James Gray's Paper Tiger Will Premiere in North America as the Opening Night Film of the 64th New York Film Festival.

      One of New York's prominent filmmakers is receiving top honors in a city showcase: Film at Lincoln Center has revealed that James Gray’s Paper Tiger will be the Opening Night selection of the 64th New York Film Festival. The film is set to have its North American premiere (confirming it will not be seen at Telluride and Toronto) during a gala debut at Alice Tully Hall on Friday, September 25, with Gray and members of the cast and crew present.

      Featuring Adam Driver, Miles Teller, and Scarlett Johansson, the film debuted in competition at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. Paper Tiger marks Gray’s fourth film to be selected for the New York Film Festival, following The Immigrant (2013) as an official Main Slate selection, The Lost City of Z (2016) as the Closing Night film, and Armageddon Time (2022) as a Main Slate selection and the festival’s 60th Anniversary Screening.

      “I’m incredibly thankful to return to this exceptional festival,” Gray expressed. “This deeply personal film is rooted in New York City; from my upbringing to pivotal family experiences. Being here, at the center of art and cinema, alongside our cast and crew—many of whom are New Yorkers—is an honor. Thank you to the entire New York Film Festival team. It truly is a privilege.”

      “James Gray has long been a presence at the New York Film Festival, and we are excited to have him back as our Opening Night filmmaker with a remarkable achievement,” stated NYFF Artistic Director Dennis Lim. “Paper Tiger is a film of profound emotional impact, simultaneously authentic and mythic, confirming that James is one of the great New York filmmakers—and one of the great filmmakers of our time.”

      Here’s the NYFF synopsis: “The captivating, ominous dramas of James Gray occupy the unsettling space between the American dream and harsh realities. His extraordinary new thriller, set in 1986 Queens and Brooklyn, is an authentically crafted New York story and a masterclass in building tension, detailing the tragic domestic repercussions after family man and engineer Irwin (Miles Teller), who seeks middle-class comfort, is drawn into a dubious scheme by his brother, Gary (Adam Driver), a former NYPD officer. Gary believes he can profit from a scheme with Russian criminals involved in illegal oil dumping near the Gowanus Canal, helping them dodge regulations; however, he ends up jeopardizing his brother and Irwin’s sons (Gavin Goudey and Roman Engel) and wife Hester (Scarlett Johansson), who is facing her own personal crisis. Caught between brotherly affection and marital faithfulness, Irwin finds himself trapped in circumstances beyond his control. With its rich period details and outstanding, profoundly emotional performances by the lead trio, Paper Tiger presents a chilling depiction of pollution in various forms—and the human connections that can rescue us from desperation. A NEON release.”

      Luke Hicks remarked in his Cannes review, “Driver, Teller, and Johansson deliver equally outstanding performances under Gray’s direction and his remarkable screenplay. Joaquín Baca-Asay—returning after We Own the Night and Two Lovers—provides an inspired vintage aesthetic that enhances Gray’s now-retro directorial style (the antithesis of a Netflix film). The costumes and sets feel more discovered than designed, reflecting the talents of costume designer Amy Roth and production designer Happy Massee.”

      The 64th New York Film Festival is scheduled to run from September 25 to October 12, 2026, with passes currently available for purchase.