Abel Ferarra took the spotlight at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland when he received the most prestigious Leopard of Honor. The award denotes recognition of auteur cinema and creative and audacious filmmaking. Known for his modesty and charm, Ferrara accepted his award with a live guitar performance that took the crowd by surprise. He also shared a brief clip from his latest movie, 4:44 - Last Day on Earth, starring Willem Dafoe and Shanyn Leigh.

The world premiere of 4:44 - Last Day On Earth will be held at the 68th Venice International Film Festival early this September. Ferrara had received the Venice Golden Lion Award several times with his films Mary, New Rose Hotel, and The Funeral. We are curious to see if 4:44 will follow the footsteps of the previous achievements.

This year's film festival season continues as the full line-up for the 2011 New York Film Festival has been revealed! There are almost 30 films in the main slate, including Carnage by Roman Polanski as the screen opener and the The Descendants, starring George Clooney, to close the festival. We are particularly proud to announce that Abel Ferrara’s 4:44 - Last Day On Earth has also been included in the line-up for the 49th NY Film Festival this year. The festival will be held September 30 through October 16. You can stay updated on the official Facebook Page and Twitter.