The 46th New York Film Festival ran from September 26 to October 12, 2008. In addition to screening the feature films listed below, which were often preceded by short films, the festival ran a sidebar retrospective of the films of controversial Japanese director Nagisa Oshima. The festival also included its twelfth annual series Views from the Avant-Garde, showcasing a variety of experimental films.
Main slate edit
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opening Night | The Class | Entre les murs | Laurent Cantet |  France
|
| Centerpiece | Changeling | Clint Eastwood |  United States
| |
| Closing Night | The Wrestler | Darren Aronofsky | United States
|
Selection committee edit
- Richard Peña, programming director of the Film Society of Lincoln Center
- Kent Jones, editor-at-large of Film Comment and former associate programming director of the Film Society
- Scott Foundas, chief film critic for L.A. Weekly
- J. Hoberman, senior film critic at The Village Voice
- Lisa Schwarzbaum, film critic at Entertainment Weekly