In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, "there are three New Yorks," wrote Derek Thompson in The Atlantic. "The first is underwater. The second is dry and dark. And the third is, rather miraculously, as close to normal as anybody could possibly expect after what might be the worst storm to touch Manhattan in recorded history."

I live in the second New York. Viewed solely from the vantage point of our apartment window, the hurricane seemed almost a non-event on Monday night. A little windy but not much rain. Then the lights started to flicker, there was a loud explosion, the lights went out and the skyline lit up as a transformer blew at the Con Ed substation a few blocks away on 14th Street.

New York has always been a city of contrasts, changing in character block by block, but never more so for me than two nights ago as, after showering at a friend's house uptown, we traveled from a fully-lit section with people walking, hanging out in cafes, to, in a single block, a dark city, with no street lights, our cab suddenly having to negotiate each intersection by nudging itself foot-by-foot until the oncoming traffic stopped.

It's Friday now, our power is still not back, but I can't complain. Friends just blocks away are shut out of their apartments, their buildings flooded. This is to say nothing of parts of Alphabet City, Red Hook, the New Jersey Shore, and Long Island, which are truly dire. My apartment has running cold water, but other people do not. There's no phone or cell service on my block, but I can walk a couple of blocks to get it. When I did, on Tuesday, there were a slew of warm messages, via email, text and Facebook, from friends checking in. But what about people living alone, elderly people, who might not have friends and family? Or hospital patients, who are being moved as generators have failed? The third New York -- where I am now, writing this newsletter at a Midtown sandwich shop with free wifi -- is bustling, but less than a mile away the National Guard is handing out hot meals in some neighborhoods while people in others are wondering where the help is. If you're in a position to do so, please consider aiding those devastated by the hurricane, either by financial contribution or by helping them rebuild their communities. On Twitter, a number of relief groups, ranging from the Red Cross to neighborhood organizations to offshoots of Occupy Wall Street, are tweeting news, information and call-ups under the #SandyVolunteer hashtag.

Needless to say, on the Filmmaker front, our website relaunch is being delayed a few days. Along with the IFP, however, we are going ahead with our opening on Friday of Jacob Krupnick's Girl Walk // All Day at the reRun Theater on tonight for a week-long run. As you may know, the IFP and Filmmaker are programming the DUMBO-based theater, providing runs and mentorship to self-distributing filmmakers. If you're able to, I hope you can check out our debut program.

I'll sign off now by hoping that you're dry, warm and able to help any neighbors in that first New York -- or anywhere on the Eastern seaboard, actually -- who might need it in the aftermath of the storm.

See you next week.

Best,
Scott Macaulay
Editor
IFP AND FILMMAKER MAGAZINE LINE-UP KICKOFF PARTY & GIRL WALK // ALL DAY AT THE RERUN THEATER IFP and Filmmaker magazine have recently announced a new partnership with the reRun Theater in DUMBO, Brooklyn (147 Front St. Brooklyn, NY 11201) to allow filmmakers in the process of self-distribution the chance to garner a theatrical run in New York City. In celebration of this new partnership, IFP and Filmmaker will be holding a kickoff party at the reRun Theater on Thursday, November 8th at 7PM. Join us for a night of drink specials, discussion, and networking with NYC's community of independent filmmakers and industry. To RSVP, email ifprsvp@ifp.org.

And be sure to join us for our opening week film, Girl Walk // All Day (running at the theater from November 2 - 8). A feature-length dance music video set to the latest album by mashup artist Girl Talk, Girl Walk // All Day follows three dancers on a journey across New York City, as they turn the city's sidewalks, parks, and architecture into an evolving stage. Tickets for Girl Walk // All Day are available now here.