{"id":9256,"date":"2016-09-26T16:09:53","date_gmt":"2016-09-26T20:09:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/posturemag.com\/online\/?p=9256"},"modified":"2016-11-11T14:52:21","modified_gmt":"2016-11-11T19:52:21","slug":"a-posture-guide-to-the-2016-new-york-film-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/posturemag.com\/online\/a-posture-guide-to-the-2016-new-york-film-festival\/","title":{"rendered":"The Must-See Films of the 2016 New York Film Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"

Established in 1963, The Film Society of Lincoln Center\u2019s annual New York Film Festival<\/a> has remained true to its dedicated mission of showcasing some of the finest films from around the world, while also drawing on the rich cultural offerings of New York City\u2019s vibrant cinematic metropolis. Now in its 54th<\/sup> year, the NYFF continues to be one of the most anticipated events of the fall season for New Yorkers and visitors alike; and has since become not just a richly curated venue, but a premiere destination for cinephiles, as well as a mecca of cinematic ingenuity and talent.<\/p>\n

While this year\u2019s lineup in particular features some prizewinning favorites and critical darlings from the international festival circuit\u2014including some top contenders from Cannes, Berlin, and Toronto\u2014it will also unveil a number of Stateside and World Premiere titles. Kicking off the festivities is Ava DuVernay\u2019s (“Selma”) The 13th<\/sup><\/em><\/a>; which will have its world premiere as the festival\u2019s Opening Night gala selection. A penetrating, timely and urgent call for social reform, DuVernay\u2019s eye-opening documentary (the title of which refers to the 13th<\/sup> Amendment of the Constitution)\u2014and the first documentary to ever open the festival\u2014provides a sweeping and intertwined historical tapestry of our nation\u2019s sordid race relations; from the abolition of slavery all the way to our current climate of mass incarceration.<\/p>\n

With submissions from veteran auteurs and newcomers alike, this year\u2019s offerings\u00a0also provide a generous breadth of works\u00a0whose emphasis on diverse stories, inclusive representation, and the exploration of socially conscious subject matter celebrate the experiences of society\u2019s most alienated, maligned or marginalized misfits. From Moonlight<\/em>\u2019s gorgeously rendered portrayal of the gay African American experience set amidst the gritty urban backdrop of Miami\u2019s projects\u2014a film of stunning artistry whose entirely nonwhite cast is something of a cultural feat in and of itself\u2014to a documentary that captures the grim pulse of 1970s and 80s downtown New York during the AIDS epidemic, below is a compiled list of this year\u2019s most anticipated films\u00a0whose social significance, political conscientiousness, and humanistic approach to themes of individual freedom, sexuality, desire, and identity make them the standout titles to keep an eye out for, with descriptions courtesy of the Film Society of Lincoln Center.<\/p>\n

\"Gimme
Gimme Danger. Amazon Studios Release<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Opening Night: <\/em>The 13th<\/sup><\/strong> (World Premiere)
\nDirected by Ava DuVernay, USA<\/p>\n

The title of Ava DuVernay\u2019s extraordinary and galvanizing documentary refers to the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which reads \u201cNeither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States.\u201d The progression from that second qualifying clause to the horrors of mass criminalization and the\u00a0sprawling American prison industry is laid out by DuVernay with bracing lucidity.With a potent mixture of archival footage and testimony from a dazzling array of activists, politicians, historians, and formerly incarcerated women and men, DuVernay creates a work of grand historical synthesis. A Netflix original documentary.<\/p>\n