NEW DIRECTORS/NEW FILMS April 2-13, 2025

[Chris Knipp]

Maybe my favorites of what I got to see of the series are LESSON LEARNED, the Hungarian school docu-drama, and NO SLEEP TILL, Alexandra Simpson's poetic meditation/diary/weather study set in a coastal Florida town threatened by an impending hurricane.

Others have something to offer. DROWNING DRY is sophisticated elliptical realism. CYCLEMAHESH is a cute Indian diary of a bike exploit. GRAND ME is a revealing study of a precocious young girl. LISTEN TO THE VOICES had warmth. HOLY ELECTRICITY was full of action. And so on. But LESSON LEARNED and NO SLEEP TILL are the standouts - of what I saw, which was oly half the films.

Remember, you may discover tomorrow's important directors in this series. It has highlighted new and emerging filmmakers at over 54 iterations since it launched in 1974. Directors showcased in past festivals have included Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, Hou Hsiao-hsien, Kelly Reichardt, Pedro Almodóvar, Souleymane Cissé, Jia Zhang-ke, Spike Lee, Lynne Ramsay, Michael Haneke, Wong Kar-wai, Agnieszka Holland, Denis Villeneuve and Luca Guadagnino.

If I find out more about this year's ND/NF, I'll let you know.

See DEADLINE for further information, or Filmlinc, the Film at Lincoln Center website.


NO SLEEP TILL