Jesse Kirsch has been the art director and designer of the Columbia University Film Festival for the past 5 years. He recently finished the latest design for the festivals 23rd year running this week at IFC Center in NYC. The posters and mailers are beautifully done.
His main parameter has been that he must use an iconic piece of film or movie-making in the design — an object that people can instantly recognize and relate to. What would normally be cliché and overdone, Jesse tries to approach from a graphic standpoint and use shapes and color to transform the subject matter. For 2010, he used vertical strips of movie tickets to create a skyline and reflection, tying the design to NYC where it resides.
