The NY Film Festival is on hyperdrive this year with an incredible list of directors.
Some of them include Pedro Almodovar, Mike Leigh, Ava Duvernay, James Gray, Tony Gilroy, and Chris Rock.
But I’m surprised there’s no mention of Jesse Eisenberg’s “The Debut,” starring Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti. That seemed like the ultimate New York movie since it’s about a local theater group and has two huge New York stars.
Go figure.
Also, of course, not included is Tom Cruise in “Digger.” Warner Bros. is staying away from all festivals, and hoping for a big early October launch.
We’re getting Mike Leigh’s final movie, too, called “Tender Loving Care,” which I have high hopes for despite the director’s politics.
There will be a surprise screening, of course. Maybe that will be “The Debut,” which is showing in Toronto and maybe Telluride.
Crossing fingers that James Gray’s “Paper Tiger,” the opening night film, is a home run.
Opening Night: Paper Tiger (James Gray)
Centerpiece: Behemoth! (Tony Gilroy)
Closing Night: 14th (Ava DuVernay)
9 Temples to Heaven (Sompot Chidgasornpongse)
All of a Sudden (Ryûsuke Hamaguchi)
Bitter Christmas (Pedro Almodóvar)
Clarissa (Arie Esiri and Chuko Esiri)
Dao (Alain Gomis)
The Day She Returns (Hong Sangsoo)
I Deserve a Lover Whose Every Rise Sets Fiery Dooms Raging Across the Skies (Mani Haghighi)
The Diary of a Chambermaid (Radu Jude)
Double Freedom (Lisandro Alonso)
The Dreamed Adventure (Valeska Grisebach)
Everything Else Is Noise (Nicolás Pereda)
Everytime (Sandra Wollner)
Fatherland (Paweł Pawlikowski)
La Gradiva (Marine Atlan)
I Rarely Wake Up Dreaming (Isabelle Stever)
The Loneliest Man in Town (Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel)
A Long Winter (Andrew Haigh)
The Man I Love (Ira Sachs)
A Man of His Time (Emmanuel Marre)
Minotaur (Andrey Zvyagintsev)
Misty Green (Chris Rock)
My Undesirable Friends: Part II – Exile (Julia Loktev)
My Wife Cries (Angela Schanelec)
Nowhere To Lay My Eyes (Hong Sangsoo)
Once Upon a Time in Harlem (William Greaves and David Greaves)
Possible Love (Lee Chang-dong)
Rose (Markus Schleinzer)
Tender Loving Care (Mike Leigh)
The Unknown (Arthur Harari)
