An Ode to New York's IFC Center

"My relationship with the stretch of Sixth Avenue running between West 3rd and West 4th Streets, on one corner of which stands New York City's legendary IFC Center, mirrors my relationship with cinema, bad tattoos, crushing hangovers, and a whole mess of memories that sit in the back of my brain like luggage stuffed in a collapsing mid-flight Ryan Air jet."

"I spent my childhood in many places, but, starting around 14, much of it was spent within 100 yards of IFC. At 17, I snuck into a showing of Antichrist (Trier, 2009) with four friends after slamming Coronas with the staff of the Washington Square Diner, one of a few places that didn't card, and was a frequent gathering spot for insufferable nerds like us."

The IFC Center and the block of Sixth Avenue between West 3rd and West 4th Streets anchored enduring personal memories and a complex attachment to cinema and city life. Proximity to the theater shaped adolescence and creative identity, including youthful experiences like sneaking into Antichrist and late nights at the Washington Square Diner. A documentary filmmaker lens focuses on immigration, labor, and the lived impacts of 2025, telling stories of displacement, trauma, exploitation, and resilience. Premiering a film titled Roads of Fire at IFC prompted reflection on how place, memory, community, and cinematic culture have intertwined throughout life.

Read at Filmmaker Magazine