If you live in New York and care about movies, the beginning of the New York Film Festival—this year, specifically, on Friday, September 26—is perhaps the most exciting moment of any year. Though he served on the committee for a number of years, since 2020, Dennis Lim has shepherded the festival, his dispensation as a journalist and critic carrying naturally to his inclinations as a programmer. On the eve of the New York Film Festival’s kick-off, I spoke to Dennis about his role as a programmer, how seemingly disparate films make nice pairings, what it feels like watching eight-to-ten-hours of films a day, and the role of a festival in a consensus-heavy moment.