Alfonso Cuarón's 'Roma' to Screen as New York Film Festival Centerpiece

“Roma,” the latest film from Oscar winner Alfonso Cuarón, will screen as the centerpiece of this year’s New York Film Festival.

The film is a passion project that took a reported 16 years to come to fruition. Distributor Netflix was expected to unveil “Roma” at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, but withdrew the title and several others after a squabble with French exhibitors and Cannes’ changing its submission rules so that competition titles were required receive a theatrical release in France.

“I was absolutely stunned by by the physical power and gravitational force of the images, by the realization that I was seeing something magical: a story of ongoing life grounded within the immensity and mystery of just being here on this planet,” New York Film Festival Director and Selection Committee Chair Kent Jones said in a statement.

Also Read: Alfonso Cuaron, Participant Media Team Up on New Film

The NYFF announced that this would be the film’s New York premiere, but didn’t call it a world premiere. That leaves open the possibility that it will screen at one or more of the three high-profile festivals that precede NYFF: Venice, Telluride and Toronto.

“Roma” is shot in black-and-white and touts a sophisticated sound design. But little else is known about it, including its full cast and plot.

A program description reads:

In Alfonso Cuarón’s autobiographically inspired film, set in Mexico City in the early ’70s, we are placed within the physical and emotional terrain of a middle-class family whose center is quietly and unassumingly held by its beloved live-in nanny and housekeeper (Yalitza Aparicio). The cast is uniformly magnificent, but the real star of ROMA is the world itself, fully present and vibrantly alive, from sudden life-changing events to the slightest shifts in mood and atmosphere. Cuarón tells us an epic story of everyday life while also gently sweeping us into a vast cinematic experience, in which time and space breathe and majestically unfold.

Also Read: Oscars: Guillermo del Toro Gets Fourth Mexican-Born Best Director Win in 5 Years

In March of last year, it was reported that the film concerned the Corpus Christi Massacre, “in which soldiers killed liberal student protesters in Mexico City on June 10, 1971.”

Cuarón, who won the Best Director Oscar for his last film, “Gravity,” praised the NYFF for a “longstanding history of celebrating meaningful and compelling filmmaking.” He said it “felt right to return to the festival with ROMA — an incredibly personal, illuminating, and transformative project for me.”

This year’s NYFF kicks off on September 28.

11 Directors Who Followed in Their Dads' Filmmaking Footsteps (Photos)

Alfonso Cuaron and Jonas Cuaron

Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron ("Birdman") is working on a new untitled movie that chronicles a year in the life of a middle-class family in Mexico City in the early 1970s, while his son Jonas directed 2016's "Desierto" and is rebooting "Zorro."
Tom and Colin Hanks

Tom last directed "Larry Crowne," while son Colin directed the documentary "All Things Must Pass" about the rise and fall of Tower Records.
Carl and Rob Reiner

Carl's legendary career spans seven decades, while his son Rob directed the rom-com classic "When Harry Met Sally..." His next film, "LBJ," is about the political upheaval that Vice President Johnson faced when he was thrust into the presidency.
Clint and Alison Eastwood

Oscar-winning director Clint Eastwood's ("Unforgiven") incredible career includes four Academy Awards and five Golden Globes, while daughter Alison's second feature as a director, a Mississippi-set drama called "Battlecreek," recently played the Santa Barbara and Newport Film festivals.
Ivan and Jason Reitman

Ivan Reitman is best known for comedies "Meatballs" and "Ghostbusters," while his son Jason ("Up in the Air") has four Academy Award nominations, two of which are for Best Director.
Francis, Roman and Sofia Coppola

The celebrated director of "The Godfather" and "Apocalypse Now" has poured much of his energy lately into his wines and resorts. His son Roman directed the 2001 indie "CQ" and recent episodes of "Mozart in the Jungle." Meanwhile, daughter Sofia received an Oscar nom for her work on 2003's "Lost in Translation" and will next tackle "The Beguiled," a remake of the 1971 Clint Eastwood classic.
Hayao and Goro Miyazaki

Hayao Miyazaki attained international acclaim in his 50-year career as a masterful storyteller and a maker of anime films. His son, Goro, worked as a landscaper before before becoming a filmmaker. He has since directed "Tales from Earthsea" (2006) and "From Up on Poppy Hill" (2011).
John and Nick Cassasvetes

As a child, Nick Cassavetes appeared in two of his father's films: "Husbands" (1970) and "A Woman Under the Influence" (1974). Nick is best known for the 2004 romance "The Notebook" and will next direct UFC fighter Ronda Rousey in a remake of the '80s action classic "Road House."
John and Max Landis

John Landis recently premiered a restored version of his 1981 horror classic "An American Werewolf in London" at the Venice Film Festival. His son Max, who is on a tear as a screenwriter, made his directorial debut with "Me Him Her."
Melvin and Mario Van Peebles

Mario's 2004 biopic "BAADASSSSS!" describes the making of his father Melvin's seminal film, "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song." Mario directed the film, and also portrayed his father in the lead role.
Ridley, Luke, Jake and Jordan Scott

Directing is the family business for Ridley Scott ("The Martian") and his progeny. Luke made his directorial debut with the 2016 sci-fi horror film "Morgan." His brother, Jake, directed the 2010 Kristen Stewart indie "Welcome to the Rileys," and continues to direct music videos. Their half-sister, Jordan Scott, directed the 2009 film "Cracks" with Eva Green and Juno Temple.