Train Dreams, Clint Bentley’s new film, adapts the beloved novella by Denis Johnson. Bentley screens clips from it and speaks about the work.

Train Dreams is the moving portrait of Robert Grainier, a logger and railroad worker who leads a life of unexpected depth and beauty in the rapidly-changing America of the early 20th Century. Clint Bentley’s film stars Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, William H. Macy, and Kerry Condon. Bentley will screen clips from the film and discuss the process of adapting Johnson’s work from page to screen.

To join the event in person | Doors will open 30 minutes before the program begins. For LIVE from NYPL events, we generally overbook to ensure a full house. Please arrive early to avoid disappointment; we will do our best to accommodate everyone. Booked seats that have not been claimed will be released shortly before start time, and seats may become available then. A standby line will form 30 minutes before the program.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Academy Award nominee Clint Bentley is a writer-director-producer whose debut directorial feature, Jockey (Sony Pictures Classics), premiered In Competition at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, where Clifton Collins Jr. was awarded the Special Jury Prize for Best Actor for his role. Bentley and his producing partner Kwedar recently launched their production company ETHOS to develop their own original, individual and joint projects, and to champion artists under the innovative and equitable financing model that they pioneered on Jockey and further developed with Sing Sing (A24). Bentley co-wrote and produced Sing Sing with Kwedar, which earned them an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. Bentley’s previous work includes co-writing and producing Transpecos, which won the Audience Award at the 2016 SXSW Film Festival, while Moviemaker Magazine named Bentley (and Kwedar) on their "Screenwriters to Watch" list. In addition to his film work, Bentley received a 2026 Pushcart Prize for his short story “Cairn” that first appeared in The Iowa Review. His fiction has also appeared in The Baltimore Review.

READ THE BOOK:

• Borrow: NYPL Catalog

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ACCESSIBILITY

In-Person | Assistive listening devices and/or hearing loops are available at the venue. You can request a free ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or CART (Communication Access Real-Time Translation) captioning service by emailing your request at least two weeks in advance of the event: email accessibility@nypl.org or use this Gmail template. This venue is fully accessible to wheelchairs. 

CONNECT

For questions and inquiries, please email publicprograms@nypl.org or use this Gmail template.

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Courtesy Clint Bentley