This year’s New York Film Festival Spotlight section is leaning heavily into the idea of family — both on screen and behind the camera. One of its most talked-about entries is Anemone, directed by Ronan Day-Lewis and starring his father, Daniel Day-Lewis, alongside Sean Bean. The film marks Daniel’s return to acting after years away from the screen.
The newly announced slate of 12 anticipated films also features new projects from Rebecca Miller (Daniel’s wife and Ronan’s mother) with her five-part documentary Mr. Scorsese, and from Ben Stiller, whose Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost turns the lens on his iconic parents, Jerry Stiller and Anna Meara, with appearances from his own family.
The Spotlight lineup also includes:
- Richard Linklater with two films, Blue Moon and Nouvelle Vague
- The documentary Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk
- Geeta Gandbhir’s acclaimed The Perfect Neighbor
- Mamoru Hosoda’s animated fantasy Scarlet
- Harry Lighton’s Cannes winner Pillion
The section features three world premieres, two U.S. premieres, six New York premieres, and nine short films. As announced earlier, the Spotlight program will open with Scott Cooper’s Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere.
Other major NYFF galas include Luca Guadagnino’s After the Hunt (Opening Night), Jim Jarmusch’s Father Mother Sister Brother (Centerpiece), and Bradley Cooper’s Is This Thing On? (Closing Night). The festival will continue to roll out its Revivals and Talks sections in the coming weeks.
The 2025 NYFF main slate, revealed last week, brings together an eclectic mix of international auteurs and rising voices. Highlights include new works from Pedro Almodóvar, Kelly Reichardt, and Ryusuke Hamaguchi, as well as Cannes standouts like The Shrouds by David Cronenberg and Emilia Pérez by Jacques Audiard. The selection underscores NYFF’s reputation for balancing prestige festival hits with daring, conversation-starting cinema.
The section features three world premieres, two U.S. premieres, six New York premieres, and nine short films. As announced earlier, the Spotlight program will open with Scott Cooper’s Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere.
Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere – Scott Cooper
Jeremy Allen White inhabits Bruce Springsteen during the creation of Nebraska, exploring the intensely personal songwriting process and the artist’s struggles with fame, family trauma, and depression.
Anemone – Ronan Day-Lewis
Daniel Day-Lewis returns after eight years in this family drama about two estranged brothers, bound by a complicated past, seeking redemption amid political and personal scars.
Blue Moon – Richard Linklater
Ethan Hawke portrays lyricist Lorenz Hart on the night of Oklahoma!’s premiere, facing the end of his partnership with Richard Rodgers and wrestling with feelings of obsolescence.
La Grazia – Paolo Sorrentino
Toni Servillo plays an Italian president nearing the end of his term, confronting loneliness and making bold final decisions to define his political legacy.
Mr. Scorsese – Rebecca Miller
A five-part documentary chronicling Martin Scorsese’s life and career, featuring intimate interviews with collaborators and family members.
Nouvelle Vague – Richard Linklater
A black-and-white recreation of the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless, capturing the energy and defiance of the French New Wave.
The Perfect Neighbor – Geeta Gandbhir
A documentary built from police body-cam footage, examining the racially motivated killing of Ajike Owens and the systemic biases that enabled it.
Pillion – Harry Lighton
A queer romance about a submissive relationship between a mild-mannered man and a leather-clad biker, exploring love, power, and identity.
A Private Life – Rebecca Zlotowski
Jodie Foster stars as a Paris-based psychoanalyst investigating a patient’s suspicious death in this blend of mystery and dark comedy.
Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk – Sepideh Farsi
Following photojournalist Fatma Hassouna in Gaza, this intimate documentary captures life under siege entirely through smartphone correspondence.
Scarlet – Mamoru Hosoda
An animated fantasy riff on Hamlet, following a princess navigating the Land of the Dead while confronting themes of revenge, care, and forgiveness.
Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost – Ben Stiller
A deeply personal documentary about comedy legends Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, crafted from extensive archives and family collaboration.
Spotlight Shorts
Includes Radu Muntean’s Index, Gabriel Abrantes’s Arguments in Favor of Love, Abdellah Taïa’s Cairo Streets, and Alice Diop’s Fragments for Venus.
New York Shorts
Includes Bingham Bryant’s Doomed and Famous, Eve Liu’s Nervous Energy, Mary Rose McClain’s February Omen, Nathan Silver’s Carol & Joy, and David Cardoza’s Turtle Sandwich.
Other major NYFF galas include Luca Guadagnino’s After the Hunt (Opening Night), Jim Jarmusch’s Father Mother Sister Brother (Centerpiece), and Bradley Cooper’s Is This Thing On? (Closing Night). The festival will continue to roll out its Revivals and Talks sections in the coming weeks.
The 2025 NYFF main slate, revealed last week, brings together an eclectic mix of international auteurs and rising voices. Highlights include new works from Pedro Almodóvar, Kelly Reichardt, and Ryusuke Hamaguchi, as well as Cannes standouts like The Shrouds by David Cronenberg and Emilia Pérez by Jacques Audiard. The selection underscores NYFF’s reputation for balancing prestige festival hits with daring, conversation-starting cinema.
Main Attractions
Kicking off on September 26 and running through October 13, the festival isn’t just about Oscar bait. Highlighted by Bradley Cooper’s world premiere of Is This Thing On?, expect some serious big-screen vibes. Not to mention, international film faves like Radu Jude and Park Chan-wook are set to showcase their latest works. According to AV Club, Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just An Accident will make its U.S. debut, and Joaquim Trier is back with Sentimental Value, fresh off a Grand Prix win at Cannes.
Must-See Films
– Opening Night: After the Hunt by Luca Guadagnino
– Centerpiece: Father Mother Sister Brother by Jim Jarmusch
– Closing Night: Is This Thing On? by Bradley Cooper
Other flicks that lowkey deserve attention include The Fence by Claire Denis and Kontinental ’25 from Radu Jude. For those brave enough to buy passes, early access perks await.
Scheduling Details
Miss the early bird? Regular tickets drop at noon on September 18, available to Film at Lincoln Center members first. So, set those alarms if you don’t want to catch a late train to disappointment town.
Ready your popcorn and Insta stories, because this festival season promises a cinematic journey that’ll make your group chat pop off. Stay tuned for the full list, because missing this lineup would be a big yikes.
63rd New York Film Festival Main Slate
Opening Night: After the Hunt (Luca Guadagnino)
Centerpiece: Father Mother Sister Brother (Jim Jarmusch)
Closing Night: Is This Thing On? (Bradley Cooper)
Below the Clouds (Gianfranco Rosi)
BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions (Kahlil Joseph)
Cover-Up (Laura Poitras, Mark Obenhaus)
The Currents (Milagros Mumenthaler)
Duse (Pietro Marcello)
The Fence (Claire Denis)
Gavagai (Ulrich Köhler)
A House of Dynamite (Kathryn Bigelow)
I Only Rest in the Storm (Pedro Pinho)
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (Mary Bronstein)
It Was Just an Accident (Jafar Panahi)
Kontinental ’25 (Radu Jude)
Late Fame (Kent Jones)
The Last One for the Road (Francesco Sossai)
The Love That Remains (Hlynur Pálmason)
Magellan (Lav Diaz)
The Mastermind (Kelly Reichardt)
Miroirs No. 3 (Christian Petzold)
No Other Choice (Park Chan-wook)
Nuestra Tierra (Landmarks) (Lucrecia Martel)
Peter Hujar’s Day (Ira Sachs)
Resurrection (Bi Gan)
Romería (Carla Simón)
Rose of Nevada (Mark Jenkin)
The Secret Agent (Kleber Mendonça Filho)
Sentimental Value (Joachim Trier)
Sirât (Oliver Laxe)
Sound of Falling (Mascha Schilinski)
Two Prosecutors (Sergei Loznitsa)
What Does That Nature Say To You (Hong Sangsoo)
SPOTLIGHT FILMS
Spotlight Gala, Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere, Scott Cooper, 2025, U.S., 120m
Anemone, Ronan Day-Lewis, 2025, U.K., 121m, World Premiere
Blue Moon, Richard Linklater, 2025, U.S./Ireland, 100m, New York Premiere
La Grazia, Paolo Sorrentino, 2025, Italy, 128m, Italian with English subtitles, New York Premiere
Mr. Scorsese, Rebecca Miller, 2025, U.S., 285m, World Premiere
Nouvelle Vague, Richard Linklater, 2025, France, 106m, French with English subtitles, New York Premiere
The Perfect Neighbor, Geeta Gandbhir, 2025, U.S., 96m, New York Premiere
Pillion, Harry Lighton, 2025, U.K., 107m, New York Premiere
A Private Life / Vie privée, Rebecca Zlotowski, 2025, France, 103m, French with English subtitles, New York Premiere
Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk, Sepideh Farsi, 2025, France/Palestine/Iran, 113m, English, French, and Arabic with English Subtitles, U.S. Premiere
Scarlet / 果てしなきスカーレット, Mamoru Hosoda, 2025, Japan, 111m, Japanese with English subtitles, U.S. Premiere
Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost, Ben Stiller, 2025, U.S., 97m, World Premiere
The 2025 New York Film Festival will run from September 26 – October 13.
The NYFF Main Slate and Spotlight selection committee is chaired by Dennis Lim, NYFF Artistic Director, and includes Florence Almozini, Justin Chang, K. Austin Collins, and Rachel Rosen. Violeta Bava, Michelle Carey, Leo Goldsmith, and Antoine Thirion are NYFF program advisors.
