Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson reunited with castmates Adam Driver and Miles Teller at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall to headline the opening night premiere of Paper Tiger at the 64th New York Film Festival. Arriving directly after an exhausting overseas flight from another production set, a jet-lagged Johansson quipped to the audience that she was hallucinating due to time differences during the post-screening discussions. Although the crime thriller originally debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in May, Johansson had missed the French Riviera unveiling because of demanding shooting schedules for The Exorcist: Martyrs, making this festival presentation her first time watching the completed feature with public audiences. Set in 1986, the narrative follows two ambitious brothers whose dubious scheme to clean Brooklyn's polluted Gowanus Canal inadvertently sparks violent confrontations with the Russian mafia. Johansson portrays Linda, the devoted wife of Teller’s character. Reflecting on their on-screen chemistry, Driver praised writer-director James Gray for creating an open, collaborative set where the principal ensemble worked with instinctive mutual respect. Gray, addressing the audience before the screening, kept introductory speeches brief while honoring his cast and production team. He noted that bringing uncompromising, personal stories to modern theaters remains challenging, a sentiment echoed by festival artistic director Dennis Lim, who commended the veteran filmmaker's singular creative voice amid prevailing corporate pressures. Running through October 12, the festival lineup features major global titles including Luca Guadagnino's tech drama Artificial and Takashi Yamazaki's anticipated sequel Godzilla Minus Zero, underscoring Lincoln Center’s enduring reputation for spotlighting high-caliber cinematic artistry.