‘Rustin’ and ‘All of Us Strangers’ Set as Opening and Closing Night Films for NewFest’s 35th Anniversary (Exclusive)

NewFest has announced its opening night, closing night and New York Centerpiece selections for its 35th anniversary edition.

The New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Film Festival will open with the Colman Domingo-led biopic Rustin, directed by DGA award and five-time Tony winner George C. Wolfe, and close with Andrew Haigh’s All of Us Strangers, starring Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Claire Foy and Jamie Bell.

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The festival’s executive director David Hatkoff and director of programming Nick McCarthy have also announced that the world premiere of the Billy Porter-narrated doc Queen of New York, from Emmy award-nominated director Emma Fidel, will serve as this year’s New York Centerpiece screening.

The 2023 festival will run from Oct. 12-22, with virtual encores through Oct. 24 on NewFest’s on-demand platform. This year’s lineup will also return to Manhattan and Brooklyn for in-person premieres at Manhattan’s SVA Theatre and The LGBT Community Center, as well as Brooklyn’s Nitehawk Prospect Park and Brooklyn Academy of Music.

“For 35 years, NewFest has provided an essential platform for LGBTQ+ stories and storytellers, premiering landmark films like Paris is Burning, But I’m A Cheerleader and Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” Hatkoff said. “Much has changed since we launched in 1988, but the queer community’s need for a safe and joyful space to see ourselves on screen has remained constant. We can’t wait to celebrate this anniversary by introducing audiences to new queer classics, and to spend 12 glorious days reflecting upon where we’ve come from, where we are today, and where we are going from here.”

Rustin is a timely look at the unapologetic yet often erased story of Bayard Rustin, the architect of 1963’s March on Washington and an openly gay Black civil rights leader. Alongside Emmy winner Domingo, the Netflix film stars Chris Rock, Glynn Turman, Aml Ameen, Jeffrey Wright, Audra McDonald, CCH Pounder and more, and features a score from Grammy winner Branford Marsalis and with an original song, “Road to Freedom,” from Lenny Kravitz. Ahead of its limited theatrical release on Nov. 3 and streaming release on Nov. 17, the film will hold its New York premiere at NewFest at Chelsea’s SVA Theatre in Chelsea — only blocks from Rustin’s landmarked residence in New York.

From Searchlight Pictures and set to release in the U.S. on Dec. 22, the romantic drama All of Us Strangers will see Haigh — the director behind NewFest’s 2011 Narrative Centerpiece selection Weekend — follows Adam (Scott) after he has a chance encounter in London with his mysterious neighbor Harry (Mescal). Their meeting sees a relationship develop that draws Adam into memories of his past and the childhood home in the town where he grew up. It’s a place his parents, portrayed by Foy and Bell, appear to be living exactly as they were the day they died 30 years before.

Fidel’s doc follows drag activist Marti Cummings and their historic 2021 city council campaign to represent New York’s 7th District — one of the most hotly contested council races in years. The film, which examines the different visions for Democratic politics between Cummings and their competitor, also includes appearances by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Broad City actress Ilana Glazer and almost 20 New York-based drag artists.

“As we launch the beginnings of our momentous 35th anniversary festival program with three tremendous films, we honor all the filmmakers, curators and audiences that have contributed to the dynamic energy and magical space NewFest continues to provide” said McCarthy. “We can’t wait to share the rest of our exciting lineup in the coming week, and greet both returning and new community members & cinema lovers at NewFest35 in October as we celebrate the past, present, and future of LGBTQ+ storytelling through the eye-opening and affirming power of film.”

The full program for NewFest’s 35th anniversary is set to feature over 130 premiere films and will be announced in the coming week. That includes three additional Centerpiece films and the 2023 recipient of the Queer Visionary Award.

The festival follows the third annual NewFest Pride summer series event, which featured the New York premieres of A24’s Problemista, Orion Pictures’ Bottoms and an outdoor screening of the HBO documentary The Stroll. The festival also hosted over 40 advanced screenings of movies and TV series including Passages, Red, White & Royal Blue, Somebody Somewhere and The Other Two.

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