13 Movies to Watch at the 2026 New Directors/New Films Festival

      Following the display of works by renowned filmmakers such as Chantal Akerman, Pedro Almodóvar, Bi Gan, Bong Joon Ho, Charles Burnett, Terence Davies, Guillermo del Toro, Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, Hou Hsiao-hsien, Jia Zhangke, Spike Lee, Lee Chang-dong, Richard Linklater, Julia Loktev, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Christopher Nolan, Kelly Reichardt, RaMell Ross, Céline Sciamma, Albert Serra, Jane Schoenbrun, Steven Spielberg, Joachim Trier, Tsai Ming-liang, Wong Kar Wai, and others, the New Directors/New Films festival will return this week for its 55th edition at Film at Lincoln Center and the Museum of Modern Art.

      This year's program features selections from prestigious festivals like Cannes, Sundance, Locarno, Venice, Berlinale, Rotterdam, Toronto, San Sebastián, and more, showcasing 24 feature films and 10 shorts. In anticipation of the festival starting Wednesday, we have compiled our recommended films for viewing, and you can check out the complete lineup and schedule here.

      **Agon (Giulio Bertelli)**

      With the winter Olympics now a thing of the past, those interested in the rigorous preparation behind such athletic feats—far removed from polished segments on 60 Minutes or brief behind-the-scenes interviews—should take a look at Giulio Bertelli’s *Agon*. This film, characterized by a slick directorial style reminiscent of Magnus von Horn’s *Sweat*, is a fictionalized exploration of the extreme physical limits necessary for pursuing one's dreams. Although it may come across as overly cold and meticulous, Bertelli’s experimental perspective makes it worth watching. – Jordan R.

      **Aro Berria (Irati Gorostidi Agirretxe)**

      Among the few features in the New Directors/New Films selection that delve into non-monogamous sexual experiences, Irati Gorostidi Agirretxe’s *Aro Berria* offers an engrossing glimpse into a group of metalworkers who abandon societal norms to embrace a different style of communal living. Featuring a cameo from *Sirāt* director Oliver Laxe, Gorostidi Agirretxe’s film captures the charms and peculiarities of such an experience through extended sequences that portray a state of ecstasy that can be found outside the monotonous routines of everyday life. – Jordan R.

      **Brand New Landscape (Yuiga Danzuka)**

      When faced with the past, do you choose to flee or confront it? Siblings Ren (Kurosaki Kodai, in his first leading role) and Emi (Mai Kiryu) have been estranged from their father (Ken’ichi Endô) for a decade since he decided to pursue a new job in Tokyo. As a florist, Ren spots a familiar name on an order card from the neighboring workstation. Driven by emotion instead of reason, he decides to make the delivery himself, only to find his father gazing back at him through a floor-to-ceiling window at a major exhibition. Holding the floral arrangement tightly, he carries a heavy emotional weight. – Blake S. (full review)

      **Chronovisor (Jack Auen and Kevin Walker)**

      Whether truth or deception, Jack Auen and Kevin Walker recognize that this subject lends itself to endless and captivating speculation. Their impressive feature debut *Chronovisor* treats the titular machine as a blend of a holy grail and a black hole that draws in those who come near it. At its core, this is the tale of Béatrice Courte, an academic—portrayed by real-world scholar Anne Laure Sellier—who stumbles upon a fleeting reference to the device and becomes fixated on finding it. But *Chronovisor* unfolds like a ghost story—not only because the device that initiates the plot remains elusive but also due to its frames resonating with hints of enigmas. Its dark lighting and grainy textures—the film was shot in warm, dimly lit Super 16mm by Leo Zhang—evoke a universe straddling the line between the living and the dead. – Leonardo G. (full review)

      **Do You Love Me (Lana Daher)**

      In what could have also been titled *Lebanon Plays Itself*, Lana Daher’s ambitious, all-archival film *Do You Love Me* chronicles approximately 70 years of Lebanese history, compiled from a search that began with over 20,000 sources. Condensed into just 76 minutes, the resulting montage is both playful and educational, depicting a nation in turmoil and citizens who manage to find joy in their everyday lives. – Jordan R.

      **Forest High (Manon Coubia)**

      Fans of Bas Devos’ recent gem *Here* will appreciate the rhythms of Manon Coubia’s Berlinale award-winning *Forest High*, structured as a triptych that follows three women managing