Zeitgeist Films is set to receive a major honor at Art House Convergence’s annual conference. The indie film distributor’s co-founders, Nancy Gerstman and Emily Russo, have been named as the 2020 recipients of the Spotlight Lifetime Achievement Award, given in recognition of “individuals whose exceptional contributions to art house and independent film have sustained and invigorated the theatrical experience for future generations.” A press release announced the news.
Founded in 1988 in a single office, the New York-based company has acquired and distributed over 200 films from the U.S. and around the world. Their extensive catalog includes films from Agnès Varda, Yvonne Rainer, and Margarethe Von Trotta, among many others.
Zeitgeist entered into a multi-year pact with Kino Lorber in 2017, and under that banner they’ve released titles such as Alexandra Dean’s “Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story,” Alison Reid’s “The Woman Who Loved Giraffes,” and Astra Taylor’s “What Is Democracy?”
“We’re honored, that goes without saying, but this is an especially meaningful award because it comes from people we’ve actually been doing business with over the years and who fight the good fight every day to keep arthouse cinema relevant,” said Gerstman and Russo.
The Art House Convergence (AHC) is an association “dedicated to advancing excellence and sustainability in community-based, mission-driven media exhibition,” according to its official website. This year’s conference will take place January 19-23.
