ND/NF, 3/21.

"Dedicated to the work of what the festival terms 'new or emerging' filmmakers, New Directors / New Films [opening tonight and running through April 1] has served as an early stopping point for former up-and-comers from Chantal Akerman to Spike Lee and Wong Kar-wai and many more filmmakers who faded from view or never finished emerging," writes Manohla Dargis.

"Whether because of the state of the world, the states of mind of the festival's half-dozen programmers or those of the filmmakers, this year's slate of 26 features - some of which have yet to secure American distribution - and miscellaneous shorts seems to mete out a greater abundance than usual of sorrows from around the globe. Some of these offerings feel as exploitative as anything produced by Hollywood at its most craven; a few veer close to unhappy art-house self-parody."

"As I watched the selections scheduled for its first week, I found myself wishing, in too many cases, that the movies would try harder, risk more, challenge themselves and their audiences," writes AO Scott, also in the New York Times, of course. "Instead, most of them seemed to hew to familiar themes and strategies, as though they were genre movies for an art-film crowd."

But for Howard Feinstein, writing for indieWIRE, the series "is a godsend... It does include a few old-fashioned clunkers, but a majority of the 26 features in this 36th edition, a joint venture of the Department of Film and Media of the Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center, exhibit a vital rebellious streak."

"Among the selections are dramatic narrative debuts by a trio of New Yorkers: Julia Loktev, a ND/NF alumna bringing her festival hit Day Night Day Night to the city for the first time; Christopher Zalla, whose Padre Nuestro claimed this year's Grand Jury Prize at Sundance; and Craig Zobel, the director of another well-received Sundance '07 pick, The Great World of Sound." The Reeler hosts a roundtable discussion with the three filmmakers. Parts 1 and 2.

The Village Voice blurbs half a dozen films; another, quicker preview: Logan Hill in New York. And a reminder: Slant's preview package remains the most complete.

Posted by dwhudson at March 21, 2007 8:49 AM