Architecture and Design Film Festival to kick off 10th year with heavy-hitting lineup

Calling all architecture enthusiasts and cinephiles: The 10th annual Architecture & Design Film Festival kicks off in New York City on October 16 and the lineup is stellar. Over the course of six days, the festival will present over 30 feature-length and short films as well as interactive experiences, pop-up installations, and panel discussions. 

Celebrating “the creative spirit that drives architecture and design,” the festival opens at the Cinépolis Chelsea theater with the world premiere of Leaning Out. This groundbreaking documentary focuses on the life and work of Leslie E. Robertson—the lead structural engineer of the World Trade Center—to track the engineer’s journey as both a pacifist and activist, and his role in overseeing the construction of the tallest building on the planet. 

Other films will explore everything from redesigning prisons to the long-lasting influence of Mies van der Rohe, and we’re especially excited for the New York premiere of Enough White Teacups, a film that documents how design innovation can prevent blindness, destroy landmines, deliver vaccines, and even clean up oceans. After that film, don’t miss a panel—presented by the Consulate General of Denmark and moderated by Curbed’s own Editor-in-Chief Kelsey Keith—on employing a wider perspective on the effects of good design, not just using so-called “design thinking” for pretty home objects. 

Closing the ADFF:NY is the U.S. premiere of Renzo Piano: The Architect of Light. In the film, celebrated Spanish director Carlos Saura takes a deep dive into one of the most famous architects in the world, Italian architect Renzo Piano, as Saura follows Piano during the design of the Botín Center in Santander, Spain. 

Curbed readers can purchase discounted tickets to the festival, running October 16-21, here—just use the promotional code CURBED. Curious about which films to get tickets for? Check out some of our favorite trailers, below.