Frank Evers, is the co-chair and co-founder of the New York Photo Festival 2009 and the founder of INSTITUTE, an Artist Management and multi-platform production company representing leading filmmakers and photographers.  Frank was formerly the Managing Director of the VII Photo, a boutique photojournalism agency. Prior to VII, Frank spent 10 years in the video game business. Since 1995, his numerous games have generated over $1 billion in sales. He started in the film business with Sony Pictures Entertainment, and later produced the cult classic film “Swimming With Sharks.” Frank is married to the photographer, Lauren Greenfield, with whom he has partnered since they both graduated from Harvard College in 1987. They have two sons, Noah and Gabriel.  A dual citizen of the US and Ireland, Frank was born in Jerusalem, grew up in the Middle East, and holds the Irish Junior Indoor record in the Pole Vault.

NYPH: Considering the vast audience and exceptional interest generated by the New York Photo Festival in its first year, can you elaborate on aspects you would like to expand as well as your expectations for this second edition?
Frank Evers: Compared to year one, this year’s festival is much more anticipated. We expect a record turnout, of between 25–30,000 attendees.
Last year’s event was conceptually very strong, especially Martin Parr’s New Typologies, Kathy Ryan’s Chisel, and Lesley A. Martin’s The Ubiquitous Image. There was plenty of brain food, and exceptional photography. This year, we are going to be bringing a little bit more neo-romanticism, reality, sexuality, and technology into the equation. So while the twin pillars of the festival (Ideas and Discovery) will remain alive and well, we expect that audiences will find the exhibitions that much more accessible.
In addition to the exhibition side, we are adding an entirely new pavilion dedicated to supporting the craft: The Review Pavilion. The Review Pavilion will offer workshops, seminars, and portfolio reviews, as well as practical presentations from a wide variety of important practitioners in the world of photography.
So, there is going to be even more than ever at NYPH’09: world-class exhibitions, award ceremonies, evening slideshows, lectures, presentations, panels, seminars, workshops, portfolio reviews, and lots and lots of parties.

NYPH: The festival creates a certain aura and atmosphere. Within this environment, what is the public impact you hope for and the message you would like to convey to the audience?
FE: Photography is an important medium for communicating to the world about who we are and where we are going as a society. This will be conveyed in both the work that is being shown, and in the ideas that we are addressing. Like film, the photograph is a very familiar medium for the public. We want to be a place for ideas and discovery, where passionate scholarship, learning, and understanding are front and center.

NYPH: In founding the festival, you have established an amazing, long-awaited placement and exploration of photography within the modern art world. What are your thoughts on the “future of photography” as the festival continues to explore the seemingly endless possibilities of this artistic phenomenon?

FE: The future is already here and the festival is a mirror in time. Photography is part of everything that we do, everything that we see, and is integral to how we communicate as a society. My hope is that, over time, the New York Photo Festival can be seen more as a Sundance-type of festival, dedicated to the independence of idea creation and serious in its use of the medium to effect change and to reflect current issues (at all levels). This is New York and we want to reflect the New York sensibility: smart, tough, creative, and enterprising. Festivals should provide context to the public at large, not become oasis of idealism and nostalgia.

NYPH: Explain the origin of the idea for the festival and how it eventually came to be. What do you consider your biggest accomplishment within the genetic makeup of the festival?

FE: Daniel and I spontaneously came up with the desire to create a world-class photo festival in NY and we were introduced to one another by a mutual friend, Nathan Benn. We didn’t really waste too much time dilly-dallying. Maybe it was the Irish background, or our particular world-view and artistic sensibility, but we formed an immediate bond, nailed down the concept, and the rest is history.
The biggest accomplishment is that we did it. It is a testament to the fact that there is no replacement for passion, can-do attitude, and an awesome team. This year has been especially brutal, but we are still standing and everything looks good so far.

NYPH: One might say you’ve reached the height of your career in creating such a well-received showcase. Do you believe this event signifies a peak in your career, or do you foresee a never-ending opportunity for growth and expansion within the medium?

FE: I don’t think about stuff like that. I have always been someone who helps talent to succeed and flourish by building structure behind their endeavors. So has Daniel. As an idea, this festival is about contributing to the larger conversation about contemporary photography and the arts. I love photography, I am an avid collector, and my wife is a photographer/filmmaker. I expect to remain very active in photography and visual media in all of its manifestations for a long time to come.