Film at Lincoln Center announced the 32-film main slate for the 64th New York Film Festival on August 5. James Gray's Paper Tiger, starring Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, and Miles Teller, opens the festival on September 25. Ava DuVernay's documentary 14th closes it on October 12. Tony Gilroy's Behemoth!, starring Pedro Pascal as a composer, serves as the centerpiece.
The lineup's most surprising selection is Misty Green, the feature directorial debut of comedian Chris Rock, distributed by A24. The film stars Rosalind Eleazar as a struggling actress navigating a comeback, with Adam Driver, Daniel Kaluuya, Anna Kendrick, Topher Grace, and Anthony Anderson in supporting roles. Rock joins 16 other first-time main slate directors, among them Tony Gilroy and Andrey Zvyagintsev.
The selection carries a notable omission. Cristian Mungiu's Fjord, winner of the Palme d'Or and the FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes 2026, did not make the cut. According to World of Reel, it marks the first time NYFF has excluded the Palme d'Or winner since 2015's Dheepan. Los Javis' La Bola Negra, another Cannes title with significant festival momentum, was also passed over.
Several other Cannes 2026 prize winners did make the slate: Grand Prix winner Minotaur, Best Director recipient Fatherland, shared Best Actress winner All of a Sudden, and Critics' Week Grand Prize winner La Gradiva. Returning NYFF regulars Pedro Almodóvar, Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, Mike Leigh, and Paweł Pawlikowski are all represented.
"It's hard to recall a prior main slate program in which the state of the world has been as urgently reflected in so many creative ways," said artistic director Dennis Lim. The 64th New York Film Festival runs September 25 through October 12. Tickets go on sale to the general public on September 15.