The first issue of Cinéaste was published in Summer 1967. The launching company was Cineaste Publishers, Inc. The founder and editor-in-chief is Gary Crowdus. It is published quarterly. Cineaste publishes reviews, in-depth analyses and interviews with actors, filmmakers etc. The magazine is independently operated from New York City with no financial ties to any film studios or academic institutions. Publication of the magazine is, however, made possible, in part, with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
