About NewFest
Founded in 1988, NewFest is New York’s largest presenter of LGBTQ+ film & media
and the largest convener of LGBTQ+ audiences in the city
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.
32 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 - Presented Advanced Screenings of
CAROL, MOONLIGHT, CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, LOVE, SIMON, WELCOME TO CHECHNYA, ROCKETMAN, THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT, WEEKEND
Filmmakers who have screened at NewFest include
Board of Directors
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.
Kir Alshanetsky
Communications Manager
Kir joined NewFest as a Communications Associate in the spring of 2020, and took on the role of Communications Manager for both the annual New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival and year-round NewFest programming in 2021. They hold a Bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University (English; Social, Cultural & Critical Theory) and an MFA in Creative Writing from Rutgers University – Newark.
Kayo Gorden
Events and Operations Coordinator
Kayo joined the 2020 NewFest festival team as the Exhibition / Filmmaker Relations Assistant before becoming the Events and Operations Coordinator in Spring 2021. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Cinema from San Francisco State University and an MFA in Directing from Brooklyn College.
2020 Festival Team
Get in touch
Press Inquiries: kara.maclean@organic-publicity.com
General Inquiries: contactus@newfest.org
Ticketing & Member Benefits: boxoffice@newfest.org