Searching for Mr. Rugoff is the story of Donald Rugoff, the crazy genius behind Cinema 5, the mid-century theater chain and film distribution company based in New York City. Rugoff was a difficult (some would say impossible) person but was also the man who kicked art films into the mainstream with outrageous marketing schemes and pure bluster. His impact on cinema culture in the United States is inestimable, and his influence on the art film business—from the studio classics divisions to the independent film movement to the rise of the Weinsteins—is undeniable. Yet, mysteriously, Rugoff has become a virtually forgotten figure—until now. The story is told through the eyes of former employee Ira Deutchman, who sets out to find the truth about the man who had such a major impact on his life, and to understand how such an important figure could have disappeared so completely.
In Conversation: Nat Chediak & Ira Deutchman
This screening will be introduced by CGAC Director of Programming Nat Chediak, who is featured in the documentary; following the screening, Nat will engage Searching for Mr. Rugoff director Ira Deutchman in conversation, who will join us via Zoom.