Independent filmmakers, journalists, and other industry professionals gathered at Genesis House on Thursday, December 11th for a launch party celebrating the Winter 2025 issue of Filmmaker Magazine.
The space, crowded throughout, buzzed with conversation, except near a table where archive issues of the Gotham Film and Media Institute’s quarterly print magazine were spread out. One of those issues was the Summer 2001 magazine, which included their annual 25 New Faces of Independent Film feature story. (Of those 25 faces, notably, was Ryan Gosling, who had yet to break out in The Believer.)
Sophie Luo, Yoko Kohmoto
Among the crowd at the launch party, where small bites were served and drinks flowed at the bar, were two faces named in the Summer 2025 edition of the story. Filmmakers Paula González-Nasser (The Scout) and Ryan Martin Brown (Free Time), co-founders of the production company 5th Floor Pictures, chatted with attendees about the 1937 drama Stage Door starring Ginger Rogers and Katharine Hepburn, as well as the directorial genius of Preston Sturges (Sullivan’s Travels, The Lady Eve.)
Paula Gonzalez-Nasser, Jinho Myung, Emma Rempel, Max Cea, Ryan Brown
Across the room, Michael Hogan chatted with attendees by the bar. Hogan, a Vanity Fair veteran who was brought on to Filmmaker Magazine, will be overseeing the publication’s brand reboot and editorial strategy, taking the reigns from magazine co-founder Scott Macaulay.
Halfway through the event, Jeffrey Sharp, Executive Director of The Gotham Film & Media Institute, took the mic for event remarks.
Jeffrey Sharp
“Tonight we’re celebrating the future of the magazine but also the extraordinary legacy that Scott McCauley brought during his remarkable tenure, and this, his final issue in culmination of decades of work and celebration of independent film.” he told industry attendees. “We’re excited about what comes next for filmmakers as we build on the foundation Scott created and we’re equally proud to acknowledge our official automobile partner Genesis.”
The Winter 2025 issue of Filmmaker Magazine is now available for print and digital subscribers.