NYFF & FREDERICK P. ROSE HALL

The Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, is the location for most of this year's screenings of the New York Film Festival (NYFF).

As a venue for films it has both advantages and disadvantages.

The screen was big and clear. The sound was good. I ended up (you don't know what seats you have until you pick up the tickets) in the last row of the balcony, thankfully in the center, so I gave the visibility and audio a pretty good test.

The rows are wide and the seats are comfortable.

On the other hand, there are some features that are not good for film screenings:

- It would be hard -- maybe impossible -- to see from some side seats. At the screening I went to the side seats were empty, and I'm guessing and hoping that they would not be sold even if the demand for tickets was heavy.

- There is a security bar in front of each row of balcony seats. It is positioned so that anyone who is about 5'1 or shorter has an obscured view. Short people really need to bring a pillow to sit on!

- All access to a row of seats is from the side. There is no aisle in the middle. So latecomers need to cross in front of everyone to get to the middle.

All in all, a mixed grade for the theater as a film venue. I'm hoping the renovated film sites at Lincoln Center (now under construction) will be terrific!