The Resurrection of New Yorker Films

New Yorker Films, an important independent distributor of foreign films and documentaries, has announced plans to resume operations after being acquired by Aladdin Distribution LLC.

Founded in 1965 by Daniel Talbot, New Yorker Films was responsible for introducting major figures such as Bernardo Bertolucci and Rainer Werner Fassbinder to U.S. audiences. Its DVD and film rental library contained a number of key titles from Latin American, Africa and Iran, China and Japan, making it one of the most important sources for films at universities across the country. Last year's closure meant that many of these films have not been available for rental or purchase in any format in the U.S. Over the last several years the company had lost the rights to a number of titles, but it still has a substantial catalog of about 400 films. It also plans resume acquiring several new titles each year and distributing them in theaters.

New Yorker titles held at the Heilbrun Music and Media Library include Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach (dir. Jean-Marie Straub and Daniéle Huillet, DVD 5087) and Quilombo (dir. Carlos Diegues, DVD 5179).