NEW DIRECTORS / NEW FILMS FEST 2025

In the world of cinema and amongst cinephiles of New York, if autumn is synonymous with the New York Film Festival (NYFF), then New Directors/New Films (ND/NF) means spring is in the air and a new season of the potentially future best and brightest is about to be ushered in. Taking place April 2 through April 13, the over 50-year-old festival of emerging new filmmakers also marks the long lasting collaboration between hosts, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and Film at Lincoln Center (FLC). Although for many of the FLC festivals throughout the year, such as the prestigious NYFF and Rendez-Vous with French Cinema they include some new talent, it is only the highly anticipated New Directors/New Films that is dedicated solely to revelatory new works and their fearless leaders (filmmakers), with an emphasis on “distinctive visions and risk-taking works highlight the vitality and potential of cinema.” To be sure, over the many decades history of ND/NF that standard has been met, with directors such as Win Winders (1972), Peter Greenaway (1978), Spike Lee (1983), Guillermo del Toro (1992), Jim McKay (2003) and Sarah Polley (2012), just to name a very few, that are boasted among the festival’s alumni. 

While this year the “risk-taking” criteria is definitely upheld, the quality level of writing and storytelling, and in some cases, execution, gave one pause. Is it the selection committee? Is it the submissions they had to choose from? Is it a lack of funding for aspiring directors? Or maybe it’s reflective of a generation of filmmakers influenced by quick hits from social media. Whatever it is, this reviewer and frequent festival goer was at times hard pressed to find plots and well-crafted stories and character development in some of this year’s selections that was previewed (Full disclosure: While I saw many of the films, I did not see everything selected).

There are a few very noteworthy exceptions. As such, this overview will focus on a couple of them.

“Stranger” by Zhengfan Yang is a collection of compelling vignettes that make one fantastic movie you won’t want to end. Any one of the shorts would probably make a good feature film and is worth the price of admission, but collectively, what a treat. From the opening story of two men being interrogated by agitated police for seemingly bogus reasons, you’re intrigued. Next, a personal favorite of a post-wedding photo session in which the groom indulges a major secret. Another vignette features a husband quizzing his very pregnant wife as to how to get through U.S. airport security questions under the guise of short-term travel. These and other scenarios unfold in “Stranger”, which makes commentary on China’s social, political, and economic identity while exploring themes of where and what is home. Yang uses long takes, without context no less, that manage to continuously captivate, surprise and delight. In fact, the last of the vignettes has absolutely no dialogue. The long continuous, probably one-take scene is of an apartment building in which the audience sees all the tenant’s front window and their various activities. It is all about the visual storytelling, with a bit of natural background sounds. 

Zhengfan seems as much a visual director as an actors director. He makes it hard to believe this is his first film. He is truly one to watch.

Stranger
Director/Writer: Zhengfan Yang
Stars: Jin Jing, Liguo Yuan 
Country: U.S./China/Netherlands/Norway/France, 113m
Language: Mandarin, Cantonese, and English with English subtitles

Another noteworthy selection hails from Lithuania/Latvia. “Drowning Dry” starts off as one thing- in the middle of a mix martial arts match and the locker room afterwards as the winner (Lukas) is surrounded by his family and close friends and their various reactions to his victory- leading viewers to assume it could be a story about the athlete, his sport and his wife’s anguish over it. But soon all the characters, made up of Lukas’ young family and his wife’s sister’s family, are at their shared vacation house in the country and the scene is set for fun, bonding as well as unexpected setbacks and eventual tragedies. Although not much seemingly happens beyond house cleaning, sparse jovial conversations, eating and swimming at the nearby lake, things take a turn, with a couple more twists for good measure.

Writer-director Laurynas Bareiša, an ND/NF returning participant, shoots in a non-linear format, which can be both confusing at times, but also intriguing and interesting. Through it, he presents certain characters’ experiences and their different memories of those experiences.

Title: Drowning Dry 
Director & Writer: Laurynas Bareiša, 2024, Lithuania/Latvia, 88m
Stars: Gemlike Glemzaite, Agne Kaktaite
Language: Lithuanian with English subtitles
Production company: Trickster Pictures

This year’s ND/NF will present 24 features and nine short films, including 20 North American or U.S. premieres. More information on New Directors/New Films and additional film selections can be found here: