Catch the New York Film Festival This Weekend
Since its genesis nearly 50 years ago, The New York Film Festival (NYFF) has brought independent films to the forefront, giving indie directors the opportunity to showcase their work on a worldwide platform. Every year NYFF showcases around 40 films for 17 straight days of cinematic celebration. This weekend, the festivities begin.
With nearly three weeks of films to pick from, the question that remains is, what films are worth seeing?
This year, Roman Polanski’s Carnage will premiere tonight, kicking off the festival (Last year’s The Social Network was the opening night selection).The film, which stars Kate Winslet, Jodie Foster, Christoph Waltz and John C. Reilly, follows four parents as they try to reconcile a fight between their sons. The film has already gained critical acclaim and will open in the U.S. on December 16th.
Another highly anticipated film, The Artist, will play at the festival. The Artist is a modern silent film that tells the story of a movie actor caught in the perils of the transition from silent to talking films. A romantic avant garde film for sure, The Artist will play the festival October 14th and 16th.
A Seperation was a favorite at the Berlin Film Festival and it makes its American premiere at NYFF. This film may only interest film buffs but here is the selling point: it’s Iranian. The film renaissance in Iran (which has been going on since the late 80’s) has produced films such as Taste of Cherry and Children of Heaven, which were critical successes. This film is being touted as a favorite for the Best Foreign Film Oscar.
The closing film selection is The Descendants, which stars George Clooney. This smart and funny comedy is the story of Matt King (Clooney) who must become the homemaker after his wife is injured in a boating accident. The film will play the festival October 16th.
Celebrities that will inevitably attend the festival include Carey Mulligan, Michael Fassbender, Viggo Mortensen, Keira Knightley and Martin Scorsese among many others.
Other films playing the festival include My Week with Marilyn, A Dangerous Method, Melancholia, and Once Upon a Time in Anatolia. To score tickets go to filmlinc.com. Tickets range from $13-$50. The festival, which starts tonight, will last until October 16th.