Film Forum

The Society of Illustrators, founded in 1901, is the oldest nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the art of illustration. Located on the Upper East Side, the Society invites visitors to explore its museum, which features rotating exhibitions, a permanent collection, and engaging events throughout the year.


Molly Bernstein is the director, producer and editor of DECEPTIVE PRACTICE: THE MYSTERIES AND MENTORS OF RICKY JAY, a documentary that premiered at the New York Film Festival and was selected by The Jameson Dublin International Film Festival and The Glasgow Film Festival, among others. DECEPTIVE PRACTICE received a wide theatrical release (after premiering at Film Forum), was named one of Entertainment Weekly’s top 10 films of the year and aired on the PBS series American Masters. Bernstein directed and edited AN ART THAT NATURE MAKES: THE WORK OF ROSAMOND PURCELL, a New York Times Critics Pick which also premiered at Film Forum in New York City, and played in over 20 theaters nationwide as well as The Folger Shakespeare Library in DC; MASS Moca in North Adams, Mass; Museum of Art in Portland, Maine; Center for Contemporary Arts in Sante Fe, NM and at The Natural History Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen. Bernstein produced, directed and edited THE SHOW’S THE THING: THE LEGENDARY PROMOTERS OF ROCK, a feature documentary that was selected by: DOC NYC, Doc’n Roll Film Festival in London, Docklands International Film Festival in Marin County, CA, The Asbury Park Music & Film Festival, and The Boulder and Cleveland International Film Festivals. THE SHOW’S THE THING aired on Sky Arts in the UK. Bernstein has had an extensive career as an editor with credits including TURN EVERY PAGE: THE ADVENTURES OF ROBERT CARO AND ROBERT GOTTLIEB (another Film Forum premiere), distributed by Sony Pictures Classics, and the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning JEROME ROBBINS: SOMETHING TO DANCE ABOUT, featured on American Masters. She has produced and directed many short films with Particle Productions on various subjects such as contemporary artists and art collectors around the world for the James Cohan Gallery and Christie’s, and about environmental issues and climate activists for The National Audubon Society, World Wildlife Fund, and Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). She is on the faculty of University of North Carolina School of the Arts in the filmmaking program. 

Philip Dolin has produced and directed over 100 films about art, architecture, dance, the environment, and many other subjects. His clients have included universities, non-profit organizations, art galleries, museums, and a variety of businesses. He started out producing hip-hop videos in the early ‘90s for rap artists Salt-N Pepa, MC Lyte, Hurby “Luv Bug” Azor and many others. He was the executive producer and cinematographer of two previous AN ART THAT NATURE MAKES: THE WORK OF ROSAMOND PURCELL and producer of DECEPTIVE PRACTICE: THE MYSTERIES AND MENTORS OF RICKY JAY, both or which premiered at Film Forum. He recently directed and produced the feature documentary THE SHOW’S THE THING: THE LEGENDARY PROMOTERS OF ROCK, which The Hollywood Reporter called “essential viewing for anyone interested in music industry history.”

Leslie Cober is an award-winning artist, illustrator, designer, educator, and curator recognized for her uplifting and evocative work. She serves as President of the Society of Illustrators NYC and has been the Curator and Chairperson of the Members’ Exhibit at The Museum of American Illustration for over 12 years. Her extensive career includes contributions to leading publications, books, and agencies worldwide, as well as the creation of large-scale public art murals. A dedicated educator, Leslie teaches at The Fashion Institute of Technology NYC and Western Connecticut State University, mentoring students in design, business, and visual storytelling. She also curates NYCParks’ Art Culture Fun series under the NYC Mayor’s Office, overseeing more than 100 public art workshops that bring creative experiences to underserved communities across the city. Leslie recently curated Framework: The Art of the Building at the Society of Illustrators, commemorating the 60th anniversary of NYC’s Landmark Law. Her work is also included in the permanent collection of the New Britain Museum of American Art. Her latest exhibition, Legacy of the Line, currently on view at Farmingdale University, showcases her work alongside that of her father, Alan E. Cober, celebrating their shared legacy in illustration. With a lifelong dedication to the arts, Leslie will moderate the screening of ART SPIEGELMAN: DISASTER IS MY MUSE, providing her expertise on illustration, storytelling, and the enduring influence of Spiegelman’s work as explored in this significant documentary.

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