Neon Launches Art Series for ‘The Christophers’ Film Release

Neon is mounting an art-focused conversation series to promote Steven Soderbergh’s new film The Christophers. The events will bring filmmakers, actors and art-world figures together in lower Manhattan venues.

Event schedule and participants

The talks will take place at the Sotheby’s Breuer Building and the WSA. Attendees will include Michaela Coel, Ian McKellen, Ed Solomon and Soderbergh himself.

Art critic Jerry Saltz and artist-educator Ajay Kurian will also appear. Andrew Goldstein, formerly head of Artnet News, will join the lineup.

Opening sessions

The series opens April 9 with a session titled “The Art of Making The Christophers.” Filmmakers will discuss the production and artistic choices behind the film.

April 10 features “Canvas on the Silver Screen” with three consecutive conversations. The day begins with a one-on-one between Saltz and McKellen.

Later, writer Ed Solomon will speak with Ajay Kurian about the scriptwriting process. The day closes with a panel on artist–assistant dynamics. That discussion is moderated by Kurian and includes Jamian Juliano-Villani and Ian Cheng.

Regional screenings and local conversations

Special screenings tied to the talks are scheduled for April 14 and April 15. Those events will take place in Austin, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, DC.

Each screening will include conversations with local artists, art writers and experts. Organizers say the aim is to connect the film to real-world art practice.

Film details and release plan

The Christophers follows two estranged relatives, played by Jessica Gunning and James Corden. They recruit a struggling artist, portrayed by Michaela Coel, to steal and finish a famous painter’s unfinished works.

Ian McKellen plays the celebrated artist at the story’s center. Neon acquired the film from the Toronto International Film Festival.

Neon will open the film in New York and Los Angeles on April 10. A wider national expansion follows on April 17.

More information

Full event listings and schedules are available through Filmogaz.com. The series is part of Neon’s effort to connect cinema with contemporary art ahead of the film’s release.