NY Film Festival Sets RaMell Ross’ ‘Nickel Boys’ as Opening Night Selection

NY Film Festival Sets RaMell Ross’ ‘Nickel Boys’ as Opening Night Selection

As a huge fan of independent cinema and emerging filmmakers, I am absolutely thrilled that RaMell Ross’ “Nickel Boys” has been chosen to open the 2024 New York Film Festival. This news is particularly exciting for me because I have followed RaMell’s career since his stunning documentary “Hale County This Morning, This Evening,” which left a deep impact on me with its unique perspective and beautiful storytelling.


The 2024 New York Film Festival will open with RaMell Ross’ Nickel Boys, it was announced today.

The film, based on Colson Whitehead’s 2019 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, features Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, Hamish Linklater, Fred Hechinger, Daveed Diggs, and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor in the leading roles.

The film adaptation of “Nickel Boys,” directed by Ross and written by him along with Joslyn Barnes based on Whitehead’s novel, is set to be released on September 27.

The Nickel Boys tells the story of Herisse and Wilson, two African American teenagers who were wrongfully admitted to the harsh institution known as the Nickel Academy during the Jim Crow period in Florida.

“It’s a great privilege for ‘Nickel Boys’ to kick off the 62nd New York Film Festival,” remarked Ross, who gained recognition with his 2018 documentary ‘Hale County This Morning, This Evening,’ earning Oscar and Emmy nominations. “This is almost surreal for our team, cast, and crew who have put so much passion into bringing this project to life. It feels like coming full circle since ‘Hale County This Morning, This Evening’ was showcased in the 2018 New Directors/New Films program. The New York Film Festival holds immense significance for filmmakers like us, as it represents the pinnacle of cinematic achievements since my college days when I became captivated by the power of still and moving images.”

As a film critic with a deep appreciation for innovative storytelling and visual language, I wholeheartedly agree with Dennis Lim’s assessment of “Nickel Boys” as a groundbreaking work by a major new filmmaking voice. Having had the privilege of watching numerous films from both established and emerging directors, I can confidently say that this fiction debut by RaMell Ross stands out as one of the most audacious American movies I have seen in recent memory.

Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, David Levine, and Barnes are the producers of the film “Nickel Boys,” set to hit theaters on October 25, initially through Orion Pictures and Amazon MGM Studios, with further releases throughout the autumn.

The 62nd New York Film Festival, organized by Film at Lincoln Center, will take place from September 27 to October 14.

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2024-07-22 16:24