We lost another great film distributor yesterday, as New Yorker Films announced it is shutting down. A short statement on their website said, “After 43 years in business, New Yorker Films has ceased operations. We would like to thank the filmmakers and producers who trusted us with their work, as well as our customers, whose loyalty has sustained us through the years.”

indieWIRE, from whom I first heard the news, also got a hold of an email yesterday sent by co-president Jose Lopez to filmmakers, which read: “I have sad news. The parent company of New Yorker Films has defaulted on a loan. The assets of New Yorker were used as security on the loan. The lender has informed us that it intends to foreclose on these assets. New Yorker stopped doing business yesterday…We are in total shock that after forty three years this has happened.” The New York Times has more on the story, including word that New Yorker’s library will likely be auctioned off next week.

This is very sad. My first reaction was to think of all the films we might not have seen had it not been for Daniel Talbot and New Yorker. Would we have ever even been introduced to New German Cinema without them? Then, I thought I should concentrate on the future rather than the past. How will this further upset independent and foreign film distribution in the U.S.? Finally, I arrived back on New Yorker’s history. But instead of pessimistically wondering “what if?” situations, I would just like to pay my respects and, as a moviegoer, say “thank you.”

Here are some links to other blogs that have also said goodbye over the last 24 hours, some more favorably than others:

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