James Gray’s “Paper Tiger” has been selected as the Opening Night film for the 64th New York Film Festival, presented by Film at Lincoln Center in partnership with Rolex.
The film will have its North American premiere at Alice Tully Hall on Friday, September 25, with Gray and members of the cast and crew expected to attend. Starring Adam Driver, Miles Teller and Scarlett Johansson, Paper Tiger premiered in competition at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival.
The selection marks Gray’s fourth appearance at the New York Film Festival. His previous films at the festival include The Immigrant in 2013, The Lost City of Z as the 2016 Closing Night film, and Armageddon Time, which screened as part of the 2022 Main Slate and the festival’s 60th Anniversary Screening.
Set in Queens and Brooklyn in 1986, “Paper Tiger” follows Irwin, played by Teller, an engineer and family man seeking the comforts of middle-class life. His plans are disrupted when his brother Gary, played by Driver, draws him into a dangerous business scheme involving Russian criminals and illegal oil dumping near the Gowanus Canal.
Gary, a former NYPD officer, believes the operation could deliver a major financial payoff by helping the criminals circumvent regulations. Instead, the scheme puts Irwin and his family in danger.
Irwin’s wife, Hester, played by Johansson, is dealing with a private crisis of her own, adding another layer of pressure to a family already caught in an increasingly dangerous situation. As Irwin becomes more deeply involved, he finds himself torn between loyalty to his brother and his responsibilities to his wife and children.
The film examines family, ambition and the consequences of decisions that quickly move beyond an individual’s control. Against the backdrop of 1980s New York, Gray uses the story to explore the different forms of pollution that can affect both communities and personal relationships.
“I’m immensely grateful to be welcomed back to this remarkable festival,” said Gray. “This deeply personal film is rooted in New York City; from my upbringing to life-changing family experiences. To be here, at the heart of art and cinema, with our cast and crew—many of whom are New Yorkers—is a privilege. Thank you to the entire New York Film Festival team. It is an honor.”
NYFF Artistic Director Dennis Lim praised Gray’s return to the festival.
“James Gray has been a fixture at the New York Film Festival for many years, and we are thrilled to welcome him back as our Opening Night filmmaker with a career-best achievement,” said Lim. “Paper Tiger is a movie of immense emotional power, at once lovingly realistic and grandly mythic, and it confirms that James is one of the great New York filmmakers—one of the great filmmakers, period—of our time.”
The 64th New York Film Festival runs September 25 through October 12, 2026, continuing the festival’s tradition of showcasing significant international cinema alongside established and emerging filmmakers.