Now in its sixth year, First Look is a festival for innovative new cinema. With works from more than twenty countries, the Festival focuses on films that expand the art form. Nearly all of the them are New York premieres. Some emerging themes in this year’s First Look include a number of works that use audio as a central element—Havarie, Depth Two, Fear Itself, and an audio documentary program by Radio Atlas—and others that experiment with theatricality and performance including UFE (Unfilmevenemente), Between Fences, Silencio, and Helmut Berger, Actor. As in past years, there are several programs of avant-garde cinema, including the astonishing program On Resistance: International Avant-Garde Films and Video, and new work by Ken Jacobs. 

The Opening Night presentation will be the New York premiere of After the Storm, the latest film from Hirokazu Kore-eda and a work that establishes a style and tone all its own, alighting on comedy, family drama, and shaggy-dog noir. The screening will be followed by an opening night reception.

First Look 2017 was programmed by Chief Curator David Schwartz, Associate Film Curator Eric Hynes, and guest curator Mónica Savirón (for On Resistance). The Festival is pleased to continue its programming partnership with FIDMarseille, the adventurous French festival, with Festival Director Jean-Pierre Rehm in person. 

A First Look Festival pass, good for admission to all films, is available for $45.

Special thanks to the French Cultural Services of the French Embassy, New York, the Austrian Cultural Forum, the Japan Foundation.