Check Out John Waters’ Glorious New York Film Festival Poster
Each year, the New York Film Festival invites an artist to take a crack at visually representing the event with an exclusive poster, and this year, it’s cult filmmaker John Waters’ turn to do the honors. His movies having been perennially shut out of the New York Film Festival, Waters makes his NYFF debut here, with a poster featuring the likes of Pedro Almodóvar, Martin Scorsese, Barry Jenkins, Agnès Varda, and Jean-Luc Godard. The poster serves as a parody of critiques hurled at the festival over the years. See below.
“Since none of my films were ever chosen to be in the New York Film Festival, I was thrilled to be asked to design this year’s poster. I always knew I’d get my ass in there somehow!” Waters said. “What better way to show my respect and irreverence for this prestigious event than to bring along Globe Poster, Baltimore’s famous press that promoted the best rock-and-roll shows all over America for decades? Trashy? Classic? Maybe it’s all the same in 2020 when we have to reinvent moviegoing itself.”
You can queue up to own a copy of the post by pre-ordering it through the New York Film Festival’s website. The poster proudly makes the most of the New York Film Festival’s place in a debilitated festival season calendar. “No awards! No world premieres! Fewer films that Toronto!” This year’s NYFF lineup is a pared down, lean selection of new works, mainly debuting at the Berlinale back in February.
This year’s NYFF will operate differently than in past years, combining a brand-new virtual presence with carefully designed outdoor screenings, along with two drive-ins. Press screenings, usually held at Film at Lincoln Center’s Walter Reade Theater, will be virtual. The festival runs September 17 through October 11.
Now in its 58th edition, the festival will kick off with writer/director Steve McQueen’s “Lovers Rock,” with the festival also hosting two of the other features that comprise McQueen’s ambitious new “Small Axe” series in the NYFF main slate. Meanwhile, Chloe Zhao’s “Nomadland” — also selected as part of this year’s TIFF, ongoing Venice, canceled Telluride film festivals — will screen as the festival’s centerpiece. NYFF will close out its festivities with Azazel Jacobs’ “French Exit,” starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Lucas Hedges, and making its world premiere in New York.
Waters will also host a double bill of “Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom” and “Climax” for NYFF’s Revivals section.
John Waters has designed the poster for the 58th #NYFF!
“Since none of my films were ever chosen to be in the New York Film Festival, I was thrilled to be asked to design this year’s poster. I always knew I’d get my ass in there somehow!”
Pre-order: https://t.co/a0dq9lmIWU pic.twitter.com/FaBLVBxArN
— New York Film Festival (@TheNYFF) September 3, 2020
