James Gray’s 'Paper Tiger' Opens NYFF
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- James Gray's 'Paper Tiger' will open the 64th New York Film Festival on September 25, with its North American premiere at Alice Tully Hall, marking his first time opening the event in his hometown.
- Neon will release 'Paper Tiger' later this year, following its competition premiere at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where it received strong critical acclaim.
- Miles Teller, Adam Driver, and Scarlett Johansson star in the film, with Teller portraying a family man and engineer drawn into a dangerous scheme by his brother, played by Driver.
- Dennis Lim, NYFF Artistic Director, called 'Paper Tiger' a career-best achievement and affirmed Gray’s status as one of the great New York filmmakers of the era.
- 'Paper Tiger' is set in 1986 Queens and Brooklyn, depicting a family’s unraveling after a shady oil-dumping deal with Russian criminals endangers their lives, blending personal drama with societal decay.
Why it matters: Opening NYFF is a significant honor that elevates a film’s awards-season profile; for Gray, a four-time festival alum, it marks the first time his deeply personal New York story opens the festival, potentially boosting Neon’s release prospects and spotlighting a film already acclaimed at Cannes.
