James Gray’s *Paper Tiger* opened the New York Film Festival at Lincoln Center, where the director received strong praise and a warm reception. The premiere highlighted the film’s personal significance to Gray, its acclaimed reception at Cannes and its potential to raise his profile during awards season.

Set in 1986 Queens, the film stars Miles Teller and Adam Driver as brothers whose criminal scheme threatens their family, while Scarlett Johansson’s character faces difficult choices about protecting her children. Teller is expected to campaign as a leading actor, while Driver and Johansson are positioned in supporting categories; the film was screened on 35mm and praised as an unusually personal independent production.