QPORIT

The 2011 NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL (NYFF) presented by THE FILM SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER is seriously serious his year, featuring not one, but TWO films about the end of the world: Abel Ferrara’s 4:44 LAST DAY ON EARTH and Lars Von Trier’s MELANCHOLIA. (Lars von Trier’s press conference at Cannes realized a new low in infamous miscommunication.) The Festival opens with Roman Polanski’s CARNAGE.

Couples at odds, drug wars, thrillers (including Almodovar’s THE SKIN I LIVE IN) comprise the bulk of the other main slate offerings.

Whether there are any romantic comedies in the main slate is in doubt – although romantic comedies worthy of the Festival in any language are hard to come by in any year.

One especially interesting film coming to the Festival is the 3D dance film PINA, Wim Wenders’ 3D tribute to Pina Bausch.

Lincoln Center has opened a new film center which includes an exceptional 3D screening room, where Werner Herzog’s CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS, a 3D exploration of 30,000 year old cave paintings was recently shown.

(3D is becoming more and more important, and more widely available, both to create 3D content and watch it. We hope to bring some 3D interviews from the Festival to YouTube.com/qporit3d -- our 3D video site.)

In addition to the Main Slate of films and the Gala Presentations, the New York Film Festival has many other special presentations.

There will be a selection of Masterworks, including Nicholas Ray’s WE CAN’T GO HOME AGAIN, an experimental film using multiple 8mm images shot by students in a film course he was teaching; a restored version of William Wyler’s BEN-HUR; and an extensive program of films from the Japanese Studio Nikkatsu Films.

Some silent films will be presented with a live musical accompaniment.

There will again (as there has been for many years) a program of Views From The Avant-Garde (program yet to be announced).

There will be a series of documentary, anniversary and other special screenings, including a Special Sneak (don’t tell anyone) Preview of Oliver Stone’s THE UNTOLD HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES, and CRAZY HORSE, a documentary by Frederick Wiseman about the Crazy Horse erotic cabaret in Paris.

In addition, the Festival has organized a number of live events, including panel discussions, film commentaries, and four HBO Director’s Dialogues.

The New York Film Festival, which is non-competitive (except for accepting a film in the first place), is one of the most distinguished film festivals in the world. As it frequently does, this year it will provide the New York Premiere for several internationally award winning films including, for example, Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi’s Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival) award winning A SEPARATION.

With the Elinor Bunin Monroe Film Center now open, the Film Society of Lincoln Center has new venues that it is using to expand its presentation of films and cinema-related events. They seem to be doing this with fewer people on staff than ever before. It is a heroic job to prepare promotional information to a large core of journalists and the public for such a huge number of events.

One criticism, however, of the New York Film Festival – a problem which has been there just about from the beginning – is that the public and the press screenings and events always seems to be timed to coincide with the Jewish High Holy days (this year 9/28-9/30 and 10/12-10/13). This means every year that many very interested members of the public and the press core must miss several very interesting and important films and events, without any really good way to make up the missing presentations.

The 17-day New York Film Festival highlights the best in world cinema, featuring top films from celebrated filmmakers as well as fresh new talent. The selection committee, chaired by Peña also includes: Melissa Anderson, contributor, The Village Voice; Scott Foundas, Associate Program Director, The Film Society of Lincoln Center; Dennis Lim, Editor, Moving Image Source & Freelance Critic; and Todd McCarthy, Chief Critic Hollywood Reporter

Tickets for the 49th New York Film Festival – 2011 – will be available to the general public on September 12th. There will be an advance ticketing opportunity for Film Society of Lincoln Center Patrons and Members prior to that date.

For more information visit www.Filmlinc.com/NYFF
or call 212 875 5601.

There is an excellent interactive online schedule at:

http://www.filmlinc.com/nyff2011/schedule/


Here is a summary of the events of the 49th New York Film Festival – 2011 there are (or will soon be) links to detailed information about each event.


Opening Night: Roman Polanski -- CARNAGE
Centerpiece: Simon Curtis – MY NIGHT WITH MARILYN
Closing Night: Alexander Payne – THE DESCENDANTS

David Cronenberg – A DANGEROUS METHOD
Pedro Almodovar – THE SKIN I LIVE IN


Opening Night Gala Selection
CARNAGE
Director: Roman Polanski
Country: France/Germany/Poland

Centerpiece Gala Selection
MY WEEK WITH MARILYN
Director: Simon Curtis
Country: UK

Special Gala Presentation
A DANGEROUS METHOD
Director: David Cronenberg
Country: UK/Canada/Germany

Special Gala Presentation
THE SKIN I LIVE IN
Director: Pedro Almodóvar
Country: Spain

Closing Night Gala Selection
THE DESCENDANTS
Director: Alexander Payne
Country: USA



4:44: LAST DAY ON EARTH
Director: Abel Ferrara
Country: USA

THE ARTIST
Director: Michel Hazanavicius
Country: France

CORPO CELESTE
Director: Alice Rohrwacher
Country: Italy/Switzerland/France

FOOTNOTE
Director: Joseph Cedar
Country: Israel

GEORGE HARRISON: LIVING IN THE MATERIAL WORLD
Director: Martin Scorsese
Country: USA

GOODBYE FIRST LOVE
Director: Mia Hansen-Løve
Country: France/Germany

THE KID WITH A BIKE
Director: Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne
Country: Belgium/France

LE HAVRE
Director: Aki Kaurismäki
Country: Finland/France/Germany

THE LONELIEST PLANET
Director: Julia Loktev
Country: USA/Germany

MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE
Director: Sean Durkin
Country: USA

MELANCHOLIA
Director: Lars von Trier
Country: Denmark/Sweden/France/Germany/Italy

MISS BALA
Director: Gerardo Naranjo
Country: Mexico

ONCE UPON A TIME IN ANATOLIA
Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Country: Turkey

PINA
Director: Wim Wenders
Country: Germany/France/UK

PLAY
Director: Ruben Östlund
Country: Sweden/France/Denmark

POLICEMAN
Director: Nadav Lapid
Country: Israel/France

A SEPARATION
Director: Asghar Farhadi
Country: Iran

SHAME
Director: Steve McQueen
Country: UK

SLEEPING SICKNESS
Director: Ulrich Köhler
Country: Germany/France/Netherlands

THE STUDENT
Director: Santiago Mitre
Country: Argentina

THIS IS NOT A FILM
Director: Jafar Panahi and Mojtaba Mirtahmasb
Country: Iran

THE TURIN HORSE
Director: Béla Tarr and Agnes Hranitzky
Country: Hungary/France/Germany/Switzerland/USA

Nicholas Ray – YOU CAN’T GO HOME AGAIN

Labels: 48 New York Film Festival, Cronenberg, NYFF 2011, Pedro Almodovar, Polanski