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Our mission is to give voice and visibility to the wide scope of LGBTQ+ experiences through films and programs that entertain, educate & empower

We believe that visibility matters, and that queer film can change the world.


35 years ago, a NYC-based queer film movement was born.

Founded in 1988 in direct response to the AIDS crisis, The New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival has been a tentpole of NYC’s queer cultural scene. In the subsequent years, NewFest has expanded into a film and media organization with year-long programs to serve all facets of the LGBTQ+ community.

Through the years, we have

Presented the world theatrical premiere of
PARIS IS BURNING

Presented New York premieres of
HEDWIG & THE ANGRY INCH, HIGH ART, BOY ERASED, GOD’S OWN COUNTRY, CELLULOID CLOSET, AND THEN WE DANCED, RAFIKI, THE WATERMELON WOMAN, TREVOR, COMMON THREADS: STORIES FROM THE QUILT, THE STROLL, BOTTOMS, PROBLEMISTA, KOKOMO CITY

Presented Advanced Screenings of
CAROL, MOONLIGHT, CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, LOVE, SIMON, WELCOME TO CHECHNYA, ROCKETMAN, THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT, WEEKEND, RED, WHITE, & ROYAL BLUE, WOMEN TALKING, THE OTHER TWO, SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE, PASSAGES

Filmmakers who have screened at NewFest include

Todd Haynes
Lisa Cholodenko
Cheryl Dunye
Greg Berlanti
Rhys Ernst
John Cameron Mitchell
Luca Gudagnino
David France
Barry Jenkins
Sidra Smith
Gregg Araki
Billy Porter
Andrew Ahn
Alice Wu
Julio Torres
Emma Seligman
Ira Sachs
Chase Joynt

Board of Directors

Jane Sasseen
Co-Chair
Newmark Graduate School of Journalism
Ellery Washington
Co-Chair
Pratt Institute
Josh Schiowitz
Treasurer
Schiowitz Artists Management
Adam Natale
Secretary
SVA Theatre, School of Visual Arts
Mike Balaban
Balaban Associates
Bill Berman
Independent Consultant
Ann Brown
The Estée Lauder Companies
Thomas Dima
UniWorld Group
Michael Dinwiddie
NYU's Gallatin School
Lisa Alexis Jones
Leech Tishman Fuscaldo & Lampl
Afua Kafi-Akua
International Center of Photography
Mathew Lasky
Delta Air Lines
Ronald Lense
Douglas Elliman
Sandy Markman
Independent Consultant/ Executive Creative Director
Aviva Michelman-Dumas
Cameron Stracher
Isabel Sandoval
Filmmaker
Ron Simons
SimonSays Entertainment
Ramón Torres
Warner Brothers Discovery
Andrew Uriarte
NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts

NewFest Staff

David Hatkoff

Executive Director

David joined NewFest as Executive Director in August 2019. He has spent his career amplifying and elevating the mission and programming efforts of non-profit arts organizations, serving for 11 years in a senior leadership role at NYC’s Tony Award-winning Signature Theatre. He was an integral part of Signature’s transition to its permanent home, the 75,000 square foot, Frank Gehry-designed Pershing Square Signature Center, and the growth of the company, which more than tripled its budget, staff and programming during his time with the organization. David studied in the MA program at New York University’s Gallatin School, with a focus in LGTBQ Studies. He has a deep passion for queer culture and a strong desire to create spaces for queer storytelling.

Nick McCarthy

Director of Programming & Operations

Having been with NewFest since 2016, Nick curates and manages the annual New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival in addition to NewFest’s year-round programming. Nick previously served as the Film Curator at The Tank and worked in academic publishing & international media, serving as a Production Coordinator of the MENA-region talk show NIDA’A. Nick received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Writing, Literature, and Publishing and Visual Arts / Media Studies from Emerson College. Nick has written about film & media for publications including Slant Magazine, Time Out New York, NBC News, and the Boston Phoenix, and has served on multiple domestic and international film festival juries, including GAZE in Dublin, Columbia University’s CUFF in New York City, and Inside Out in Toronto.

Gina Hsu

Development Manager

Gina (they/she) is the Development Manager and works on partnerships, sponsorships, individual giving, and membership at NewFest. They hold a BA in English and Computer Science from Cornell, where they received the M.H. Abrams Thesis Prize for work in critical theory and film. Prior to NewFest, they worked in development and events at the artist residency MacDowell. They are passionate about providing resources to artists, both to support the creative process and to elevate completed work. They are also a community organizer, a writer, and a dabbler in many/any arts and crafts. They live in Brooklyn with a little black cat.

Arieta Palevic

Marketing and Communications Manager

Arieta (she/they) joined NewFest as a Marketing and Communications Associate in early 2022 and was promoted to Manager in January 2023. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology with minors in Film, Photography, and English from St. John’s University. She’s currently pursuing an MS in Information Experience Design from Pratt Institute.

Get in touch

Press Inquiries: contactus@newfest.org
General Inquiries: contactus@newfest.org
Ticketing & Member Benefits: boxoffice@newfest.org