An Elegant Evening Celebrates the Debut of a Riveting Documentary on Marilyn Minter

Friends, collaborators, and cast members recently gathered at the Park Avenue home of Ashley and Jeff McDermott to celebrate the November 20 premiere of PRETTY DIRTY: The Life and Times of Marilyn Minter, which debuted at DOC NYC Festival to three sold-out screenings. Guests, including Laurie Simmons, Jennifer Ash Rudick, Sur Rodney, Ben Davis, Samuel Hine, Patty Findlay, and others, mingled with each other and the guest of honor, Marilyn Minter, in the apartment’s salons and dining rooms while catching up over cocktails.

The lively evening was a festive kickoff to Minter’s moment, and was also reflective of the film’s spirit. Directed by Jennifer Ash Rudick and Amanda Benchley, PRETTY DIRTY: The Life and Times of Marilyn Minter is a star-studded, 79-minute film that offers an intimate portrait of Minter as she approaches 80, and reintroduces the iconic artist to a new generation while exploring why the art establishment has hesitated to fully embrace her significance.

With Jane Fonda, Monica Lewinsky, Mickalene Thomas, Jeff Koons, Lizzo, and others gracing the screen, the film uses archival footage to document how Minter transforms subjects like sex, shame, and aging into hypnotic masterpieces that have gone on to influence film and fashion, while also diving deep into what makes her controversial yet unapologetically authentic.

See more highlights from the evening below: