2021 NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL

The 2021 New York Film Festival is set to begin today (and running through October 10th) and it is a welcome return to in-person attendance with a partnership with local arthouse theaters in an attempt to bring film selections to a new, wider audience. In addition to regular screenings at their home at the Alice Tully Hall, the NYFF is working with with Anthology Film Archives in the East Village, Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, Jacob Burns Film Center in Westchester and Harlem's Maysles Documentary Center to screen a selection of films during the festival.

The artist, Kara Walker has designed the poster for the 59th edition of the fest and it features her distinctive cut-paper Black figures silhouetted against a pale backdrop, making a statement with the image depicting a counterpoint to the legacy of cinema involving amateur filmmakers with their cell phones critically filming the world around them.

The Opening Night film will be "The Tragedy of Macbeth", the world premiere of the first solo feature directed by Joel Coen of the Coen brothers. This bold, filmed in black & white, adaptation of the classic Shakespeare play features the inspired pairing of Denzel Washington as the man who would be king and Frances McDormand (Coen's wife) as his devious Lady.



There are thirty-two films from across the globe featured in the Main Slate. Some highlights that have made some significant buzz during screenings at other fests include Jane Campion's "The Power of the Dog"; Ryûsuke Hamaguchi's "Drive My Car"; Paul Verhoeven's "Benedetta"; Todd Haynes' "THe Velvet Underground"; Jonas Poher Rasmussen's "Flee"; Céline Sciamma's "Petite Maman"; Joanna Hogg's "The Souvenir Part II"; Joachim Trier's "The Worst Person in the World"; Julia Ducournau's "Titane" and Rebecca Hall's "Passing".









The Spotlight section will showcase the season’s most hotly anticipated films. This will feature some new works that have already made the rounds at other festivals that includes from Mike Mills ("C'mon C'mon"), Sean Baker ("Red Rocket"), Charlotte Gainsbourg ("Jane by Charlotte"), Maggie Gyllenhaal ("The Lost Daughter"), Denis Villeneuve ("Dune") and Wes Anderson ("The French Dispatch").





And "Parallel Mothers", the latest melodrama from Pedro Almodóvar which already made a big splash at this year's Venice Film Fest with star Penelope Cruz winning Best Actress there, will be the Closing Night film.

Proof of vaccination will be required for all attendees to the fest's venues as well as face coverings during screenings. For a complete list of films and to purchase tickets and passes, please click below:

NYFF 2021