Rounding out the 61st New York Film Festival (NYFF) is Michael Mann’s racing drama “Ferrari,” which will close the 61st annual film festival on October 13th with its North American Premiere at Alice Tully Hall. The sports biopic stars Adam Driver as automotive mogul Enzo Ferrari and will be distributed by NEON on December 25th. It will have its world premiere first at the Venice International Film Festival.
Michael Mann (“Heat,” “The Last of the Mohicans” “Collateral” & “The Insider”) brings his astonishing command of technique and storytelling to bear on this emotional, elegantly crafted dramatization of the life of the legendary race car manufacturer and entrepreneur Enzo Ferrari at a professional and personal fulcrum. It’s 1957, and the marriage of Enzo (Adam Driver, in an artfully internalized performance) and Laura (Penélope Cruz, a ferocious revelation) has begun to irrevocably fracture as a result of his philandering and the tragic recent death of their young son. Their unsettled domestic world is on a collision course with his work life as Enzo faces a pair of major turning points: financial pressure to increase productivity, which means going against his long-standing desire to only produce race cars, and preparations for the treacherous cross-country open-road Mille Miglia race. Dovetailing these narrative strands, Mann effortlessly shifts gears between elegiac and spectacular, climaxing in an exhilarating and terrifying race across the Northern Italian landscape—a visual and aural wonder of revving machinery against bucolic splendor—that ranks with the greatest set pieces of the director’s career. Aided by a magnificent cast, which also includes Shailene Woodley, Gabriel Leone, Patrick Dempsey, and Jack O’Connell, and glorious on-location shooting in Ferrari’s hometown of Modena, Mann has constructed a marvel of classical cinema.
“It’s a great honor to close the esteemed New York Film Festival with Ferrari,” Mann said.
“Michael Mann has made many remarkable movies but perhaps never one as simultaneously thrilling and moving as ‘Ferrari,'” said Dennis Lim, artistic director of the New York Film Festival. “Not just a feat of virtuosity, this is a grand striking evolution of his career themes and his most deeply personal work. We are honored to welcome him to the festival for what I’m sure will be a closing night for the ages.”
The 61st edition of the New York Film Festival will presented by Film at Lincoln Center and takes place from September 29th – October 15th. As previously announced, director Todd Haynes’ “May December,” starring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, will open the festival and Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla” will be the Centerpiece film.
Limited quantities of tickets are on sale now. NYFF61 single tickets will go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, September 19th at noon ET, with pre-sale access for FLC Members and Pass holders prior to this date. NYFF61 press and industry accreditation opens July 31st.
What do you think of this announcement? What other films do you think will screen at NYFF61? Are you planning on going? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section below or on our Twitter account.
