Tom Hanks in Captain Phillips opens NY Film Festival

Captain Phillips, the true story of a 2009 hijacking, has kicked off the New York Film Festival. Tom Brook meets the film’s star, Tom Hanks and profiles the Big Apple’s two week feast of world cinema.

The New York Film Festival is one of the oldest in America, established in 1963 by the Film Society of Lincoln Center to bring the best of world cinema to the city. Since then, films from influential auteur directors already seen at other international film festivals have defined the New York line-up.
But in recent times the festival has expanded its remit and this year sees more than 35 features on its main slate – the most ever. It is also hosting three world premieres of movies with big Hollywood names: Captain Phillips starring Tom Hanks, Ben Stiller’s The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and Spike Jonze’s Her, which features Joaquin Phoenix.
British director Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Ultimatum, United 93) got the festival off to a strong start on Friday night with his latest picture, Captain Phillips. The film tells the real-life story of Richard Phillips, who was taken hostage by Somali pirates in 2009.
Tom Brook speaks to Tom Hanks, who plays the title role, and to the film’s director.