We hope you’ve been enjoying our Summer Rep Report series so far, spotlighting the riches of the August repertory calendar in New York City. Part 1 explored a series at Anthology Film Archives devoted to movies that make verbatim use of real-life transcripts, and Part 2 focused on a program at the Brooklyn Academy of Music that brings together a variety of movies about the act of passing—be it for another race, gender, class, or nationality. 

For the third and final installment of the series, Sam Fleischner and Courtney Muller, the founding programmers of the Rockaway Film Festival, join Film Comment editor Devika Girish to discuss this year’s edition, which runs from August 17 to 25. Launched in 2018 in the Queens, New York oceanside neighborhood, the festival draws upon the cultural history and environmental features of its location to offer a uniquely eclectic program that emphasizes the relationship between cinema and place. Courtney and Sam discuss the history of the festival and point out a few of this year’s repertory highlights, including Edward Lachman’s Report from Hollywood (1984), playing in a sparkling restoration at the festival; a wonderful retrospective program marking the centennial of pathbreaking animator Faith Hubley; the festival’s closing night selection, Gabriel (1976), the only film completed by painter Agnes Martin; and more.