New York on Film: “Bill Cunningham New York”

For years, readers of the New York Times’ Sunday Styles section were treated to trend pieces, wedding announcements and a striking burst of street fashion, courtesy of Bill Cunningham’s “On The Street” photography feature. From eye-catching patterns to accessory trends, Cunningham captured an egalitarian snapshot of the people and attitudes that make New York, New York.

On September 24, join the Downtown Alliance for a special screening of the acclaimed documentary “Bill Cunningham New York” (2010). The intimate film offers an unforgettable portrait of the legendary fashion photographer who, for nearly 40 years, chronicled the city’s street style from his humble perch on a Schwinn bicycle. More than a record of fashion, the film reveals the man behind the lens: his monk-like dedication, modesty and the integrity that earned him admiration from both fashion leaders like Anna Wintour and the everyday New Yorkers he photographed.

Following the screening, stay for a talkback with director Richard Press, writer and producer Philip Gefter, and cultural commentator Kim Hastreiter (founder of Paper magazine). Together, they will reflect on Cunningham’s lasting influence — not just on fashion and photography, but on how we see New York itself. The conversation will explore his singular approach to documenting city life, his relevance in an age of hyper-curated social media and the version of New York that endures through his photographs.

Tickets are $5 and include popcorn and a beverage. All proceeds will be donated to an organization of our speakers’ choice.

Please note that seating is not assigned and seats will be chosen on a first come, first served basis.

Philip Gefter is the author of “Cocktails with George and Martha: Movies, Marriage, and the Making of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” (Bloomsbury, 2024), which was included on the New York Times’ 100 Notable Books of 2024; “What Becomes a Legend Most: The Biography of Richard Avedon” (Harper, 2020); “Wagstaff: Before and After Mapplethorpe” (Liveright, 2014), which received the 2014 Marfield Prize for national arts writing; and a collection of essays, “Photography After Frank” (Aperture 2009). He was on staff at The New York Times for over fifteen years, serving as the Page One Picture Editor from 1999 – 2003, and as photography critic from 2003 – 2010. He was the photography critic for the Daily Beast in its early years and contributed frequently to The New Yorker: Photobooth and Aperture, the quarterly of photography. He produced the award-winning 2011 documentary, “Bill Cunningham New York.”

Kim Hastreiter is a cultural anthropologist and the original multi-hyphenate. An editor, publisher, writer, artist, creative director, curator, connector and big idea person, she is most known for co-founding PAPER magazine in 1984. Her career of identifying cultural movements and connecting the dots between style, design, art and culture is legendary. Kim has been profiled in The New Yorker, The New York Times and the Chicago Tribune and was awarded the Eugenia Sheppard Award for journalism by the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 2010 and Pratt Institute’s Legends Award in 2014. In April 2025, Kim was awarded with the Smithsonian Cooper Hewitt Design Visionary Award for her life work. Kim has published several books including “Geoffrey Beene: An American Fashion Rebel,” “20 Years of Style” and a four-volume collection from photographer Paige Powell. During the pandemic Kim created a newspaper called The New Now, a public art project that now serves as a historical document of the time. She is also an editor for the international design magazine, Apartemento. In the Spring of 2025 Hastreiter released a 450 page tome, part memoir, part history book/ part philosophy book called “STUFF (A New York Life of Cultural Chaos).” Kim, a New Jersey native and consummate New Yorker, lives with her beloved dog Hoda in Greenwich Village perched atop Washington Square Park.

@kimpaper

Richard Press is an award winning filmmaker whose work has screened in theaters and film festivals around the world.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Lower Manhattan, 28 Liberty Street, New York, United States