Click here to read the full article.
James Gray’s crime drama “Paper Tiger,” starring Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson and Miles Teller, will make its North American premiere as the opening night film of the 64th New York Film Festival on Sept. 25.
This
is Gray’s fourth film to screen at the prestigious festival, following “The Immigrant” (2013) and “Armageddon Time” (2022), both official main selections, and “The Lost City of Z” (2016), which was the closing night film.
“Paper Tiger,” Gray’s first film since 2022’s “Armageddon Time,” joins a long lineage of opening night selections such as RaMell Ross’ “Nickel Boys” (2024), Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” (2019) and Yorgos Lanthimos’ “The Favourite” (2018) over the last decade.
Thirteen of the 64 films chosen to open the New York Film Festival between 1963 and 2025 have gone on to earn Academy Award nominations for best picture. Only one opener has claimed the top prize: Hugh Hudson’s “Chariots of Fire” (1981). The dozen other best picture nominees span six decades: “The Big Chill” (1983), “Pulp Fiction” (1994), “Secrets and Lies” (1996), “Mystic River” (2003), “Good Night, and Good Luck” (2005), “The Queen” (2006), “The Social Network” (2010), “Life of Pi” (2012), “Captain Phillips” (2013), “The Favourite” (2018), “The Irishman” (2019) and most recently, “Nickel Boys” (2024).
Neon premiered “Paper Tiger” at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, where it received a seven-minute standing ovation. In his Variety review, chief film critic Owen Gleiberman wrote that the movie “has the dread-fueled engine of a neo-New Hollywood vérité thriller.”
Set in 1986, the film follows two brothers, Irwin (Teller) and Gary Pearl (Driver). Irwin becomes entangled with the Russian mob after embarking on a get-rich-quick scheme to clean up the Gowanus Canal, and his former cop brother, Gary, is the only one who can get him out of trouble.
“James Gray has been a fixture at the New York Film Festival for many years, and we are thrilled to welcome him back as our Opening Night filmmaker with a career-best achievement,” said NYFF Artistic Director Dennis Lim in a statement.
Gray added, “I’m immensely grateful to be welcomed back to this remarkable festival. This deeply personal film is rooted in New York City; from my upbringing to life-changing family experiences. To be here, at the heart of art and cinema, with our cast and crew — many of whom are New Yorkers — is a privilege.”
Gray and members of the cast and crew will be in attendance.
The NYFF Main Slate selection committee is chaired by Lim, along with Florence Almozini, Justin Chang and Rachel Rosen. NYFF64 single tickets will go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at noon ET, with presale access for FLC members and pass holders before then.
More NYFF selections will be announced in the coming weeks.
See all Academy Awards predictions
Variety Awards Circuit: Oscars
