Noah Baumbach to Receive Gotham Director Tribute for ‘Jay Kelly’ at 35th Gotham Film Awards
The Gotham Film & Media Institute announced today that Noah Baumbach, for his work on Netflix’s Jay Kelly, will receive the Gotham Director Tribute at the 35th Annual Gotham Film Awards Ceremony, taking place on Monday, December 1, 2025 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.
“As a three-time Gotham Award winner and five-time nominee, Noah Baumbach is one of our most beloved filmmakers,” said Jeffrey Sharp, Executive Director of The Gotham Film & Media Institute. “With Jay Kelly — marked by Noah’s unmistakable writing and extraordinary performances from George Clooney, Adam Sandler, and cast — he once again shows why his storytelling continues to inspire audiences everywhere. We’re honored to celebrate him and this beautiful film with the Gotham Director Tribute.”
Jay Kelly, the new film from Academy Award nominee Noah Baumbach, follows famous movie actor, Jay Kelly (George Clooney), as he embarks on a journey of self discovery confronting both his past and present, accompanied by his devoted manager Ron (Adam Sandler). Poignant and humor filled, epic and intimate, Jay Kelly is pitched at the intersection of life’s regrets and notable glories.
Jay Kelly hits select theaters on November 14 and arrives on Netflix on December 5. Along with Clooney and Sandler, the film stars Laura Dern, Billy Crudup, Riley Keough, Grace Edwards, Stacy Keach, Jim Broadbent, Patrick Wilson, Eve Hewson, Greta Gerwig, Alba Rohrwacher, Josh Hamilton, Lenny Henry, Emily Mortimer, Nicôle Lecky, Thaddea Graham, Isla Fisher, Louis Partridge, and Charlie Rowe.
Baumbach’s Gotham wins include Best Feature, Best Screenplay, and the Audience Award for Netflix’s Marriage Story. He also wrote and directed The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) and White Noise for Netflix. His extensive filmography includes The Squid and the Whale, Greenberg, Margot at the Wedding, Frances Ha, and Mistress America, as well as co-writing the Oscar-nominated script for Barbie.
The Director Tribute was presented last year to Denis Villeneuve for Dune: Part Two. It was previously announced that Tessa Thompson will receive the Spotlight Tribute for Hedda, Frankenstein will receive The Gotham Vanguard Tribute, and the cast of Sinners will receive the Ensemble Tribute at the 35th Annual Gotham Film Awards.
Winners of the 35th Annual Gotham Film Awards will be honored at the awards ceremony at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, December 1, 2025. Nominees will be announced on October 28th, 2025.
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Critics Choice Association (CCA), San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
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