New Directors/New Films Festival
| Location | New York City, New York, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1972 |
| Hosted by | |
| Language | International |
| Website | newdirectors |
The New Directors/New Films Festival (ND/NF) is an annual film festival held in New York City, organized jointly by the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Film Society of Lincoln Center. The Festival generally selects films from first-time directors and rising filmmakers,[1] some of whom have become renowned in their later careers.[2]
History
The festival was established in 1972.[3] Since it's inauguration, ND/NF has showcased early work from dozens of now prominent filmmakers, such as:[4]
- Steven Spielberg (The Sugarland Express, 1974)
- Spike Lee (Joe’s Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads, 1983)
- Pedro Almodovar (What Have I Done to Deserve This?, 1985)
- Wong Kar Wai (Days of Being Wild, 1991)
- Richard Linklater (Slacker, 1991)
- Christopher Nolan (Following, 1999)
- Yorgos Lanthimos (Dogtooth, 2010)
- Denis Villenueve (Incendies, 2011)
Locations
Screenings at Lincoln Center take place in the Walter Reade Theater and the Francesca Beale Theater. At MoMA, they are shown in the Titus 1 and Titus 2 theaters.[5][6]
Line-up
Each year, the festival shows films from a large number of countries, many of which are making their North American or United States premiers.[7][8][9] However, the festival also occasionally hosts world premieres, such as in 2022, with the film The African Desperate.[5]
Reputation
The festival is well regarded by critics and receives significant coverage from local and international media, including The New York Times and Variety.[10][11][12][13]
References
- ^ Lattanzio, Ryan (2025-04-02). "What to See at New Directors/New Films, NYC's Rising Filmmaker Showcase". IndieWire. Retrieved 2026-02-18.
- ^ "About". New Directors/New Films. Archived from the original on 2015-02-18.
Pedro Almodóvar, Kelly Reichardt, Atom Egoyan, Spike Lee, Richard Linklater, Sally Potter, John Sayles, Steven Spielberg, Wim Wenders, and Wong Kar Wai, for example, were all featured by New Directors/New Films early in their careers.
- ^ "Something Old, Something New: A History of New Directors Lineups". Film at Lincoln Center. Retrieved 2026-02-18.
- ^ "New Directors/New Films At 50: A Retrospective". Film at Lincoln Center. Retrieved 2026-02-18.
- ^ a b Chapman, Wilson (2022-03-29). "'Happening' to Open 2022 New Directors/New Films Festival (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2026-02-18.
- ^ "54th New Directors/New Films Lineup Announced, Taking Place April 2–13". Film at Lincoln Center. Retrieved 2026-02-18.
- ^ "New Directors/New Films 2024". Screen Slate. Retrieved 2026-02-18.
- ^ Goldsmith, Jill (2025-03-05). "MoMA, Film At Lincoln Center Unveil New Directors/New Films Lineup: Sarah Friedland's 'Familiar Touch', Alex Russell's 'Lurker' To Bookend April Fest". Deadline. Retrieved 2026-02-18.
- ^ "54th New Directors/New Films Lineup Announced, Taking Place April 2–13". Film at Lincoln Center. Retrieved 2026-02-18.
- ^ "MoMA | Celebrating 40 Years of New Directors/New Films". www.moma.org. Retrieved 2026-02-18.
- ^ Kay, Jeremy. "Prestigious New Directors/New Films unveils lineup". Screen. Retrieved 2026-02-18.
- ^ Dargis, Manohla (March 23, 2015). "New Directors/New Films Festival Highlights Bold Narrative Experiments". The New York Times.
As the calendar grew crowded — early-year events like the Sundance Film Festival and South by Southwest suck up a lot of talent and interest now — New Directors at times struggled for relevancy and a slate strong enough to justify its week-plus run. In recent years, though, it has again staked its claim partly by trading in global comprehensiveness for more focused and astringent programming.
- ^ Cox, Gordon (February 20, 2014). "New Directors/New Films Sets Full Slate, Opening with 'A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night'". Variety.