For the past 51 years, the Opening Night of the New York Film Festival (which some affectionately refer to as “prom night” of the film community) has ushered in the fall season of serious film-watching in New York City. Viewers gather for two weeks to see the most significant works by the world's leading filmmakers. We have cherry-picked some of our favorite photographs from the book New York Film Festival Gold, edited by Laura Kern, Joanne Koch, and Richard Peña, to celebrate the last half-century of the festival. Above are two iconic auteurs, Martin Scorsese and Michelangelo Antonioni in 1992, just one example of the photographic gold we'll be releasing in the run up to the 52nd NYFF, which opens Friday. Scorsese will be featured in our Spotlight on Documentary section this year with his film The 50 Year Argument,  which profiles the renowned literary institution The New York Review of Books.

Other featured photographic pairings include Spike Lee and Jim Jarmusch as well as Bono and Julian Schnabel, among others. The book celebrating the festival has an introduction by Pedro Almodóvar, who first attended in 1988 with Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. He explains: “I have always admired the festival's eclectic nature and lack or prejudice—the films are what matter.” FilmLinc will share more images from NYFFs past by in the coming days.


Pedro Almodóvar, 26th NYFF, photo by Godlis


Gus Van Sant and River Phoenix, 1991, photo by Godlis


Spike Lee and Jim Jarmusch at the Opening Night of Down by Law, 1986, photo by Timothy Parks


Hilary Swank, Kimberly Peirce, and Chloë Sevigny, Boy's Don't Cry, 1999, photo by Godlis


Roman Polanski at the 1st NYFF, 1963, photo by Jerry Schatzberg


Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener, John Malkovich, Spike Jonze, and John Cusack, Being John Malkovich, 1999,
photo by Stephanie Berger


Isabelle Huppert and Paul Cox, Cactus, 1986, photo by Timothy Parks


Mark Wahlberg and Burt Reynolds, Boogie Nights, 1997, photo by Stephanie Berger


Ang Lee and Michelle Yeoh, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, 2000, photo by Godlis


Tilda Swinton and Ewan McGregor, Young Adam, 2003, photo by Godlis