On this week’s episode of our podcast, you’ll hear two highlights from the 53rd New York Film Festival. Part one comes from an NYFF Live talk with Danny Boyle, whose new film Steve Jobs was the centerpiece selection and is opening nationwide this weekend. After that, you’ll hear this year’s On Cinema master class with Taiwanese filmmaker Hou Hsiao-hsien, whose martial arts epic The Assassin opens here at the Film Society on Friday. Both conversations were part of a series of talks sponsored by HBO®.
Steve Jobs brings together screenwriter Aaron Sorkin and director Danny Boyle, who produced a fresh and exciting portrait of the iconic founder of Apple. The film had its New York premiere at the festival, where critics praised its infectious energy and powerhouse performances. Rodrigo Perez at Indiewire described it as “a rush of blood to the head,” and Kenneth Turan at the LA Times called it “a smart, hugely entertaining film that all but bristles with crackling creative energy.” During the festival, Danny Boyle joined Indiewire’s Eric Kohn for a free talk in our amphitheater to discuss his approach to the film’s unique structure, Sorkin’s rapid-fire script, and his plans for a Trainspotting sequel.
Every year during the New York Film Festival we invite a master of filmmaking to discuss their cinematic influences. Past guests have included Paul Thomas Anderson and Alexander Payne, and for this year’s festival, we were thrilled to welcome Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien. The event, titled On Cinema, featured a selection of clips curated by the director and an in-depth conversation moderated by festival director Kent Jones. With the help of a translator, Hou talked about his diverse influences, from Godard to Naruse, and how they contributed to his latest epic, The Assassin, which you can see here at the Film Society starting this weekend. Click here for tickets!
