The 64th New York Film Festival, one of the most esteemed cinematic events globally, is set to open on Friday with a diverse slate of more than 70 fiction features and documentaries. The festival, which runs through October 12, will present world and U.S. premieres across all five boroughs, featuring stars such as Pedro Pascal, Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore, and the iconic Godzilla.
The opening night gala highlights James Gray’s thriller “Paper Tiger,” a semi-autobiographical drama starring Adam Driver, Miles Teller, and Scarlett Johansson. The film follows a former NYPD street cop entangled with the Russian mob and his brother, whose naïveté complicates their involvement with gangsters. The movie makes its North American premiere on September 25.
Among the highly anticipated world premieres is “Behemoth!,” directed by Tony Gilroy, known for “Michael Clayton” and “Andor.” The film stars Pedro Pascal as a former child prodigy and orchestral cellist who now works as a session musician recording Hollywood scores while attempting to mend his fractured personal life. screenings are scheduled for October 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, and 11.
Another notable debut is “Artificial,” a comic-drama from director Luca Guadagnino, creator of “Call Me By Your Name.” The film explores the rise of the artificial intelligence industry, tracing Soviet-born computer scientist Ilya Sutskever’s studies in Canada under Geoffrey Hinton and his subsequent encounter with Sam Altman, co-founder of OpenAI. The cast includes Andrew Garfield, Mark Rylance, Yura Borisov, and Monica Barbaro, with a screenplay by Simon Rich. It will be shown on October 5 and 6.
The festival also features Tom McCarthy’s “A Statement,” which recreates a pivotal 1980 meeting where environmental activists, policymakers, and scientists grappled with alarming climate change data. The ensemble cast includes Paul Giamatti, Evan Peters, Paul Rudd, Amy Ryan, and John Turturro, with screenings on October 3, 4, 6, and 11.
In documentary news, “You Can See Everything” has generated significant buzz after its surprise world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival. Directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, the film places Fielder inside the home of disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes and her partner days before Holmes begins her 11-year prison sentence for fraud. Fielder engages Holmes in conversations aimed at uncovering her motivations. The New York premiere is set for September 30.
Julia Loktev’s “My Undesirable Friends: Part II – Exile” follows independent journalists forced into exile after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent crackdown on war reporting. It serves as a sequel to Loktev’s acclaimed 2024 documentary about media in Moscow. The film premieres in New York on September 27.
Controversy surrounds “NAZA,” a documentary directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, winners of the Academy Award for “No Other Land.” The film alleges that the Israeli military systematically used AI-powered targeting, contributing to human rights abuses against Palestinians in Gaza. The Israeli government has strongly rejected these claims, and Culture Minister Miri Regev has called for the revocation of citizenship for the two Israeli directors. The film, which won the Special Jury Prize at Venice, will have its North American premiere on September 26 and 27.
Ava DuVernay returns with “14th,” a follow-up to her 2016 film “13th.” This new documentary examines how the 14th Amendment’s protections of citizenship, due process, and safeguards against insurrection are being challenged in the present day. The world premiere takes place on October 9 and 11.
Other documentary highlights include “Making Marie Antoinette,” a video diary shot by Eleanor Coppola during the production of her daughter Sofia Coppola’s 2006 period drama, later completed by Sofia after Eleanor’s death in 2024 and narrated by Diane Lane. Paul Thomas Anderson presents “Cameron Winter at Carnegie Hall,” a music documentary filmed on 16mm and 35mm, capturing the Brooklyn musician’s acoustic performance. Jonathan Glazer’s “Joy of Joys” juxtaposes videos shot by London schoolchildren at Abbey Road Studios with footage from young people in conflict zones such as Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine, and Yemen.
Fiction highlights also include “Godzilla Minus Zero” by Takashi Yamazaki, which arrives at Alice Tully Hall on September 26. Sandra Hüller stars in two New York premieres: “Rose,” for which she won best actress at Berlin, and “Fatherland,” directed by Paweł Pawlikowski. Cristian Mungiu’s Cannes-winning “Fjord” features Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve as Romanian immigrants in Norway under suspicion of child abuse. Chris Rock’s directorial effort “Misty Green,” starring Rosalind Eleazar, Adam Driver, and Daniel Kaluuya, explores an actress’s struggle to reclaim her career in Hollywood.
The festival concludes with Werner Herzog’s “Bucking Fastard,” starring Kate and Rooney Mara as inseparable sisters, showcasing the breadth of international and domestic cinema on display this year.
The Elizabeth Holmes documentary with Fielder sounds uncomfortably weird. Definitely my top pick this festival.
NYFF keeping ‘NAZA’ despite political pressure shows true commitment to artistic freedom. Respect.
Can we talk about Pedro Pascal doing cello instead of action for once? I need that calm after last year.
Andrew Garfield in an AI drama? Count me in. Guadagnino always delivers visually stunning work.