The New Orleans Film Society (NOFS) has announced the initial selection of films for the 34th edition of the New Orleans Film Festival (NOFF). The festival, which holds Oscar® qualification, will feature over 130 in-person and virtually from November 2 to November 12. The screenings will occur at The Broad Theater, Contemporary Art Center and The Prytania Theatres.
The lineup includes 127 films chosen from 3,900 submissions across 117 countries. The selection features 29 feature films (19 documentaries and 10 narrative features) and 98 short films. Among these, 22 are world premieres, six are U.S. premieres, and 38 are Southern premieres.
Approximately 60 percent of the chosen films are rooted in the American South, and 22% are from Louisiana-based filmmakers. The selected films represent 35 different nationalities. Notably, 60 percent of the films are directed by women and non-binary creators, while 60 percent stem from directors of color. Furthermore, 41 percent of the selected films represent the LGBTQ+ community.
“In selecting films for this year’s festival, our festival programmers were also selecting filmmakers whose artistic voices and practices we believe in and are excited to support,” said Clint Bowie, Artistic Director of the New Orleans Film Society. “Decisions were made through a collective process involving 20 members of our festival programming team where we focused our attention on aspects of originality, vision and potential, as well as the film’s capacity for impacting audiences and shifting the larger film landscape.”
Attendees can purchase an All Access Pass or individual tickets for specific screenings. Ticket sales begin on October 9 for NOFS members and October 16 for the general public.
In-person screenings will occur from November 2 through 7 at The Broad Theater, Contemporary Art Center (CAC) and The Prytania Theatres. The festival’s Main Festival Headquarters at the CAC will also serve as a hub for various activities and events, including a box office and merchandise store.
The NOFF Virtual Cinema will run from November 2 to 12 for virtual attendees, offering over 115 films from the lineup. Virtual passes can be purchased, including the option to watch six films. Students and teachers can also avail discounted passes for both virtual and in-person screenings.
Regarding safety, all festival transactions will be contactless, limited to credit and debit cards and Apple and Google Pay.
Further updates about the festival will be announced as the event date approaches. To see the entire film and event lineup for the festival, please visit the official NOFS website.
