{"id":346406,"date":"2026-09-14T15:42:13","date_gmt":"2026-09-14T15:42:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/346406\/"},"modified":"2026-09-14T15:42:13","modified_gmt":"2026-09-14T15:42:13","slug":"13-oscar-worthy-films-to-see-this-year-at-new-york-film-festival-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/346406\/","title":{"rendered":"13 Oscar-worthy films to see this year at New York Film Festival 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ah, fall. When leaves start to drop, pumpkin spice kicks in and Oscar insanity takes hold of otherwise reasonable film fans. As ever, the New York Film Festival\u2014which runs from September 25 through October 12\u2014is the best place to find early front-runners for the upcoming awards season. This year\u2019s lineup<\/a> looks especially intriguing, so the truth is that you\u2019ll find a winner whether you\u2019re hoping for big buzz or sifting for hidden gems. But if you just want to cut to the chase, here are our picks for the likeliest entries in your eventual Oscar pool.<\/p>\n

Paper Tiger<\/p>\n

Directed by James Gray<\/p>\n

Gray\u2019s opening-night crime flick stars Adam Driver and Miles Teller as brothers who get in over their heads while doing business with the Russian mob in 1986 Queens and Brooklyn. Scarlett Johansson\u2019s here too, stealing her scenes as Teller\u2019s strong-willed wife.<\/p>\n

Sept 25 at 6, 6:15, 6:30, 9, 9:15, 9:30 and 9:45pm; Oct 2 at 1:15pm<\/p>\n

You Can See Everything<\/p>\n

Directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve watched the trailer 17 times. You\u2019ve scoured reviews out of the Telluride Film Fest for any possible spoilers. And now Fielder and Oppenheim\u2019s documentary about disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes is finally here. Is the three-hour runtime too much time? Or not nearly enough?<\/p>\n

Sept 30 at 8pm<\/p>\n

\"Artificial\"
\nPhotograph: Courtesy Yannis DrakoulidisArtificial <\/p>\n

Artificial<\/p>\n

Directed by Luca Guadagnino<\/p>\n

Andrew Garfield plays OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in Guadagnino\u2019s take on the men who enthusiastically ushered in artificial intelligence. Costarring Monica Barbaro, Cooper Hoffman and Jason Schwartzman, with a score from Damon Albarn. The real question is: Did Guadagnino use any AI in the making of this movie?<\/p>\n

Oct 5 at 5pm, Oct 6 at 2:30pm<\/p>\n

The Debut<\/p>\n

Directed by Jesse Eisenberg<\/p>\n

Might this be the most memorable comedy of the season? Consider the evidence: Julianne Moore is a New Jersey housewife who finds new life in local theater; Paul Giamatti is the pretentious director running the show. Actually running the show is writer-director-costar Eisenberg, who even crafted the central musical\u2019s score and lyrics.<\/p>\n

Oct 7 at 8:30pm; Oct 8 at 10am, 3:15pm; Oct 10 at 10:45am<\/p>\n

\"14th
\nPhotograph: Courtesy Paul Garnes\/Netflix \u00a9 202614th – Ava DuVernay with Dr. Carla Hayden <\/p>\n

14th<\/p>\n

Directed by Ava DuVernay<\/p>\n

DuVernay released her essential documentary 13th, about the 13th Amendment and the legacy of slavery, on the eve of Donald Trump\u2019s first term. Now she\u2019s returned with a look at citizenship, due process, and the many ways in which the 14th Amendment is being undermined in coldly systematic fashion.<\/p>\n

Oct 9 at 6, 6:30, 8:45pm; Oct 11 at 9:15pm<\/p>\n

Behemoth!<\/p>\n

Directed by Tony Gilroy<\/p>\n

All eyes will be on Pedro Pascal for this world premiere from Michael Clayton director Gilroy. Pascal plays a cellist and former child prodigy reeling from the pressures of overwhelming expectations, deep family trauma and a brutally bitter breakup (Olivia Wilde is his ex).<\/p>\n

Oct 2 at 6:15, 6:30, 9:15, 9:30pm; Oct 3 at noon; Oct 6 at 11:45am; Oct 7 at 6pm<\/p>\n

A Statement<\/p>\n

Directed by Tom McCarthy<\/p>\n

McCarthy\u2014who won an Oscar for 2015\u2019s festival fave Spotlight\u2014gathers Paul Rudd, Paul Giamatti, John Turturo and Amy Ryan as the true-life group of activists, scientists and policymakers who were charged with addressing the immense and immediate dangers of climate change. In 1980. (Can\u2019t say we weren\u2019t warned.)<\/p>\n

Oct 3 at 6:15pm, Oct 4 at 9pm, Oct 6 at 3:45pm, Oct 11 at 1pm<\/p>\n

\"The
\nPhotograph: Courtesy NYFFThe Man I Love <\/p>\n

The Man I Love<\/p>\n

Directed by Ira Sachs<\/p>\n

Sachs (Passages) makes jewel-sized films of great beauty, built around impeccably-crafted performances. This time, it\u2019s Rami Malek who delivers an electrifying star turn, as a New York cabaret artist living with AIDS in the 1980s.<\/p>\n

Oct 8 at 6pm, Oct 9 at 3:30pm, Oct 12 at 7pm<\/p>\n

The Only Living Pickpocket in New York<\/p>\n

Directed by Noah Segan<\/p>\n

John Turturro\u2019s passionate turn as an aging Bronx grifter centers Segan\u2019s intimate tribute to an ever-shifting city. Simultaneously poignant and powerful, it\u2019s built around an old-school indie aesthetic that used to pack festival schedules, and now feels touchingly out of time.<\/p>\n

Oct 7 at 6pm, Oct 8 at 12:45pm, Oct 9 at 9:15pm, Oct 10 at 1:15pm<\/p>\n

Misty Green<\/p>\n

Directed by Chris Rock<\/p>\n

Newcomer Rosalind Eleazar plays a struggling L.A. actress who finds herself increasingly reliant on an entirely unreliable network (played by, among others, Adam Driver, Daniel Kaluuya, Anna Kendrick and Rock himself).<\/p>\n

Sept 26 at 9:15pm, Sept 27 at 11:30am, Sept 30 at 2pm, Oct 2 at 4pm<\/p>\n

Bucking Fastard<\/p>\n

Directed by Werner Herzog<\/p>\n

A Herzog movie is always an event, and this one promises to be typically, surreally memorable. Real-life sisters Rooney and Kate Mara play siblings who live entirely in sync: They speak, think, and even love in tandem.<\/p>\n

Sept 30 at 3:30pm, Oct 8 at 8:30pm, Oct 10 at 6:15pm, Oct 12 at 9:30pm<\/p>\n

\"Club
\nPhotograph: Courtesy NYFFClub Kid <\/p>\n

Club Kid<\/p>\n

Directed by Jordan Firstman<\/p>\n

Early word has been ecstatic around this crowd-pleasing debut, about a gay party promoter (writer-director Firstman) whose life is entirely upended when he discovers he\u2019s got a 10-year-old son.<\/p>\n

Oct 3 at 9:15pm, Oct 4 at 2:45pm, Oct 5 at 6pm, Oct 7 at 12:30pm<\/p>\n

Once Upon a Time in Harlem<\/p>\n

Directed by William and David Greaves<\/p>\n

One of this year\u2019s most meaningful films was actually made decades ago: In 1972, filmmaker William Greaves gathered the aging stars of the Harlem Renaissance, and asked them to share their memories. Fifty years later, his son David has turned the footage into a breathtakingly beautiful tribute.<\/p>\n

Sept 29 at 8:30pm, Sept 30 at 6:15pm, Oct 4 at 1:30pm<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, that\u2019s just the start of your options. This year\u2019s lineup also includes highly-anticipated films from\u2014ready?\u2014Pedro Almod\u00f3var (Bitter Christmas), Ry\u00fbsuke Hamaguchi (All of a Sudden), Pawel Pawlikowski (Fatherland), Andrew Haigh (A Long Winter), Jonathan Glazer (Joy of Joys), Mike Leigh (Tender Loving Care), Cristian Mungiu (Fjord) and Valeska Grisebach (The Dreamed Adventure), not to mention the world premiere of a concert documentary from Paul Thomas Anderson (Cameron Winter at Carnegie Hall).<\/p>\n

\"Once
\nPhotograph: Courtesy NYFFOnce Upon a Time in Harlem <\/p>\n

Tell Me More!
\nWhere is the New York Film Festival?<\/p>\n

Primary screenings will take place at Lincoln Center<\/a>\u00a0venues<\/a>: Alice Tully Hall (1941 Broadway), Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center (144 West 65th Street) and the Walter Reade Theater (165 West 65th Street).<\/p>\n

What if I can\u2019t get to the Upper West Side?<\/p>\n

You\u2019re in luck. This year the NYFF has partnered with venues in every borough: BAM, MoMI, Alamo Drafthouse Staten Island and AMC Bay Plaza Cinema in the Bronx.<\/p>\n

How do I get tickets?<\/p>\n

Right\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What will they cost me?<\/p>\n

Price depends on event and venue, but most tickets cost around $35, with a discount for members and students. Here are the details.<\/a><\/p>\n

Any chance I can see something for free?<\/p>\n

Yep. There\u2019s a whole series of free public\u00a0talks<\/a> with filmmakers like Ava DuVernay, Andrew Haigh and Ira Sachs. There are also multiple trivia\u00a0events<\/a>, at which winners can walk away with festival tickets.<\/p>\n

Will I see any stars?<\/p>\n

You might! Many of the screenings include introductions or post-show Q&As with the director and members of the cast. This info will usually be listed on each film\u2019s screening page, though you can also expect some surprise appearances throughout the festival.<\/p>\n

Oh no! My choices are already sold out!<\/p>\n

It\u2019s all good. There\u2019s a standby line outside the box office before every screening and some seats always open up, even for the most popular titles. (Needless to say, the earlier you arrive, the better your odds.)<\/p>\n

How can I stay updated?<\/p>\n

Sign up for the Film at Lincoln Center\u00a0newsletter<\/a> for updates and additions to the lineup, including last-minute rush tickets to sold-out screenings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ah, fall. When leaves start to drop, pumpkin spice kicks in and Oscar insanity takes hold of otherwise…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":346407,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[13687,158,9,11,10,13688],"class_list":["post-346406","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-york","tag-categories-movies","tag-movies","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-headlines","tag-new-york-news","tag-news-movies"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/346406","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=346406"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/346406\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/346407"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=346406"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=346406"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=346406"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}