Aaron Dobbs
Screenings Manager
Job description: I manage the scheduling of all screenings and I’m in charge of all front-of-house and venue management issues. I work with the box office to determine the best systems for audience flow, line set-ups, information dissemination and theater loading. I also [make] sure that each screening starts on time and that the people in the booth know if there are any audio or visual problems, as well as [keep] the flow of intro/screening/Q&A running smoothly.
Background: I went to UCLA as a theater major. I moved to New York in 1996 to work for Colin Callendar at HBO. I got involved with the Tribeca Film Festival in year one. I sent my resume too late for any of the very few staff jobs, so I got called to be a volunteer. I worked in the screenings department and basically, long story short, I haven’t left.
Festival favorite: The fantastic Harold Lloyd silent comedy, “Speedy,” is showing as part of the Family Festival, and for anybody who loves New York, it’s a great experience. Much of it was shot on location in New York in the 1920s, and Lloyd partakes in a chase driving a horse-drawn trolley that goes through the Washington Square arch and around the fountain on a road that used to actually carry traffic through the park.
Tribeca Favorite: After working for years in Midtown, I always remember the first day I came to work in Tribeca and got off the 1 train at the Franklin Street stop. Exiting the subway at N. Moore St., everything just felt nicer, away from the crazy congestion of Midtown. So…that’s probably my favorite spot.
