'After the Hunt': Julia Roberts, Luca Guadagnino shine at New York Film festival

The 63rd annual New York Film Festival kicked off with a dazzling premiere of Luca Guadagnino's latest film, After the Hunt.

The acclaimed director took the stage, resplendent in a sequined gray suit jacket, to introduce his psychological thriller.

The film follows Alma (Julia Roberts), a college professor entangled in a moral and personal crisis when her protégé, Maggie (Ayo Edebiri), accuses Alma's close friend and colleague Hank (Andrew Garfield) of sexual assault.

Roberts, who moved to New York when she was 17, expressed her gratitude to the audience, saying, "I moved to New York when I was 17 years old — and I’m 57. This is top 3 great achievements of my New York life. So thank you so much for having us."

Guadagnino, visibly excited, added that the film was "made to make you talk about it and fight over it, and be laughing and being desperate and happy."

Screenwriter Nora Garrett explained that she approached writing the film's morally complex dialogue by trying to find commonality with each character, rather than judging them.

"I was an actor and so much of the acting training I got was about, 'You have to be on your character’s side — even if they’re doing things that you don’t agree with. It’s not about judging your character. It’s about trying to find a place of commonality and work from there.' And I think I did the same thing with the dialogue — I hope."

After the screening, guests made their way to Tavern on the Green for the afterparty, where they enjoyed mini lobster rolls, assorted meat skewers, and fingerling potatoes. Guadagnino arrived, still clad in his glittering ensemble, about an hour into the reception.

The film is set to open in limited theaters in the US on October 10, before expanding wide on October 17.