The New York Film Festival has unveiled its main slate for the 62nd edition, featuring films by renowned directors Pedro Almodóvar, Sean Baker, and Mati Diop. The festival will showcase 33 features from 24 countries, including several Cannes Film Festival prize-winners, and will run from September 27 to October 14 at Lincoln Center and other venues around New York City.
Key Takeaways
- Dates: September 27 to October 14
- Location: Lincoln Center and other venues in New York City
- Main Slate: 33 features from 24 countries
- Notable Directors: Pedro Almodóvar, Sean Baker, Mati Diop
- Opening Film: RaMell Ross’ “Nickel Boys”
- Closing Film: Steve McQueen’s “Blitz”
International Lineup
This year’s main slate is particularly international, featuring films from 24 countries. Notably, 19 directors will be making their debut in the festival’s most prestigious section. The lineup includes Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or-winning “Anora,” Pedro Almodóvar’s “The Room Next Door,” and Mati Diop’s “Dahomey.”
Opening and Closing Films
The festival will kick off with RaMell Ross’ “Nickel Boys,” an adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Pedro Almodóvar’s “The Room Next Door,” starring Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton, will serve as the festival centerpiece. The closing night film will be Steve McQueen’s “Blitz,” which focuses on the bombing of London during World War II.
Cannes Film Festival Highlights
Several prize-winners from the Cannes Film Festival will make their U.S. or North American premieres at the New York Film Festival. These include:
- “Anora” by Sean Baker
- “Grand Tour” by Miguel Gomes, winner of Cannes’ Best Director
- “All We Imagine as Light” by Payal Kapadia, winner of the Grand Prix
- “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl” by Rungano Nyoni
- “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” by Mohammad Rasoulof
Additional Highlights
Other notable films in the main slate include:
- “Oh, Canada” by Paul Schrader, featuring Richard Gere and Jacob Elordi
- “Caught by the Tides” by Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke
- “The Shrouds” by David Cronenberg
- “The Damned” by Roberto Minervini
- “Eephus” by Carson Lund
- “Hard Truths” by Mike Leigh
- “The Brutalist” by Brady Corbet, starring Adrien Brody
- “My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow” by Julia Loktev
Double Features
Two filmmakers will present a pair of films each in the main slate:
- Hong Sangsoo: “By the Stream” and “A Traveler’s Needs”
- Wang Bing: “Youth (Hard Times)” and “Youth (Homecoming)”
Festival’s Artistic Vision
Dennis Lim, the festival’s artistic director, emphasized the festival’s ambition to reflect the state of cinema and the world. “The most notable thing about the films in the main slate is the degree to which they emphasize cinema’s relationship to reality,” Lim said. “They are reminders that, in the hands of its most vital practitioners, film has the capacity to reckon with, intervene in, and reimagine the world.”
The New York Film Festival promises a diverse and thought-provoking lineup, making it a must-attend event for cinema enthusiasts.
Sources
- New York Film Festival sets main slate with movies by Pedro Almodóvar, Sean Baker and Mati Diop | AP News, AP News.
- New York Film Festival sets main slate with movies by Pedro Almodóvar, Sean Baker and Mati Diop | The Seattle Times, The Seattle Times.
- New York Film Festival sets main slate with movies by Pedro Almodóvar, Sean Baker and Mati Diop – WTOP News, WTOP.
