Ava DuVernay’s new documentary 14th is getting the last word at this year’s New York Film Festival, closing the 64th edition with a world premiere at Alice Tully Hall on Oct. 9. Framed as a follow-up to her 2016 documentary 13th, the film zeroes in on the 14th Amendment and the current legal and political fights over birthright citizenship and equal protection. DuVernay and participants from the film are expected to be on hand for the Manhattan screening.
Festival announcement and premiere plans
Film at Lincoln Center confirmed that 14th will serve as the Closing Night selection for NYFF64, which runs Sept. 25 through Oct. 12, and that the film will make its world premiere at Alice Tully Hall on Friday, Oct. 9, according to Film at Lincoln Center. In the announcement, DuVernay called her return to NYFF “especially meaningful” a decade after 13th, while NYFF artistic director Dennis Lim described the new film as urgently timely. Festival materials note that the closing-night screening will include appearances by DuVernay and participants featured in the documentary.
What 14th sets out to do
DuVernay has described 14th as a sequel of sorts to 13th, tracing how the 14th Amendment’s guarantees of birthright citizenship, due process and equal protection have come under strain in recent years, as reported by The New York Times. Festival descriptions say the documentary assembles a broad roster of voices, including elected officials, legal scholars and commentators, to map today’s battles over constitutional meaning and who gets to claim full citizenship in the United States.
Why the timing matters
The subject matter is landing just as related questions hit the national spotlight. On June 30, the Supreme Court issued a decision that undercut a recent executive effort to limit birthright citizenship, a turning point that the film’s release timing directly engages, according to coverage from the Legal Information Institute. Industry reporting also notes that 14th is set to be released by Netflix later this year, giving the documentary a wide audience beyond its festival premiere, as reported by ScreenDaily.
Festival program and tickets
Organizers have also tapped James Gray’s Paper Tiger as the Opening Night selection, rounding out a high-profile bookend for the NYFF64 program. Passes and select tickets are already available, with single tickets scheduled to go on sale to the general public on Sept. 15, according to festival notes. Film at Lincoln Center is urging members and pass holders to make use of pre-sale access and membership perks, and says press and industry accreditation will remain open through mid-August.
DuVernay’s return to documentary filmmaking and to the New York Film Festival a decade after 13th reinforces NYFF’s reputation as a launchpad for work that aims to fuel civic debate as much as it entertains, a theme highlighted in contemporary coverage. The New York Times notes that 13th opened the festival in 2016 and helped cement DuVernay’s standing as a leading voice in politically engaged nonfiction cinema.
