The Film Society of Lincoln Center, which has been diligently supporting the art of filmmaking for the past five decades, celebrated its 50th anniversary Monday night with a gala at Alice Tully Hall. Pedro Almodóvar, Martin Scorsese, Darren Aronofsky, Julie Taymor, Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Moore and Jimmy Chin were among the acclaimed actors and directors in attendance.

On the eve of the gala, the Film Society — which hosts the storied New York Film Festival as well as the New Directors/New Films Festival — announced a name change that feels fit for a new generation of cinephiles and auteurs: It will now be known as, simply, Film at Lincoln Center.

The program, which lasted nearly three hours, included heartfelt speeches and tributes from some of the industry’s most influential creators and biggest stars, including Swinton, Gyllenhaal, Moore, Scorsese, Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan and John Waters.

“The next generation of nutcase directors eagerly await your stamp of approval,” Waters said. “I am proud to be a member of the newly named Film at Lincoln Center cult. Just tell me what movies to see and I’ll blindly obey your orders.”

Top Image: Courtesy of Sean DiSerio