James Gray’s “Paper Tiger” Will Open NYFF64

Film at Lincoln Center announces James Gray’s “Paper Tiger“ as the Opening Night selection of the 64th New York Film Festival, presented in partnership with Rolex. The film will make its North American premiere in a gala debut at Alice Tully Hall on Friday, September 25th, with Gray and members of the cast and crew in attendance. Starring Adam Driver, Miles Teller, and Scarlett Johansson, the film premiered in competition at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. “Paper Tiger“ is Gray’s fourth film to be selected for the New York Film Festival, following “The Immigrant“ (2013) as an official Main Slate selection; “The Lost City of Z“ (2016) as the Closing Night film; and “Armageddon Time“ (2022) as a Main Slate selection and the festival’s 60th Anniversary Screening. The gripping, exquisitely foreboding dramas of James Gray reside in the dark space between the American dream and gutting reality. His brilliant new thriller, set in 1986 Queens and Brooklyn, is an authentically drawn New York story and a master class in escalating tension, charting the tragic domestic fallout after family man and engineer Irwin (Miles Teller), who aspires to middle-class comforts, is pulled into a shady deal by his brother, Gary (Adam Driver), a former NYPD cop. Gary thinks he can make a killing on a scheme with Russian criminals dumping oil down by the Gowanus Canal, assisting them to work around regulations; instead, Gary ends up endangering his brother, as well as Irwin’s sons (Gavin Goudey and Roman Engel) and wife Hester (Scarlett Johansson), who is going through her own private crisis. Torn between brotherly love and marital loyalty, Irwin discovers he’s ensnared in forces far beyond his control. With its vivid period detail and marvelous, deeply moving trio of lead performances, “Paper Tiger“ is a frightening portrait of pollution in all forms—and the human bonds that can save us from the brink of despair. A NEON release. “I’m immensely grateful to be welcomed back to this remarkable festival,“ said Gray. “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. Thank you to the entire New York Film Festival team. It is an honor.” “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. “Paper Tiger is a movie of immense emotional power, at once lovingly realistic and grandly mythic, and it confirms that James is one of the great New York filmmakers—one of the great filmmakers, period—of our time.“  Presented by Film at Lincoln Center, the New York Film Festival is an annual celebration of the most significant international films of the year. Since 1963, the New York Film Festival has played a vital role in shaping film culture, championing bold and remarkable works by both celebrated auteurs and emerging voices from around the world. NYFF64 takes place from September 25th through October 12th, 2026. James Gray was born in New York City, grew up in Queens, and attended the University of Southern California School of Cinema-Television. He made his directorial debut in 1994 at the age of 25 with “Little Odessa,“ which received the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival. Gray then wrote and directed “The Yards“ in 2000, his first feature with Joaquin Phoenix, who would become a frequent collaborator and go on to star in his next three films: “We Own The Night“ (2007), “Two Lovers“ (2008), and “The Immigrant“ (2013), all of which screened in competition at the Cannes Film Festival. Gray’s “The Lost City of Z“ (2016), starring Charlie Hunnam, Sienna Miller, Robert Pattinson, and Tom Holland, was released in theaters by Amazon and Bleecker Street in 2017. Disney/Fox’s “Ad Astra,“ directed by Gray and starring Brad Pitt and Tommy Lee Jones, had its world premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival and was released in theaters in 2019. Focus Features’ “Armageddon Time“ (2022)—which Gray directed, wrote, and produced—was inspired by his own childhood in 1980s Queens and had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.  The NYFF Main Slate selection committee is chaired by Dennis Lim, NYFF Artistic Director, and includes Florence Almozini, Justin Chang, and Rachel Rosen. NYFF64 is generously supported by Festival Co-Chairs Susan and John Hess, Almudena and Pablo Legorreta, Susannah Gray and John Lyons, and Nanna and Dan Stern; Vice-Chairs Jack Heller and Tara and Roy Kelleher; and Supporters Hillary Koota Krevlin and Glenn Krevlin, and Marcia DB Levy and William G. Levy. Secure your tickets for Opening Night and more with Passes, limited quantities on sale now. NYFF64 single tickets will go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, September 15th at noon ET, with pre-sale access for FLC Members and Pass holders before this date. Become an FLC Member by August 28th to secure NYFF64 pre-sale access and discounted tickets year-round. NYFF64 Press and Industry accreditation is now open through August 14th. Sign up for forthcoming NYFF announcements, including Main Slate, Spotlight, Currents, Revivals, and Talks. New York Film Festival Opening Night Films 2026: Paper Tiger (James Gray, US) 2025: After the Hunt (Luca Guadagnino, US) 2024: Nickel Boys (RaMell Ross, US) 2023: May December (Todd Haynes, US) 2022: White Noise (Noah Baumbach, US) 2021: The Tragedy of Macbeth (Joel Coen, US) 2020: Lovers Rock (Steve McQueen, UK) 2019: The Irishman (Martin Scorsese, US) 2018: The Favourite (Yorgos Lanthimos, Ireland/UK/US) 2017: Last Flag Flying (Richard Linklater, US) 2016: 13th (Ava DuVernay, US) 2015: The Walk (Robert Zemeckis, US) 2014: Gone Girl (David Fincher, US) 2013: Captain Phillips (Paul Greengrass, US) 2012: Life of Pi (Ang Lee, US) 2011: Carnage (Roman Polanski, France/Poland) 2010: The Social Network (David Fincher, US) 2009: Wild Grass (Alain Resnais, France) 2008: The Class (Laurent Cantet, France) 2007: The Darjeeling Limited (Wes Anderson, US) 2006: The Queen (Stephen Frears, UK) 2005: Good Night, And Good Luck (George Clooney, US) 2004: Look at Me (Agnès Jaoui, France) 2003: Mystic River (Clint Eastwood, US) 2002: About Schmidt (Alexander Payne, US) 2001: Va savoir (Jacques Rivette, France) 2000: Dancer in the Dark (Lars von Trier, Denmark) 1999: All About My Mother (Pedro Almodóvar, Spain) 1998: Celebrity (Woody Allen, US) 1997: The Ice Storm (Ang Lee, US) 1996: Secrets & Lies (Mike Leigh, UK) 1995: Shanghai Triad (Zhang Yimou, China) 1994: Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino, US) 1993: Short Cuts (Robert Altman, US) 1992: Olivier Olivier (Agnieszka Holland, France) 1991: The Double Life of Véronique (Krzysztof Kieślowski, Poland/France) 1990: Miller’s Crossing (Joel Coen, US) 1989: Too Beautiful for You (Bertrand Blier, France) 1988: Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Pedro Almodóvar, Spain) 1987: Dark Eyes (Nikita Mikhalkov, Soviet Union) 1986: Down by Law (Jim Jarmusch, US) 1985: Ran (Akira Kurosawa, Japan) 1984: Country (Richard Pearce, US) 1983: The Big Chill (Lawrence Kasdan, US) 1982: Veronika Voss (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, West Germany) 1981: Chariots of Fire (Hugh Hudson, UK) 1980: Melvin and Howard (Jonathan Demme, US) 1979: Luna (Bernardo Bertolucci, Italy/US) 1978: A Wedding (Robert Altman, US) 1977: One Sings, the Other Doesn’t (Agnès Varda, France) 1976: Small Change (François Truffaut, France) 1975: Conversation Piece (Luchino Visconti, Italy) 1974: Don’t Cry with Your Mouth Full (Pascal Thomas, France) 1973: Day for Night (François Truffaut, France) 1972: Chloe in the Afternoon (Eric Rohmer, France) 1971: The Debut (Gleb Panfilov, Soviet Union) 1970: The Wild Child (François Truffaut, France) 1969: Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (Paul Mazursky, US) 1968: Capricious Summer (Jiri Menzel, Czechoslovakia) 1967: The Battle of Algiers (Gillo Pontecorvo, Italy/Algeria) 1966: Loves of a Blonde (Milos Forman, Czechoslovakia) 1965: Alphaville (Jean-Luc Godard, France) 1964: Hamlet (Grigori Kozintsev, Soviet Union) 1963: The Exterminating Angel (Luis Buñuel, Mexico) What do you think of this news? Are you excited to see “Paper Tiger?” Given that they mention this is the North American Premiere, that means the film will NOT be going to TIFF or Telluride before NYFF What do you think? What else do you think will be announced for NYFF64? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section below or on our X account.