NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES LINEUP

NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES LINEUP

*** The latest offerings from the directors Alain Resnais and Pedro Almodóvar will bookend the 2009 New York Film Festival, the Film Society of Lincoln Center said Tuesday. The festival, which returns to Alice Tully Hall this year, will open September 25 with the American premiere of "Wild Grass", a new film by Mr. Resnais ("Hiroshima Mon Amour"). The film is adapted from Christian Gailly's novel "The Incident", and tells the story of seemingly disparate characters brought together by a purse-snatching.
*** On October 11, the festival will conclude with Mr. Almodóvar's new film, "Broken Embraces", about a blind and brokenhearted screenwriter. The festival's lineup also includes Lee Daniels's film "Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire", as well as Michael Haneke's "The White Ribbon", Todd Solondz's "Life During Wartime" and Lars von Trier's "Antichrist".
*** A spotlight retrospective will feature a high-definition restoration of Victor Fleming's "Wizard of Oz" (hopefully not on the same bill as "Antichrist").

(The New York Times)