New Directors/New Films 2026

The Museum of Modern Art and Film at Lincoln Center today announced the 55th edition of New Directors/New Films (ND/NF), taking place from April 8 through April 19, 2026, with filmmakers scheduled to attend in person. With a focus on innovative cinema that sets the stage for the future of film, the festival champions filmmakers with distinctive visions and bold new ideas that push the artform into new terrain. This year’s selection will introduce 24 features and 10 shorts, including one world premiere, 17 North American premieres, four US premieres, and 12 New York premieres.

The festival opens with the New York premiere of Leviticus, Adrian Chiarella’s chilling directorial debut (which premiered in the Midnight section of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival) about a small Australian town haunted by religious fanatics set on “curing” local boys of their queer urges. The festival will close with the US premiere of Rosanne Pel’s Donkey Days (which debuted at the 2025 Locarno Film Festival), a darkly comic, lacerating portrait of two adult women relentlessly competing for their mother’s withheld affection.

The New Directors/New Films selection committee is made up of members from both presenting organizations. The 2026 feature committee comprises Dan Sullivan (Co-Chair, FLC), Tyler Wilson (FLC), Maddie Whittle (FLC), La Frances Hui (Co-Chair, MoMA), Rajendra Roy (MoMA), and Josh Siegel (MoMA), and the shorts were programmed by Katie Zwick (FLC) and Francisco Valente (MoMA).

Film at MoMA is made possible by CHANEL.

Additional support is provided by the Annual Film Fund. Leadership support for the Annual Film Fund is provided by The Contemporary Arts Council of The Museum of Modern Art, Agnes Gund through The International Council of The Museum of Modern Art, the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP), and The Young Patrons Council of The Museum of Modern Art.