Scott Foundas: “I think any organization has to change with time”

“It remains to be seen, but being a programmer is my primary responsibility. I think I’ll be consumed with that in the earlier stages [of the job], but I’ll feel it out later. It’s still a passion of mine.” Foundas said that he’s been writing for over ten years, joking that he’s even had to put more creativity in writing about some films then some people have put in creating them, and that he looks forward to having a change. Plus, he added with a laugh, “everyone else is doing it…”

“I don’t know if it’s really a trend. The New York Film Festival has long had critic programmers, and overseas, it’s quite common. The guys at the French Cinematheque also have lives as critics,” said Foundas when asked if he sees critics pursuing programming as a natural manifestation of the decline of criticism domestically and if he sees it as a shift. “It’s not surprising since there’s little place for these people, so it’s a Darwinian theme. Programming has a lot of commonalities. If you’re doing the international [film festival] beat, it’s not an illogical transition.”

Still, as one programming veteran noted to indieWIRE privately Wednesday, while traveling the world circuit may be similar, critics traditionally have reacted to what has already been curated in individual festivals, and it’s a programmers job to find particular trends or talent amongst a seemingly infinite pool of work being produced. There may be overlap, but it’s still a different approach.

Nevertheless, the New York Film Festival, and the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s other year-round programs, including the popular New Directors/New Films (with MoMA) and Rendez Vous with French Cinema series in Spring, among many others, tend to showcase important work that has demonstrated momentum and traction on the world festival circuit. Foundas expressed confidence that he will fit comfortably in the programming role.

“I’ve seen it in terms of talking to other festival programmers. When I interviewed [Cannes Film Festival head] Thierry Fremaux, he said that he may like a film but decide not to show it, or he may like a film, but decide that it isn’t right…it’s important to create a balance that’s not too indulgent one way or the other.” He went on to say that whether ultimately programming or not programming is often governed by factors beyond whether a programmer likes or dislikes it. “I think even a festival like Cannes doesn’t have carte blanche,” he added.

Turning to the New York Film Festival directly, Foundas said it’s too early for him to weigh in on how the seminal early Fall event may evolve. Already this year, its core audience attended screenings at Lincoln Center’s new Alice Tully Hall, and in a big shake-up for some die-hards, the opening night party was held in the expansive lobby of the new venue instead of the traditional - and apparently too expensive for the new economic realities - Tavern on the Green in Central Park.

“I think any organization has to change with time. “AFI Fest seems to have reinvigorated itself and the same with the Los Angeles Film Festival, which has become more essential over the years. I’ve spoken with many festival directors who’ve experimented with repackaging their festivals, and in many cases, they have found the end product to be superior to what came before. So [shake-ups] aren’t necessarily bad. As we go forward, we’ll be figuring all of this out with the New York Film Festival.”