Emad Burnat & Guy Davidi's 5 Broken Cameras (2011)

By virtue of the fact that New Directors/New Films highlights up-and-coming filmmakers, it can be hard to process the festival's lineup of unfamiliar names and pre-buzz titles. With origins ranging from the transnational margins to successful Brooklyn-based Kickstarter campaigns, the films of the 41st edition of ND/NF offer a nearly unparalleled wealth of cinematic perspective, so we decided to break things down by the numbers for you.

This year, there will be 29 films shown, with 24 narrative features and five documentaries, as well as two shorts programs featuring 12 short films in all. These films come to New York from 28 different countries, with just four hailing from the U.S.A.—though all of the American entries come from NYC-based filmmakers. 17 of the 29 films are debut features from their respective directors, while two of the directors are returning to ND/NF for the second time. More than two thirds of these films have shown in major film festivals around the world including Sundance and Cannes. Ten of the new feature films have distribution, one having been picked up just last week.

While these numbers add up, there’s no duplicating the “one-and-only”s in this year's festival. You can only have one first, and we’re proud to screen Stanley Kubrick’s debut from 1953. Additionally, there will be one late-night screening, one 3D animated feature, and, of course, only one Surprise Closing Night Film!

But don't get the wrong idea, those will not be the only special occasions in this year's ND/NF, as over 30 directors will be in attendance, as well as countless actors, producers, and other crew members, making each screening a unique experience. Even though we've broken it down by the numbers, we can guarantee this won't be a by-the-numbers event. Come check out the 12-day New Directors/New Films festival from March 21 – April 1, right here in the #1 city on Earth.

Watch our 60-second trailer for New Directors/New Films 2012: