While it does not seem likely that anyone would have expected that Nicole Kidman would have something of a career resurgence at the hands of a hack like Lee Daniels and a film that sees her peeing on Zac Efron in an apparent act of love but, hey, Hollywood is insane (as evidenced by the fact that Daniels gets to even make movies). As part of that resurgence, Kidman will be honored with a Gala Tribute at this year’s New York Film Festival. The tribute will include both an on-stage conversation with Kidman and a screening of The Paperboy (don’t let my disdain for Daniels obscure the fact that I cannot wait to see this film and am deeply jealous of all the Gothamites who will see it at NYFF).
The festival has also announced that they will be holding another Gala Tribute during the second half of the festival to honor their own Film Society program director and head of the festival’s selection committee, Richard Peña. These announcements come on the heels of further additions to the festival’s slate, including an “immaculate” 8K digital restoration of David Lean‘s Lawrence of Arabia, a special 25th anniversary screening of Rob Reiner‘s The Princess Bride, Rodney Ascher‘s Sundance and Cannes favorite Room 237, and Francesco Patierno‘s “salacious and fascinating” The War of the Volcanoes.
These picks join the festival’s previously-announced main slate, which includes such films as Life of Pi, Not Fade Away, Flight, Frances Ha, Holy Motors, Passion, and Hyde Park on Hudson. NYFF’s slate includes picks that fall under their Masterworks and Special Events sections, and the newest addition includes films in their “Cinema Reflected” and “On the Arts” groupings (with hints to expect announcements for their all new “Midnight Movies” section to come soon). Check out the full listing of the new announcements after the break.
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 Pàlfi, 2012, Hungary)
Alain Delon trades glances with Marilyn Monroe and Jackie Chan springs to the rescue of Jeanne Moreau in director György Pàlfi’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 Béziat, 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.
Gala Tributes
Nicole Kidman, including a screening of The Paperboy (Lee Daniels, 2012, USA)
Richard Pena, Film Society Program Director and Head of the NYFF Selection Committee
The full slate of NYFF films and events has not yet been announced, as the fest will continue to roll out still more picks for Masterworks and Special Events screenings in the coming days.
—
NYFF 2012 runs from September 28 to October 14. [Press Releases]