“To discover people who have new ways of saying things with film is thrilling,” she told The Daily News of New York in 1987. “It keeps the idea alive that there are still surprises out there.”

After joining the Museum of Modern Art’s film department in 1964, Adrienne Mancia went on to become one of its most influential curators, and decades later, moved into a second career at the BAM Rose Cinemas. Overall, she was internationally recognized as one of the leading advocates for serious film study and appreciation while bolstering the careers of many film artists and instigating serious consideration of various film genres and under recognized areas of film production.

“She was a cinephile, but she was not a snob.” Film critic J. Hoberman

Ms. Mancia in 1980 with Clint EastwooD at the museum of modern art. The occasion was billed as “A Day With Clint Eastwood.”

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Adrienne Mancia with GME President Jon Gartenberg

GME’s president, Jon Gartenberg, met and worked alongside Adrienne Mancia at MoMA for many years, during which time they forged a life-long friendship that lasted until her very last days in NYC, where she lived until her recent death.

“For me, Adrienne was a major bridge between creation and curation. Early in my career, working at such an august institution as MoMA, Adrienne pulled me aside and reminded me that without filmmakers, none of us would have any jobs. She instilled in me a sense of humbleness that my mission was to support their creativity in my curatorial work.”

A longer, more in-depth tribute and consideration of the life, work and impact of Adrienne Mancia had on cinema, and particularly on Mr. Gartenberg’s long interest and involvement in film, will appear on this site in an upcoming entry on Curator’s Corner.

Read the New York Times obituary for Adrienne with comments from Jon Gartenberg.