MoMA & Lincoln Center celebrate emerging voices in film

The Museum of Modern Art and Film at Lincoln Center have unveiled the lineup for the 54th edition of New Directors/New Films (ND/NF), set to take place from April 2nd to April 13th, 2025. Dedicated to spotlighting bold new cinematic voices, the festival continues its tradition of introducing audiences to emerging filmmakers from around the world. This year’s program features 24 feature films and nine shorts, with 20 premieres across North America and the U.S.

Opening the festival is Sarah Friedland’s Familiar Touch, a poignant exploration of aging and intimacy that garnered top accolades at the 2024 Venice Film Festival Orizzonti Competition. The event will conclude with Alex Russell’s Lurker, a gripping psychological thriller that dissects the darker side of pop culture obsession, following its acclaimed screenings at Sundance and Berlin.

The selection offers a rich thematic and stylistic diversity, spanning family histories, political realities, and hybrid storytelling forms. Among the highlights is Listen to the Voices by Maxime Jean-Baptiste, a deeply personal reflection on generational memory, and Timestamp by Kateryna Gornostai, an urgent documentary capturing life in wartime Ukraine. Other standouts include Blue Sun Palace by Constance Tsang, which won the French Touch Prize at Cannes Critics’ Week, and Suhel Banerjee’s CycleMahesh, an innovative fusion of fiction and documentary.

Dan Sullivan, co-chair of ND/NF, emphasizes the festival’s role in showcasing films that grapple with the complexities of contemporary life while reaffirming cinema’s power to foster human connection. La Frances Hui, co-chair and MoMA curator, celebrates the creativity of this year’s filmmakers, highlighting their ability to craft narratives that challenge, surprise, and inspire.

The festival remains a launchpad for the next generation of cinematic visionaries, continuing its legacy of platforming directors such as Pedro Almodóvar, Spike Lee, Kelly Reichardt, and Denis Villeneuve. ND/NF is presented in collaboration with MoMA and Film at Lincoln Center, reaffirming their commitment to championing groundbreaking global cinema. Film at MoMA is made possible by CHANEL.