Isabelle Huppert in Abuse of Weakness

It's opening day of the 51st New York Film Festival, and we're compounding the excitement by announcing our most heavy-hitting roster of free NYFF Live talks yet!

Big names in this year's lineup include NYFF51 filmmakers Claire Denis (Bastards), Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave), Hirokazu Kore-eda (Like Father, Like Son), agnès b (My Name Is Hmm…), actors Louis Garrel (Jealousy), Isabelle Huppert (Abuse of Weakness), Bruce Dern (Nebraska), and more. Our filmmaker in residence Andrea Arnold will host a panel on “Story Creation and the Artistic Process.” Joanna Hogg and Fernando of NYFF51's Emerging Artists section will discuss their work with each other.

As part of our three-day NYFF Convergence event tied to the release of Grand Theft Auto V, the musicians behind the game's original score—Tangerine Dream, Woody Jackson, The Alchemist & Oh No, and Ivan Pavlovich—will discuss their creative process.

Documentary fans have several free events from which to choose. Our Motion Portraits Director Panel includes Joaquim Pinto (What Now? Remind Me), Mitra Farahani (Fifi Howls from Happiness), and Pacho Velez (Manakamana). New York Women in Film and Television will host a panel with directors Allison Berg & Frank Keraudren (The Dog) and Nancy Buirski (Afternoon of a Faun: Tanaquil le Clercq). We've also got talks with the teams behind sweeping documentary projects American Promise and How Democracy Works Now.

The Writers Guild of America, East will host a panel called “The Hero Adrift” with screenwriters Jonás CuarĂłn (Gravity), Chris Kentis (Open Water), and David Magee (Life of Pi). The Producers Guild of America East will host a panel with producer David V. Picker, author of Must, Maybes and Nevers. There will also be a panel of NYFF51 short filmmakers, with names to be announced at a later date.

All of these events are free and open to the public on a space available basis. See below for the full schedule. All NYFF Live talks are in the Film Center Amphitheater unless otherwise noted.

Sunday, September 29

7:00pm Motion Portraits Director Panel
Directors Joaquim Pinto, What Now? Remind Me and Mitra Farahani, Fifi Howls from Happiness and Pacho Velez, Manakamana

7:45pm Director Hirokazu Kore-eda, Like Father, Like Son

Tuesday, October 1

7:00pm Emerging Artists: directors Joanna Hogg, Exhibition and Fernando Eimbcke, Club Sandwich

8:00pm  Rockstar Games: The Music of Grand Theft Auto V
Panelists: Tangerine Dream, Woody Jackson, The Alchemist & Oh No (Composers, Grand Theft Auto V) and Ivan Pavlovich (Music Supervisor for Rockstar Games)

Wednesday October 2

7:00pm  Actor Louis Garrel, Jealousy

Thursday October 3

4:30pm Story Creation and the Artistic Process
Filmmaker in Residence Panel includes director Andrea Arnold, Wuthering Heights, Fish Tank, Red Road; writer Henry Bean, The Believer, Basic Instinct 2, Internal Affairs; writer Naomi Foner, Very Good Girls, Running on Empty; writer Larry Gross, We Don’t Live Here Anymore, True Crime, 48 Hrs; director Tamara Jenkins, The Savages, Slums of Beverly Hills
The Filmmaker in Residence initiative is being held in partnership with luxury brand Jaeger-LeCoultre.

Saturday October 5

7:00pm  Director Claire Denis, Bastards
PLEASE NOTE LOCATION:
The Furman Gallery, adjacent to the Walter Reade Theater (165 West 65th Street) 

Monday October 7

5:00pm  Director Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
PLEASE NOTE LOCATION: Apple Store Soho

7:00pm Actress Isabelle Huppert, Abuse of Weakness

7:45pm  Spotlight on Documentary Filmmakers Panel
Directors Allison Berg & Frank Keraudren, The Dog and Nancy Buirski, Afternoon of a Faun: Tanaquil Le Clercq
Presented in Collaboration with New York Women in Film and Television.

Tuesday October 8

7:00pm The Hero Adrift: A Conversation with Jonás Cuarón (Gravity), Chris Kentis (Open Water) and David Magee (Life of Pi)
Presented in Collaboration with the Writers Guild of America, East

7:45pm Directors Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson, American Promise

Wednesday October 9

7:00pm  Director agnès b., My Name is Hmmm…

7:45pm How Democracy Works Now: directors Michael Camerini & Shari Robertson

Thursday October 10

7:00pm Actor Bruce Dern, Nebraska

7:45pm Panel of Short Filmmakers

Friday October 11

7:00pm Producer David V. Picker, author of Must, Maybes, and Nevers
Presented in collaboration with the Producers Guild of America East