Sunday, June 4---Remember the good old days right after 9/11 when everyone was afraid to ride on airplanes, and those of us intrepid (or stupid) enough to continue flying off to film festivals always had empty seats around us? And airlines left on time? And the airline personnel were so happy to see a customer that you got treated like you were in first class (even though you were inevitably in the cheapo seats)? Well, I am here to tell you, brothers and sisters, that those times are long gone...

Sunday, June 4---Remember the good old days right after 9/11 when everyone was afraid to ride on airplanes, and those of us intrepid (or stupid) enough to continue flying off to film festivals always had empty seats around us? And airlines left on time? And the airline personnel were so happy to see a customer that you got treated like you were in first class (even though you were inevitably in the cheapo seats)? Well, I am here to tell you, brothers and sisters, that those times are long gone...

In a remarkably crowded end-of-year film season, New York film audiences are buzzing about the excitement being created by European films, which have been on abundant display in theaters across town. In short, New York loves European cinema.Of course, this is no new story. The films of pioneers Ingmar Bergman, Federico Fellini, Francois Truffaut and Luis Bunuel first took root with New York film critics and film buffs. The Festival’s major film festivals always feature a strong contingent of f...