By Carla Zanoni
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
UPPER WEST SIDE — Manhattan cinema lovers can now flock to a new spot to watch premiere films in Manhattan with the weekend's opening of the Film Society of Lincoln Center.
Named for the society that is best known for its annual New York Film Festival, the 17,000-square-foot theater was created as a theater and community space with two main screening rooms, an 87-seat amphitheater outfitted to hold post-screening talks between theatergoers and theater-makers, a café and bookstore.
The façade of the new theater, located at 165 West 65th St., between Columbus and Amsterdam avenues, is adorned with the titles of 1,000 films the Society has screened since it was founded in 1969.
Designer and architect David Rockwell, who is known for creating a group of high-profile hotels, restaurants and even playgrounds, designed the $41 million theater, which will also act as a community center complete with a bookstore and café.
"Our primary goal here was to create an accessible place that could celebrate community filmmakers in a kind of informal way," Rockwell told the Wall Street Journal last week. "We were looking to create the best possible environment for filmmakers to show their films."
Just three nights after its opening, the 17,000-square-foot theater threw a talk of the town party, playing host to journalism luminaries while screening "Page One," the new documentary that takes a look at one year look at the inner workings of the New York Times.
