Film at Lincoln Center Announces Slate for New York Film Festival

Film at Lincoln Center announces Revivals for the 59th New York Film Festival (September 24 - October 10, 2021). The Revivals section showcases important works from renowned filmmakers that have been digitally remastered, restored, and preserved with the assistance of generous partners.

"We are delighted to share this year's particularly strong Revivals lineup," said Florence Almozini, FLC Senior Programmer at Large. "The section showcases groundbreaking works by John Carpenter, Mira Nair, Melvin Van Peebles, Nina Menkes, Wendell B. Harris Jr., Michael Powell, and more, in masterful restorations. One of the biggest satisfactions of programming Revivals within this festival is looking back at cinematic treasures of the past and seeing their continuity and relevance with today's cinema. We think this selection is both a celebration and a thought-provoking adventure, and we hope audiences will enjoy exploring it, whether they are seeing these films for the first or 20th time."

The Revivals section connects cinema's historical significance and present-day cultural influence through a selection of world premieres of restorations, rarities, and more. Highlights from this year's slate include two world premieres: a vibrant restoration of Michael Powell's Bluebeard's Castle and a 4K restoration of John Carpenter's taut Los Angeles crime thriller Assault on Precinct 13. Additional highlights include Nina Menkes's The Bloody Child, an innovative deconstruction of the war film; Márta Mészáros's Golden Bear-winning Adoption; Mississippi Masala, Mira Nair's incisive examination of race relations featuring a breakout performance by Denzel Washington; Melvin Van Peebles's Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, hailed by Huey Newton as the "first truly revolutionary Black film ever made"; Christine Choy's Who Killed Vincent Chin?, a stirring, absorbing elegy for justice unserved; Christopher Petit's Radio On, a road trip like no other, with an incomparably atmospheric soundtrack featuring the likes of David Bowie, Devo and Kraftwerk plus an eclectic array of appearances including Sting and Lisa Kreuzer; Songs For Drella, the evocative concert film by Lou Reed and John Cale, directed by legendary cinematographer Ed Lachman and recorded at the Brooklyn Academy of Music; Jack Hazan and David Mingay's Rude Boy, following Ray Gange's (as himself) radical ascent from sex-shop employee to roadie for The Clash against the backdroup of the rising British right wing; Govindan Aravindan's Kummatty, a watershed achievement in Parallel Cinema; Sarah Maldoror's Sambizanga, a harrowing portrait of anti-colonial struggle; Wendell B. Pierce Jr.'s Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winning debut, Chameleon Street; and James Baldwin: From Another Place, Baldwin's reexamination of well-established attitudes about modern society when living in a different country. Revivals also includes the feature debuts of two trailblazers of independent cinema, born a generation apart: Lynne Ramsay (Ratcatcher) and Joan Micklin Silver (Hester Street).

The Revivals section is programmed by Florence Almozini and Dan Sullivan with program advising by Gina Telaroli.

NYFF59 will feature in-person screenings, as well as select outdoor and virtual events. In response to distributor and filmmaker partners and in light of festivals returning and theaters reopening across the country, NYFF will not offer virtual screenings for this year's edition.

Proof of vaccination will be required for all staff, audiences, and filmmakers at NYFF59 venues. Further details about this process will be announced in the coming weeks. Additionally, NYFF59 will adhere to a comprehensive series of health and safety policies in coordination with Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and state and city medical experts, while adapting as necessary to the current health crisis. Visit filmlinc.org for more information.

Presented by Film at Lincoln Center, the New York Film Festival highlights the best in world cinema and takes place September 24 - October 10, 2021. An annual bellwether of the state of cinema that has shaped film culture since 1963, the festival continues an enduring tradition of introducing audiences to bold and remarkable works from celebrated filmmakers as well as fresh new talent.

Festival Passes are now on sale through this Sunday, August 22 only. NYFF59 tickets will go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, September 7 at noon ET, with early-access opportunities for FLC members and pass holders prior to this date. Learn more here. Support of the New York Film Festival benefits Film at Lincoln Center in its nonprofit mission to promote the art and craft of cinema. NYFF59 press and industry accreditation applications remain open through August 27.

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