Is Julia Roberts’ ‘After the Hunt’ Opening the New York Film Festival?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Julia Roberts stars in ‘After the Hunt’, opening the 63rd New York Film Festival.
- The film addresses the complexities of alleged sexual assault within an academic setting.
- Director Luca Guadagnino brings a compelling narrative to the screen.
- The world premiere will also take place at the Venice Film Festival.
- It features a stellar cast, including Michael Stuhlbarg and Andrew Garfield.
Los Angeles, July 23 (NationPress) The much-anticipated film ‘After the Hunt’, featuring Julia Roberts, is poised to kick off the 63rd New York Film Festival. This gripping narrative revolves around the repercussions of an alleged sexual assault at an Ivy League institution.
Alongside Roberts, the film showcases an impressive ensemble cast, including Michael Stuhlbarg, Ayo Edebiri, Chloe Sevigny, and Andrew Garfield. Produced by Amazon MGM Studios, the screenplay was penned by Nora Garrett, as reported by Variety.
Notable past opening night films at this prestigious festival include Martin Scorsese’s ‘The Irishman’, Joel Coen’s ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’, and Todd Haynes’ ‘May December’. Last year, RaMell Ross’s ‘Nickle Boys’ marked the opening film.
As per Variety, billed as the North American premiere, ‘After the Hunt’ will see Guadagnino return to the festival, a venue where he previously showcased ‘Call Me by Your Name’ and ‘Queer’.
The screening is scheduled at Alice Tully Hall on Friday, September 26, with Guadagnino and cast members present. This festival, a critical junction for awards contenders, will run until October 13. The world premiere of ‘After the Hunt’ is also slated for the Venice Film Festival.
According to the festival’s plot synopsis, Roberts portrays a “chilly, seemingly self-assured Yale philosophy professor Alma Olsson, whose stable professional and personal life with her unpredictable husband Frederik (Stuhlbarg) is disrupted after her PhD candidate protégée Maggie (Edebiri) accuses Alma’s long-time colleague and friend Henrik (Garfield) of sexual assault. As a result, the rarefied academic atmosphere on campus starts to unravel, and Alma must navigate the complexities of gender, sexuality, race, and institutional power while reconciling her own difficult choices against the backdrop of her past demons.”
Dennis Lim, the artistic director of the New York Film Festival, expressed, “We are thrilled to launch this year’s festival with Luca Guadagnino’s latest work, reinforcing his reputation as one of the most dynamic and daring filmmakers in the industry today.”