Julian Schnabel’s ‘At Eternity’s Gate’ Tapped as Closing Night Film of NYFF

By Brent Lang

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Julian Schnabel’s “At Eternity’s Gate” will be the closing night film of the 56th New York Film Festival.

The drama about the last days of Vincent van Gogh will screen at Alice Tully Hall on Oct. 12, and will be making its North American debut. CBS Films will release the film in theaters in November.

Willem Dafoe, fresh off his Oscar-nominated turn in “The Florida Project,” could find himself back in the awards hunt with his work as van Gogh, the tortured impressionist painter. The cast includes Oscar Isaac as Gauguin, as well as Rupert Friend, Emmanuelle Seigner, Mathieu Amalric, and Mads Mikkelsen.

With the “At Eternity’s Gate” announcement, the New York Film Festival has largely filled out its major screenings. Yorgos Lanthimos’ “The Favourite” was previously announced as the festival’s opening night film and Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma” will be the centerpiece selection. “The Favourite” is a historical drama set during the reign of Queen Anne that stars Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz, while “Roma” is a family drama that is drawn from Cuaron’s own childhood in Mexico City. The festival is presented by Film Society of Lincoln Center.

Schnabel, an acclaimed visual artist, certainly knows the painting world first hand, and he’s a fixture of New York society. But he’s also looking to make a directing comeback. He hasn’t made a film since 2010’s “Miral,” a coming of age drama about a Palestinian girl that was poorly received by critics and collapsed at the box office. He fared much better with 2007’s “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” and 2000’s “Before Night Falls,” both of which scored Oscar nominations and rave reviews.