NYWIFT Blog

Our Friday column asks our members about their favorite tool, software, article of clothing, shoes on set, favorite scriptwriting software, etc.

Lisa Reznik – Filmmaker and Founder of the Film Society of Summit

By Jean Criss

Traditional film houses are transitioning to virtual cinema screenings since art houses have temporarily closed their doors to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Learn what my colleague and friend Lisa Reznik found in her toolkit!

Lisa Reznik has been a proud member of NYWIFT for over six years. She earned a B.A. in European Cultural Studies from Brandeis University and an M.A. in Journalism from NYU. She has written for screen and stage, including three award-winning short films. Lisa is a firm believer in the power of film to educate and connect people on important topics. She founded the Film Society of Summit (NJ) which screens independent films for community conversation with filmmakers.

NYWIFT Member Lisa Reznik

Lisa, what is the one thing that drives you to begin your production day?

Project completions served with French roast coffee!

What type of nourishment is your daily ritual? 

I always look forward to morning oatmeal, Greek yogurt, and avocado toast for breakfast.

I encourage a BYOP (bring your own popcorn) ritual at the Film Society which went over well in our community.

What are you doing to de-stress your life during COVID-19 as a film director?

I’m trying new vegetarian comfort food recipes with my daughter home from college. My “fav” so far is a savory French tart with goat cheese, creme fraiche, and zucchini which the whole family loves. 

What type of engagement are you experiencing with your new virtual film audience?   

Though art houses* have temporarily closed their doors to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the Film Society of Summit is as active as ever. Open 24/7 with a selection of the year’s most acclaimed films, impactful programming, now offered online at home.

As part of unprecedented partnerships with film distributors, we’ve secured virtual cinema screenings which let viewers see films that would typically only be seen in cinemas. Films from Film Movement, Sony Pictures Classics, Music Box Films, Oscilloscope and other distributors, [are available] even while our doors are closed. The average ticket price is $10/family. A portion of all purchases directly supports the Film Society of Summit and neighboring theaters. Once a customer procures a ticket, they receive access to a temporary film rental. People watch on their PC, tablet or via Chromecast.

We’re keeping our audience “in the loop” with weekly emails and are receiving high open rates on our virtual cinema options recently. We’re scheduling a number of Zoom-based virtual Q&A sessions – two art documentaries led by curators from the Summit NJ Visual Arts Center we also offer discussions with our filmmakers after each “live” session.

*The Art House Convergence (AHC), is an association dedicated to advancing excellence and sustainability in community-based, mission-driven film exhibition, has been an outstanding resource for continuing our work while theaters are dark, including offering webinars on how to survive while we’re closed,  on programming, and education and marketing.  

Lisa I know you’ve been a world traveler, what are you doing to keep up on industry film documentaries? 

I’m a filmmaker and am working on the post-production of a Holocaust educational documentary. A Holocaust Journey: Lessons We Learned presents a group of students who traveled to Berlin/Poland with the aim of trying to comprehend the reality of the Holocaust.

Our editor and co-producer is NYWIFT member, Terence Taylor, whom I met at Anthology Film Archives during a NYWIFT Member Screening. Terence and I are working remotely, [and] collaborate effectively, while social distancing to finish our film. We’re working well together under these challenging circumstances. We’ll resume our typical travel when the time is right.  

I’ve also been previewing documentaries to offer as virtual cinema options when we re-open. My “fav” job perk! 

What words do you live by?  

As a film organization dedicated to high quality indie film and discussion, we know that true art has always survived the toughest of times. Be it through cinemas or VODs, great films will always find their way to our hearts. Nothing tells a story better than film. Thanks for keeping us top of mind in this new virtual cinema world!

Learn more about the film Society of Summit at www.summitfilmsociety.com.