Organized by New York’s Museum of Modern Art and presented by the Hammer Museum, the MoMA Contenders series presents 10 influential, innovative films made in the past year that MoMA’s Department of Film believes are bound for big things (whether that means awards-season glory or cult-classic status). In addition to screenings of all 10 films, most are normally accompanied by a post-screening discussion with some of the creatives involved in the project.
This year’s picks include Coyote vs. Acme (followed by a conversation with director Dave Green, voice actor Eric Bauza and producer Chris DeFaria), I Want Your Sex (writer Araki), Obsession, Project Hail Mary (directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller) and All of a Sudden (writer-director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi). More films and special guests will be announced soon.
The Contenders isn’t strictly an awards-season spoiler; MoMA considers its picks as movies that will stand the test of time. But the series has turned out to be a pretty good Oscars predictor, with nearly all its films nabbing nominations in recent years.