The New York Film Festival has announced the main lineup of its 63rd edition. It includes films that won top prizes at major festivals like Cannes. For example, Jafar Panahi’s *It Was Just an Accident* won the Palme d’Or, and Joachim Trier’s *Sentimental Value* won the Grand Prix. Oliver Laxe’s *Sirat* and Mascha Schilinski’s *Sound of Falling* both won the joint Jury Prize. Kleber Mendonça Filho won Best Director and Best Actor for *The Secret Agent*, while Bi Gan’s *Resurrection* received a Special Award.
From Berlin, Mary Bronstein’s *If I Had Legs I’d Kick You* won the Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance, and Radu Jude’s *Kontinental ’25* won the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay.
Eleven films from the NYFF main lineup are also set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival, including Noah Baumbach’s *Jay Kelly*, Kent Jones’ *Late Fame*, and Park Chan-wook’s *No Other Choice*.
This year’s 34 films in the main slate come from 26 different countries.
Two of them are world premieres: *Gavagai* by Ulrich Köhler and *Is This Thing On?* by Bradley Cooper. There are also eight North American premieres and 13 U.S. premieres.
Dennis Lim, the artistic director of the New York Film Festival, said, “Anyone who cares about film knows that it is an art in need of defending, like many of our core values today.
Across all sections of the festival, the movies we have selected this year suggest that this safeguarding can take many guises: acts of rejuvenation and refusal, expressions of unease and joy, feats of imagination and commemoration. I am particularly struck by the diversity of approaches and forms among the films in this Main Slate, which affirms that the art of cinema is more than capable of thriving, even in difficult times.”
This year’s lineup explores many issues in the world today, including *If I Had Legs I’d Kick You*, *The Love That Remains* by Hlynur Pálmason, *Miroirs No. 3* by Christian Petzold, *Romería* by Carla Simón, and *What Does That Nature Say to You* by Hong Sangsoo.
Social and political concerns such as economic hardship and living under authoritarian rule are covered in *It Was Just an Accident*, *Kontinental ’25*, *No Other Choice*, *The Secret Agent*, and *Two Prosecutors* by Sergei Loznitsa. Films like *The Fence* by Claire Denis, *I Only Rest in the Storm* by Pedro Pinho, *Landmarks* by Lucrecia Martel, and *Magellan* by Lav Diaz examine colonial history and legacy. The lineup includes dramas, comedies, documentaries, thrillers, horror, science fiction, and some films that break traditional genre rules, such as *A House of Dynamite* by Kathryn Bigelow, *The Mastermind* by Kelly Reichardt, and *Rose of Nevada* by Mark Jenkin.
Some films even create their own unique genres, such as *BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions* by Kahlil Joseph, *Resurrection*, and *Sirat*.
The NYFF63 festival will take place from September 26 to October 13 at several locations, including Lincoln Center, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Staten Island, AMC Bay Plaza Cinema in Bronx, BAM in Brooklyn, and the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens.
The opening-night film will be the North American premiere of Luca Guadagnino’s *After the Hunt*.
The Centerpiece selection is the North American premiere of Jim Jarmusch’s *Father Mother Sister Brother*. The closing-night film will be the world premiere of *Is This Thing On?*.
The NYFF Main Slate selection committee is led by Dennis Lim and includes Florence Almozini, Justin Chang, K. Austin Collins, and Rachel Rosen.
Main Slate
Opening Night: After the Hunt (Luca Guadagnino)
Centerpiece: Father Mother Sister Brother (Jim Jarmusch)
Closing Night: Is This Thing On? (Bradley Cooper)
Below the Clouds (Gianfranco Rosi)
BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions (Kahlil Joseph)
Cover-Up (Laura Poitras, Mark Obenhaus)
The Currents (Milagros Mumenthaler)
Duse (Pietro Marcello)
The Fence (Claire Denis)
Gavagai (Ulrich Köhler)
A House of Dynamite (Kathryn Bigelow)
I Only Rest in the Storm (Pedro Pinho)
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (Mary Bronstein)
It Was Just an Accident (Jafar Panahi)
Jay Kelly (Noah Baumbach)
Kontinental ’25 (Radu Jude)
Landmarks (Lucrecia Martel)
Late Fame (Kent Jones)
The Last One for the Road (Francesco Sossai)
The Love That Remains (Hlynur Pálmason)
Magellan (Lav Diaz)
The Mastermind (Kelly Reichardt)
Miroirs No. 3 (Christian Petzold)
No Other Choice (Park Chan-wook)
Peter Hujar’s Day (Ira Sachs)
Resurrection (Bi Gan)
Romería (Carla Simón)
Rose of Nevada (Mark Jenkin)
The Secret Agent (Kleber Mendonça Filho)
Sentimental Value (Joachim Trier)
Sirât (Oliver Laxe)
Sound of Falling (Mascha Schilinski)
Two Prosecutors (Sergei Loznitsa)
What Does That Nature Say To You (Hong Sangsoo)
Festival descriptions
Below the Clouds / Sotto le nuvole
Gianfranco Rosi, 2025, Italy, 114m
Italian, Arabic, Japanese, and English with English subtitles
U.S. Premiere
Gianfranco Rosi, a famous Italian filmmaker, makes movies that show people living through worry and not knowing what will happen. His latest film looks at a place in Naples that's near Mount Vesuvius and the Campi Flegrei, a volcanic area that has been shaking more often lately, which is very scary. In this place, Rosi shows archaeologists finding old things, as well as the damage from people digging up graves, groups of workers going into old tunnels, emergency centers that are already very busy, and people who are worried every day about a big eruption like the one that destroyed Pompeii in 79 A.D. His film connects the past and the present, looking at a specific area but also making people feel connected to their own worries about the unknown in everyday life.
BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions
Kahlil Joseph, 2025, U.S., 107 minutes
New York Premiere
Kahlil Joseph, a visual artist and filmmaker, made a video installation called BLKNWS that showed a fictional news network from a Black perspective.
He expanded this idea into a short film and then into a full-length movie. The film is a celebration of Black life and challenges the usual way news is presented. It mixes new and old videos, jumps between different images and stories, and mixes documentary and fiction. It's a rich mix of ideas that explores the Black experience in a powerful and thoughtful way. A Rich Spirit release.
Cover-Up
Laura Poitras, Mark Obenhaus, 2025, U.S., 117 minutes
English, Vietnamese, and Arabic with English subtitles
New York Premiere
Seymour Hersh has been a key figure in American journalism for over 60 years.
He has revealed many serious issues, like the My Lai massacre, CIA assassinations, and the Iraq War and abuses at Abu Ghraib. His reports have led to major consequences and changes, but Hersh, now 88, sees himself as just a regular citizen doing his job. Laura Poitras and Mark Obenhaus made this film about Hersh's career, which has had its share of controversy. This film is especially important now, as the freedom of the press in the U.S. is in danger.
The Currents / Las Corrientes
Milagros Mumenthaler, 2025, Switzerland/Argentina, 104 minutes
Spanish with English subtitles
U.S. Premiere
Lina, a famous fashion designer, is in Switzerland for an award and suddenly jumps into an icy lake.
She survives but feels changed. She goes back to Buenos Aires, but she can't go back to being a wife, a mother, and an artist, so she separates from her husband and leaves her career. Milagros Mumenthaler's film explores this transformation. It's a deep look into a woman's inner world with a complex soundscape and a story that feels like it's from Lucrecia Martel or Todd Haynes. It has a unique emotional feel and a sophisticated style.
Duse
Pietro Marcello, 2025, Italy, 123 minutes
Italian with English subtitles
U.S. Premiere
Pietro Marcello shows the later life of Eleonora Duse, a famous Italian actress, portrayed by Valeria Bruni Tedeschi.
Duse faces challenges like illness and a difficult relationship with her daughter, as the world changes around her. Marcello explores how her acting reflects the changing times and how it made her more of a political figure. The film blends historical footage with fiction to create a deep and emotional portrait of a powerful artist.
The Fence / Le Cri des Gardes
Claire Denis, 2025, France, 92m
English and Yoruba with English subtitles
U.S. Premiere
The new drama from Claire Denis (Beau Travail, NYFF37) is about a compelling, difficult conversation. It takes place at a construction site in a smoky town in West Africa, where a local man named Albouny (played by the amazing Isaach De Bankolé, who often works with Denis) comes to demand that his brother's dead body be returned immediately after a mysterious accident at work. The site's nervous foreman, Horn (played by Matt Dillon), is behind a fence but gets upset by Albouny's boldness and calmness. It's clear that Horn is hiding something terrible from Albouny. The film mainly takes place over one long, intense night. It's based on Bernard-Marie Koltès' play Black Battles with Dogs and also shows the tense feelings of Horn's wife, who just moved from London, and his energetic assistant, who has a secret debt to Horn. All these tensions come together in Denis’s unpredictable and personal film, which brings back the themes of colonialism and racial separation that are important in her films.
Gavagai
Ulrich Köhler, 2025, Germany/France, 91m
French, English, German, and Wolof with English subtitles
World Premiere
In this intense, surprising metacinematic drama from German director Ulrich Köhler (In My Room, NYFF56), a new version of Medea, greatly changed from Euripides' original play, becomes the center of unresolved modern tensions.
Nourou (Jean-Christophe Folly) and Maja (Maren Eggert) play Jason and Medea on screen, dealing with the film’s anxious director (Nathalie Richard) during the shoot in Senegal, while also having an affair off-set. Later, at the film's premiere in Berlin, Nourou, struggling in both his personal and professional life, has a shocking encounter with a racist security guard, which messes up both his world and the film's. Köhler is known for smart, tone-shifting films about cultural disconnect, and Gavagai is his biggest and most detailed film yet — a precise look at moral issues and social prejudices, both old and new, inside and outside.
A House of Dynamite
Kathryn Bigelow, 2025, U.S., 112m
North American Premiere
At a distant military base, an unknown missile is spotted, leading to a series of escalating actions and reactions throughout the US government.
With her signature fast-paced style, Kathryn Bigelow (Strange Days, NYFF33 Centerpiece) puts the viewer right in the middle of a crisis where quick decisions must be made with incomplete and changing information and untested rules. Bigelow and screenwriter Noah Oppenheim create a scary, realistic scenario where many issues — practical and personal, bureaucratic and existential — overlap in real time and speed up as the story goes on. The film’s multi-layered structure allows for a wide-scale thriller that combines personal dramas with a historic world event. The great ensemble cast, including Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Gabriel Basso, Jared Harris, and Tracy Letts, brings life to the characters with strong performances, giving emotional depth to this tight, thought-provoking look at a believable nightmare. A Netflix release.
I Only Rest in the Storm / O Riso e a Faca
Pedro Pinho, 2025, Portugal/Brazil/France/Romania, 211m
Portuguese and Creole with English subtitles
North American Premiere
The kind-hearted environmental engineer Sergio (Sérgio Coragem) travels from Lisbon to Guinea-Bissau to meet locals and study whether his European company can build a road connecting city areas to rural villages.
As he goes through his revealing journey, Sergio slowly makes friends and lovers, talks to people who either support or dislike the project, and gets into discussions and arguments about who he is in this world: friend or outsider, lover or enemy? Portuguese filmmaker Pedro Pinho’s epic yet casual, and sexually fluid, I Only Rest in the Storm is a fun, free-flowing portrayal of the modern postcolonial liberal way of thinking, which cleverly cuts to the core in one entertaining scene after another. The standout supporting performance comes from Cleo Diarra (who won Best Actress in the Un Certain Regard section at this year’s Cannes Film Festival) as a local businesswoman and bar owner who doesn’t tolerate nonsense.
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Mary Bronstein, 2025, U.S., 113m
New York Premiere
The extreme pressures of motherhood and work are taken to their absurd limits in Mary Bronstein’s excellent film about anxiety, starring a powerful Rose Byrne as a woman on the edge of something far worse than a nervous breakdown.
Linda (Byrne), a therapist with one crisis after another, and her young daughter (who needs a feeding tube due to a mysterious illness) have had to move to a motel after a catastrophic ceiling leak in their house. Meanwhile, her own therapist and colleague (Conan O’Brien, unlike you’ve ever seen him) has reached his breaking point, her toughest patient (Danielle Macdonald) is a needy mess that’s spilling into Linda’s personal life, and her argumentative husband (Christian Slater) is unhelpfully away on a business trip. Bronstein’s fast-paced, high-pressure visual style and Byrne’s fearless performance (which won her the Silver Bear at this year’s Berlinale) create a full-throttle film that shows life as a series of never-ending problems — without losing its sense of whimsical humor. An A24 release.
It Was Just an Accident / Un Simple Accident
Jafar Panahi, 2025, Iran/France/Luxembourg, 105m
Persian with English subtitles
New York Premiere
Jafar Panahi once again proves he's one of the greatest filmmakers of this century with his boldest film yet. He won the top prize at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, the Palme d'Or. Five years ago, the Iranian government arrested him, put him in jail, and banned him from making movies. Despite this, Panahi continued to make films in secret without permission. This film shows both his willingness to take political risks and his strong talent. It Was Just an Accident is his most direct criticism of his country's strict rules. It's a tense and darkly funny thriller about a mechanic named Vahid (Vahid Mobasseri) who thinks he has accidentally met the government spy, Eghbal (Ebrahim Azizi), who had tortured him in the past. As Vahid seeks help from people whose lives were ruined by Eghbal, the need for revenge grows, and so does the danger. The film also explores moral choices and who is responsible for the harm done. A NEON release.
Jay Kelly
Noah Baumbach, 2025, U.K./U.S./Italy, 132m
New York Premiere
In one of his best roles in a long time, George Clooney plays the last great movie star.
Jay Kelly is going through a tough time: he's not inspired by his work, he's grieving the loss of his mentor, and he's dealing with a painful memory from his past. He does something unexpected—he backs out of a major movie project at the last minute to go to Europe and visit his daughter before a big career event in Italy. He can't fully escape his Hollywood lifestyle, and he's followed by his team, including his long-suffering manager (played by Adam Sandler, who gives a wonderfully fragile performance). The film is both thoughtful and funny, looking at Hollywood with curiosity rather than judgment. Noah Baumbach and co-writer Emily Mortimer balance humor and heart, moving between Jay's past and present, dreams and reality. They explore Jay's life—professional, family, and moral—and he says, "all my memories are movies." He might be holding onto more regrets than he lets on. A Netflix release.
Kontinental '25
Radu Jude, 2025, Romania, 109m
Romanian with English subtitles
North American Premiere
After recent successes like Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn (NYFF59) and Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World (NYFF61), Romanian filmmaker Radu Jude continues to be the top critic of today's political and social issues with this clever and powerful story about a modern crisis of conscience.
In Cluj, part of Romania's Transylvania region, a bailiff named Orsolya (Eszter Tompa) evicts a homeless man named Ion (Gabriel Spahiu) from an unused cellar to build a new boutique hotel called Kontinental. Her decision leads to serious consequences, and Jude follows her guilt with deep empathy, similar to Rossellini's Europa '51. Instead of using simple stereotypes, Jude tells this story about Eastern European economic growth, strong nationalism, and the inability to bring real change in a way that feels very real. Jude won the Silver Bear for best screenplay at this year's Berlinale. A 1-2 Special release.
Landmarks / Nuestra Tierra
Lucrecia Martel, 2025, Argentina/U.S./Mexico/France/Netherlands/Denmark, 122m
Spanish with English subtitles
New York Premiere
In October 2009, a man named Javier Chocobar, from the Indigenous Chuchagasta community in northwest Argentina, tried to protect his people from being forced off their land by a landowner and two police officers.
As a result, he was shot and killed, and two others were injured. In her powerful and enlightening first feature documentary, the acclaimed Argentine filmmaker Lucrecia Martel (Zama, NYFF55) tells this tragic true story from multiple angles. She looks at the murder trial of the three men involved, the lives of Chocobar and his community, and the long history of land theft and colonialism in Latin America. With a beautiful and sometimes dizzying view of the land, Martel honors the people who have been erased from history.
The Last One for the Road / Le Città di Pianura
Francesco Sossai, 2025, Italy/Germany, 100m
Italian with English subtitles
U.S. Premiere
Doriano (Pierpaolo Capovilla) and Carlo (Sergio Romano), two best friends who never seem to finish their last drink, are the delightful center of Italian director Francesco Sossai's heartwarming and wistful hangout movie.
The pair wander the Venetian countryside, drinking, arguing, and telling stories. They meet Giulio (Filippo Scotti), a nervous architecture student who is studying for an upcoming exam. Doriano and Carlo share their playful advice with Giulio and even involve him in their reckless plans. They represent a lost generation, unsure of their place in the world but still finding joy in life. Sossai has created a fun and energetic comedy that reminds us of the work of Aki Kaurismäki and Richard Linklater, while also having a unique rhythm and sense of discovery.
Late Fame
Kent Jones, 2025, U.S., 96m
North American Premiere
Willem Dafoe gives a deeply thoughtful performance as Ed Saxberger, a former New York poet who has been working at a post office for almost forty years, and whose work is now mostly forgotten. One night, a young and enthusiastic fan named Edmund Donovan shows up at his door, and Saxberger is drawn into a group of young admirers in their twenties who want to make him the star of a new literary gathering. He gets caught up in the attention and the presence of Gloria, a young actress who wants to be a tragic heroine and sings in a style reminiscent of Kurt Weill, played by Greta Lee. However, Saxberger starts to question whether these new admirers are genuine. Directed by Kent Jones, this is his second film and it's a smart, funny adaptation of a newly discovered novella by Arthur Schnitzler called *Late Fame*. The story was written by Samy Burch, who was nominated for an Oscar for *May December*, and it updates Schnitzler's original tale set in early 1900s Vienna to reflect a more melancholic and realistic view of New York's downtown scene.
The Love That Remains / Ástin Sem Eftir Er
Hlynur Pálmason, 2025, Iceland/Denmark/Sweden/France, 109m
Icelandic, English, Swedish, and French with English subtitles
U.S. Premiere
Charting the gradual evolution of a family in the midst of an irreparable fracture, The Love That Remains is a poignant, crisply pointillistic domestic drama that observes life’s changes with humor and whimsy, set against the majestic, ever-shifting Icelandic landscape. Visual artist Anna (Saga Garðarsdóttir) and fisherman Magnús (Sverrir Guðnason) were teenage sweethearts but have recently grown apart, and Magnús has moved out of the house. As long as the newly estranged parents put on a good face, the children—and their adorable sheepdog Panda (who won the prestigious Palme Dog award at Cannes)—seem to take the split in stride. Yet as Magnús becomes increasingly alienated from his domestic life, harsh reality can’t help but bubble to the surface. Hlynur Pálmason’s follow-up to his auster
Godland is a 19th-century drama that keeps surprising you with its perfect use of framing and pacing, along with an evocative piano score by Harry Hunt. It has some unique moments that add character without taking away from the story's emotional depth. A Janus Films release.
Magellan / Magalhães
Lav Diaz, 2025, Portugal/Spain/France/Philippines/Taiwan, 160m
Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog, and French with English subtitles
U.S. Premiere
Every visual scene in this new film by Lav Diaz, a unique Filipino filmmaker, has a deep historical and political meaning.
Gael García Bernal gives a strong performance as Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer who set out on a journey to Southeast Asia in the early 1500s with the support of the Spanish crown. Instead of retelling the usual stories about the Age of Discovery, Diaz tells a powerful and thought-provoking tale about colonial conquest and obsession. The film shows Magellan's journey to the Malayan Archipelago as both a brutal confrontation with human weaknesses and a celebration of nature's beauty. A Janus Films release.
The Mastermind
Kelly Reichardt, 2025, U.S., 110m
New York Premiere
In early 1970s Framingham, Massachusetts, James (Josh O’Connor) makes a sudden and confusing choice to steal a few modern paintings from the local art museum without a clear plan.
This quiet, funny anti-thriller from Kelly Reichardt, set during the Nixon era, explores themes of isolation and political disillusionment. Reichardt's skilled direction brings a natural feel and detailed period atmosphere, creating a real and mysterious portrait of a man drifting through life. James, played by O’Connor with quiet charm, represents a modern version of the 70s loner archetype in a time of uncertainty. A MUBI release.
Miroirs No. 3
Christian Petzold, 2025, Germany, 86m
German with English subtitles
U.S. Premiere
In this new film by Christian Petzold, known for works like Transit, Paula Beer plays Laura, a pianist from Berlin.
After surviving a car crash that kills her boyfriend, she moves in with Betty (Barbara Auer), a mysterious woman living alone in the countryside. The two women create a simple, respectful life together, though the return of Betty's estranged husband and son reveals a tragic past. Miroirs No. 3, named after a Ravel piano suite, brings back Petzold's themes of duality and ambiguity, with a unique, ethereal quality. It’s a beautifully made film about the mystery of human connection. A 1-2 Special release.
No Other Choice / Eojjeol suga eopda
Park Chan-wook, 2025, South Korea, 139m
Korean with English subtitles
U.S. Premiere
In this dark thriller, Park Chan-wook explores the harsh realities of modern work culture and the desire for material security.
Lee Byung-hun delivers a sharp and likable performance as Man-soo, a middle-aged man laid off from his paper manufacturing job after decades of service. Struggling with unemployment, he takes extreme measures to regain his position, leading to wild and increasingly absurd acts of violence. Park's film, based on a novel by Donald E. Westlake, reflects the current state of the world with a dark, comedic style. A NEON release.
Peter Hujar’s Day
Ira Sachs, 2025, U.S., 76m
New York Premiere
This film by Ira Sachs focuses on Peter Hujar, a photographer known for his work alongside artists like Robert Mapplethorpe and David Wojnarowicz.
Based on transcripts from an unused 1974 interview, the film follows Hujar as he narrates the events of the previous day. The film is a captivating portrayal of the creative mind, blending the everyday with the imaginative. Featuring Ben Whishaw and Rebecca Hall, it brings us back to an important moment in New York's queer cultural history. A Janus Films release.
Resurrection / 明日の記憶
Bi Gan, 2025, China/France, 156m
Chinese with English subtitles
New York Premiere
This dreamlike machine from Chinese director Bi Gan, known for *Long Day's Journey Into Night* and shown at NYFF56, is a mysterious yet powerful tribute to a hundred years of movies. The film is split into five parts, each with its own unique style. *Resurrection* creates a flow of images connected by a magical idea: in a futuristic world where people no longer dream to live longer, a group of rebellious dreamers keep their imaginations alive in a world of unreality. The story follows a shape-shifting main character, Jackson Yee, as he moves through many different film types, from silent fantasy inspired by Méliès to war thrillers, con artist buddy films, and a vampire romance set in the modern age. One standout sequence is a long take, typical of Bi Gan's style, that's both surprising and breathtaking. Even when sticking to movie genres, Bi Gan takes unexpected paths, offering exciting twists and wonders at every turn. *Resurrection* is one of the most daring and exciting films for movie lovers in a long time. A Janus Films release. Romería Carla Simón, 2025, Spain/Germany, 112 minutes Spanish, Catalan, and French with English subtitles North American Premiere On the rugged cliffs and sunny beaches of Vigo, on the Atlantic coast of Galicia, Spain, 18-year-old Marina (played by the compelling Llúcia Garcia) has come on a deeply personal journey. She has lost both of her parents at a young age and is now going to meet her paternal grandparents and other family members for the first time. As she connects with her warm and lively new family, she is also dealing with her past, trying to understand her idealized memories of her parents and the difficult truth she has kept hidden for a long time. The film moves between 2004 and the early 1980s, shown in dream-like, grainy flashbacks. *Romería* emotionally captures the process of creating new memories and holding on to old ones. With this delicate, realistic, and deeply personal film, Carla Simón (known for *Alcarràs*, NYFF60) proves again that she is a vital voice in world cinema. Rose of Nevada Mark Jenkin, 2025, U.K., 114 minutes U.S. Premiere
Mark Jenkin, a Cornish filmmaker known for his unique storytelling, brings his most ambitious work yet to the screen. He takes us deep into the eerie, small coastal towns of Cornwall again, this time telling a sci-fi-inspired story about people struggling to move forward. In a tiny fishing village, a boat lost at sea 30 years ago, named the Rose of Nevada, appears in the harbor completely intact, with no one on board. Two local fishermen, desperate for work, take jobs on the boat for a journey back to where it came from. But when they return, things are changed forever. Jenkin shot this film on 16mm film, creating a grounded, psychological look at the ups and downs of life in a working-class community. It's a dark and atmospheric journey into the strange and unfamiliar.
The Secret Agent / O Agente Secreto
Kleber Mendonça Filho, 2025, Brazil/France/Netherlands/Germany, 159m
Portuguese with English subtitles
New York Premiere
Kleber Mendonça Filho, the Brazilian director behind the unforgettable films Aquarius and Bacurau, brings us an exciting, unpredictable political story.
Set in his hometown, Recife, during the late 1970s, the film is a powerful tale about people caught in situations they can't control. Mendonça won the Best Director award at Cannes for this film. Wagner Moura gave a standout performance as a widowed professor who was caught in the violence of a government official's greed. Forced to run during the military dictatorship, he's trying to reconnect with his son. This brief description can't capture the complexity of Mendonça's story, which is full of twists, explores the love for movies and his youth, and the struggle to stay true to oneself in times of corruption. A NEON release.
Sentimental Value / Affeksjonsverdi
Joachim Trier, 2025, Norway/France/Denmark/Germany, 134m
Norwegian and English with English subtitles
New York Premiere
In his follow-up to The Worst Person in the World, Joachim Trier brings us a deeply personal story about Nora Borg, an acclaimed stage actress dealing with a crisis after her mother's death.
She and her therapist sister are forced to face parts of their past when their estranged father returns with a script for Nora. When she refuses, he turns to an American actress, causing more tension in their relationship. This insightful and emotionally powerful drama, which won the Grand Prix at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, continues Trier's exploration of the strong bonds we have with each other and with our creativity. A NEON release.
Sirat
Oliver Laxe, 2025, France/Spain, 115m
Spanish and French with English subtitles
U.S. Premiere
Set against the stunning and harsh Moroccan desert, Oliver Laxe's psychological journey follows Luis, a middle-aged man searching for his missing daughter in Morocco.
He believes she's with a group of nomads who are seeking the next big rave. Luis joins them in a makeshift caravan, hoping to find his daughter. As he goes deeper into the desert, he faces extreme emotions and physical challenges. Even with the techno music and the breathtaking landscape, the film offers a sensory experience that's both shocking and beautiful. The title refers to the bridge between heaven and hell, and the film is a joint winner of the Jury Prize at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. A NEON release.
Sound of Falling / In die Sonne schauen
Mascha Schilinski, 2025, Germany, 149m
German with English subtitles
U.S. Premiere
Mascha Schilinski's multigenerational film, Sound of Falling, tells the story of four women in the same rural farmhouse over a century, moving between different time periods.
The film jumps between past and present, showing moments of fear and beauty. Using a collage-like style that brings together characters from different eras, Schilinski portrays history as a constant haunting. The film is both sobering and dreamlike, capturing the chain of trauma and highlighting the abuse women have faced. It's a strong debut from a major new talent and a joint winner of the Jury Prize at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. A MUBI release.
Two Prosecutors
Sergei Loznitsa, 2025, France/Germany/Netherlands/Latvia/Romania/Lithuania, 118m
Russian with English subtitles
U.S. Premiere
The newest film by the celebrated Ukrainian director Sergei Loznitsa, known for *My Joy* shown at NYFF48, is a sharp and chilling look at the cruelty of totalitarian government systems. Based on a book by Soviet author and political prisoner Georgy Demidov, set in the Soviet Union in 1937, the story follows an idealistic government lawyer named Alexander Kuznetsov. He is assigned to investigate the mistreatment of a jailed and tortured dissident Bolshevik writer, who has been locked up without any proof of wrongdoing. As the story unfolds, Kuznetsov realizes that the man’s imprisonment is not an unusual case under Stalin’s rule. In trying to expose the system’s injustice, Kuznetsov risks his own safety by challenging the moral beliefs he once held. Loznitsa tells the story with a calm yet rising sense of fear, carefully showing the small, devastating details that help oppressive systems run smoothly. A Janus Films release.
What Does That Nature Say to You / ê·¸ ìžì—°ì´ 네게 ëë¼ê³ 하니
Hong Sangsoo, 2025, South Korea, 108m
Korean with English subtitles
North American Premiere
Over the course of a slow and winding day, a friendly 30-something poet named Donghwa (Ha Seongguk) visits his girlfriend Junhee’s (Kang Soyi) family home in the suburbs.
He meets her parents (Kwon Haehyo and Cho Yunhee) and sister (Park Miso) for the first time. Donghwa, who comes from Seoul, is amazed by the size of the house and the peaceful countryside surroundings. He connects with the family, especially the kind-hearted father, who values family, tradition, and respect for elders. However, as the day goes on and the homemade rice wine flows, Donghwa’s worries start to show. Blending the everyday tension of a family visit with Hong Sangsoo’s recent informal style, like in *In Water* (NYFF61), this film continues to uncover deeper emotional themes, ultimately highlighting the feelings of economic worry and modern loneliness. A Cinema Guild release.
No comments:
Post a Comment