In breakout performances that cut to the bone, Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson play Elwood and Turner, whose close friendship helps sustain their hope even as the horrors mount around them at the Nickel Academy, which becomes a microcosm of American racism in the mid-20th century. Ross, whose unforgettable Oscar-nominated documentary Hale County This Morning, This Evening (Closing Night of New Directors/New Films, 2018) portrayed an Alabama community in moments of revelatory intimacy, has here fashioned a film of equal daring and intensity, buoyed by expressive, shallow-focus cinematography by Jomo Fray (All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt), pinpoint-precise editing by Nicholas Monsour (Nope), and deeply felt supporting performances from Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Hamish Linklater, and Daveed Diggs.

The film is adapted from Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize–winning novel and will premiere as the Opening Night selection of NYFF62 at Alice Tully Hall on September 27.

Secure tickets with Festival Passes, limited quantities on sale now. Single tickets for the general public go on sale September 17 at noon ET, with pre-sale access for FLC Members and Pass holders prior to this date.

Opening Night Announcement

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