Celebrate bold new voices: 24 features and 10 shorts at New Directors/New Films, with standout entries like Leviticus, Donkey Days, Two Seasons, Two Strangers, and Next Life
The New Directors/New Films festival returns for its 55th edition, presenting work at both Film at Lincoln Center and The Museum of Modern Art. Running from April 8 through 19, the program gathers a selection of 24 feature films and 10 short films that emphasize fresh authorship and adventurous cinematic voices. Curators and programmers have assembled a slate that balances formal daring with socially engaged storytelling, offering audiences a concentrated survey of filmmakers at the start of singular careers. This edition continues the festival’s long tradition of introducing artists who go on to shape contemporary cinema.
Co-chairs for 2026 highlighted two films that bookend the program and illustrate the festival’s range. On one end sits Leviticus, directed by Adrian Chiarella, a debut that uses the textures of horror to interrogate violence driven by homophobia. The film transforms intimate romance into a high-stakes battle for survival, demonstrating how genre techniques can serve urgent social critique. On the other end is Rosanne Pel’s Donkey Days, a darkly comic family portrait that mixes raw, Dogme-inspired naturalism with surreal flourishes to produce moments that are both scabrous and unexpectedly tender. Together these works signal a program unafraid of tonal extremes.
The announced roster includes festival favorites and curiosity pieces across continents: Two Seasons, Two Strangers (dir. Sho Miyake), Chronovisor (dirs. Kevin Walker, Jack Auen), Brand New Landscape (dir. Yuiga Danzuka), Maddie’s Secret (dir. John Early), Strange River (dir. Jaume Claret Muxart), and If on a Winter’s Night (dir. Sanju Surendran). Other entries span experimental forms and narrative risk-taking—titles such as Agon (dir. Giulio Bertelli), Erupcja (dir. Pete Ohs), Panda (dir. Xinyang Zang), and the collaborative Variations on a Theme (dirs. Jason Jacobs, Devon Delmar) underscore the festival’s emphasis on diversity of technique. The short film program features compact, potent statements intended to complement the features and highlight emerging short-form auteurs.
Among the selected works, Tenzin Phuntsog’s Next Life has already secured a U.S. theatrical path: the newly launched distributor Lunette acquired the film for a stateside release later this year. Next Life follows a Tibetan family living in exile in suburban America as they search for moments of temporary happiness, rendering exile in small domestic gestures and fragile celebrations. This acquisition is notable both for the film’s intimate subject matter and for Lunette’s early confidence in a debut roadshow, illustrating how festival exposure can translate into distribution opportunities for emerging filmmakers.
The shorts lineup includes a range of voices and formal approaches: Bleat! (dir. Ananth Subramaniam), Buckskin (dir. Mars Verrone), Division (dir. Paul Dallas), The Following Day (dir. Conor Fay), Marseille, 14th July (dir. El Mahdi L. Youbi), Only Angels (dir. Clément Pinteaux), Sabura (dir. Falcão Nhaga), Taxi Moto (dir. Gaël Kamilindi), Time to Go (dir. Renzo Cozza), and Unleaded 95 (dirs. Emma Hütt, Tina Muffler). Each short functions as an expressive experiment—compact tests of narrative compression, formal play, and thematic concentration designed to complement the longer works in the program.
Programmers emphasize a belief that cinema can and should engage with political realities; these selections favor filmmakers who treat the medium as a site of witness and intervention. As one programmer put it, the current lineup refuses to shy away from historical and social responsibility, instead inviting directors who are willing to address contemporary ills through daring formal choices. For those who want to explore the full lineup, access reviews, or find ticket information, visit newdirectors.org. Coverage and critical responses will appear as screenings begin, offering context and deeper readings of the films.
This edition of New Directors/New Films promises a concentrated dose of new cinematic voices—work that ranges from formally adventurous experiments to potent social dramas and genre-inflected debuts. Whether you’re drawn to the visceral confrontation of Leviticus, the offbeat familial satire of Donkey Days, or the intimate exile portrait of Next Life, the festival offers a snapshot of filmmakers who could define the next chapter of world cinema. Mark your calendars for April 8 through 19 and prepare for a program that privileges invention, risk, and emotional honesty.