Film at Lincoln Center announces Ava DuVernay’s “14th“ as the Closing Night selection of the 64th New York Film Festival, making its world premiere at Alice Tully Hall on Friday, October 9th, with DuVernay and film participants in attendance. Presented by Film at Lincoln Center in partnership with Rolex, the 64th New York Film Festival will take place from September 25th through October 12th.
Ten years ago, filmmaker Ava DuVernay released her epochal documentary “13th” (NYFF54 Opening Night), which argued that loopholes in the U.S. Constitution’s 13th Amendment—the abolition of slavery—led to today’s mass incarceration of Black Americans. That film was released on the eve of Donald Trump’s presidency; since then, an alarming number of our democratic norms and principles have eroded, further disenfranchising Black Americans. In response to our distressing new reality, DuVernay has created a thrillingly expansive sequel of sorts that passionately and persuasively details how the tenets of the 14th Amendment, ratified after the Civil War, are now under systematic attack. Building her case with an extraordinary chorus of voices—including Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), former Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ), current Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA), legal minds Sherrilyn Ifill, Robert Chang, and Stacey Abrams, and social commentators like Donald T. Critchlow and Hasan Piker—DuVernay demonstrates how the 14th Amendment’s foundational principles of birthright citizenship, due process, equal protection under the law, and the prohibition for heads of state to engage in acts of insurrection all have been challenged to a dangerous degree in recent years. Drawing a direct line from the Reconstruction era to today, DuVernay’s film is a tough-minded reckoning with our moment of crisis. A Netflix release.
“Exactly a decade after 13th opened the New York Film Festival, it feels especially meaningful to return with 14th as the 2026 Closing Night Selection,“ said DuVernay. “NYFF has always been a place where films invite conversation rather than simply applause. To that end, 14th attempts to interrogate a promise powerful enough to change a nation—and controversial enough to divide it for more than 150 years. There’s no better place to begin that conversation than NYFF. I’m grateful to Dennis Lim and team for believing in work that asks difficult questions, and I’m honored to share this film with New York audiences first. On behalf of everyone who worked to tell this story, we hope it leaves people debating, questioning, and, above all, imagining what is still possible.”
“We are honored to close this edition of the New York Film Festival with Ava DuVernay’s supremely timely follow-up to 13th,“ said Dennis Lim, NYFF Artistic Director. “14th is a movie for the moment that sees through the fog of the present. The great gift of this urgent and essential work is its clarity: Ava has made a film that shows us precisely what led us here, and what is at stake right now.”
Filmmaker Ava DuVernay is an Academy Award nominee and winner of Emmy, BAFTA, Sundance, Image, and Peabody Awards. Her films include “Selma,” “13th,” “Middle of Nowhere,” “A Wrinkle in Time,” and “Origin.” She has created seven television series, including the acclaimed “When They See Us” and history-making Queen Sugar. Founder of the narrative change collective ARRAY, DuVernay holds honorary doctorates from Yale University and Morehouse College, along with the Great Americans Medal from the Smithsonian Institution. Following multiple terms on the boards of the Sundance Institute and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, she currently serves on the American Film Institute Advisory Board in her third term.
The NYFF Main Slate selection committee is chaired by Dennis Lim, NYFF Artistic Director, and includes Florence Almozini, Justin Chang, and Rachel Rosen.
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 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 Closing 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 prior to 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.
What do you think of this news? Are you excited to see “14th?” 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.
