March 15–19, 2023

First Look to launch Reverse Shot Emerging Critics Workshop—call for applications now open!

Program lineup to be announced in early February 2023; early bird All Festival Passes now on sale

Astoria, New York, December 12, 2022 — Museum of the Moving Image’s 12th First Look Festival, an annual showcase for new international cinema, will take place March 15–19, 2023. Each year, First Look introduces New York audiences to more than two dozen formally inventive works that seek to redefine the art form, often with the filmmakers in person; and through its Working on It program, engages filmmakers, critics, and students in conversations about the creative process in workshops and work-in-progress screenings. This year, First Look will launch the Reverse Shot Emerging Critics Workshop, with a call for applications open to early-career writers in the Greater New York area.

The lineup for the 12th annual First Look will be announced in early February 2023. All Festival Passes, good for all screenings including Opening Night and all Working on It sessions, are on sale now through February 13 at the early bird rate of $100 (regularly $120) with code EARLYBIRD.

The Emerging Critics Workshop is organized in conjunction with MoMI's house publication for criticism, Reverse Shot. This program resurrects and adapts the Museum's Moving Image Institute in Film Criticism, which was a model academy for developing young writers, last offered in 2008. Participating writers, selected via an application process, will have the opportunity to meet established film critics and filmmakers, take part in talks and workshops, and attend and cover a major New York festival. Applicants can send a cover letter and three writing samples to: critics@movingimage.us. Deadline is February 3, 2023. For more information, click here.

First Look was the New York launching point for films such as Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović’s Murina (2022), Chantal Akerman’s Almayer’s Folly (2012), Sergei Loznitsa’s Donbass (2018), Hirokazu Kore-eda’s After the Storm (2016), and more. The festival has also been the ideal setting for adventurous media works that expand outside traditional theatrical settings. The 2022 edition featured As Mine Exactly, the singular live VR experience by Charlie Shackleton. With a programming team led by MoMI’s Curator of Film Eric Hynes, Associate Curator of Film Edo Choi, and Curator of Science and Technology Sonia Epstein, films are invited and selected from international film festivals, with filmmakers appearing either in person or via video.

First Look is presented with support from The Jonathan B. Murray Center for Documentary Journalism at the Missouri School of Journalism, The Harriman Institute at Columbia University, Polish Cultural Institute New York, Villa Albertine, Kickstarter, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

#firstlookfest

Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI) is the only institution in the United States that deals comprehensively with the art, technology, enjoyment, and social impact of film, television, and digital media. In its stunning facility in Astoria, New York, the Museum presents exhibitions; screenings; discussion programs featuring actors, directors, and creative leaders; and education programs. It houses the nation’s largest collection of moving image artifacts and screens over 500 films annually. Its exhibitions—including the core exhibition Behind the Screen and The Jim Henson Exhibition—are noted for their integration of material objects, interactive experiences, and audiovisual presentations. For more information about MoMI, visit movingimage.us

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Press contacts:
Tomoko Kawamoto, MoMI, tkawamoto@movingimage.us, 718 777 6830
Sylvia Savadjian, dedicated First Look publicist, sylvia.savadjian@gmail.com


MUSEUM INFORMATION
Hours: Thursday, 2:00–6:00 p.m. Friday, 2:00–8:00 p.m. Saturday–Sunday, 12:00–6:00 p.m. 
Holiday Hours: open daily Dec. 26–Jan. 1, 12:00–6:00 p.m. (closed Dec. 25 and early closings on Dec. 24 and 31)
General Museum Admission: $20 adults, $12 senior citizens (ages 65+) and students (ages 18+) with ID, $10 youth (ages 3–17). Children under 3 and Museum members are admitted free. General admission is free every Thursday, 2:00–6:00 p.m.
Address: 36-01 35 Avenue (at 37 Street), Astoria (Queens), NY, 11106
Subway: M (weekdays only) or R to Steinway Street. W (weekdays only) or N to 36 Ave.
Program Information: Telephone: 718 777 6888; Website: movingimage.us
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Film Screenings: Friday evenings, Saturdays and Sundays, and as scheduled. Unless noted, tickets are $15 adults / $11 students and seniors / $9 youth (ages 3–17) / free or discounted for Museum members. Advance online purchase is recommended.

Face masks (ages 2+) are recommended inside the building and during screenings. Please review all visitor safety guidelines here.

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Museum of the Moving Image is housed in a building owned by the City of New York and has received significant support from the following public agencies: New York City Department of Cultural Affairs; New York City Council; New York City Economic Development Corporation; New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Governor and the New York State Legislature; Institute of Museum and Library Services; National Endowment for the Humanities; National Endowment for the Arts; and Natural Heritage Trust (administered by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation). For more information, please visit movingimage.us.