Scarlett Johansson stepped away from an overseas film shoot to reunite with Adam Driver and Miles Teller for the New York Film Festival premiere of “Paper Tiger,” arriving at the event fresh from a long international flight.

The journey left Johansson contending with serious jet lag as the film opened the festival’s 64th edition at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall.

“I’m hallucinating,” Johansson said during the post-screening conversation. “It’s 5 in the morning — which is a great time to be doing an interview on stage.”

The New York screening carried extra significance for the actor. Although “Paper Tiger” premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May, Johansson was unable to attend because she was filming “The Exorcist: Martyrs.” The NYFF event marked her first time seeing “Paper Tiger,” at least in a festival setting.

When her Cannes absence came up, Johansson offered a playful response: “Don’t rub it in!”

Johansson reunites with the “Paper Tiger” team

Johansson, Driver and Teller joined filmmaker James Gray on the red carpet before taking part in a Q&A after the screening. Actors Roman Engel and Gavin Goudey were also photographed with Gray and the film’s three stars during the festival appearance.

Set in 1986, “Paper Tiger” centers on brothers Irwin and Gary Pearl. Their plan to make money while helping clean up the Gowanus Canal puts them in the path of the Russian mafia. Johansson plays Linda, the wife of Teller’s character.

During the conversation, the cast and Gray described an easy rapport behind the scenes. Driver said that sense of comfort was established by the filmmaker and the environment he created during production.

“No work required. There’s a mutual admiration between the four of us,” Driver said. “A set culture comes from the top down, and James sets a culture where everyone feels free. We immediately felt comfortable with each other.”

Gray was equally enthusiastic about the experience, joking about just how harmonious the production had been.

“We had a nauseatingly lovely set. I love them,” he said. “I’m not on the Today show. I’m telling you the truth.”

James Gray keeps opening remarks brief

Before the movie began, Gray deliberately avoided giving the audience a lengthy introduction. He recalled a lesson from his days in film school, when students would present their own work.

“When I was in film school many years ago, students would show their films, and the students that talked the most [before] often made the very worst movies,” Gray told the crowd. “So I am going to speak very briefly.”

Gray used his time onstage to thank the producers and performers who brought “Paper Tiger” to the screen. He also looked back on telling his parents that he intended to become a director.

“I can’t help but remember my mother and father when I said I wanted to be a movie director. ‘How are you ever going to do that?’ And here I am,” he said. “I’m not sure the lesson in that.”

NYFF artistic director Dennis Lim introduced Gray as “one of the great living American filmmakers” and celebrated his commitment to a “singular” artistic vision. Lim also pointed to the challenges involved in mounting personal filmmaking within American cinema.

“It’s not easy to make personal films in the current landscape of American cinema,” Lim said, noting that “Paper Tiger” has 24 credited executive producers.

What Happens Next?

The 64th New York Film Festival continues through Oct. 12, with several world premieres still on its schedule. They include “Artificial,” Luca Guadagnino’s film about OpenAI founder Sam Altman, and Ava DuVernay’s documentary “14th.”

The festival will also host the world premiere of “Behemoth!,” director Tony Gilroy’s music drama featuring Pedro Pascal, Olivia Wilde and Will Arnett, along with Takashi Yamazaki’s kaiju sequel “Godzilla Minus Zero.”

Speaking ahead of opening night, Lim said a film’s premiere designation is not the festival’s only consideration when building its program.

“Premiere status is never the be-all and end-all for us,” he said. “Timing is always part of it. But I think we’ve proved in the last few years that we create a pretty interesting context for the launch of a film.”