Spring has sprung in New York City as the 55th edition of New Directors/New Films returns to Film at Lincoln Center and The Museum of Modern Art. Running from April 8 to April 19, 2026, the festival includes 24 features and 10 shorts making their North American, U.S., or New York premieres. With many films in this year’s selection stemming from international festivals like Cannes, Venice, and Berlinale, attendees are in for a diverse array of first-time feature filmmakers.
New Directors/New Films’ unique layout across two venues in New York City grants the festival more screening opportunities for ticket holders, and they have partnered with Festiful to help attendees keep track of which screenings are happening at each theater. Adrian Chiarella’s Leviticus (2026) will open the festival on Wednesday, April 8, followed by a Q&A with the director at its premiere in the MoMA Titus 1 Theater. Rosanne Pel’s Donkey Days (2025) will close the festival on April 19, followed by a Q&A with the director in the MoMA Titus 2 Theater.
For those hoping to catch the short film programs, Shorts Program I screens twice from April 12 to April 13, and Shorts Program II screens twice from April 18 to April 19. Across both Shorts Programs, some directors will be present for a Q&A following the screenings.
IndieWire will also host a special live taping of their Screen Talk podcast on April 13 at the Amphitheater at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center. Tony-nominated playwright, screenwriter, and actor Jeremy O. Harris will join IndieWire’s own Anne Thompson and Ryan Lattanzio for this conversation.
While I wish I could catch every film screening across the ten-day festival, here are some highlights that I will be covering in-depth for The Rolling Tape:
Leviticus, directed by Adrian Chiarella
After premiering at Sundance in the Midnight category earlier this year, Leviticus promises to rattle the supernatural horror subgenre with its gay coming-of-age story set in a deeply Christian community in rural Australia. Joe Bird returns to the silver screen in his second scream-king effort since Danny and Michael Philippou’s Talk to Me (2022), playing Niam opposite his love interest Ryan (played by Stacy Clausen). Mia Wasikowska also makes her grand return to film here, playing Niam’s mother in a chilling portrayal of a devout Christian willing to do anything to “cure” her son of his homosexuality. NEON will release the film in theaters on June 19, 2026, so its New York premiere will serve as a precursor to a summer full of screams.
Aro Berria, directed by Irati Gorostidi Agirretxe
Receiving a Special Jury Mention at the San Sebastián Film Festival last year, Aro Berria (Basque for “new age”) covers an underseen period in Spain’s transition to democracy in the late 1970s. Focusing on a small group of leftists from San Sebastián, the film sheds light on the new wellness communities forming as a result of economic and political disillusionment in rural Spain. Writer-director Irati Gorostidi Agirretxe takes inspiration from her own parents’ lives, as they previously participated in this countercultural movement. For fans of last year’s Sirāt (2025), you’ll be pleased to know that director Oliver Laxe also makes an appearance in the film.
Chronovisor, directed by Kevin Walker and Jack Auen
If time travel and 16mm peak your interest, then Kevin Walker and Jack Auen have made just the film for you. Coming off its world premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in January, Chronovisor weaves an elaborate web of clues across New York City archives and libraries, centering a Columbia University scholar searching for evidence of a long-rumored device that can transmit the past into the present. Starring real-life professor Anne-Laure Sellier as Béatrice Courte, the film marks the feature debut for both directors and their leading actress.
Maddie’s Secret, directed by John Early
John Early’s return to the New York City film festival circuit is not so much a homecoming as it is a victory lap in his directorial debut. In Maddie’s Secret, Early produces a timely dramedy about a culinary content creator whose childhood struggle with food rears its ugly head amidst her rise to stardom. With its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, critics praised Early’s keen perspective on eating disorders and other issues women face as public figures. Hopefully, New York embraces the film just the same — if not more.
Kika, directed by Alexe Poukine
Almost a year after its premiere in the 2025 Cannes Critics’ Week selection, Kika finally comes stateside for its New York debut. One part rom-com and one part socioeconomic drama, Alexe Poukine captures a Belgian single mother struggling to make ends meet by taking on a new occupation as a dominatrix. Manon Clavel portrays the title character, who earned a César Award nomination for Best Female Newcomer this year. Through its playful exploration of kink and sex work, Poukine hopes to dismantle common prejudices surrounding this line of work, especially in the name of survival.
Update Courtesy of Kyle Saavedra