During America’s independent film movement in the ’70s, Leon Falk realized that his destiny resided in movies. After he completed his undergraduate studies, he moved to New York to pursue his film education at New York University. Now a professor at Columbia, Falk brings a range of experience from the industry to the classroom.
One of the first films Falk produced was “In Our Hands,” which documented the largest gathering in New York City against deployment of cruise missiles in Germany and other nuclear proliferation issues. He was committed and invested much of his time and energy into realizing the documentary. The film was eventually shown at Cannes, though its distribution took a while.
In the meantime, Falk needed to make up financially for what he put in. To do this, he went to work for 20th Century Fox. Because of his extensive education in business and film, he rose quickly in the ranks of the video division, becoming responsible for buying pictures for Fox (most notably “Nightmare on Elm Street”). In time, he was also given a chance to create an independent line of films.
While working at Fox, Falk had a chance to buy a package of films that were all part of the same genre—a genre that “In Our Hands” fit into. However, from what he knew about the industry, he had to pass on his own film. He felt that it was a good lesson to learn, stating, “Make the films that you’re passionate about, but also find the place in which those films can thrive.”
Because of his success and “doggedness,” Falk was asked to join a new theatrical company, Cinecom Entertainment, working as head of production and acquisition. Falk would oversee production and post-production of pictures and was “very involved with all aspects of the films.”
While he was working at Cinecom, Columbia asked Falk to teach a class on producing. “I felt that it was my responsibility, and also a pleasure, to be able to share the knowledge that I had, and that I was learning, with the students at Columbia.” Falk has been teaching ever since then. He left Cinecom to produce Jim McBride’s “The Informant” in 1997. He then went on to work with Orion Pictures and spent seven years as head of production and acquisition.
His first course at Columbia was in production, and he brought his coworkers in to talk about specific aspects of filmmaking. Later, Falk started a class titled History of the Producer and the American Studio System which he says, “deals with the types of issues studios and filmmakers face when making films of artistic merit that need to work in the marketplace.” Recently, because of his lifelong interest in and study of silent film, he was asked to teach silent screen as well.
Falk has had many opportunities in the film industry, and he has learned about himself through them. “The films you choose to make, the films you choose to write, say something about you,” he said.
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