David Farnor | On 19, Jul 2018

Alfonso Cuarón’s new Netflix film, Roma, will premiere at the New York Film Festival this year.

The Gravity director’s drama is autobiographically inspired film, taking us back to Mexico City in the early ’70s. There, we are placed within the physical and emotional terrain of a middle-class family whose center is quietly and unassumingly held by its beloved live-in nanny and housekeeper (Yalitza Aparicio).

Aparicio is joined by a cast that includes Daniela Demesam, Marco Graf and Nancy García García, all of whom are shot by the director in sumptuous black and white.

The film is produced by Esperanto Filmoj and Participant Media, with Netflix set to release it globally and in cinemas later this year.

The decision to debut the film at the New York Film Festival marks a striking contrast to the Cannes Film Festival, which refused to screen any Netflix titles at its event this year, because Netflix would not comply with their outdated theatrical distribution laws.

New York Film Festival Director and Selection Committee Chair Kent Jones says: “I was absolutely stunned by ROMA from beginning to end—by the craftsmanship and the artistry of everyone involved, by the physical power and gravitational force of the images, by the realization that I was seeing something magical: a story of ongoing life grounded within the immensity and mystery of just being here on this planet. Alfonso Cuarón’s film is a wonder.”

“I am honored ROMA has been selected for the Centerpiece slot at this year’s New York Film Festival,” adds Cuarón. “NYFF has a longstanding history of celebrating meaningful and compelling filmmaking and it felt right to return to the festival with ROMA—an incredibly personal, illuminating, and transformative project for me.”

The 17-day festival highlights the best in world cinema, featuring works from celebrated filmmakers as well as fresh new talent. The selection committee, chaired by Jones, also includes Dennis Lim, FSLC Director of Programming, and Florence Almozini, FSLC Associate Director of Programming.

The event runs from 28th September to 14th October, with Roma set to premiere at Alice Tully Hall on Friday 5th October. Tickets for the 56th New York Film Festival will go on sale to the general public on 9th September.

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