Overview
- James Gray received Locarno’s Career Leopard and introduced Paper Tiger on the festival’s Piazza Grande in early August, where he spoke about cinema’s dreamlike quality and his actor‑first directing approach.
- Neon released the film’s first teaser trailer on Aug. 10, triggering wide press coverage that highlighted Adam Driver, Miles Teller and Scarlett Johansson in the 1980s Queens crime drama.
- Paper Tiger premiered in competition at Cannes in May and reportedly earned a lengthy standing ovation, giving the film early critical lift festival coverage has repeatedly noted.
- Neon confirmed a New York Film Festival gala as Paper Tiger’s North American premiere on Sept. 25, followed by a limited U.S. theatrical release on Nov. 13 with a wider expansion the week after.
- The film is a loosely autobiographical James Gray drama about two brothers drawn into a scheme with the Russian mafia; critics and festival programmers cite strong performances and Gray’s longtime collaborators on cinematography and editing, a combination that Neon is using to build awards visibility.