NY Film Festival Opening with "The Class"

The New York Film Festival is to open this fall with the premiere of Entre Les Murs (The Class) by French director Laurent Cantet, the organizers told Reuters on Tuesday. The film was the winner of this year's top prize at Cannes.

The festival opens in September and is one of the biggest film gatherings in the United States and usually showcases art-oriented and international films. This separates it from the Tribeca Film Festival which is usually held in April in Manhattan and features Hollywood studio fare, reported Reuters.

The film by Cantet was the first French film in 21 years to get the Palme d'Or award at Cannes, the most coveted award at the world's biggest film festival. Cannes notoriously captivates the picky audience there as well as film industry insiders and journalists, according to Reuters.

Real teachers and students were used in Cantet's film. All were taught to act for the film that goes inside a Paris high school to show a portrait of growing up in modern-day France and dealing with the issues that come along with that maturation such as race, class and individuality. Richard Pena, the selection committee chair at the New York Film Festival, told Reuters of the film that, "Laurent Cantet has pioneered a new kind of social cinema. The Class is the finest example yet of this filmmaker's important work, and we're delighted to have it open this year's New York Film Festival."

The film comes in during France's protests from both teachers as well as pupils because of the overcrowded schools which lead in one case to riots in 2005, reported Reuters. This is the 46th year of the New York Film Festival and it will hold two showcases during it's run from September 26 though October 12.