The 54th New Directors/New Films takes place April 2-13, 2025 at the Museum of Modern Art and Film at Lincoln Center. The festival showcases new and emerging filmmakers. Previous festivals have included directors Spike Lee, Kelly Reichardt, Pedro Almodóvar, Denis Villeneuve, and Wong Kar-wai.

This year's festival showcases 24 features and 9 shorts including the opening night film Familiar Touch by Sarah Friedland. Friedland, a Brooklynite, will be attending the screening along with actors Kathleen Chalfant, Carolyn Michelle, and H. Jon Benjamin on Opening Night April 2nd. Friedland and Chalfant will also attend a screening on April 4th.

Familiar Touch is a coming of (old) age film. It follows an octogenarian woman's transition to life in assisted living as she contends with her conflicting relationship to herself and her caregivers amidst her shifting memory, age identity, and desires. It had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival and won multiple awards there.

There will be filmmakers attending other screenings as well, so please check out the schedule on the festival website: https://www.newdirectors.org.