The Room Next Door. Courtesy of El Deseo.

New York, NY (August 1, 2024) – Film at Lincoln Center announces Pedro Almodóvar’s The Room Next Door, starring Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton, as the Centerpiece selection for the 62nd New York Film Festival, making its U.S. premiere at Alice Tully Hall on October 4. Secure your ticket and more with Festival Passes, limited quantities on sale now. Single tickets go on sale September 17 at noon ET, with pre-sale access for FLC Members and Pass holders prior to this date.

Ingrid (Julianne Moore), a best-selling writer, rekindles her relationship with her friend Martha (Tilda Swinton), a war journalist with whom she has lost touch for a number of years. The two women immerse themselves in their pasts, sharing memories, anecdotes, art, movies—yet Martha has a request that will test their newly strengthened bond. Pedro Almodóvar’s finely sculpted drama, his first English-language feature, is the unmistakable work of a master filmmaker, a hushed and humane portrayal of the beauty of life and the inevitability of death, graced with incandescent performances by Moore and Swinton that tap the very essence of being. Adapting Sigrid Nunez’s treasure of a novel, What Are You Going Through, Almodóvar has exquisitely reframed his career-long fascination with the lives of women for an American vernacular, capturing Manhattan and upstate New York with enraptured affection. A Sony Pictures Classics release.

“I am delighted that The Room Next Door will be the Centerpiece of the New York Film Festival,” said director Pedro Almodóvar. “This festival has been my bridge to New York audiences for decades, so it only felt natural that the two protagonists go see a film at the Alice Tully Hall in one of the scenes of the movie. It was very moving for me to shoot in a place that holds so very dear memories to me, and where I hope to keep on treasuring them in a not so distant future.”

“Few filmmakers are as closely associated with the New York Film Festival as Pedro Almodóvar, and it is a true pleasure to present his first English-language feature as this year’s Centerpiece selection,” said Dennis Lim, Artistic Director, New York Film Festival. “The Room Next Door is the work of an artist at the height of his powers: a wise, exquisitely acted, achingly beautiful film that feels perfectly calibrated to this moment.”

The Room Next Door marks NYFF mainstay Pedro Almodóvar’s 15th festival selection, of which a record-setting nine titles have been gala presentations. He made his NYFF debut in 1988 with Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (NYFF26) as the Opening Night selection, and also opened NYFF with All About My Mother (NYFF37). Bad Education (NYFF42) and Volver (NYFF44) were selected as Centerpieces, and Live Flesh (NYFF35), Talk to Her (NYFF40), Broken Embraces (NYFF47), and Parallel Mothers (NYFF59) were Closing Night selections. Additional NYFF selections include The Flower of My Secret (NYFF33), The Skin I Live In (NYFF49), Julieta (NYFF54), Pain and Glory (NYFF57), The Human Voice (NYFF58), and Strange Way of Life (NYFF61).

Pedro Almodóvar (b. Calzada de Calatrava, September 25, 1949) left his small town for Madrid as a teenager to realize his dreams of becoming a filmmaker. Arriving with few prospects, he secured “proper” employment at the National Telephone Company of Spain, which allowed him to purchase his first Super 8 camera. For the next 12 years, Almodóvar split his time between this serious day job and crazy nights collaborating with theater groups and punk bands, writing for underground magazines, and making short films with his friends. In 1980, after a year and a half of filming on a shoestring budget, Almodóvar made his feature-length debut with Pepi, Luci, Bom. Since then, he has never stopped writing and directing films, which include the Academy Award winners All About My Mother (1999) and Talk to Her (2002).

The NYFF Main Slate selection committee is chaired by Dennis Lim, NYFF Artistic Director, and includes Florence Almozini, Justin Chang, K. Austin Collins, and Rachel Rosen.

Presented by Film at Lincoln Center, the New York Film Festival is an annual showcase of the best in world cinema. Since 1963, NYFF has shaped film culture and continues an enduring tradition of introducing audiences to bold and remarkable works from celebrated filmmakers as well as fresh new talent. The 62nd edition of the festival takes place September 27–October 14, 2024.

The Room Next Door joins the previously announced RaMell Ross’s Nickel Boys, the Opening Night selection, and Steve McQueen’s Blitz, the Closing Night film of NYFF62. Sign up for forthcoming announcements, including Main Slate, Spotlight, Currents, Revivals, and Talks.

Secure your tickets for Centerpiece and more with Festival Passes, limited quantities on sale now. NYFF62 single tickets will go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, September 17 at noon ET, with pre-sale access for FLC Members and Pass holders prior to this date. Become an FLC Member by August 13 to secure NYFF62 pre-sale access and discounted tickets year-round. NYFF62 press and industry accreditation is now open.

FILM AT LINCOLN CENTER
Film at Lincoln Center (FLC) is a nonprofit organization that celebrates cinema as an essential art form and fosters a vibrant home for film culture to thrive. FLC presents premier film festivals, retrospectives, new releases, and restorations year-round in state-of-the-art theaters at New York’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. FLC offers audiences the opportunity to discover works from established and emerging directors from around the world with a passionate community of film lovers at marquee events including the New York Film Festival and New Directors/New Films.

Founded in 1969, FLC is committed to preserving the excitement of the theatrical experience for all audiences, advancing high-quality film journalism through the publication of Film Comment, cultivating the next generation of film industry professionals through our FLC Academies, and enriching the lives of all who engage with our programs.

Support for the New York Film Festival is generously provided by Official Partner HBO® and The New York Times; Contributing Partners Netflix, BritBox, Criterion, Bloomberg Philanthropies, MUBI, Dolby, the School of Visual Arts BFA Film, The Travel Agency: A Cannabis Store, New York Film Academy, and Manhattan Portage; Media Partners Variety, Deadline Hollywood, WABC-TV, The Hollywood Reporter, The WNET Group, and IMDb. Additional support provided in part by the NYC’s Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. American Airlines is the Official Airline of Film at Lincoln Center.

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