This year's New York Film Festival lineup included world premieres of "Captain Phillips," "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" and Spike Jonze's "Her" (the fest's closing night feature will screen on Oct. 12), but Oscar watchers hoping for more will likely be disappointed. According to Hollywood Elswhere's Jeffrey Wells -- as well as an old posting on the New York Film Festival website -- the prestigious film festival will not host a secret screening in 2013, as it had during the last two years, when future Best Picture nominees "Hugo" and "Lincoln" made splashy debuts.
Speculation before the New York Film Festival was that Martin Scorsese's "The Wolf of Wall Street" would grab the high profile secret screening slot -- something Wells himself corroborates -- but with that film reportedly not finished, the premiere wasn't in the cards. (HitFix In Contention editor Kris Tapley notes that "Out of the Furnace" was in the running as well, but Relativity Media instead opted for a debut at the AFI Festival in Los Angeles.)
Not that any of this surprise screening news is an actual surprise. Here's that aforementioned post from the New York Film Festival website, published last Thursday, on Oct. 3.
Leading up to the 51st New York Film Festival, there's been a lot of speculation about a potential surprise screening in the vein of NYFF50's sneak of Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" and NYFF49's work in progress screening of Martin Scorsese's "Hugo." Would it be Scorsese's "Wolf of Wall Street"? Or maybe George Clooney's "Monument Men"? Or perhaps some other awards-buzzed upcoming release?
Here at Film Society, we think a surprise isn't a surprise unless it's surprising. So this year, we're looking back instead of forward and are thrilled to announce an amazing treat for true film lovers. On Friday, October 4 at 9:00pm, we'll be screening Jean Luc-Godard's 1962 masterpiece "Vivre sa vie" on Alice Tully Hall's giant screen in a 35mm print courtesy of Janus Films. And if that's not enticing enough, tickets are only $10 and are on sale now!
Better luck next year. For more on the secret screening that wasn't, head to Hollywood Elsewhere.
