The Circuit

After NYFF's Richard Pena proudly declared that all three of his children were in the audience this year, Laurent Cantet director of the opening night film "The Class," introduced his actors.  "I hope your children like the film, Richard," said Cantet, sounding slightly uncertain.


"Hedwig" superstar John Cameron Mitchell and Galway fest's TC Rice. 

Mitchell leaves on Monday for Russia, where the Side by Side Film Festival makes history as the region's first gay fest in Saint Petersburg.  Mitchell said that theaters have bowed to government pressure, robbing the fest of a venue.  So they've moved it to bars and clubs.  "We're still concerned about skinheads," said Mitchell, citing the recent violence sparked by the comments of the State Artist of Russia that homosexuals were "perverts" who suffered from "an illness."  More info here.


IFC Film's Ryan Werner, indieWIRE's Eugene Hernandez, and UT Austin prof John Pierson.  John and Janet Pierson, now head film programmer at SXSW, are long-time NYFF attendees.

It was a strange choice to make on Friday, yet many Gothamites in their evening best chose a drama on the French school system over a spiraling U.S. economy and tense presidential debate, happening at the very same moment as the "The Class" unspooled. 

The McCain/Obama face-off quickly eclipsed discussions at the party, with most feeling it was a tie and some die-hard Obama fans declaring it a victory.  It was hard to find passion about the film.  Most said it was okay yet it was clearly not on auds minds.