Natalie Portman Sex Soap Opera ‘May December’ Opens New York Film Festival as Epic Rainstorm Drenches the City

Well there’s a first time for everything; and in the case of “The Curse,” it’s surprising that it’s the first TV series to be part of the premiere lineup for the New York Film Festival. But Variety reports that Nathan Fielder & Benny Safdie‘s show is the first to do so, and NYFF artistic director Dennis Lim couldn’t be happier about it.

Anna Tingley Up until Thursday night, New York Film Festival had never once featured a TV show on its annual premiere lineup, so when Benny Safdie approached NYFF artistic director Dennis Lim with a new series he created alongside Nathan Fielder, the likelihood that it would get a big-screen premiere was low. But Lim gave it a chance, and after he finished the fifth episode he knew he had to figure out how to make something work.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Cross Creek Pictures has acquired “The Sessions,” a new screenplay from writer and former Paramount Pictures executive Tom 8. Hayes. The screenplay is based on true events, telling a storyset amidst the New York City jazz scene of the mid-1950s.

Pat Saperstein Deputy Editor SAG-AFTRA has canceled pickets in New York and Los Angeles on Friday due to “potential safety concerns that are unrelated to our ongoing strike,” the guild announced Thursday night. “Stay safe and see you on the picket lines next week,” said the statement from SAG-AFTRA.

Cailee Spaeny dazzles while promoting her new film Priscilla at the 2023 BFI London Film Festival on Monday (October 9).

“The events of the last couple of days have been quite difficult for everybody,” said filmmaker Jonathan Glazer as his film about a Nazi commander at Auschwitz screened Sunday at the New York Film Festival.

May December director Todd Haynes said of first reading Samy Burch’s script, “I loved how disquieting it was for the reader and thought, ‘Wow, if there was a way to convey this on screen and ignite that sense of engaged questioning and uncertainty’… It reminded me of the kind of movies that I came of age watching. It made you question your assumptions going in, made you want to discuss them and think about them later.” Haynes was speaking at Deadline’s Contenders London event this afternoon.

Jacob Elordi and Cailee Spaeny hit the red carpet for the NYC premiere of their new movie Priscilla, but writer and director Sofia Coppola was noticeably absent.

Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla Presley biopic Priscilla is the centerpiece premiere at the New York Film Festival this evening, but the filmmaker had to miss the movie’s presser today at short notice, sending a note that she is “with her mother.” 

Caroline Brew editor The Savannah College of Art and Design’s 26th annual SCAD Savannah Film Festival, which will run from Oct. 21-28, has announced its film lineup. “Nyad,” a film based on the life of world-class athlete Diana Nyad, will open the festival on Oct.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Emma Stone stopped by New York Film Festival to make a surprise appearance at the premiere of “Bleat,” an unconventional short film by Yorgos Lanthimos. Stone and Lanthimos just reunited on “Poor Things,” a Frankenstein-esque black comedy that’s received some of the best reviews of the year. But the ongoing SAG strike has prevented Stone from talking about the movie, which is backed by Searchlight, during stops at Venice or New York film festivals.

Director Steve McQueen said his unusual four-hour Holocaust documentary shot in Amsterdam is rooted in his strong sense that “the past is present” in physical manifestations all around us, as well as a reminder to stay vigilant.

A frantic search is underway to trace a missing child who is believed to have been abducted from a park in New York.

Foe, a complicated love story set in the near future amid burned out farmland, intertwines AI and climate catastrophe with the challenges of keeping a marriage together — all elements director Garth Davis (Lion) said pulled him to the story.

Angelique Jackson Despite heavy rains which have closed some New York City subway lines, schools and movie theaters — including Alamo Drafthouse locations — the New York Film Festival plans to move forward with its opening night screening of Netflix’s “May December” on Friday. The soapy drama is scheduled for a 6 p.m. showing at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall to kick off the 61st annual festival, followed by a second showing at 9 p.m.

Todd Haynes, who has appeared on behalf of his latest directing outing, May December, since its splashy debut in Cannes, turned to a new collaborator when promoting it at the New York Film Festival.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Alamo Drafthouse is closing its New York City locations due to a rainstorm that’s left streets and subways flooded across the five boroughs. The theater chain said its venues in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Staten “will be closed until further notice.” On social media, the company said, “Please everyone stay dry & stay safe, and we hope to have you back at the movies very soon.” Rain has blanketed the tri-state region throughout much of the week, but it intensified significantly on Friday, making the city and its surrounding area difficult to navigate and bringing traffic to a standstill.

The 61stNew York Film Festival opens Friday on a high note, with advance sales of passes and tickets at kickoff up 50% from last year, which was a record-breaking fest. It’s also a day of heavy rains and flooding in New York City.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter As New York Film Festival’s artistic director, Dennis Lim has become adept at multitasking. “Sometimes, I have to introduce one film and then run across the street to moderate a Q&A for different film,” he says. “If I have an hour or two free, I will sneak into a cinema and watch something as a way to hide out.” This year, he’ll be bouncing around Manhattan’s Upper West Side to host some of the buzziest movies from Cannes and Venice, like Todd Haynes’ soapy romantic drama “May December,” Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein biopic “Maestro” and Sofia Coppola’s “Elvis and “Me” adaptation “Priscilla.” NYFF will also showcase the world premiere of Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie’s genre-defying series “The Curse” and the Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal-led sci-fi story “Foe.” Ahead of the 61st edition, which takes place from Sept.

George Clooney and his wife Amal Clooney received support from so many of their celebrity friends at the Albies!