Series I: New Yorker Films, 1965-2008

Scope and content:

New Yorker Films was established in 1965 by Daniel Talbot as an independent film distributor focused on the import of foreign films to the US and North America market. New Yorker Films acquired prints for first-time US distribution such as Bernardo Bertolucci's Before the Revolution (1964), Jean-Luc Godard's Les Carabiniers (1963), Ousmane Sembène's Black Girl (1966), Jacques Rivette's Celine and Julie Go Boating (1974), Chantal Akerman's Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975) and Werner Herzog's Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972). New Yorker Films was known for being the chief proponent in bringing New German, Latin American and Postcolonial African Cinema to American audiences and included French New Wave, Iranian, Asian and Eastern European filmmakers as well. New Yorker Films spurred the growth of educational film societies and independent cinemas throughout the United States, providing support and guidance to the non-theatrical cinema market. In 2009, New Yorker Films was sold to Madstone Films.

This series consists of correspondence, contracts, financial, administrative, producer reports, publicity files, theatrical engagements, and other business files pertaining to the operation of the New Yorker Films as an independent film distribution company, dating from 1965 to 2008. Materials related to each film title may appear across multiple subseries as they were originally arranged by record type.

Subseries I.A: Correspondence contains correspondence files of Dan Talbot and the New Yorker Films with international and domestic producers, directors, filmmakers, and studios, dating from 1965 to 2008. Arranged in 6 subsubseries.

Subseries I.B: Distribution Agreements and Contracts includes film distribution agreements, contracts, licenses of the New Yorker Films, dating from 1960 to 2008.

Subseries I.C: New Yorker Video/Home Video consists of files relating to New Yorker Videos' home videos and commercial video releases, dating from 1973 to 2002. Materials include press releases, catalog and sales lists, advertisements, cover stills, and other publicity files for creating the package of the video releases and distributions. Additional files related to the films distributed through Home Video may also appear in Subseries I.F: Publicity Files. Arranged in 4 subsubseries.

Subseries I.D: Administrative consists of administrative files as well as papers related to and writings by Dan Talbot. Also see Subsubseries I.A.2: Domestic for relative similar administrative correspondence.

Subseries I.E: Producer Reports consist of distribution statements, dating from 1970 to 2001. The producer reports track where certain film titles were distributed to, such as schools, libraries, theaters, and other distributors.

Subseries I.F: Publicity Files and Press Kits comprise ads, reviews, correspondence, subtitles, dialog lists, photographs, negatives, slides, press materials related to film titles distributed by the New Yorker Films.

Subseries I.G: Theatrical Engagements consist of files relating to New Yorker Films' theatrical screenings at various theaters and cultural institutions across the United States, dating from 1976 to 2001. Files also included films exhibited at the theaters the Talbots operated: Cinema Studio, Metro Cinema, Lincoln Plaza Cinemas. Materials include business records, costs/invoices, correspondence regarding the planning and shipping arrangements for the screenings at the locations.

Subseries I.H: Financial Records consists of the New Yorker Films, including invoices, statements, and expenses of the company, dating from 1972 to 2002. Additional financial records related to New Yorker Video/Home Video may be found in Subseries I.C: New Yorker Video/Home Video.

Arrangement:

Arranged in 8 subseries.

Contents

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