We’re proud to share our latest oral history, with Karen Cooper, who from 1972 to 2023 was the director of Film Forum. In 1975, Cooper brought Film Forum, which then had 50 folding chairs, one projector, and a $19,000 annual budget, downtown from the Upper West Side. She was responsible for its first purpose-built home on Watts Street in 1980, and in 1990 moved Film Forum to its current Houston Street home, where it has since expanded to four screens. She helped to dramatically expand the scope of international and documentary film programming at Film Forum and within the city’s film landscape. Film Forum is the only autonomous nonprofit cinema in New York City, and one of the few in the country. Film Forum is open 365 days a year, with as many as 250,000 annual admissions and nearly 500 seats. 

Highlights of Cooper’s interview include memories of each of Film Forum’s distinct locations; discussions of the intersections between her personal, political, and intellectual interests; and her programming choices’ and reflections on the changing arts landscape in New York City. Cooper was born in Manhattan, moved to and was raised in Queens at a young age, and moved back to Lower Manhattan as soon as she could. 

Village Preservation maintains about 70 oral histories with figures who witnessed, participated in, or made significant history in our neighborhoods, including Jane Jacobs, Penny Arcade, Wolf Kahn, Jonas Mekas, Marlis Momber, Edwin Fancher, Margot Gayle, David Amram, Matt Umanov, Merce Cunningham, Joan Davidson, Richard Meier, Ralph Lee, Mimi Sheraton, John Guare, Calvin Trillin, and Chino Garcia.