“Urchin” dir. Harris Dickinson (2025)

IFC Center via 1-2 Special – Opens Oct. 9

Following its premiere in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, “Urchin” marks a striking directorial debut from actor-turned-filmmaker Harris Dickinson.

“A jagged, perceptive slice of life from London’s grimier sidewalks, addressing a nationwide homelessness crisis with unassuming care and candor.” – Guy Lodge, Variety

For fans of: “Trainspotting,” “Skins (UK),” “Fish Tank,” using the word “trackies” instead of “track pants”

English

“It Was Just an Accident” dir. Jafar Panahi (2025)

Film Forum via NEON – Opens Oct. 15

Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi reflects on revenge and moral choice in his 2025 Cannes Palme d’Or-winning film that was recently selected as France’s Oscar submission.  

“Panahi smartly plays with ethical questions and the difficulty of certainty in a somewhat overlong tale.” – Kyle Smith, The Wall Street Journal

For fans of: “Incendies,” “surveillance cinema,” the term “morally gray”

Persian with English subtitles

“Köln 75” dir. Ido Fluk (2025)

IFC Center via Zeitgeist in association with Kino Lorber – Opens Oct. 17

Inspired by real events, this stylish period piece that premiered in the official selection of this year’s Berlin Film Festival follows 17-year-old Vera Brandes as she races to organize Keith Jarrett’s legendary Köln Concert that almost never happened. 

“It moves to the rhythm of jazz itself” – Jack Waters, Loud and Clear

For fans of: “Saturday Night,” “Licorice Pizza,” “Daisy Jones and the Six” by Taylor Jenkins Reid, that scene in “Almost Famous” where everyone yells at each other on the airplane

English, German with English subtitles

“The Thing” dir. John Carpenter (1982)

Village East by Angelika presented in 35mm – Oct. 13

Revisit one of John Carpenter’s most terrifying and visually unforgettable films in 35mm. “The Thing” follows an isolated crew at an Antarctic research station through their icy descent into paranoia.

For fans of: the Science Fiction genre, “Stranger Things,” “The Last of Us,” dissections during high school biology class

English

“The Mastermind” dir Kelly Reichardt (2025)

Film at Lincoln Center via Mubi – Opens Oct. 17

Kelly Reichardt returns to the New York Film Festival with a meditation on guilt, identity and reinvention in a suspenseful character study exploring the aftermath of an art heist, starring Josh O’Connor and Alana Haim.

“Peels away all the usual tropes to focus on character, on human failings and on the reality that even someone from a comfortable middle-class background can be worn down by struggle and reach for unwise solutions.” – David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter

For fans of: True Crime, the mid-century modern architectural style, Big Thief, season one of “True Detective,” looking out the window when it rains

English

“No Other Land” dir. Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Hamdan Ballal and Rachel Szor (2024)

Roxy Cinema – Sept. 27 and 28, Oct. 4 and 5

This poignant documentary premiered at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival and blends firsthand storytelling with personal insight into the West Bank occupation, making it one of last year’s most urgent and unforgettable documentaries. Ultimately winning the award for best documentary feature at the 97th Academy Awards, the film never landed an official U.S. distribution deal.

“Watching No Other Land is like learning another language, but it’s not just the speaking that’s important. It’s the listening.” – Sam Adams, Slate

For fans of: “5 Broken Cameras,” “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed”

Arabic, Hebrew, English with English subtitles

“Bye Bye Love” dir. Isao Fujisawa (1974)

Metrograph via Kani Releasing – Oct. 10 to 12

“Breathless” meets “My Own Private Idaho” in this standout from Japan’s “jishu eiga” (self-produced film) movement, which, fifty years after its release, is making its U.S. theatrical premiere.

“A fine example of French New Wave cinema tragically overlooked because it was made in Japan, by Japanese people, a few years later … explores the classic themes of youthful impulsivity, whirlwind romance, crime and existential angst.” – Jennie Kermode, Eye for Film

For fans of: Gregg Araki, “Funeral Parade of Roses,” Jean Luc Godard, “Wild at Heart”

English, Japanese with English subtitles

“Pan’s Labyrinth” dir. Guillermo Del Toro (2006)

Village East by Angelika – Oct. 14

Ahead of the release of his highly anticipated new film “Frankenstein,” revisit Guillermo del Toro’s modern fairytale “Pan’s Labyrinth.” As young Ofelia escapes into a dark mythological world, reality and fantasy blur in a film that remains as emotionally powerful and visually breathtaking as ever.

“The brilliance of ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ is that its current of imaginative energy runs both ways. If this is magic realism, it is also the work of a real magician.” – A.O. Scott, The New York Times

For fans of: Gothic horror, “Coraline,” “The Shape of Water,” doodling spirals in your notebook

Spanish, Russian with English subtitles

Nothing strike your interest? Check out more listings at: 

• Syndicated Brooklyn

• BAM

• MoMA

• Quad Cinema

• Anthology Film Archives

Film Festival Spotlights

63rd New York Film Festival at Lincoln Center  

Sept. 26 through Oct. 13

“Returning every fall, NYFF has been an enduring part of New York’s rich cultural and historical landscape since 1963.” (https://www.filmlinc.org/nyff/) 

Brooklyn Horror Film Festival at Nitehawk Williamsburg 

Oct. 16 to 25

“The Brooklyn Horror Film Festival is a premier east coast genre festival that embodies the spirit of Brooklyn, showcasing the best new independent horror films.” (NitehawkCinema.com)