It's August and the film festival line-ups have begun rolling in, piece by tantalizing piece. Is it any wonder that year after year, I end up waxing rhapsodic about the autumn, about these festivals and the true start of the film-going season? For cinephiles, this is the best time of year. The anticipation of these films, the schedule making, the travel, the socializing, the conversations; The feeling reminds me of anticipating a trip to summer camp, the afternoons spent dreaming of the forthcoming month with the friends I only see once a year. I will be previewing some of the festival line-ups in the coming weeks and I definitely plan on my usual schedule of festival blogging, but I did want to take a moment and focus on the NYFF line-up that was announced yesterday.

Frederick P. Rose Hall: The NYFF's Home Away From Home For 2007

Some of you may remember that back in May, we had a bit of back and forth about the changes this year at the New York Film Festival. I am wondering what everyone thinks of the line-up now? Stu over at The Reeler uses the phrase "drool-worthy" to describe the program, so I can only assume that his earlier fears have been assuaged (including his prescient prediction that the selection committee would possibly reject Wong Kar-Wai's My Blueberry Nights). That said, looking at the line-up, I wonder what films in the program represent signs of a change on the selection committee? This looks like a traditionally excellent NYFF program to me, but my baseline for a "younger, hipper" NYFF program (the inclusion of Anton Corbijn's Control) wasn't met; The film is being released by The Weinstein Company on October 10 at Film Forum without an NYFF appearance. Not that I have a single complaint about the NYFF program; It looks staggering on paper and I cannot wait to spend my September and October taking it all in. But where are all the critics now (yes, Nathan Lee, I'm asking you)?

Bravo to Richard Peña (who is celebrating his 20th year at the helm), Kent Jones, Scott Foundas, J. Hoberman and Lisa Schwarzbaum for what looks to be an awesome line-up. More on this one soon.

get ready to see more of me than you could possibly want, Tom. this year is gonna rock once again!

The only thing that separates Control from other musician biopics is that it's in [generic] black-and-white and the musician has indie cred. It's really pretty simple-minded bit of filmmaking. So don't let its absence from the NYFF program distract you from its overarching tantalising-ness. And above all, do not miss "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days"!