Peter O'Toole in David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
With just under 40 days left until Opening Night of the 50th New York Film Festival, the announcements about this year's lineup are coming fast and thick. 18 new titles have been revealed today from across the fest's Masterworks and Special Events sections, including some exciting new groupings: “Cinema Reflected,” “On the Arts” and “Midnight Movies” (NYFF edition)!
“The addition of the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center allows the Festival to expand on areas of programming already part of the NYFF—such as the inclusion of restored or re-discovered Masterworks in the Festival line-up—as well as to focus attention of topics such as 'movies about movies' in the section Cinema Reflected or film's encounter with other artistic media in On the Arts,” said Richard Peña in a statement.
One of the most widely acclaimed films of all time and arguably the greatest epic ever to grace the silver screen, David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia (1962) will play in this year's Masterworks section. You may think you've seen it before, but nothing can prepare you for the awesome force of this immaculate 8K digital restoration (courtesy of the fine folks at Sony Pictures Repertory) as it unreels on Alice Tully Hall's monster screen and bellows out of the equally impressive sound system. We promise it will be an unparalleled moviegoing experience.
Also in Masterworks is David Hand's seminal Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). Nothing short of a milestone of cinematic history, it was the first animated feature made in the U.S. and its $1.4 million production forced Walt Disney to mortgage his house to complete it. Have a reunion with Happy, Sleepy, Sneezy, Grumpy, Dopey, Bashful and Doc, or introduce your kids to them for the very first time at this unmissable family event!
André the Giant and Robin Wright in Rob Reiner's The Princess Bride (1987)
After the success of last year's anniversary screening and cast reunion of Wes Anderson's The Royal Tenenbaums, we've decided to keep up the tradition at the 50th NYFF with a special 25th anniversary screening of Rob Reiner's rip-roaring comedy The Princess Bride (1987). Reiner and several cast members will be in person to reminisce about the making of the film – no doubt with some hilarious anecdotes to share.
Other Special Events include an NYFF edition of our popular The Met Live in HD series, Bartlett Sher’s new production of Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore starring Anna Netrebko and Matthew Polenzani and conducted by Maurizio Benini; a sneak preview of new Showtime miniseries Oliver Stone's Untold History of the United States; and the World Premiere of experimental theater icon Richard Foreman's first feature film in 35 years Once Every Day.
New to the Special Events area of the New York Film Festival is our “Cinema Reflected” section, which showcases documentaries and essay films about films and filmmakers like Marina Zenovich's buzzed-about Roman Polanski: Odd Man Out; Rodney Ascher's Sundance and Cannes favorite Room 237, about the myths and hidden meanings of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining; and Francesco Patierno's salacious and fascinating The War of the Volcanoes, about dueling productions in the volcanic Aeolian Islands in 1948—one from Roberto Rossellini and Ingrid Bergman, the other from Rossellini's jealous lover Anna Magnani—and the Italian media storm surrounding them.
Roberto Rossellini and Ingrid Bergman in Francesco Patierno's The War of the Volcanoes (2012)
Also new this year is a section of documentaries about other artistic mediums. “On the Arts” includes Jeff Kaufman's portrait of hunchbacked drummer turned jazz legend Chick Webb, The Savoy King; Keith Jones and Deon Maas' explosive Punk in Africa about the role of 1970s South African punk music in the war against Apartheid; and the World Premiere of Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay about the man many consider to be the world's greatest magician.
Hard to believe, but that's not even the half of it! Stay tuned for announcements of even more Masterworks and Special Events screenings in the coming days as the full roster of films that will make up the landmark 50th New York Film Festival continues to grow. In the meantime, scroll down for more info on the 18 films announced today.
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Masterworks
Lawrence of Arabia (David Lean, 1962, UK/USA)
The screen's greatest epic returns in a magnificent 8K restoration. A Sony Pictures Repertory release.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (David Hand, 1937, USA)
Disney’s timeless tale of a princess banished by from the palace and then saved by seven unforgettable dwarves—the first animated feature made in America. A Walt Disney Pictures release. Screening with Paperman (John Kahrs, 2012, USA): An innovative animated short about a young New Yorker who relies on heart, imagination, a stack of papers—and a little luck—to change his destiny and win the girl of his dreams. A Walt Disney Pictures release.
Cinema Reflected
Casting By (Tom Donahue, 2012, USA)
This revealing look at the complex history of the Hollywood casting process makes a powerful case for this oft-overlooked craft, featuring interviews with top casting pros and many of the stars they discovered.
Celluloid Man (Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, 2012, India)
A a celebration of Indian cinema as well as of the man who did so much to safeguard it for future generations: P.K. Nair, the founder and patron saint of India’s National Film Archive.
Final Cut – Ladies and Gentlemen/Final Cut – Hölgyeim és uraim (György Pà lfi, 2012, Hungary)
Alain Delon trades glances with Marilyn Monroe and Jackie Chan springs to the rescue of Jeanne Moreau in director György Pà lfi’s one-of-a-kind compilation film.
Liv and Ingmar/Liv og Ingmar (Dheeraj Akolkar, 2012, Norway/UK/India)
An elegant look at one of the cinema’s most remarkable and fruitful creative partnerships, between director Ingmar Bergman and his muse Liv Ullman.
Roman Polanski: Odd Man Out (Marina Zenovich, 2012, USA)
Marina Zenovich follows her superb Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired with a look at the insidious ins and out of Polanski’s 2009 arrest in Zurich.
Room 237 (Rodney Ascher, 2012, USA)
Director Rodney Ascher wryly fuses fact and fiction in this kaleidoscopic deconstruction of the myriad myths and possible hidden messages of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining.
The War of the Volcanoes (Francesco Patierno, 2012, Italy)
A chronicle of a cinematic battle royale: the making of the Roberto Rossellini-Ingrid Bergman Stromboli and the competing project Volcano engineered by Rossellini’s spurned lover Anna Magnani. Screening with 101 (Luis Miñaro. 2012, Spain): An affectionate portrait of the 101-year old filmmaker Manoel de Oliveira during the shooting of The Strange Case of Angelica.
On the Arts
Becoming Traviata (Philippe BĂ©ziat, 2012, France)
Met Opera favorite Natalie Dessay prepares to take on the role of Violetta in Philippe Béziat’s lovely film about the staging of Verdi’s masterwork at the Aix-en-Provence Festival in France.
Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay (Molly Bernstein and Alan Edelstein, 2012, USA)
A warm and fascinating portrait of the man widely considered to be the world’s greatest magician: actor, raconteur and master illusionist Ricky Jay. World Premiere!
Ingrid Caven: Music and Voice/Ingrid Caven, musique et voix (Bertrand Bonello, 2012, France)
Fassbinder regular and cabaret performer Ingrid Caven performs a rich repertoire of songs in French, German and English before the intimate camera of director Bertrand Bonello.
Punk in Africa (Keith Jones and Deon Maas, 2012, South Africa/Czech Republic/Zimbabwe/Mozambique)
A fascinating chronicle of the explosion of punk rock in 1970s South Africa, where it became a second front in the burgeoning war against Apartheid.
The Savoy King: Chick Webb and the Music that Changed America (Jeff Kaufman, 2012, USA)
Director Jeff Kaufman’s look at the life of legendary jazz drummer and bandleader Chick Webb is a meditation on the transformative power of art as well as a monument to a great American artist.
Special Events
The Met Live in HD: L'Elisir d'Amore (2012)
A special NYFF edition of the long-running performances series, featuring director Bartlett Sher’s season-opening production of Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore.
Oliver Stone’s Untold History of the United States (Oliver Stone, 2012, USA)
Oliver Stone sets about exposing the errors and omissions in the official record of 20th century American history in this special preview of his explosive new Showtime miniseries.
Once Every Day (Richard Foreman, 2012, USA)
Avant-garde theater legend Richard Foreman’s first foray into feature filmmaking in 35 years, Once Every Day is, per its creator, “a time-mosaic of reformatted consciousness.” We couldn’t agree more. World Premiere!
The Princess Bride (Rob Reiner, 1987, USA)
A special 25th anniversary screening of director Rob Reiner’s beloved storybook romance, followed by an on-stage reunion of Reiner and cast members.
