Pedro Almodovar (Getty Images)

The New York Film Festival is ready to party. On top of its opening night, centerpiece, and closing gala, the Festival is to throw itself two additional galas: for Pedro Almodovar's sci-fi-noir-ish reunion with Antonio Banderas, The Skin I Live In [The Skin in Which I Live? --ed.] on October 12, and for David Cronenberg's Freud/Jung drama A Dangerous Method on October 5. In Film Society of Lincoln Center's press release, Executive Director Rose Kuo said: "This year has seen a great deal of growth for us with the opening of our new Film Center and we are thrilled to continue that expansion at this year’s NYFF."

The growth, as we previously pointed out, seems to be in the wattage of films NYFF can attract: opening nights have become major screenings for highly anticipated films, and have become something like victims of their own success as NYFF attracts more and more heavily-hyped films, each deserving or desiring a spotlight of its own.

ddaddario@observer.com :: @DPD_