The "Masterworks" section features two timeless films: David Lean's 1962 classic Lawrence of Arabia, which has been digitally restored, and David Hand's 1937 work Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first animated film made in the U.S. -- and the start of a long line of classic Disney animated movies.
As part of the "Special Events" a showing of Rob Reiner's 1987 comedyThe Princess Bride will take place. To celebrate the film's 25th anniversary, Reiner and several cast members will be at the showing in person to reflect on life on the set. Other "Special Events" include a presentatino of The Meat Live in HD series before Bartlett Sher's new production of Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore; a sneak preview of the new Showtime miniseries Oliver Stone's Untold History of the United States and the world premiere of Richard Foreman's Once Every Day, the first feature film he's made in 35 years.
The "Cinema Reflected" section has been added this year to provide an outlet to showcase documentaries and essay fikms about films and filmmakers. Films being presented include Roman Polanski: Odd Man Out Marina Zenovich's highly anticipated follow-up of Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired by delving into his 2009 arrest in Zurch; Room 237 a film that explores possible hidden meanings behind Stanley Kubrick's The Shining; and The War of Valconoes, which looks into the time in 1948 when the Aeolian Islands provided the backdrop for dueling productions: one by Roberto Rossellini and Ingrid Bergman; the other by Anna Magnani, Rossellini's jealous lover.
In addition, "On the Arts" is a new section as well that will present doucmentaries about other artistic mediums. Films from that category include The Savoy King, a portrait of jazz drummer Chick Webb; Punk in Aferica, which takes a look at how punk music helped the fight against apartheid in South Africa in the 1970s; and the world premiere of Deceptive Practice, which tells the story of famed magician Ricky Jay.
The names of more films will be released in the upcoming days and weeks, but for the moment here are the first 18:
MASTERWORKS
- Lawrence of Arabia (David Lean, 1962, UK/USA):The screen's greatest epic returns in a magnificent 8K restoration. A Sony Pictures Repertory release.
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (David Hand, 1973, USA)":Disney's timeless tale of a princess banished by from the palace and then saved by seven unforgettable dwarves—the first animated feature made in America. A Walt Disney Pictures release.
- Screening with Paperman (John Kahrs, 2012, USA): An innovative animated short about a young New Yorker who relies on heart, imagination, a stack of papers -- and a little luck -- to change his destiny and win the girl of his dreams. A Walt Disney Pictures release.
- Casting By(Tom Donahue, 2012, USA): This revealing look at the complex history of the Hollywood casting process makes a powerful case for this oft-overlooked craft, featuring interviews with top casting pros and many of the stars they discovered.
- Celluloid Man (Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, 2012, India): A a celebration of Indian cinema as well as of the man who did so much to safeguard it for future generations: P.K. Nair, the founder and patron saint of India's National Film Archive.
- Final Cut -- Ladies and Gentlemen/Final Cut -- Hölgyeim és uraim (György Pàlfi, 2012, Hungary): Alain Delon trades glances with Marilyn Monroe and Jackie Chan springs to the rescue of Jeanne Moreau in director György Pàlfi's one-of-a-kind compilation film.
- Liv and Ingmar/Liv og Ingmar (Dheeraj Akolkar, 2012, Norway/UK/India): An elegant look at one of the cinema's most remarkable and fruitful creative partnerships, between director Ingmar Bergman and his muse Liv Ullman.
- Roman Polanski: Odd Man Out (Marina Zenovich, 2012, USA): Marina Zenovich follows her superb Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired with a look at the insidious ins and out of Polanski's 2009 arrest in Zurich.
- Room 237 (Rodney Ascher, 2012, USA): Director Rodney Ascher wryly fuses fact and fiction in this kaleidoscopic deconstruction of the myriad myths and possible hidden messages of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining.
- The War of the Volcanoes (Francesco Patierno, 2012, Italy): A chronicle of a cinematic battle royale: the making of the Roberto Rossellini-Ingrid Bergman Stromboli and the competing project Volcano engineered by Rossellini's spurned lover Anna Magnani. Screening with 101 (Luis Miñaro. 2012, Spain): An affectionate portrait of the 101-year old filmmaker Manoel de Oliveira during the shooting of The Strange Case of Angelica.
- Becoming Traviata (Philippe Béziat, 2012, France): Met Opera favorite Natalie Dessay prepares to take on the role of Violetta in Philippe Béziat's lovely film about the staging of Verdi's masterwork at the Aix-en-Provence Festival in France.
- Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay (Molly Bernstein and Alan Edelstein, 2012, USA): A warm and fascinating portrait of the man widely considered to be the world's greatest magician: actor, raconteur and master illusionist Ricky Jay. World Premiere!
- Ingrid Caven: Music and Voice/Ingrid Caven, musique et voix (Bertrand Bonello, 2012, France): Fassbinder regular and cabaret performer Ingrid Caven performs a rich repertoire of songs in French, German and English before the intimate camera of director Bertrand Bonello.
- Punk in Africa(Keith Jones and Deon Maas, 2012, South Africa/Czech Republic/Zimbabwe/Mozambique): A fascinating chronicle of the explosion of punk rock in 1970s South Africa, where it became a second front in the burgeoning war against Apartheid.
- The Savoy King: Chick Webb and the Music that Changed America (Jeff Kaufman, 2012, USA): Director Jeff Kaufman's look at the life of legendary jazz drummer and bandleader Chick Webb is a meditation on the transformative power of art as well as a monument to a great American artist.
- The Met Live in HD: L'Elisir d'Amore (2012): A special NYFF edition of the long-running performances series, featuring director Bartlett Sher's season-opening production of Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore.
- Oliver Stone's Untold History of the United States (Oliver Stone, 2012, USA): Oliver Stone sets about exposing the errors and omissions in the official record of 20th century American history in this special preview of his explosive new Showtime miniseries.
- Once Every Day (Richard Foreman, 2012, USA): Avant-garde theater legend Richard Foreman's first foray into feature filmmaking in 35 years, Once Every Day is, per its creator, "a time-mosaic of reformatted consciousness." We couldn't agree more. World Premiere!
- The Princess Bride (Rob Reiner, 1987, USA): A special 25th anniversary screening of director Rob Reiner's beloved storybook romance, followed by an on-stage reunion of Reiner and cast members.
