The New York Film Festival will open on 25 September with an unusually strong selection of world premieres, including Luca Guadagnino’s “Artificial”, Tom McCarthy’s “A Statement” and Tony Gilroy’s “Behemoth”. Artistic director Dennis Lim says the festival’s timing and relationships with filmmakers helped secure the films, reinforcing NYFF’s reputation as an influential launchpad despite not being competitive.

The programme reflects contemporary concerns including artificial intelligence, climate change, constitutional rights and the role of music in cinema, while also making room for lighter films such as “Club Kid” and “The Debut”. Lim argues that all films are inherently political because they reflect and respond to the world, and identifies “Behemoth” as a particularly distinctive passion project after Gilroy’s long absence from feature filmmaking.