Kristy Puchko is a New York-based film critic and entertainment journalist whose work has appeared on Vanity Fair, Nerdist, IndieWire, and many more sites. A small town girl from Pennsylvania, Puchko came to New York to study film at Macaulay Honors College’s Brooklyn College branch, and graduated with a B.A. in Film Studies. After a summer working on Sesame Street, Puchko moved from production to post-production, working on music videos, commercials, and films. From there, she branched out into blogging, and quickly realized her true passion was in writing about cinema in a way that engaged and challenged audiences. Today, her career includes interviewing filmmakers and stars, penning thought-provoking editorials about film and television, and crafting reviews of the latest titles hitting theaters. She’s traveled the world on assignments, trekking to film festivals, press junkets, and visits to movie sets. But she can’t talk about those until the embargoes lift.

See some movie reviews by Kristy:

Teaching Philosophy:

I aim to emulate the learning environments where I grew the most as a student. Conversation is key. I believe the classroom must be a safe space for students to test out ideas and feel free to ask questions. As my work is all about interpretations of art, I don’t believe in a “right” interpretation, just supported arguments and unsupported arguments. Don’t stop at your opinion, dig and tell me how you got there. I want students to treat me as a soundboard, where they can bounce ideas and questions with verve and without fear.

On Precollege Programs:

My first semester of college was a major culture shock, going from a small town to a big city, yet smaller class sizes, and much more challenging curriculums. What I strive to provide to make that transition easier on my students is an introduction to the kind of critical thinking and opinion-based writing that will be put them ahead of their peers. College is a journey where passion finds a focus, but Precollege courses can be a strong first step on that path.

Industry Experience:

Film Critic for Nerdist, CBR.com, Pajiba
Member of OFCS – the Online Film Critics Society
Member of GALECA – Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association
LA Film Prize Judge (2014-2016)