Please join us for a special conversation with David Thomson, one of the most respected and
prolific writers on film and A.O. Scott, a film critic of the New York Times from 2000 to 2023
and currently a critic-at-large for the Times Book Review, as moderated by Rebecca Ford, the
senior Hollywood correspondent for Vanity Fair.

San Francisco resident Mr. Thomson is the author of more than 40 books on film and was hailed
in The Atlantic Monthly as “probably the greatest living film critic and historian. While he has
his doubts about the merits of such polls of the “greatest” (whether they anoint Citizen Kane,
Vertigo, or Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles), his own The New
Biographical Dictionary of Film (now in its sixth edition) was named the greatest book on the
cinema by a poll in Sight and Sound in 2010. Far more than an essential reference, it is a joy and
delight to read. Mr. Thomson’s recent work has shifted focus from how we view the movies to
how the movies have changed us—and not always, in his view, for the better. His latest work
(published June 2026), A Sudden Flicker of Light, challenges us as the lovers of film to reassess
whether everything we love has been good for us and for humanity. This new book covers the
history of the cinema but closes with his thoughts on several films featured in recent MVFFs,
including Anora and Sentimental Value.

Mr. Scott found Sudden Flicker to be “a passionate and provocative book . . . [that] resonated
with some of [his] own second thoughts about the medium.” Our MVFF discussion will be Mr.
Scott’s second extended conversation with Mr. Thomson. Mr. Scott presented the first
conversation in an article in the Times on June 19. We are privileged to share the second
conversation at this year’s Festival.

In addition to serving as the senior Hollywood correspondent at Vanity Fair and the co-host of
Vanity Fair's Little Gold Men podcast, Ms. Ford covers film, TV, and the culture and business of
Hollywood. She's written cover stories on Margot Robbie and Priyanka Chopra-Jonas, and
attended festivals around the world, including Telluride, Cannes, and Toronto. She previously
worked at The Hollywood Reporter as the senior awards editor and a film reporter. A past
honoree of the Gold House A100 list and a board member of the LA Press Club.