Alfonso Cuaron’s ‘Roma’ Set as New York Film Festival’s Centerpiece

By Dave McNary

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Alfonso Cuaron’s family drama  “Roma” has been set as the Centerpiece movie for the 56th New York Festival for an Oct. 5 screening at Alice Tully Hall.

The Film Society of Lincoln Center made the announcement Wednesday. “” is produced by Esperanto Filmoj and Participant Media. Netflix will launch “Roma” on its streaming service and distribute it theatrically around the world.

Cuarón’s autobiographically inspired film — shot in black and white — is set in Mexico City in the early ’70s as a middle-class family center is quietly and unassumingly held by its beloved live-in nanny and housekeeper, portrayed by Yalitza Aparicio.

New York Film Festival director and selection committee chair Kent Jones said, “I was absolutely stunned by ‘Roma’ from beginning to end — by the craftsmanship and the artistry of everyone involved, 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. Alfonso Cuarón’s film is a wonder.”

“Roma” is Cuaron’s follow-up to his 2014 hit “Gravity,” for which he won Academy Awards for directing and editing. That film grossed $723 million worldwide, including $274 million domestically.

“I am honored ‘Roma’ has been selected for the Centerpiece slot at this year’s ,” said Cuarón. “NYFF has a longstanding history of celebrating meaningful and compelling filmmaking and it felt right to return to the festival with ‘Roma’ — an incredibly personal, illuminating, and transformative project for me.”

The 17-day New York Film Festival opens on Sept. 28. The opening night title has not yet been announced.