Spring is in the air in New York City, and for cinephiles, that means the arrival of one of the year’s premier cinematic discovery events. Film at Lincoln Center (FLC) and The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) have officially unveiled the lineup for the 55th edition of the New Directors/New Films (ND/NF) festival, running April 8–19.
Known for providing an early launchpad for legendary auteurs such as Pedro Almodóvar, Spike Lee, Kelly Reichardt, and Denis Villeneuve, the festival remains a vital barometer of international cinema’s future. This year’s globe-trotting selection features 24 features and 10 shorts, representing over 25 countries and boasting a slew of buzzy festival carryovers from Cannes, Venice, Berlin, and Sundance.
Kicking off the festivities is the New York premiere of Adrian Chiarella’s “Leviticus.” Fresh off a buzzy premiere in the Midnight section of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, this NEON release stars Mia Wasikowska and tackles religious fanaticism and homophobia in rural Australia through a chilling, queer horror lens. Closing out the 12-day event is the U.S. premiere of Rosanne Pel’s “Donkey Days,” a darkly comic, Dogme-inspired portrait of toxic family dynamics that previously bowed at Locarno.
While ND/NF is fundamentally about emerging directors, the 2026 selection includes no shortage of recognizable talent. Pop icon Charli XCX and playwright/actor Jeremy O. Harris star in Pete Ohs’ “Erupcja,” an intimate, Warsaw-set relationship drama tackling millennial angst and the impending dread of turning thirty.
Also bound to be a hot ticket is “Maddie’s Secret,” the feature directorial debut of Emmy-nominated comedian John Early. Picked up by Magnolia Pictures, the film stars Early as a Bon Appétit-esque content creator grappling with an eating disorder and viral fame. Channeling the high-camp sincerity of ’90s women’s television movies and the melodrama of Todd Haynes, the film features a stacked supporting cast of alt-comedy favorites, including Kate Berlant and Conner O’Malley.
“The lineup for this year’s edition of New Directors/New Films is replete with artists who—to paraphrase Jean-Luc Godard—aren’t afraid to make political films nor to make films politically,” said Dan Sullivan, Programmer at FLC and 2026 ND/NF Co-Chair. “Cinema has borne witness to most of recent history’s worst moments, and there’s something—maybe not comfort, but something like it—in knowing that the filmmakers of today and tomorrow won’t shy away from this immense responsibility.”
Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, March 13, at noon ET, with early access for FLC and MoMA members starting Wednesday, March 11.
Check out the full list of features announced for the 55th New Directors/New Films below.
2026 New Directors/New Films Feature Lineup
- Agon – dir. Giulio Bertelli
- Aro Berria – dir. Irati Gorostidi Agirretxe
- Brand New Landscape – dir. Yuiga Danzuka
- Chronovisor – dirs. Kevin Walker, Jack Auen
- Cold Metal – dir. Clemente Castor
- Do You Love Me – dir. Lana Daher
- Donkey Days – dir. Rosanne Pel (Closing Night)
- Erupcja – dir. Pete Ohs
- Fantasy – dir. Isabel Pagliai
- Forest High – dir. Manon Coubia
- If on a Winter’s Night – dir. Sanju Surendran
- Kika – dir. Alexe Poukine
- Leviticus – dir. Adrian Chiarella (Opening Night)
- Maddie’s Secret – dir. John Early
- Memory – dir. Vladlena Sandu
- Next Life – dir. Tenzin Phuntsog
- Panda – dir. Xinyang Zang
- The Prophet – dir. Ique Langa
- The River Train – dirs. Lorenzo Ferro, Lucas A. Vignale
- Strange River – dir. Jaume Claret Muxart
- Trial of Hein – dir. Kai Stänicke
- Two Mountains Weighing Down My Chest – dir. Viv Li
- Two Seasons, Two Strangers – dir. Sho Miyake
- Variations on a Theme – dirs. Jason Jacobs, Devon Delmar
