brokaw LOVED it. Find out what else our senior critic adored at this year’s New York Film Festival, running September 25-October 11, 2015.