The 52nd edition of New Directors/New Films will unfold from March 29 through April 9 across two of New York's most storied cinematic institutions, the Museum of Modern Art and Film at Lincoln Center. The festival, a joint presentation by the two venues, will open with Savanah Leaf's debut feature Earth Mama and close with Vuk Lungulov-Klotz's Mutt, which earned its star Lío Mehiel a Special Jury Award at Sundance. In between, audiences will encounter 27 features and 11 shorts from 41 filmmakers representing nearly every continent.
La Frances Hui, curator at MoMA's Department of Film and co-chair of the festival, emphasized the global scope of the selection. "This geographically diverse lineup brings together new directors from all over the world presenting works that make bold and creative statements on everything from identity and family to political repression and postcolonial discourse," Hui said. "The power of cinema to inspire imagination and explore perspectives is evident in the wide range of styles, ideas, and voices in the selection."
The opening night selection, Earth Mama, is a 97-minute drama set in the Bay Area, following Gia, a pregnant woman navigating poverty and the threat of losing her newborn to Child Protective Services. Oakland rapper Tia Nomore stars, with Sharon Duncan-Brewster and Bokeem Woodbine portraying a middle-class couple considering adoption. Shot on 16mm by cinematographer Jody Lee Lipes, the film expands on Leaf's 2020 documentary short The Heart Still Hums and is slated for release by A24.
The closing night feature, Mutt, unfolds over 24 hours in New York City, tracking Feña, a young trans man played by Lío Mehiel, as he reconnects with an estranged ex-boyfriend, cares for his younger sister, and awaits a visit from his father arriving from Chile. Lungulov-Klotz, making his feature debut, has crafted a day-in-the-life narrative that balances personal friction with moments of resilience.
Global Perspectives and Political Undercurrents
Several selections grapple with political histories and contemporary struggles. Ashkal: The Tunisian Investigation, directed by Youssef Chebbi, follows a detective probing a series of self-immolation deaths near an unfinished construction site in northern Tunis, evoking the 2010 revolution. Manuela Martelli's Chile '76 examines the early Pinochet era through the eyes of an upper-middle-class woman who agrees to hide an injured young man at her beach house. Autobiography, from Indonesian filmmaker Makbul Mubarak, traces an 18-year-old's entanglement with a retired military general running for office, reflecting the country's history of military dictatorship.
Other entries address censorship and authoritarianism. Metronom, directed by Alexandru Belc, follows a 17-year-old in 1972 Bucharest who attends a party listening to Radio Free Europe, only to attract the attention of the Securitate. Saim Sadiq's Joyland, which won the Queer Palm at Cannes 2022, explores gender and sexuality in Lahore, despite being initially banned in Pakistan. Saeed Roustaee's Leila's Brothers, a 169-minute family epic set in Tehran, won the FIPRESCI prize at Cannes but remains banned in Iran.
Documentary and Experimental Voices
The festival also showcases nonfiction and hybrid works. Alain Kassanda's Coconut Head Generation documents students at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria who reclaim an insulting term to describe their generation, using a weekly film club to spark debates on power, ethnicity, and gender. Fox Maxy's Gush weaves personal archival footage, animation, and television clips to explore trauma and recovery. Milisuthando Bongela's Milisuthando is an essay film reflecting on growing up in apartheid-era South Africa, structured in five chapters.
Several films have already earned international recognition. Disco Boy, directed by Giacomo Abbruzzese, won the Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution at the 2023 Berlin Film Festival for cinematographer Hélène Louvart. Safe Place, Juraj Lerotić's debut about a man trying to care for his suicidal brother, took the best first feature prize at Locarno 2022. Tommy Guns, by Carlos Conceição, won Best European Film at the same festival.
The full schedule, including screening times and ticket information, is available at newdirectors.org. Many screenings will be followed by Q&A sessions with the filmmakers.
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