Museum of the Moving Image Announces CURATORS' CHOICE: BEST OF 2012

Master directors such as David Cronenberg, Terence Davies, Hong Sang-soo, Béla Tarr, and Jafar Panahi (filming secretly while under house arrest) were all working at the top of their form in 2012, and there was also exciting work by new directors, such as the Brazilian critic-turned-filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho. Museum of the Moving Image will present a "Best of 2012" program of films, selected by Chief Curator David Schwartz and Assistant Film Curator Rachael Rakes, from January 8 through February 22, 2013.

The seven-film series opens on Tuesday, January 8, with a special personal appearance by Rachel Weisz, who was recently honored by the New York Film Critics Circle as Best Actress for her role in Terence Davies's The Deep Blue Sea. In this screen adaptation of Terence Rattigan's play, Weisz brings an unmatched emotional rawness to her portrayal of a woman who abandons her passionless marriage to a wealthy barrister to enter a torrid affair with a troubled former Royal Air Force pilot. The other films in the series include Béla Tarr's The Turin Horse, Kleber Mendonça Filho's Neighboring Sounds, Jafar Panahi's This Is Not a Film, Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom, David Cronenberg's Cosmopolis, and Hong Sang-soo's In Another Country, which will screen on select dates later in January and in February. Please see below for a full schedule.

"Here is a chance to see some of the past year's best films on the big screen," said David Schwartz. "With the theatrical window prior to DVD release becoming shorter and shorter, it becomes more important than ever that venues such as the Museum keep these great movies alive as theatrical experiences."

"After all the top ten lists have been filed, this is a great opportunity to catch some of the films in contention, and a few others that may have flown under the radar," said Rachael Rakes.

Unless otherwise noted, all films are free with Museum admission ($12 adults, $9 senior citizens and students) and for Museum members. Museum membership begins at $75 and includes year-round access to exhibitions and film screenings, with discounts for special programs. For more information, visit http://movingimage.us/membership or call 718 777 6877.