The 54th Annual New York Film Festival Begins Today
The 54th annual New York Film Festival kicked off today with the premiere of 13TH at the Alice Tully Hall movie theater in Upper West Side, Manhattan. Directed by Ava DuVernay, the documentary explores the intricate prison system and incarceration of modern America. Commenting on her film’s subject material, DuVernay said in interview with The Village Voice, “I wanted to give people this information so that they couldn’t say they didn’t know anymore. There’s a lot going on that we close our eyes to.”
Highlights of the festival include 20th Century Women, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk (read our interview with Ang Lee's longtime editor Tim Squyres here), Elle, Paterson, The Lost City of Z, Jackie, and Personal Shopper. The latter won Best Director at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. Oliver Assayas’ latest feature follows a medium, Maureen (Kirsten Stewart) as she tries to make contact with her recently deceased twin brother. Assayas commented on Stewart’s acting abilities, “the best actress of her generation.” Jackie, the highly anticipated biopic about Jackie-O Kennedy, stars Natalie Portman in what is expected to be a critical career-highlight.
The festival runs through October 16th. Tickets can be purchased here.
