NYFF 2026 Spotlight Lineup: ‘Fjord,’ ‘Club Kid,’ and More

Over the past several weeks, the New York Film Festival has gradually unveiled one of its most exciting slates in years. First, there were notable premieres such as “Behemoth!” and “Godzilla Minus Zero,” then the announcement of a Kleber Mendonça Filho short about Jafar Panahi that would kick off the new NYFF Encounters program, and a main slate that included new works from Mike Leigh, Andrew Haigh, Chris Rock, and more.

It will all lead off with James Gray’s “Paper Tiger,” a Cannes hit and formidable Oscar player that was previously announced as the opening night film.

Now, the festival is rolling out its complete Spotlight slate, which promises to be a feast for East Coast cinephiles. Highlights include the world premieres of Jonathan Glazer’s new documentary “Joy of Joys” and Tom McCarthy’s environmental ensemble drama “The Statement.”

The slate also includes a selection of international festival hits making their way stateside, including Cristian Mungiu’s Palme d’Or-winning “Fjord,” Jordan Firstman’s acclaimed debut “Club Kid,” and Werner Herzog’s “Bucking Fastard,” which will premiere at Venice a few weeks earlier. And Jesse Eisenberg’s “The Debut” will make its New York premiere at NYFF following premieres in Toronto and, presumably, Telluride.

After more than two weeks of cinema, the festival will close with Ava Duvernay’s new documentary “14th,” a follow-up to her “13th” that explores the origins and future of birthright citizenship.

The 64th New York Film Festival runs from September 25 – October 12. The complete Spotlight slate can be found below.

Spotlight Gala: “Godzilla Minus Zero” (Takashi Yamazaki)

“Bucking Fastard” (Werner Herzog)

“Club Kid” (Jordan Firstman)

“The Debut” (Jesse Eisenberg)

“Edward Said: Between Worlds” (Maiken Baird)

“Fjord” (Cristian Mungiu)

“Iron Boy” (Louis Clichy)

“Joy of Joys” (Jonathan Glazer)

“Making Marie Antoinette” (Eleanor Coppola)

“One More Time” (Cindy Kleine and André Gregory)

“The Only Living Pickpocket in New York” (Noah Segan)

“Sixteen Moments of My Life” (Albert Serra)

“A Statement” (Tom McCarthy)

Spotlight Shorts

“South of Tehran” (Kleber Mendonça Filho)

“Masao Adachi Takes a Passport Photo” (Kamal Aljafari)

“A Stolen Movie” (Camilo Restrepo)

“Torino Shadow” (Jia Zhangke)

“Screening Room” (Morgan Fisher)

New York Shorts

“The People’s Beach” (J. Wortham)

“ee” (Heather Landsman)

“The House Call” (Eliza Barry Callahan)

“A Woman’s Place Is Everywhere” (Fanny Texier)

“New York Never Let Me Down” (Charlotte Wells)