NY Film Festival 2013

The main slate of the 2013 New York Film Festival was announced today, with a record 35 films screening this year. Recalling the films from Cannes which I was hoping to see at the NYFF, I can't think of any that didn't make it into this year's program. I think Kent Jones, the new head of the Festival Selection Committee, and Dennis Lim, the Film Society's new Cinematheque programmer, are having a very positive influence on the direction of the festival in its 51st edition. Among my must-sees in this year's lineup are the following:

 Norte, the End of History (Lav Diaz)

Stray Dogs (Tsai Ming-Liang)
 

A Touch of Sin (Jia Zhangke)

 

Like Father, Like Son (Hirokazu Kore-eda)

 

Nobody's Daughter Haewon (Hong Sang-Soo)

 

The Stranger by the Lake (Alain Guiraudie)

 

Bastards (Claire Denis)

 

Only Lovers Left Alive (Jim Jarmusch)

 

Near the top of my list is Tsai Ming-Liang's Stray Dogs, which will have its world premiere this month at Venice. I couldn't find any stills yet but the trailer looks very powerful. Apichatpong Weerasethakul has tweeted his love for this film, which makes me even more enthusiastic.

 

The festival's Special Presentations, Retrospectives and Views from the Avant-Garde programs are still to be announced.