New York Film Festival Director on Hollywood Strikes and the One Movie He Needed on This Year’s Lineup
variety.comRebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter As New York Film Festival’s artistic director, Dennis Lim has become adept at multitasking. “Sometimes, I have to introduce one film and then run across the street to moderate a Q&A for different film,” he says. “If I have an hour or two free, I will sneak into a cinema and watch something as a way to hide out.” This year, he’ll be bouncing around Manhattan’s Upper West Side to host some of the buzziest movies from Cannes and Venice, like Todd Haynes’ soapy romantic drama “May December,” Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein biopic “Maestro” and Sofia Coppola’s “Elvis and “Me” adaptation “Priscilla.” NYFF will also showcase the world premiere of Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie’s genre-defying series “The Curse” and the Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal-led sci-fi story “Foe.” Ahead of the 61st edition, which takes place from Sept.
29 through Oct. 15, Lim spoke to Variety about what to expect from this year’s celebration of cinema. What was your goal with this year’s slate? The festival is 61 years old, and the core identity has stayed the same: providing a snapshot of the year’s cinema.
We’re a festival without a competition. We don’t have prizes. We have a handful of world premieres, but that’s not what we prioritize.
We ask ourselves this question: If we’re trying to make a case for cinema as a vital art form, which films would we put forth to make that case? How early do you start to curate the film lineup? It’s a year-round process.
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