Cristina Cacioppo

Plenty of movies will play in NYC this summer, but 92YTribeca—in its first summer of programming—will be one of the few venues in the city to routinely show new, challenging independent cinema. Film programmer Cristina Cacioppo told Eric Kohn how she plans to keep the seats packed this summer: a mix of arty, previously undistributed stuff will joined by movie fodder.

Given that you’ve picked up on a program from the ill-fated Pioneer, it would seem that the 92YTribeca is filling a void in New York now that there are fewer theaters with non-commercial programs.
I think so. They closed pretty much right after we opened. We’ve been in touch with Ray Privett, who was one of the programmers there. He’s thrown a few things our way. New York has places that show a lot of really great, high-profile classics and foreign stuff, but when it comes to things that are a little campier or edgier, there isn’t a really a spot that does that.

A lot of your events are participatory.
We take a few chances, try different things and hope there will be a big response. We do this collaboration with Dorkbot. They pulled together these crazy examples of people misusing technology. It involved a live aspect —music, live video remix remixing—
all this stuff.

What’s the deal with the monthly Iron Mule Short Comedy Film Festival?
They used to be called First Sundays. They started about seven years ago, mostly at the Pioneer Theater. When it closed down [in 2008], they approached us and we said it was great, but we weren’t going to be open on Sundays. So they changed their name. The two hosts are comedians and filmmakers. They host the evening with short comedy films. The fun part is that each month somebody from the audience stars in a film that shows the next month.  

The 92YTribeca is one of the few places in New York where people can drink alcohol while they watch movies.
They are absolutely allowed to drink in the screening room. Our head bartender is still trying to come up with a few signature cocktails.

What’s your favorite summer drink?
Last year, I was into gin and mojitos.