Film at Lincoln Center has announced the 32-film Main Slate for the 64th New York Film Festival, bringing together new work by James Gray, Tony Gilroy, Ava DuVernay and leading international directors. The festival will run in New York from September 25 through October 12, according to organizers and the Associated Press, positioning the program as a major showcase in the autumn film calendar.
Gray's Queens-set crime drama Paper Tiger will open the festival with its North American premiere on September 25 at Alice Tully Hall. Film at Lincoln Center says the production stars Adam Driver, Miles Teller and Scarlett Johansson and previously premiered in competition at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. It is Gray's fourth film selected for the New York event.
The centerpiece gala on October 2 will be the world premiere of Gilroy's Behemoth!, with Pedro Pascal playing a cellist trying to rebuild a fractured life. Organizers say Gilroy, Pascal and additional cast members are expected to attend. DuVernay's 14th, a documentary examining the contested constitutional amendment and conceived as a companion to her earlier film 13th, will also receive a world premiere and close the festival.
The Main Slate extends well beyond its three galas. AP reports that it includes films by Pedro Almodóvar, Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Andrew Haigh, Radu Jude, Lee Chang-dong, Mike Leigh, Paweł Pawlikowski and Ira Sachs. Other selections include Chris Rock's Misty Green, the documentary Once Upon a Time in Harlem by William and David Greaves, and Julia Loktev's My Undesirable Friends: Part II — Exile.
Artistic director Dennis Lim said in a statement that the state of the world is reflected with unusual urgency across the program. His assessment points to a slate combining established auteurs, political documentary and major acting talent, while reserving rare New York world-premiere slots for Gilroy and DuVernay. The breadth of countries and styles also reinforces the festival's role as a curated meeting point for international cinema.
The announcement completes the central program after organizers separately confirmed that Takashi Yamazaki's Godzilla Minus Zero will have its world premiere at the festival on September 26. Audiences now have the core lineup and gala schedule ahead of the September opening, while Film at Lincoln Center will continue providing ticket and attendance information through the festival's official channels.
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