THE LAST CRITIC

NYC PREMIERE Isolated and bullied for his facial difference, Adam Pearson found in movies a way to imagine life beyond other people’s expectations. Now, the accomplished actor and disability justice advocate mentors Ellie, a spirited young performer who shares his genetic condition, neurofibromatosis type 1, as she uncovers confidence and new ambitions. Moving between their stories and the movies that embolden them, the film is an exuberant celebration of friendship, representation, and becoming the hero of your own story. - Ruth Somalo

The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Edward Lovelace and protagonist Adam Pearson.

All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones upon request with venue management. IFC Center can also provide a T-Coil loop for compatible devices.

CO-WORLD PREMIERE A legend in the world of classical performance, concert pianist Emanuel Ax has delighted audiences at Carnegie Hall and all over the globe for more than 50 years. Filmmaker Joseph Levy reveals how Ax’s scrappy NYC childhood and a close friendship with Yo-Yo Ma illuminated and enriched Ax’s natural gifts, while poignantly capturing the emotional weight of life transitions. “All the music in the world,” says Ax, “exists to express things that can't be put into words.” - Jaie Laplante

This world premiere is co-presented with Tanglewood, the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center & DOC NYC.

The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with writer/director/producer/editor Joseph Levy, producers Taz Goldstein and Rebecca Cameron, and cinematographer Erin Harvey.

All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones upon request with venue management. IFC Center can also provide a T-Coil loop for compatible devices.

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE Robert Richardson is one of only four cinematographers in history to have won more than two Oscars. When Czech film student Jana pursues Richardson as a documentary subject, the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic strands her at his Cape Cod home for three months. As Jana explores Richardson’s archives and memories, an unusually candid and personal portrait emerges, where art and life intersect with vivid emotion. Richardson reflects on collaborations and clashes with Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino, while Jana’s conversations reveal the cameraman’s auteur instincts. - Jaie Laplante

The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Jana Hojdová.

All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones upon request with venue management. IFC Center can also provide a T-Coil loop for compatible devices.