The world premiere of Robert Zemeckis’s return to live-action filmmaking will be the first chance awards watchers get to see Paramount’s contender before it opens on Nov 2.

Denzel Washington stars in the mystery thriller as an airline pilot who performs heroically during an emergency only for his reputation to be called into question after the event.

John Goodman, Don Cheadle, Melissa Leo, Bruce Greenwood and Kelly Reilly round out the key cast.

“We’re delighted to welcome Robert Zemeckis to the New York Film Festival for the first time,” The Film Society Of Lincoln Center’s selection committee chair and programme director Richard Peña said.

“A director equally known for delighting audiences as well as for pushing the technological limits of filmmaking, Zemeckis has created with Flight a remarkable film about one man’s journey to some of the darkest parts of his soul.”

The New York Film Festival is set to run from Sept 28–Oct 14.