The Film Society of Lincoln Center and The Museum of Modern Art announce the complete lineup for the 45th annual New Directors/New Films (ND/NF), March 16-27. Since 1972, the festival has been an annual rite of early spring in New York City, bringing exciting discoveries from around the world to adventurous moviegoers. Dedicated to the discovery of new works by emerging and dynamic filmmaking talent, this year's festival will screen 27 features and 10 short films.
"So much of the conversation about the state of cinema skews negative these days. Think of New Directors/New Films as an antidote to that pessimism," said Film Society of Lincoln Center Director of Programming Dennis Lim. "This year's lineup is full of new and emerging voices who are taking big risks and pushing boundaries, often against considerable odds, and rethinking the possibilities of the art form, in ways big and small. If this is even a small glimpse into the future of cinema, there are many reasons to be hopeful."
Rajendra Roy, The Celeste Bartos Chief Curator of Film at The Museum of Modern Art, said, "Sometimes, especially when the industry faces challenges that risk alienating audiences and emerging voices, it's important to remember that filmmaking is an art form that has the power to inspire, transport as well as entertain. Only when we are allowed to laugh, cry and think at the same time does cinema reach its full potential. I'm thrilled to say that we've found a new group of filmmakers firing on all pistons!"
Opening the festival is Babak Anvari's debut feature Under the Shadow, about a mother and daughter haunted by a sinister, largely unseen presence during the Iran-Iraq War. Brimming with a mounting sense of dread until its ominous finish, this expertly crafted, politically charged thriller was a breakout hit at Sundance, called "the first great horror movie of the year" (Eric Kohn, Indiewire).
The Closing Night selection is Kirsten Johnson's Cameraperson, a remarkable chronicle of the cinematographer-turned-director's life through her collaborations with documentary icons Laura Poitras,
Michael Moore, and others. A self-described memoir, Johnson's first solo directorial effort examines the delicate, complex relationship between filmmaker and subject and is one of nine festival features and four shorts directed by women.
This year's slate includes a number of films that have won major awards on the festival circuit, including Josh Kriegman and Elyse Sternberg's
Sundance Grand Jury Prizewinner Weiner; Ryusuke Hamaguchi's Happy Hour, for which the main cast shared Locarno's Best Actress award; Avishai Sivan's Tikkun and Pascale Breton's Suite Armoricaine, winners of the Locarno Special Jury and critics' prizes, respectively; and Bi Gan's Kaili Blues, which took home both the Golden Horse Award for Best New Director and Locarno's honors for Emerging Artist and Best First Feature.
Among the feature debuts are Zhang Hanyi's
LIFE AFTER Life, executive-produced by Chinese master Jia Zhangke; Anita Rocha da Silveira's psychosexual coming-of-age story Kill Me Please; Tamer El Said's Cairo-set film within a film In the Last Days of the City; and Ted Fendt's Short Stay, the only film in the festival to screen on 35mm.
Previously announced titles include Zhao Liang's Behemoth, Marcin Wrona's Demon,
Anna Rose Holmer's The Fits, Pietro Marcello's Lost and Beautiful, Yaelle Kayam's Mountain, Gabriel Mascaro's Neon Bull, Raam Reddy's Thithi, and Clément Cogitore's The Wakhan Front.
The New Directors/New Films selection committee is made up of members from both presenting organizations: from the Film Society of Lincoln Center, Dennis Lim, Florence Almozini, Marian Masone, and Gavin Smith, and from The Museum of Modern Art,
Rajendra Roy,
Joshua Siegel, and Sophie Cavoulacos.
Film Society and MoMA members may purchase tickets starting at noon on Monday, February 29. Tickets will be available for purchase by the general public at noon on Friday, March 4. To become a member of the Film Society or MoMA please visit
filmlinc.org and
MoMA.org, respectively.
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