Film at Lincoln Center and Rolex Kick Off New York Film Festival With Starry ‘After the Hunt’ Premiere

There was a lot of love and sparkle on Friday at the opening night of the 63rd New York Film Festival, presented by Film at Lincoln Center in partnership with Rolex. It began when director Luca Guadagnino (in a glittering jacket) and Julia Roberts (in a voluminous pantsuit and bedazzled tie) had a sustained embrace on the balcony of Alice Tully Hall, following the North American premiere of his dramatic film After the Hunt, in which Roberts stars as a Yale philosophy professor whose life is upended by a student (Ayo Edebiri) who accuses her friend and colleague (Andrew Garfield) of sexual harassment.

The affection and shine continued during a Q&A moderated by NYFF artistic director Dennis Lim, in the glow of a Rolex clock, as the director said he was “sparkled by dynamism in the script” and Roberts revealed that when she read it, she thought “what a mountain to climb; it’s such a Herculean idea,” but signed on once she found out Guadagnino was at the helm. “I felt only equipped in his skilled hands to do a part like this,” said the Oscar winner. “I couldn’t have done it without him.” Guadagnino, in turn, told the audience he had fallen in love with Roberts, and when asked at what point he first thought to cast her, he didn’t skip a beat, replying, “It was instant.”

He then praised the New York crowd — which on opening night included guests Emma Roberts and Andy Cohen — as “the best audience at festivals in the world,” and the cast discussed their camaraderie and process. Edebiri recalled a rehearsal period “that’s not always the case on every set,” and Roberts chimed in that Michael Stuhlbarg missed those sessions because he was in New York, having been nominated for a Tony for Patriots.

Garfield said it was “fascinating to play what’s unconscious in terms of what’s driving these people,” and discussed the film’s intense moment when he grabs Roberts and pushes her against the wall in a passionate attempt. He exclaimed, “In the terrible, horrible scene I had to shoot with national treasure Julia Roberts, thank God we only had to do one take!”

After telling the audience, “I moved to New York when I was 17 years old, and I’m 57, and this is top three great achievements of my New York life,” Roberts returned to her fondness for the cast. “So often we are paid liars and we say we love each other and we are great friends now, but my friend group has quadrupled!” she declared before flashing her famous smile and hugging Garfield.

The crowd then headed over to Tavern on the Green for an afterparty, while Rolex held an intimate dinner at acclaimed Lincoln Center restaurant Tatiana. This was hardly the end of the weekend for the Swiss timepiece company, though, which has a long history of supporting film, cultural and sporting events, including their three-year partnership with Film at Lincoln Center.

The brand is also a worldwide partner of the ongoing Ryder Cup, one of golf’s biggest events. On Oct. 17, Rolex Testimonee Martin Scorsese will be feted at the NYFF world premiere of Rebecca Miller’s five-part Apple TV+ series Mr. Scorsese, where she turns the camera on the famous filmmaker for a documentary that features interviews with Daniel Day-Lewis, Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Isabella Rossellini, Steven Spielberg and Sharon Stone.