RaMell Ross’s NYFF63 Poster Is More Than Art—

It’s Cultural Resistance

Film at Lincoln Center has unveiled the official poster for the 63rd New York Film Festival, designed by artist, writer, and filmmaker RaMell Ross. At first glance, it’s striking. But in today’s climate—where diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are being rolled back across industries—this isn’t just a poster. It’s a cultural stance, a reminder that art can be both representation and resistance.

RaMell Ross, Courtesy NYFF

Ross, known for his Oscar-nominated documentary "Hale County This Morning, This Evening" and last year’s NYFF Opening Night film "Nickel Boys," continues a legacy of storytelling rooted in identity, history, and community. His poster now joins a tradition of cultural heavyweights—Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Kara Walker, Pedro Almodóvar, Cindy Sherman—artists whose designs were more than decoration; they were reflections of the zeitgeist.

The Power of Perspective

Ross describes his design as a meditation on perspective and improvisation, inspired by his 24-hour performance piece "America(n) Jumps the Gator." The poster incorporates dual vantage points—one human, one from a security camera—forcing us to question how we see, and who controls the lens. In an era when surveillance, mistrust, and erasure are constant, Ross’s work reminds us that perspective is political.

Why It Matters Now

This poster arrives at a time when cultural spaces are under siege. DEI initiatives are being dismantled, school curricula are being censored, and voices of color are being pushed to the margins. In that context, Ross’s commission isn’t just an artistic choice—it’s a declaration. It says that equity, inclusion, and representation still matter in the most visible corners of American culture.

Film festivals are more than entertainment—they are stages where narratives of power, identity, and imagination are contested. By choosing Ross, NYFF reinforces the idea that art must confront the world we live in, not escape it.

Representation as Resistance

Ross’s work has always leaned into the long arc of history—his films and photography preserve not only lives but also legacies, insisting that memory itself is power. To see his voice front and center at NYFF63 is to witness resistance in real time: a Black filmmaker reshaping the visual language of one of the world’s most prestigious festivals.

When inclusion is being branded as “divisive,” putting RaMell Ross’s vision at the front of NYFF is a refusal to back down. It’s a cultural signal that imagination and representation cannot be legislated away.

The 63rd New York Film Festival runs September 26 through October 13 at Lincoln Center and venues across New York City. Limited-edition posters are available at Posteritati, with a select number signed by the artist. For cinephiles, it’s a collectible. For the culture, it’s a statement: representation is non-negotiable.

Follow updates at filmlinc.org and @TheNYFF.