by Nathaniel R
The gay romantic drama "I Carry You With Me" will play at NYFF
Most film festivals seem to be trying to soldier on with smaller lineups and virtual screenings. NYFF is no exception. Today they've revealed the full lineup after previously announcing their opening, centerpiece, and closing films. So let's dig in to the lineup shall we? It includes several female directors, two major Oscar hopefuls, a new anthology series from Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave), and two gay romances...
ATARRABI AND MIKELATS (Eugene Green, France/Spain)
This Basque language drama is from the director of Waiting for the Barbarians)
BEGINNING (Dea Kulumbegashvili, Georgia)
This debut feature comes from a Georgian woman who previously made shorts and one tv miniseries. Beginning is about a Jehovah Witness missionary whose place of worship is burned down.
THE CALMING (Song Fang, China)
The second feature from Song Fang who previoulsy co-starred with Juliette Binoche in Flight of the Red Balloon. The Calming stars Qi Xi (So Long My Son, The Whistleblower).
CITY HALL (Frederick Wiseman, US)
Another from the still prolific and legendary documentarian who turned 90 earlier this year.
DAYS (Tsai Ming-Liang, Taiwan)
The director of Goodbye Dragon Inn and What Time Is It There returns with a gay romantic drama starring Lee Kang-sheng and Anong Houngheuangsy.
DISCIPLE (Chaitanya Tamhane, India)
The second feature from the 33 year old director of Court, which was India's Oscar submission in 2015, focused on the art of Indian classical music.
FRENCH EXIT (Azazel Jacobs, US)
CLOSING NIGHT FILM
Michelle Pfeiffer headlines this adaptation of the tragicomic bestseller about a wealthy NYC widow unravelling in France. More here
GUNDHA (Victor Kossakovsky)
A documentary about farm animals from the director of the beautiful water documentary Aquarela
I CARRY YOU WITH ME (Heidi Ewing, Mexico/US)
This gay drama about Mexican immigrants was a hit at Sundance. Ewing previously made her name in Documentary film and was Oscar-nominated for Jesus Camp (2006).
ISABELLA (Matías Piñeiro, Argentina)
Piñeiro (Hermia & Helena) returns with a drama about two actresses, both vying for the same Shakespearean part.
LOVERS ROCK (Steve McQueen, UK)
OPENING NIGHT FILM
This one hour drama is part of an anthology TV series called Small Axe
MALMKROG (Cristi Puiu, Romania)
A three plus hour drama from the acclaimed director (Sieranevada, The Death of Mr Lazarescu) about a conversation between a landowner, a politician, a countess, and a General and his wife.
MANGROVE (Steve McQueen, UK)
From the same anthology series as Lovers Rock
NIGHT OF THE KINGS (Philippe Lacote, France/Canada)
The story of a prisoner in the Ivory Coast telling a story to other prisoners
NOMADLAND (Chloe Zhao, US)
CENTERPIECE
Frances McDormand in search of Oscar #3? We kid we kid as she doesn't seem the type that cares all that much. Nevertheless we had a hunch about this one from the director of critical indie darling The Rider and early buzz suggests our hunch (we'd already predicted it to be a major Oscar player back in April) was correct.
NOTTURNO (Gianfranco Rosi)
A documentary on people trying to survie war-torn countries in the Middle East from the director of the Oscar-nominated Fire at Sea
RED, WHITE AND BLUE (Steve McQueen, UK)
Another episode of that TV anthology series
SALT OF TEARS (Philippe Garrel, France/Switzerland)
A romantic drama starring Logann Antuofermo and Oulaya Amamra.
SWIMMING OUT TIL THE SEA TURNS BLUE (Jia Zhangke, China)
A documentary about writers in Shanxi China
TIME (Garrett Bradley, US)
A documentary about a woman fighting for the release of her husband from prison.
TRAGIC JUNGLE (Yulene Olaizola, Mexico)
A drama set in 1920 when a group of works cross paths with a mysterious young woman in the jungle
TRUFFLE HUNTERS (Michael Dweck & Gregory Kershaw, Italy/Greece/US)
A documentary about old men searching for a rare truffle
UNDINE (Christian Petzold, Germany)
One of our favourite German directors returns with the stars of his last film Transit (Franz Rogowski & Paula Beer) for this romantic drama based on the mermaid myth.
THE WOMAN WHO RAN (Hong Sangsoo, South Korean)
The NYFF's all time favourite filmmaker (seriously they can't go a single festival without him) returns with another talkathon drama. Kim Min-Hee (The Handmaiden) stars