Official Selections for NEW DIRECTORS/NEW FILMS Announced by MoMa and The FIlm Society of Lincoln Center

The Film Society of Lincoln Center and The Museum of Modern Art today announced seven official selections for the 2012 New Directors/New Films Festival (March 21–April 1). Dedicated to the discovery of new works by emerging and dynamic filmmaking talent, the 2012 edition marks the film festival's 41st year.

Representing seven countries from around the world, the initial seven selections are Karl Markovics' BREATHING (Austria), Anca Damian's CRULIC: THE PATH TO BEYOND (Romania), Julia Murat's FOUND MEMORIES (Brazil), Pablo Giorgelli's LAS ACACIAS (Argentina), Joachim Trier's OSLO 31, AUGUST 31ST (Norway), Alejandro Landes's PORFIRIO (Colombia), and Angelina Nikonova's TWILIGHT PORTRAIT (Russia).

"A testament to the vitality of international auteurist cinema, our initial titles set a high bar for emerging directors this year. As in past years, the New Directors class of 2012 promises to generate talent that will rank notably amongst the most innovative and influential in the field," said Rajendra Roy, The Celeste Bartos Chief Curator, Department of Film, The Museum of Modern Art.

Murat's FOUND MEMORIES was named Best Film in the New Horizons category at the Abu Dhabi International Film Festival and received a Special Mention at the San Sebastian International Film Festival, while Giorgelli's LAS ACACIAS was the winner of the Camera d'Or and a favorite of the 2011 Cannes Critics Week. The film has been described as a "genre-straddling gem" by The Guardian.

Film Society of Lincoln Center Program Director Richard Pena added, "Even with the lion's share of films still to be selected, the year's first crop for ND/NF introduces a group of filmmakers both exceptionally accomplished in their storytelling as well as adventurous in their approach to filmmaking." Directing debuts include veteran Austrian actor Markovics's BREATHING and Nikonova's TWILIGHT PORTRAIT, winner of the Golden Alexander Best Film Award at the Thessaloniki Film Festival, which she co-produced and co-wrote with the film's lead actress Olga Dihovichnaya.

Joachim Trier's OSLO, AUGUST 31ST, which premieres at the Sundance Film Festival this week, marks the filmmaker's return to New Directors/New Films, where he premiered his debut feature REPRISE in 2007. Additional sophomore efforts are Damian's animated documentary CRULIC: THE PATH TO BEYOND - her second film following festival favorite CROSSING DATES (2008), and Landes's PORFIRIO, another film that wildly expands the documentary form. The film won the Golden Peacock Best Film Award at the International Film Festival of India. Landes's first feature, COCALERO (2007) enjoyed a successful debut at Sundance.

For more than four decades, New Directors/New Films has been a beacon for emerging directors eager to make their mark on the film scene, and the festival has introduced or cemented the status of some of the most familiar and critically acclaimed directors (Chantal Akerman, Pedro Almodóvar, Darren Aronofsky, Ken Burns, Agnieszka Holland, Wong Kar Wai, Spike Lee, Christopher Nolan, and
Steven Spielberg, among them).

Tickets go on sale to the general public on Sunday, March 11, 2012. New Directors/New Films tickets can be purchased online at newdirectors.org, or in person at the box offices of The Film Society of Lincoln Center (Walter Reade Theater, 165 W. 65th Street, near Amsterdam Avenue) and The Museum of Modern Art (11 W. 53rd Street).

There are two advance ticketing opportunities:
Film Society and MoMA Members may purchase tickets starting Sunday, March 4. To become a Member of the Film Society or MoMA please visit: filmlinc.com and MoMA.org, respectively.

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