The following is a press release from the Tribeca Film Festival:
The 21st annual Tribeca Festival, presented by OKX, announced the winning storytellers in its competition categories at this year’s awards ceremony at Tribeca eatery Thalassa. Awards were given in the following competition categories: Feature Film, Short Film, Audio Storytelling, Immersive, Games, Human / Nature, AT&T Untold Stories, and Tribeca X.
The ceremony awarded $165,000 in cash prizes. The Festival, which hosts over 600 events across New York City, concludes on June 19th.
“Today’s honorees are a testament to the vitality of cinematic storytelling, representing the most exciting achievements across countries, genres, and platforms,” said Cara Cusumano, Festival Director and Vice President of Programming. “We are proud to recognize such a diverse and innovative group of works and creators with today’s well-deserved award winners.”
A special Virtual Award Winner Screenings series will be available for U.S. audiences via Tribeca At Home on Saturday, June 18 and Sunday, June 19, 2022.
Tickets can be purchased at tribecafilm.com/festival/tickets. Competition winners in the Short Films Category, presented by Meta, are available to stream on the Meta Quest 2 virtual-reality headset as well as the Tribeca page on Facebook through Sunday, June 19.
In cash awards and in-kind services provided by sponsors, some award winners received the unique Tribeca Festival Art Award. Supported by CHANEL, the world-class artists donated work to honored filmmakers.
The winners of the Audience Award, which are determined by audience votes throughout the Festival, will be announced next week.
2022 Winners and Special Jury Mentions, as selected by the 2022 Festival Jury, are as follows:
U.S. NARRATIVE COMPETITION
Rain Spencer and Andie MacDowell in “Good Girl Jane” (Photo by Jake Saner)
The Founders Award for Best U.S. Narrative Feature: Good Girl Jane, (United States) – World Premiere, presented by OKX. Bullied out of private school and at odds with her divorced parents, lonely high schooler Jane spirals out of control after falling in with a hard-partying crowd and becoming smitten with a dangerously charismatic bad boy. Directed and written by Sarah Elizabeth Mintz. Produced by Fred Bernstein, Dominique Telson, Lauren Pratt, Sarah Elizabeth Mintz, Simone Williams. With Rain Spencer, Patrick Gibson, Andie MacDowell, Odessa A’Zion, Olan Prenatt, Eloisa Huggins. The winner receives $20,000.
Shyrley Rodriguez, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Liza Colón-Zayas and Daphne Rubin-Vega in “Allswell” (Photo by Oren Soffer)
Best Screenplay in a U.S. Narrative Feature: Ben Snyder and Elizabeth Rodriguez for Allswell, (United States) – World Premiere. Three Nuyorican sisters navigate the daunting life challenges of single motherhood, career, and family, all while finding humor and solace within the bonds of sisterhood in this absorbing dramedy. Directed and written by Ben Snyder, and written by Elizabeth Rodriguez. Produced by Gia Walsh, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Vince Jolivette, Ben Snyder, Ari Issler, Paul Jarrett, Kara Baker. With Elizabeth Rodriguez, Liza Colon-Zayas, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Felix Solis, Max Cassella, Michael Rispoli, Shirley Rodriguez, MacKenzie Lansing, and J. Cameron Barnett. The winner received $2,500.
Katie Parker and Rahul Kohli in “Next Exit” (Photo courtesy of No Traffic For Ghosts LLC)
Best Cinematography in a U.S. Narrative Feature: Azuli Anderson for Next Exit, (United States) – World Premiere. In a world where ghosts are real and front-page news, a controversial new medical procedure allows people to peacefully kill themselves. In the midst of this breakthrough, two strangers travel cross country together to end their lives, only to unexpectedly find what they’ve been missing along the way. Directed and written by Mali Elfman. Produced by Derek Bishé, Narineh Hacopian. With Katie Parker, Rahul Kohli, Rose McIver, Karen Gillan, Tongayi Chirisa, Diva Zappa.
Rain Spencer in “Good Girl Jane” (Photo by Jake Saner)
Best Performance in a U.S. Narrative Feature: Rain Spencer in Good Girl Jane, (United States) – World Premiere. Bullied out of private school and at odds with her divorced parents, lonely high schooler Jane spirals out of control after falling in with a hard-partying crowd and becoming smitten with a dangerously charismatic bad boy. Directed and written by Sarah Elizabeth Mintz. Produced by Fred Bernstein, Dominique Telson, Lauren Pratt, Sarah Elizabeth Mintz, Simone Williams. With Rain Spencer, Patrick Gibson, Andie MacDowell, Odessa A’Zion, Olan Prenatt, Eloisa Huggins.
Special Jury Mention for Best Performance in a U.S. Narrative Feature: Liz Carbel Sierra in God’s Time, (United States) – World Premiere. A heart-racing, NYC-set dark comedy that sees two best bros in recovery for addiction trying to prevent the potential murder of their mutual crush’s ex-boyfriend.
Directed and written by Daniel Antebi. Produced by Emily Korteweg, Andrew Hutcheson, Reid Hannaford. With Ben Groh, Dion Costelloe, Liz Caribel Sierra, Jared Abrahamson, Christiane Seidel.
INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE COMPETITION
Kārlis Arnolds Avots and Alise Danovska in “January” (Photo by Andrejs Strokins)
Best International Narrative Feature: January (Janvaris), (Latvia, Lithuania, Poland) – World Premiere. An aspiring filmmaker tries to search for who he is against the backdrop of Latvian independence in this dark but dreamy coming-of-age story. Directed by Viesturs Kairiss. Written by Viesturs Kairiss, Andris Feldmanis, Livia Ulman. Produced by Inese Boka-Grūbe, Gints Grūbe. With Kārlis Arnolds Avots, Alise Danovska, Sandis Runge, Baiba Broka, Aleksas Kazanavičius, Juhan Ulfsak. In Latvian, Lithuanian, Russian, with English subtitles. The winner received $20,000.
Enrique Araoz in “The Visitor” (Photo by German Nocella)
Best Screenplay in an International Narrative Feature: Martín Boulocq and Rodrigo Hasbún for The Visitor, (Bolivia, Uruguay) – World Premiere. In the atmospheric and visually-compelling drama The Visitor, an ex-convict returns home in search of a new life and a chance to reconnect with his estranged young daughter, only to be met with resistance from his father-in-law – an influential pastor in the Evangelical community in town. Directed by Martín Boulocq. Written by Martín Boulocq, Rodrigo Hasbún. Produced by Andrea Camponovo, Alvaro Olmos. With Enrique Aráoz, César Troncoso, Mirella Pascual, Svet Ailyn Mena, Romel Vargas, Teresa Gutiérrez. In Spanish with English subtitles. The winner received $2,500.
“We Might As Well Be Dead” (Photo by Jan Mayntz)
Best Cinematography in an International Narrative Feature: Jan Mayntz for We Might As Well Be Dead (Wir könnten genauso gut tot sein), (Germany, Romania) – International Premiere. The disappearance of a dog and the sudden isolation of a security guard’s daughter start a bizarre chain of events in an apartment complex obsessed with keeping up appearances. Directed by Natalia Sinelnikova. Written by Natalia Sinelnikova, Viktor Gallandi. Produced by Julia Wagner. With Ioana Iacob, Pola Geiger, Jörg Schüttauf, Şiir Eloğlu, Moritz Jahn, Susanne Wuest, Knut Berger, Mina Özlem Sağdıç. In German, Polish with English subtitles.
Dorota Pomykała (pictured at far right) in “Woman on the Roof”
Best Performance in an International Narrative Feature: Dorota Pomykała for Woman on a Roof, (Poland, France, Sweden) – World Premiere. One morning a 60-year-old midwife does something extremely unexpected, which breaks her family and life apart. Inspired by a true story, this is a complex character portrayal told with outstanding cinematic realism. Directed and written by Anna Jadowska.
Produced by Maria Blicharska. With Dorota Pomykala, Bogdan Koca, Adam Bobik. In Polish with English subtitles.
DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
Jason Wilson (pictured at right) in”The Cave of Adullam” (Photo by Greg Harriott)
Best Documentary Feature: The Cave of Adullam, (United States) – World Premiere. Living by the mantra ‘it’s easier to raise boys than to repair broken men’, martial arts sensei Jason Wilson tenderly guides his often-troubled young Detroit students with a beautifully effective blend of compassion and tough love. Directed by Laura Checkoway. Produced by Laurence Fishburne, Helen Sugland, Roy Bank, Joe Plummer, Laura Checkoway. With Jason Wilson, Kevin L. Collins Jr., Gabriel Davenport, Daniel White, Tamarkus Williams. The winner receives $20,000.
“The Wild One”
Best Cinematography in a Documentary Feature: Boris Levy for The Wild One, (France) – World Premiere. Jack Garfein — Holocaust survivor, theater and film director, key figure in the formation of the Actors Studio — vividly, animatedly, passionately recalls a life where historical tragedy and personal art formed a unique, driving, uncompromising vision. Directed, written, and produced by Tessa
Louise-Salomé. With Jack Garfein, Willem Dafoe, Peter Bogdanovich, Irène Jacob, Boby Sotto, Dick Guttman, Blanche Baker, Patricia Bosworth, Foster Hirsch, Geoffrey Horne, Kate Rennebohm. The winner receives $2,500.
“The Cave of Adullam” (Photo by Greg Harriott)
Best Editing in a Documentary Feature: Christopher McGlynn for The Cave of Adullam, (United States)
– World Premiere. Living by the mantra ‘it’s easier to raise boys than to repair broken men’, martial arts sensei Jason Wilson tenderly guides his often-troubled young Detroit students with a beautifully effective blend of compassion and tough love. Directed by Laura Checkoway. Produced by Laurence Fishburne, Helen Sugland, Roy Bank, Joe Plummer, Laura Checkoway. With Jason Wilson, Kevin L. Collins Jr., Gabriel Davenport, Daniel White, Tamarkus Williams. The winner receives $2,500.
BEST NEW NARRATIVE DIRECTOR COMPETITION
“Huesera”
Best New Narrative Director: Michelle Garza Cervera for Huesera, (Mexico) – Feature Narrative, World Premiere. Valeria has long dreamed about becoming a mother. After learning that she’s pregnant, she expects to feel happy, yet something’s off. Nightmarish visions and an unshakeable paranoia have her questioning what she wants, and an ancient evil spirit may be the cause. Directed by Michelle Garza Cervera. Written by Michelle Garza Cervera, Abia Castillo. Produced by Paulina Villavicencio, Edher Campos. With Natalia Solián, Alfonso Dosal, Mayra Batalla, Mercedes Hernández, Aída López, Martha Claudia Moreno. In Spanish with English subtitles. An XYZ release. The winner receives $10,000.
Special Jury Mention for Best New Narrative Director: Floor van der Meulen for Pink Moon, (Italy, Netherlands, Slovenia) – World Premiere. An adult daughter kidnaps her father, whisking him away to a cabin in the snow, hoping to alter his unexpected announcement that he has had enough of life and will end it by his next birthday. Directed by Floor van der Meulen. Written by Bastiaan Kroeger. Produced by Derk-Jan Warrink and Koji Nelissen. With Julia Akkermans, Johan Leysen, Eelco Smits, Anniek Pheifer, Sinem Kavus.
BEST NEW DOCUMENTARY DIRECTOR COMPETITION
Edward Buckles Jr. in “Katrina Babies” (Photo by Myesha Evon Gardner)
The Albert Maysles Award for Best New Documentary Director: Edward Buckles Jr. for Katrina Babies, (United States) – World Premiere. Katrina Babies is a first-person account of the short-term and long-term devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina, as told by young people who were between the ages of 3 and 19 when the levees broke. Directed by Edward Buckles Jr.. Written by Edward Buckles Jr., Luther Clement Lam, Audrey Rosenberg. Produced by Edward Buckles Jr., Audrey Rosenberg, Rebecca Teitel. With Miesha Williams, Cierra Chenier, Arnold Burks, Damaris Calliet, Calvin Baxter, Quintina Thomas Green. An HBO Documentary Films release. The winner receives $10,000.
NORA EPHRON COMPETITION
“Huesera”
Nora Ephron Award: Michelle Garza Cervera for Huesera, (Mexico) – Feature Narrative, World Premiere. Valeria has long dreamed about becoming a mother. After learning that she’s pregnant, she expects to feel happy, yet something’s off. Nightmarish visions and an unshakeable paranoia have her questioning what she wants, and an ancient evil spirit may be the cause. Directed by Michelle Garza Cervera. Written by Michelle Garza Cervera, Abia Castillo. Produced by Paulina Villavicencio, Edher Campos. With Natalia Solián, Alfonso Dosal, Mayra Batalla, Mercedes Hernández, Aída López, Martha Claudia Moreno. In Spanish with English subtitles. An XYZ release. The winner receives $20,000.
SHORTS COMPETITION
Sigirid Husjord and Ola Hoemsnes Sandum in “Night Ride” (Photo by Vegard Landsverk)
Best Narrative Short: Night Ride (Nattrikken), (Norway) – New York Premiere, Short Narrative. It is a cold night in December. As Ebba waits for the tram, an unexpected turn of events transforms the ride home into something she was not expecting. Directed and written by Eirik Tveiten. Produced by Gaute Lid Larssen, Heidi Arnesen. With Sigrid Husjord, Ola Hoemsnes Sandum, Axel Barø Aasen. In Norwegian with English subtitles. The winner receives $5,000.
“Heart Valley” (Photo Christopher Cargill)
Best Documentary Short: Heart Valley, (UK, Wales) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. Heart Valley follows a day in the life of solitary Welsh shepherd Wilf Davies. Directed by Christian Cargill. Written by Kiran Sidhu. Produced by Christian Cargill, Lily Wakeley, Kiran Sidhu. With Evan Wilf Davies.
Richard “Mac” McKinney in “Stranger at the Gate” (Photo by Karl Schroder)
Special Jury Mention for Best Documentary Short: Stranger at the Gate, (United States) – New York Premiere, Short Documentary. A U.S. Marine plots a terrorist attack on a small-town American mosque. His plan takes an unexpected turn when he comes face-to-face with the people he sets out to kill. Directed by Joshua Seftel. Produced by Mohannad Malas, Suzanne Hillinger, Conall Jones, Jeremy Mack, Anna Rowe, Eric Nichols. With Bibi Bahrami, Dr. Saber Bahrami, Dana McKinney, Emily McKinney, Richard “Mac” McKinney, Jomo Williams.
“More Than I Remember”
Best Animated Short: More Than I Remember, (United States) – New York Premiere, Short Animation. Fourteen-year-old Mugeni awakes to the sounds of bombs. As her family scatters to the surrounding forests to save themselves, Mugeni finds herself completely alone. Directed by Amy Bench. Written by Mugeni Ornella, Amy Bench, Carolyn Merriman. Produced by Amy Bench, Carolyn Merriman. With Mugeni Ornella. The winner receives $5,000.
Student Visionary: Daydreamers, (Belgium) – North American Premiere, Short Narrative. A father and his daughter are very passionate about motorcycles. An eye condition jeopardizes their shared hobby. Directed by Ante Pask. Written by Ante Pask, Emiel van Wouwe. Produced by Ella Bal, Ante Pask.With Jurgen Delnaet, Flo Martens, Robby Cleiren. In Dutch with English subtitles. The winner receives $5,000.
TRIBECA AUDIO STORYTELLING COMPETITION
“Mother Country Radicals”
Best Audio Storytelling in Nonfiction: Mother Country Radicals.
In 1970, Bernardine Dohrn declared war on the United States. Now, her son Zayd tells the story of how she was radicalized, and became the most wanted woman in America. Created by Zayd Ayers Dohrn, executive produced by Zayd Ayers Dohrn, Jon Favreau, Sarah Geismer, Lyra Smith, Alison Falzetta, Misha Euceph, with sound design by Arwen Nicks, Stephanie Cohn, Ariana Gharib Lee, and Misha Euceph, and music by Andy Clausen.
Special Jury Mention Best Audio Storytelling in Nonfiction: I Was Never There.
Take a trip into the countercultural movements swirling through West Virginia in the 1970s and 80s. Jamie Zelermyer and her mother Karen investigate the shocking disappearance of their friend Marsha “Mudd” Ferber and explore her evolution from suburban housewife to back-to-the-land hippie to drug-dealing bar owner. As mother and daughter venture deeper into the mystery of Marsha’s disappearance, the two process their own history: Jamie reflects on her nontraditional upbringing and Karen reckons with the joyful and complicated consequences of her decisions. Created by Jamie and Karen Zelermeyer, produced by Adesuwa Agbonile, Lindsey Kratochwill, Liz Smith, Alessandra Wollner, edited by Jenny Kaplan and Liz Smith. Executive produced by Jamie Zelermyer, Jenny Kaplan (Wonder Media Network), and Karen Zelermyer, with sound design by Liz Smith.
“The Hollowed Out”
Best Audio Storytelling in Fiction: The Hollowed Out.
When a journalist returns to her hometown to investigate a suspicious accident involving a friend, she finds fractured relationships and mysterious rumors about what’s really going on in her town. Created, written, edited, and produced by Brit and Nick Kewin. Starring Stephanie Costa, Carolyn Taylor, Moynan King, Madison Cheeatow, Shomari Downer, Rodrigo Fernandez-Stoll, with sound design by Justin Helle.
TRIBECA IMMERSIVE COMPETITION
“Kubo Walks the City”
Storyscapes Award: Kubo Walks The City, (France, South Korea) – North American Premiere. Seoul, 1934. Korea is under Japanese occupation. Like “ethno-detectives,” viewers follow in the footsteps of Kubo, a Korean writer, in his urban flânerie. Through caricatures that mock the shortcomings of a Korean society emerging from the poverty and archaisms of the past, explore a city recklessly discovering the modernity and prosperity that come with occupation. Directed by Hayoun Kwon and produced by Innerspace VR. The winner receives $10,000.
Special Jury Mention for Storyscapes Award: EVOLVER, (United Kingdom, France, United States) – World Premiere. EVOLVER from Marshmallow Laser Feast is a collective virtual reality experience which drops audiences deep inside the landscape of the body, following the flow of oxygen through our branching ecosystem, to a single ‘breathing’ cell. Through this transcendental narrative, it becomes clear that breath not only sparks life, but also connects us to the natural world through the cycle of respiration.
Project Creators: Marshmallow Laser Feast, Jonny Greenwood, Meredith Monk, Jóhann Jóhannsson, Howard Skempton. Producers: Nicole Shanahan (Bia-Echo), Edward R. Pressman, and & Sam Pressman (Pressman Film), Terrence Malick (TF Malick Productions), Antoine Cayrol (Atlas V), and Mike Jones (Marshmallow Laser Feast).
“LGBTQ + VR Museum”
New Voices Award: LGBTQ + VR Museum, (United Kingdom, Denmark) – North American Premiere. LGBTQ + VR Museum is the world’s first virtual reality museum dedicated to celebrating the stories and artwork of LGBTQ people by preserving queer personal histories. The museum contains 3D scans of touching personal artifacts, from wedding shoes to a teddy bear, chosen by people in the LGBTQ community and accompanied by their stories told in their own words. The in-person version presented at Tribeca is a never-before-seen multiplayer biometric experience controlled by users’ emotions in real-time. Project Creators: Antonia Forster and Thomas Terkildsen. Producer: Albert Millis.
TRIBECA GAMES COMPETITION
“Thirsty Suitors”
Tribeca Games Award: Thirsty Suitors, (United States) – World Premiere. Jala is a young woman returning home for her sister’s wedding and confronting her past. With wildly varied gameplay, Jala will fight skate punks, random suitors, and ultimately, her exes, in the ultimate battle to heal old hurts and ignite new truths, bringing Jala closer to understanding what she wants from her future. Can she learn to love herself and heal the wounds of her past? Created by Outerloop Games. Published by Annapurna Interactive
Special Jury Mention for Tribeca Games Award: Oxenfree II: Lost Signals (United States) – World Premiere. OXENFREE II: Lost Signals is the mind-bending follow-up to the critically-acclaimed narrative adventure game OXENFREE from Night School Studio. In the small coastal town of Camena, unnaturally occurring electromagnetic waves are causing interference with electrical and radio equipment.
Reluctantly, Riley Poverly returns to her hometown to investigate the mystery. What she finds is more than she bargained for. Created by Night School Studios. Published by Netflix.
HUMAN / NATURE COMPETITION
Edward Buckles Jr. holding a photo in “Katrina Babies” (Photo by Myesha Evon Gardner)
HUMAN / NATURE Award: Katrina Babies, (United States) – World Premiere, presented by Bulleit. Katrina Babies is a first-person account of the short-term and long-term devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina, as told by young people who were between the ages of 3 and 19 when the levees broke. Directed by Edward Buckles Jr.. Written by Edward Buckles Jr., Luther Clement Lam, Audrey Rosenberg. Produced by Edward Buckles Jr., Audrey Rosenberg, Rebecca Teitel. With Miesha Williams, Cierra Chenier, Arnold Burks, Damaris Calliet, Calvin Baxter, Quintina Thomas Green. An HBO Documentary Films release. The winner receives $5,000 and a custom engraved bottle of Bulleit Bourbon.
AT&T PRESENTS UNTOLD STORIES COMPETITION
AT&T Presents Untold Stories: Smoking Tigers, (United States). Over one summer spent at an elite academic bootcamp, a lonely Korean American teenager hides her true identity to fit in, only to discover the bittersweet pains of adulthood. Directed and Written by So Young Shelly Yo. Produced by Guo Guo. Untold Stories is a multi-year, multi-tier alliance between AT&T and the Tribeca Festival that awards $1 million dollars, mentorship, and distribution support to systemically underrepresented filmmakers to produce their films. Smoking Tigers will also be guaranteed a premiere at the 2023 Tribeca Festival, subject to timely delivery of the film and granted a dedicated “first look” opportunity with HBO Max.
TRIBECA X AWARD COMPETITION
“The Beauty of Blackness”
Best Feature for Tribeca X: The Beauty of Blackness. Brand: Sephora. Agency: Epic Digital, VOX Creative, Digitas, Ventureland. Directors: Kianna Moore and Tiffany Johnson. In 1973, Eunice Johnson, the founder of Ebony and Jet, noticed a problem: Black women had to mix their own foundation in order to find a color that matched their skin. To tackle the problem, Johnson launched Fashion Fair, the first national cosmetics company that focused entirely on Black women. The brand triggered a renaissance in style among Black women and the global cosmetics industry took notice. Now, Fashion Fair is staging its comeback as a Black-owned business in a new era defined by massive cultural shifts and increased competition. The Beauty of Blackness follows current Fashion Fair CEO Desiree Rogers and President Cheryl Mayberry McKissack as they face the massive undertaking that goes into reviving an iconic beauty brand amidst a new cultural context and gives a front-row look to how the industry has changed, and how much progress we still have to make.
“The Comeback”
Best Short for Tribeca X: The Comeback. Brand: Apple. Agency: TBWA\Media Arts Lab Shanghai. Director: Zhang Meng. The story follows a disheartened young stunt double-slash-wannabe director, his father, and a rag-tag crew of villagers as they set out to shoot an out-of-this-world movie in hopes of reviving their fading village and making it “internet famous”. This 23-minute heartwarming story is set to encourage everyone to never stop believing in their dreams, even if that dream is as far aways as Mars. Will they succeed in the end? A multi-genre movie mixes up Hollywood sci-fi, traditional Kung Fu action and nostalgic feel-good comedy, entirely shot on iPhone.
“Stories About Helpful People”
Best Series for Tribeca X: Stories About Helpful People. Brand: Zendesk. Creative Studio: Even/Odd. Directors: Sindha Agha, Erin Brethauer, and Tim Hussin. As a customer support company, everything Zendesk does — from how they build their customer experience software to the way they work with customers, is all about being helpful. It’s the spirit they believe in. “Stories About Helpful People” is a series of mini-documentaries and photo stories. It’s a series intended to inspire the Zendesk community to rally around the spirit of helpfulness. In GOLDEN AGE KARATE, a high school student helps a group of senior citizens get through a vulnerable time, by teaching them karate. In ERIC AND THE BEES, a U.S. military veteran discovers that beekeeping helps him cope with PTSD — and teaches other vets the healing powers of the hive.
Best Immersive for Tribeca X: Emerging Radiance: Honoring the Nikkei Farmers of Bellevue. Brand: Meta. Creators: Tani Ikeda and Michelle Kumata. Emerging Radiance, directed by Tani Ikeda and illustrated by Michelle Kumata, celebrates the untold stories of Japanese American strawberry farmer
who lived in Bellevue from 1920 to 1942. With a hand-painted mural and Spark AR Instagram filters, visitors have the opportunity to meet Toshio Ito, Rae Matsuoka Takekawa, and Mitsuko Hashiguchi, three survivors of the World War II incarceration camps, as they share in their own words their connections to the land before World War II, during incarceration, and post-World War II. Produced by Meta Open Arts.
About the Tribeca Festival
The Tribeca Festival, presented by OKX, brings artists and diverse audiences together to celebrate storytelling in all its forms, including film, TV, VR, games, music, and online work. With strong roots in independent film, Tribeca is a platform for creative expression and immersive entertainment. Tribeca champions emerging and established voices; discovers award-winning filmmakers and creators; curates innovative experiences; and introduces new technology and ideas through premieres, exhibitions, talks, and live performances.
The Festival was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in 2001 to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of lower Manhattan following the attacks on the World Trade Center. Tribeca will celebrate its 21st year from June 8–19, 2022.
In 2019, James Murdoch’s Lupa Systems, a private investment company with locations in New York and Mumbai, bought a majority stake in Tribeca Enterprises, bringing together Rosenthal, De Niro, and Murdoch to grow the enterprise.
About the 2022 Tribeca Festival Partners
The 2022 Tribeca Festival is presented by OKX and with the support of our partners: AT&T, Audible, Bayer’s One a Day, Bloomberg Philanthropies, CHANEL, City National Bank, CNN Films, Converse, Diageo, Discovery+, DoorDash, Indeed, Meta, NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Sephora, Spring Studios New York, P&G, United Airlines and Unreal Engine.
June 18, 2022 UPDATE:
AUDIENCE AWARD – NARRATIVE
Babetida Sadjo and Souléymane Sy Savané in “Our Father, the Devil” (Photo by Tinx Chan)
First Place: Our Father, the Devil – Directed by Ellie Foumbi Marie Cissé’s (Babetida Sadjo) troubled past comes calling with the arrival of Father Patrick (Souléymane Sy Savané), an African priest whom she recognizes from a terrifying episode in her homeland.
Second Place: Wes Schlagenhauf Is Dying– Directed by Parker Seaman A personalized video message to a coworker who contracted COVID, ignites an artistic fire in two aspiring directors, inspiring them to take a cross country road trip to visit their sick friend.
AUDIENCE AWARD – DOCUMENTARY
Jason Wilson (pictued at right) in “The Cave of Adullam” (Photo by Greg Harriott)
First Place: The Cave of Adullam– Directed by Laura Checkoway A heartwarming look at Detroit martial arts teacher Jason Wilson, who mentors young Black boys, giving them rare and invaluable experience of being seen and cared for as the vulnerable beings they are.
Second Place: Lift– Directed by David Peterson New York Theatre Ballet’s Project LIFT program has been offering scholarships to homeless, home insecure and at-risk children, exposing them to the beauty and discipline of ballet, often for the first time while helping them develop talent they never knew they had.
AUDIENCE AWARD – ONLINE
Alex Trewhitt in “Cherry” (Photo by Damien Steck)
First Place: Cherry – Directed by Sophia Galibert A driftless and uncommitted 25-year-old in Los Angeles discovers she has only 24 hours to make one of the most consequential decisions of her life, what to do about an unplanned pregnancy.
Second Place: In Her Name– Directed by Sarah Carter Frustrated, aspiring artist Freya has to put her career on hold to care for her formerly famous artist dad. When her estranged, well-heeled sister Fiona shows up, the sisters grapple with the impending demise of their father, reigniting their sibling rivalry.
Robert De Niro and Al Pacino at the 92nd Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on February 9, 2020. (Photo by Rick Rowell/ABC)
Taylor Swift at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on March 14, 2021. (Photo by Francis Specker/CBS)
Pharrell Williams at the iHeartRadio Music Awards at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on March 14, 2019. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Fox/Picture Group)
The following is a press release from the Tribeca Film Festival:
The 2022 Tribeca Festival™ today released the lineup for Talks and Reunions, featuring conversations with critically acclaimed actors, performers, artists, and entertainers.
The Talks program includes Grammy winner Taylor Swift, Grammy winner Pharrell Williams, NBC Late Night host Seth Meyers in conversation with Saturday Night Live’s Aidy Bryant, Tony winner Cynthia Erivo, DJ Steve Aoki, comedian Tig Notaro, photographer and artist JR, director and stand-up comedian W. Kamau Bell, and television writer and producer Phil Rosenthal in conversation with actor and director Alex Edelman.
Tribeca Talks: Directors Series features award-winning actor, director, producer, and screenwriter Tyler Perry in conversation with co-host of CBS Mornings Gayle King, and artist and director Julian Schnabel discussing his groundbreaking 2000 film Before Night Falls. The series also includes a virtual conversation with Academy-winning director, producer, and screenwriter Adam McKay moderated by IndieWire’s Eric Kohn, available exclusively through Tribeca at Home.
“We are excited to present a compelling slate of Talks, Reunions, and Master Classes from leading storytellers across film, television, music, art, and comedy,” said Paula Weinstein, Tribeca’s Chief Content Officer. “Audiences will have the opportunity to hear from a diverse and captivating lineup of award-winning entertainers at the forefront of cultural leadership.
The Tribeca Festival continues its recognition of some of Hollywood’s most celebrated films through Reunions. Headlining the exclusive screenings and panels are award-winning actors Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, who will be joined by director Michael Mann and producer Art Linson to discuss Heat, moderated by journalist and filmmaker Bilge Ebiri. Director Kasi Lemmons, producer Caldecot “Cotty” Chubb, Meagan Good, and additional members of the cast of Eve’s Bayou will celebrate its 25th anniversary and director Todd Haynes, producer Christine Vachon, and actors Ewan McGregor and Micko Westmorland will reunite to celebrate and discuss the 25th Anniversary of Velvet Goldmine.
In honor of the 50 anniversary of the Academy Award-winning classic The Godfather, Tribeca will screen a remastered version of the film that will be introduced by star Al Pacino, who played the unforgettable Michael Corleone.
Additionally, Tribeca is proud to present the second annual Harry Belafonte Voices for Social Justice Award to Academy Award, Emmy, and Grammy-winning artist, actor, author, and activist, Common. The award, an original piece of artwork from Derrick Adams, will be presented by Robert DeNiro. Named for the famed actor, activist, and civil rights leader, the award recognizes those who have used storytelling and the arts to enact change in their communities. Stacey Abrams was the inaugural recipient of the award in 2021.
Finally, Tribeca Talks: Master Classes, a series of free events to engage and learn from film industry veterans, returns with classes on different aspects of the filmmaking process. The series includes a class on documentary directing with Coodie & Chike; discussion with intimacy coordinator Alicia Rodis; conversation with music supervisor Randall Poster; session with former Marvel President & Publisher/AWA Studios CEO Bill Jemas to talk about building a comic book universe; demonstration about the making of The Matrix Awakens: An Unreal Engine 5 Experience with Kim Libreri, CTO of Epic Games; and dialogue with Scott Z. Burns, Dorothy Fortenberry, and the Producers Guild of America on sustainable filmmaking.
Below please find the complete lineup of Tribeca Festival Talks, Reunions, and Master Classes:
Storytellers
Taylor Swift (Photo courtesy of ABC/Image Group LA)
A Conversation with Taylor Swift
Singer, songwriter, producer, and director, Taylor Swift is an 11-time Grammy winner and the only female artist in history to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year three times. Her acclaimed album Folklore was released at the height of the COVID pandemic and stayed at the top of the Billboard 200 album chart for eight weeks. In 2021, Swift released “All Too Well: The Short Film,” which she directed, wrote, produced, and starred in. The video will be screened and followed by a conversation with Swift where she will discuss her approach as a filmmaker.
DATE: Saturday, June 11 TIME: 3:00 PM LOCATION: Beacon Theater
Pharrell in Conversation
Pharrell Williams is a visionary recording artist, producer, songwriter, philanthropist, fashion designer, and entrepreneur. He has been honored with a number of accolades including 13 Grammy Awards, two Academy Award nominations, and Emmy nominations. In this special conversation, Pharrell will discuss his entire ecosystem and what he is focused on now.
DATE: Friday, June 10 TIME: 6:00 PM LOCATION: BMCC
Cynthia Erivo Goes Back to Broadway
Broadway is back and better than ever! In this intimate conversation, Tony Award-winning actors Cynthia Erivo and André De Shields discuss Broadway’s comeback, accompanied by exclusive clips of a forthcoming documentary entitled Back to Broadway (TIME Studios) from director Jamila Ephron, which explores how issues of race, identity, and labor play out in the lives of the people responsible for making New York City the beacon for dreamers, artists, and tourists around the world.
DATE: Sunday, June 12 TIME: 2:00 PM LOCATION: Spring Studios
Seth Meyers in Conversation
Seth Meyers is an Emmy Award-winning writer, New York Times bestselling author, and host of NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers. Meyers began his TV career with Saturday Night Live in 2001, where he was a cast member for 13 seasons. He served as head writer for nine seasons and “Weekend Update” anchor for eight. In 2019, he released his debut standup special, Lobby Baby, on Netflix. Meyers executive produces Peacock’s The Amber Ruffin Show and IFC’s Documentary Now!, and in total has garnered 27 Emmy nominations. His children’s book, I’m Not Scared, You’re Scared, was released in March 2022. He will be joined in conversation with Saturday Night Live cast member Aidy Bryant.
DATE: Monday, June 13 TIME: 8:00 PM LOCATION: Spring Studios
JR: Can Art Change the World?
JR exhibits freely in the streets of the world, catching the attention of people who are not typical museum visitors, from the suburbs of Paris to the slums of Brazil to the streets of New York, pasting huge portraits of anonymous people, from Kibera to Istanbul, from Los Angeles to Shanghai. As Russia invaded Ukraine, JR was inspired to create Valeriia, an image of a five-year-old Ukrainian refugee on a 148-foot-long tarp that was held by hundreds of people in the city of Lviv. The image made the cover of Time magazine and has since been on display in different cities throughout Europe. JR will discuss how this project has been an inspiration to people throughout the world, and the two NFT’s he’s set up to fund the project, with the proceeds supporting refugees exiting Ukraine at different border crossings.
DATE: Thursday, June 9 TIME: 6:00 PM LOCATION: Spring Studios
Phil Rosenthal in Conversation with Alex Edelman
Phil Rosenthal is the creator, executive producer, writer, and host of Somebody Feed Phil, which combines his love of food and travel with his unique humor. He is expanding his love of humor, food, and human connection into his first podcast Naked Lunch launching this Spring, in partnership with Stitcher. This October, he will release his highly anticipated book Somebody Feed Phil: The Book the companion cookbook to his Netflix show. The Everybody Loves Raymond creator will be joined in conversation by actor, writer, and director Alex Edelman.
DATE: Thursday, June 16 TIME: 5:30 PM LOCATION: School of Visual Arts (SVA)
Tig Notaro in Conversation
Tig Notaro is an Emmy and Grammy-nominated stand-up comedian, writer, and actor. Rolling Stone named her one of the “50 best stand-up comics of all time.” Notaro appears in Army of the Dead and Star Trek: Discovery; created and starred in the groundbreaking TV show One Mississippi and in recently released her second HBO stand-up special, Tig Notaro: Drawn. She will discuss her latest project which she co-directed, with wife Stephanie Allynne, Am I OK?, a feature film that will be available later this year on HBO Max.
DATE: Thursday, June 8 TIME: 6:00 PM LOCATION: BMCC
W. Kamau Bell and dream hampton in Conversation
W. Kamau Bell is a stand-up comedian and the director and executive producer of the four-part Showtime documentary, We Need To Talk About Cosby. He also hosts and executive-produces the Emmy Award-winning CNN docu-series United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell. He will be joined in conversation with award-winning filmmaker and writer dream hampton, whose most recent works include the Frameline feature documentary Treasure (2015), the BET docu-series Finding Justice (2019) , and Lifetime’s Emmy nominated Surviving R. Kelly (2019), which broke rating records and earned a Peabody Award. This conversation will be moderated by Double Billing.
DATE: Saturday, June 18 TIME: 4:00 PM LOCATION: School of Visual Arts (SVA)
Steve Aoki in Conversation with Seth Green
Counting over 3 billion music streams to his name, Steve Aoki is a true visionary. Billboard described the 2x-GRAMMY-Nominated artist/DJ/producer and Dim Mak Records founder as “one of the most in-demand entertainers in the world.” Aoki is a tastemaker, entertainer, designer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He will discuss his latest projects with actor Seth Green.
DATE: Monday, June 13 TIME: 6:00 PM LOCATION: Spring Studios
Dade Hayes and Dawn Chmielewski in Conversation
Dade Hayes has specialized in entertainment business coverage as a writer and editor for Deadline where he is a business editor, and reports on financial and corporate news along with streaming, film, television, technology, and advertising. Dawn Chmielewski is a U.S.-based entertainment business correspondent for Reuters, whose work has appeared in some of the nation’s largest publications. The two will discuss their new book, Binge Times, the first comprehensive account of the biggest disruption in the entertainment industry, the shift to streaming. The conversation will be moderated by Emmy and Peabody Award-winning producer Evan Shapiro.
DATE: Saturday, June 18 TIME: 12:00 PM LOCATION: Indeed’s Rising Voices Lounge at Spring Studios
Directors Series
Tyler Perry at the 93rd Academy Awards at Union Station and the Dolby¨ Theatre in Los Angeles on April 25, 2021. (Photo courtesy of ABC)
Gayle King at the world premiere of “Cats” in New York City on December 16, 2019. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Universal Pictures)
Tyler Perry in Conversation with Gayle King
Tyler Perry is an actor, director, screenwriter, producer, playwright, author, and philanthropist. He started his career writing plays, many of which became the inspiration for his films, including the legendary Madea character. In 2019, Perry celebrated the historic opening of Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta. Among his many honors are the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the 2021 Oscars and the Governors Award at the 2020 Emmys. He will discuss his career with accomplished journalist and co-host of CBS MORNINGS, Gayle King.
DATE: Monday, June 13 TIME: 4:00 PM LOCATION: Spring Studios
Before Night Falls: A Screening and Conversation with Julian Schnabel
Julian Schnabel’s award-winning 2000 film Before Night Falls, follows the real-life journey of Cuban poet and novelist Reinaldo Areanas (Javier Bardem). Arenas, an openly gay man, spent two years in prison before escaping Cuba for a new life in New York. The American Film Institute named it one of its top 10 movies of 2000, and Bardem received numerous accolades for his moving performance including an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Tribeca will screen the film with a virtual introduction from Martin Scorsese, and following the screening, Schnabel will discuss the film.
DATE: Sunday, June 12 TIME: To be announced LOCATION: Pier 57
Adam McKay in Conversation with Eric Kohn
Academy Award-winning writer/director/producer Adam McKay made his name in the comedy world as head writer for SNL and later co-wrote and directed films such as Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Step Brothers, The Big Short, and Vice. McKay’s latest feature, Don’t Look Up, received four Academy Award nominations including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay, as well as a WGA Original Screenplay win for McKay. He most recently executive produced and directed the pilot of HBO’s Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty. He will discuss this and his other works with Eric Kohn, Executive Editor and VP, Editorial Strategy at IndieWire. This will be a virtual conversation that will be available through Tribeca at Home.
Reunions
Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in “Heat” (Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures)
Heat – A Special Reunion
The brilliantly written and directed crime drama from Michael Mann follows master criminal Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) as he pulls off a series of heists in LA. In pursuit of McCauley is the obsessive Lieutenant Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino). Both men at the same time are dealing with upheavals in their personal lives and form mutual respect even as they try to derail each other’s plans. After the Screening: A conversation with stars Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, director Michael Mann, and producer Art Linson. Moderated by journalist and filmmaker Bilge Ebiri.
DATE: Friday, June 17 TIME: 7:00 PM LOCATION: United Palace
Eve’s Bayou: 25-Year Reunion
Over the course of a Louisiana summer, 10-year-old Eve (Jurnee Smollett) discovers all is not what it seems when it comes to her father (Samuel L. Jackson) and the rest of their affluent family. This riveting southern drama quickly became one of the most acclaimed and successful independent films of 1997.After the Screening: A conversation with director Kasi Lemmons, producer Caldecot “Cotty” Chubb, Meagan Good (Cisely Batiste), and other members of the cast to be announced. Moderated by filmmaker Torell Shavone Taylor.
DATE: Thursday, June 16 TIME: 7:00 PM LOCATION: School of Visual Arts (SVA)
Velvet Goldmine – 25-Year Reunion
Journalist Arthur Stuart (Christian Bale) investigates the rise and fall of glam rock star Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys Myers), who has disappeared from public life following a death hoax ten years before. This BAFTA Award-winning musical drama was written and directed by Todd Haynes, and also starred Ewan McGregor, Toni Collette, Micko Westmoreland, and Eddie Izzard.After the Screening: A conversation with director Todd Haynes, producer Christine Vachon, Ewan McGregor, and Micko Westmoreland.*
DATE: Friday, June 17 TIME: 7:00 PM LOCATION: BCCM Tribeca
*UPDATE: Ewan McGregor has cancelled his appearance at this event.
The Godfather: A 50th Anniversary Retrospective Featuring Al Pacino
This year the Academy Award-winning masterpiece, The Godfather, celebrates its 50th anniversary. Considered by many to be one of the greatest films of all time, the movie follows the saga of the Corleone crime family led by Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), then later his son Michael (Al Pacino). Tribeca will screen a restoration of the film with an introduction by star Al Pacino.
Date: Thursday, June 16 Time: 7:00 PM Location: United Palace
The Harry Belafonte Voices for Social Justice Award
Common (Photo by Getty Images/Getty Images for Global Citizen)
Common, the Academy Award, Emmy, and Grammy-winning artist, actor, author, and activist, continues to break down barriers with a multitude of critically acclaimed, diverse roles, and continued success in all aspects of his career. Having starred in numerous film and television projects, Common has also worked behind the scenes as an executive producer and on multiple soundtracks for which he has received numerous accolades. Additionally, Common has dedicated countless hours and has been deeply engaged in social justice and advocacy work around mass incarceration, mental health, and voting. He launched The Stardust Kids, an incubator and accelerator collective for emerging artists and creative entrepreneurs, the nonprofit Imagine Justice, and through his Common Ground Foundation, Common is dedicated to empowering high school students from underserved communities to become future leaders. He will be joined in conversation with New York Times columnist and MSNBC political analyst Charles Blow.
DATE: Wednesday, June 15 TIME: 6:00 PM LOCATION: The School of Visual Arts (SVA)
Master Classes
Coodie & Chike
Master Class – Documentary Directing with Coodie & Chike
Fresh off the success of their most recent film, the Kanye West documentary, jeen-yuhs, the Tribeca alumni team of Coodie & Chike return to the festival to discuss the art and ethics of directing documentary films with Loren Hammonds, the Co-Head of Documentary at TIME STUDIO.
DATE: Tuesday, June 14 TIME: 3:00 PM LOCATION: School of Visual Arts (SVA)
Master Class – Intimacy Coordinator Alicia Rodis
Alicia Rodis is one of the pioneers of the Intimacy Coordinator position. A relatively new role in the film industry, Intimacy Coordinators specialize in training performers and industry professionals to better approach intimate scenes. Alicia will delve into the role of an intimacy coordinator and her experiences working on productions like Mare of Easttown, And Just Like That, and Search Party.
DATE: Friday, June 17 TIME: 3:00 PM LOCATION: School of Visual Arts (SVA)
Master Class – Music Supervision with Randall Poster
Over his career Music Supervisor Randall Poster has worked with master filmmakers like Wes Anderson, Todd Haynes, and Martin Scorcese to create some of the most iconic needle drops in film history. In this conversation with Pitchfork contributing editor Jayson Greene, Poster will discuss the role of a Music Supervisor, selecting music for film, and his latest undertaking, The Birdsong Project.
DATE: Wednesday, June 15 TIME: 3:00 PM LOCATION: School of Visual Arts (SVA)
Master Class – Youth Workforce Development
A Master Class for those young people who want to get their start in the film industry but aren’t sure where to turn or how to make inroads. This panel conversation will bring together representatives from creative guilds and industry professionals working in important below-the-line roles to discuss their positions in the filmmaking process and how the next generation of creators can get their start.
DATE: Thursday, June 16 TIME: 3:00 PM LOCATION: School of Visual Arts (SVA) AWA
Master Class: Master the Universe, One Comic Book at a Time
AWA Studios is the independent developer of bold and relevant stories from the world’s most outstanding artists, writers, and artisans. During this class, AWA Studios CEO/ Former Marvel President Bill Jemas, Indie filmmaker Ian Grody, Writer & Director Justin Fair, legendary Marvel Comics Senior Editor Ralph Macchio, and AWA Managing Editor Will Graves will discuss how aspiring artists can build their own comic book universe, one story at a time.
DATE: Monday, June 13 TIME: 3:00 PM LOCATION: School of Visual Arts (SVA)
Master Class: The Matrix Awakens – Revolutionary Real-Time Filmmaking with Epic Games
Witness the future of filmmaking – interactive cinema in a real-time game engine. Join Epic Games CTO Kim Libreri, Epic Games’ Art Director Jerome Platteaux, and Colin Benoit, Cinematic Artist at Epic Games, as they take you through the making of The Matrix Awakens: An Unreal Engine 5 Experience and demonstrate live filming in this iconic simulation, merging art forms and technology to trailblaze a new way of filmmaking.
DATE: Thursday, June 9 TIME: 3:00 PM LOCATION: School of Visual Arts (SVA)
Master Class – Sustainable Filmmaking with the Producers Guild of America
When Scott Z. Burns and Dorothy Fortenberry set out to make their new show Extrapolation for Apple TV+ they didn’t just want to tell a story that revolves around the dangers of climate change, they wanted to make sure they were walking the walk as well – so they set out with the goal to make their shoot carbon neutral. Fortenberry, along with members of the show’s crew, will discuss the trials, tribulations, and successes of making a television show whose production mirrors its story’s focus on climate and sustainability.
DATE: Friday, June 17 TIME: 1:00 PM LOCATION: School of Visual Arts (SVA)
Previously announced: As previously announced, the Tribeca Festival kicks off on June 8 with the world premiere of Halftime, a Netflix documentary by director and Tribeca alum Amanda Micheli that follows global superstar Jennifer Lopez, as she reflects on her milestones and evolution as an artist. Tribeca 2022 closes on June 18 with the world premiere of Loudmouth, a documentary written and directed by Josh Alexander that puts a disruptive spotlight on Reverend Al Sharpton, who has been at the center of the national conversation around race since the late 1980s.
Other Festival highlights include the mid-season premiere of the final season of AMC’s Better Call Saul with Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn, Giancarlo Esposito, and Jonathan Banks; the world premiere of Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby, a feature documentary from director Karam Gill about Lil Baby’s transformational journey from local Atlanta hustler to one of hip-hop’s biggest stars and pop culture’s most important voices for change, followed by a special performance; and live world premiere and conversation with the cast and creators of USG Audio’s The End Up, a podcast series about a tilted near-future where terminal cancer patients who wish to end their suffering must attend a weeklong boot camp starring Himesh Patel, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Merritt Wever, and John Reynolds.
About the Tribeca Festival The Tribeca Festival brings artists and diverse audiences together to celebrate storytelling in all its forms, including film, TV, VR, gaming, music, and online work. With strong roots in independent film, Tribeca is a platform for creative expression and immersive entertainment. Tribeca champions emerging and established voices; discovers award-winning filmmakers and creators; curates innovative experiences; and introduces new technology and ideas through premieres, exhibitions, talks, and live performances. The Festival was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in 2001 to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of lower Manhattan following the attacks on the World Trade Center. Tribeca will celebrate its 21st year from June 8–19, 2022. In 2019, James Murdoch’s Lupa Systems, a private investment company with locations in New York and Mumbai, bought a majority stake in Tribeca Enterprises, bringing together Rosenthal, De Niro, and Murdoch to grow the enterprise.
About the 2022 Tribeca Festival Partners The 2022 Tribeca Festival is supported by our partners: AT&T, Audible, Bayer’s One a Day, Bloomberg Philanthropies, CHANEL, City National Bank, Diageo, DoorDash, Indeed, Meta, NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, and Spring Studios New York.
The 2022 Tribeca Festival™ today announced its line-up for Tribeca Immersive, a global stage for innovation where top creators debut their latest work. Tribeca’s immersive program showcases cinematic and cutting-edge virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, and participatory experiences by top artists who push the boundaries of creative and emotional storytelling.
For the first time ever, Tribeca features a thematically curated selection of experiences that address human beings’ relationship with nature and society through digital art and advanced technology. The stories blend together to generate an interconnected experience, offering festival attendees a breathtaking interactive journey.
The programming includes best-in-class experiences, including EVOLVER, a journey through the inner landscape of the human body from executive producers Edward R. Pressman and Terrence Malick, created by Marshmallow Laser Feast, with music by Jonny Greenwood; Please, Believe Me, an investigation of Lyme disease from Peabody Award Winner Nonny de la Peña; and Plastisapiens, an exploration of how the environment affects human evolution from Miri Chekhanovich, Édith Jorisch, and Dpt.
Three categories of immersive selections (Main Competition, New Voices, and Best of Season) are part of Tribeca this year, running from June 10-19. Main Competition projects are eligible for the juried Storyscapes Award, which honors artists who bridge the gap between technology and storytelling. In addition, Tribeca is introducing the New Voices Award for the immersive program, which is awarded to a first- or second-time XR creator that brings new perspectives and artistic languages to immersive storytelling.
For those able to join the Festival in person this year, the immersive exhibition at Spring Studios (50 Varick Street) features a selection of experiences and installations from all three categories. Outdoor immersive installations are also located at various destinations throughout New York City. For at-home audiences with access to VR headsets, immersive experiences can be accessed via a virtual exhibition at The Museum of Other Realities* – a digital extension of the in-person gallery experience, reflecting main themes from this year’s line-up.
“Tribeca Festival’s immersive programming showcases creators using the latest in technology to tell their stories,” said Casey Baltes, Vice President Tribeca Games & Immersive. “The projects we’ve curated push the boundaries of XR in both physical and digital exhibitions for audiences in New York City and around the globe.”
“Each experience presented at Tribeca’s immersive exhibition encompasses a standalone reality, represents a cause, or serves as an embassy to a world where users have agency — a chance to act: bear witness, make a statement, reach out, or simply play,” said Ana Brzezińska, Immersive Curator at Tribeca Festival. “We invite everyone to visit the virtual worlds created by artists, who take us on a meaningful journey of their vision, and tell evocative stories that demand to be told, carried in silence, or inherited through generations.
*The Museum of Other Realities is available for Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Valve Index and Windows Mixed Reality users. Oculus Quest users can access using Oculus Link or the Virtual Desktop application that connects a wireless headset with a VR-ready PC.
The 2022 Tribeca Festival Immersive Line-up includes:
MAIN COMPETITION
These experiences include the best-in-class World, North American, and United States premieres from leading XR creators and studios, visual and performing artists in competition.
“Kubo Walks the City”
EVOLVER, (United Kingdom, France, United States) – World Premiere. EVOLVER is a mesmerizing virtual reality experience that celebrates our journey through life and death through the inner landscape of the human body. This musical real-time multiplayer experience invites audiences to follow oxygen’s flow deep into our bloodstream and inner branching, exploring the invisible human connection with the outside world. From Executive Producers Edward R. Pressman and Terrence Malick. Featuring Meredith Monk, Jóhann Jóhannsson, Howard Skempton, and music by Jonny Greenwood.
Project Creators: Marshmallow Laser Feast, Jonny Greenwood, Meredith Monk, Jóhann Jóhannsson, Howard Skempton
Producers: Nicole Shanahan (Bia-Echo), Edward R. Pressman & Sam Pressman (Pressman Film), Terrence Malick (TF Malick Productions), Antoine Cayrol (Atlas V), Mike Jones (Marshmallow Laser Feast)
Intravene, (United Kingdom, Canada) – World Premiere. Intravene is an immersive audio experience that uses binaural 360-degree audio to plunge listeners into the heart of the overdose crisis in Vancouver, Canada. Episode 1, “Benzos,” drops listeners into a safe injection site in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, where a user inadvertently injects a hit contaminated with benzos. Intravene is a groundbreaking partnership between immersive and documentary experts, and drug user activists: DARKFIELD, Crackdown, and Brenda Longfellow.
Kubo Walks The City, (France, South Korea) – North American Premiere. Seoul, 1934. Korea is under Japanese occupation. Like “ethno-detectives,” viewers follow in the footsteps of Kubo, a Korean writer, in his urban flânerie. Through caricatures that mock the shortcomings of a Korean society emerging from the poverty and archaisms of the past, explore a city recklessly discovering the modernity and prosperity that come with occupation. Directed by Hayoun Kwon and produced by Innerspace VR.
Project Creator: Hayoun Kwon
Producer: Innerspace VR
Missing Pictures Ep. 3-5, (France, United Kingdom, Taiwan, Republic of China, Luxembourg, South Korea) – World Premiere. For every movie made, dozens of pictures remain missing forever. Missing Pictures gives directors a chance to tell a story that would otherwise never be told. Each episode invites one filmmaker to narrate some key points of the movie, why the movie is important for them, and why it was never made. Missing Pictures brings to life unmade films by Abel Ferrara, Tsai Ming-Liang, Catherine Hardwicke, Lee Myung-Se, and Naomi Kawase.
Project Creators: Clément Deneux, Joseph Beauregard
Producers: Atlas V, Arte France, BBC, PTS Taiwan, Serendipity Films, Wild Fang Films, Giioii
Mushroom Cloud NYC / RISE, (United States) – World Premiere. Mushroom Cloud NYC / RISE is a site-specific AR experience by artist Nancy Baker Cahill. Witness a mushroom cloud explode over the water and then slowly transform against the sky into a call to collective action against climate change. The NYC edition is custom geolocated for Tribeca with an accompanying original NFT video work entitled, RISE, marking the first NFT created from an XR festival experience.
Project Creator: Nancy Baker Cahill
Producer: Shaking Earth Digital
Please, Believe Me, (United States) – World Premiere. Thirty years ago, Vicki Logan was diagnosed with the recently identified Lyme Disease. When she didn’t recover with antibiotics, one doctor stood by her side while others in the medical establishment turned against Lyme patients who complained of symptoms after receiving standard treatment. This VR piece investigates Vicki’s tragic case and explores why the scientific community stopped believing patients.
Project Creator: Nonny de la Peña
Producers: Kim Cleworth, Dan Brower, Charlie Park
ReachYou, (United States, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Colombia) – World Premiere. ReachYou is an augmented reality transmission from the future built for the tenderness of the present. ReachYou comes from a future when Earth is no longer habitable. Each transmission delivers an important message, asking users to contribute their own stories and share their griefs and gratitudes, integrating you into a larger, ever-evolving Human Record.
Zanzibar: Trouble in Paradise, (United States, Tanzania) – World Premiere. This immersive holographic experience tells the story of two women who gained financial independence in a male-dominated culture through seaweed farming – an ingredient found in everything from ice cream to medicine. When climate change decimated the seaweed, their resilience and strength enabled them to pivot to growing sponges. Then climate change killed the sponges. This film illustrates the impact it has on those who are less likely to have their voices heard.
These experiences feature 2021/2022 premieres from first- and second-time extended reality (XR) directors in competition.
“Iago: The Green-Eyed Monster”
Emerging Radiance: Honoring The Nikkei Farmers Of Bellevue, (United States) – New York Premiere. Emerging Radiance, directed by Tani Ikeda and illustrated by Michelle Kumata, celebrates the untold stories of Japanese American strawberry farmers who lived in Bellevue from 1920 to 1942. With a hand-painted mural and Spark AR Instagram filters, visitors have the opportunity to meet Toshio Ito, Rae Matsuoka Takekawa, and Mitsuko Hashiguchi, three survivors of the World War II incarceration camps, as they share in their own words their connections to the land before World War II, during incarceration, and post-World War II. Produced by Meta Open Arts.
Project Creators: Tani Ikeda, Michelle Kumata
Producer: Tamar Benzikry (Meta Open Arts)
Iago: The Green Eyed Monster, (United States, Argentina) – World Premiere. This musical prequel to a futuristic take on Shakespeare’s Othello explores the psychology and origin story of the notorious villain Iago reimagined as a woman. Reviewing holographic memories, Iago muses on her schemes in a rock opera villain song that incorporates Shakespeare’s original words into the lyrics. As her song crescendos, Iago is consumed by her jealousy and literally becomes “the green-eyed monster,” destroying everyone and everything in her path to vengeance.
Project Creators: Mary Chieffo, Josh Nelson Youssef, Camila Marturano, Julian Dorado, Kush Mody
Producers: Juvee Productions, 3Dar, Verizon
LGBTQ + VR Museum, (United Kingdom, Denmark) – North American Premiere. LGBTQ + VR Museum is the world’s first virtual reality museum dedicated to celebrating the stories and artwork of LGBTQ people by preserving queer personal histories. The museum contains 3D scans of touching personal artifacts, from wedding shoes to a teddy bear, chosen by people in the LGBTQ community and accompanied by their stories told in their own words. The in-person version presented at Tribeca is a never-before-seen multiplayer biometric experience controlled by users’ emotions in real-time.
Project Creators: Antonia Forster, Thomas Terkildsen
Producer: Albert Millis
LIMBOTOPIA, (Taiwan, Republic of China) – World Premiere. Illusion, Karma, Apocalypse, Autism. Limbotopia is a surrealist animated VR film from first-time Taiwanese director Hsieh Wen-Yee. Based on the architectural design of Limbotopia, the experience takes you on a dream-like journey through a mysterious city. When a real location in Taiwan disappears due to the environmental crisis, the physical city reemerges on the other side.
Project Creator: Wen-Yee Hsieh, Chun-Lien Cheng
Producer: Wen-Yee Hsieh
Mescaform Hill: The Missing Five, (Canada, US) – World Premiere. When several policemen disappear in an African town, a Road Safety cadet attempts to prove himself by investigating against his superior’s orders but discovers far more than he expected. Mescaform Hill: The Missing Five is a VR animated graphic novel created for the Oculus platform by Edward Madojemu.
Project Creators: Edward Madojemu, Adam Madojemu
Producer: Ryan Genji Thomas (Meta)
Planet City VR, (China, United States) – International Premiere. Planet City VR is set in a fictional city of 10 billion people — the entire population of earth. The world has succumbed to global-scale wilderness and surrendered its stolen lands. The city’s creation story, narrated by a young climate activist and one of the city’s first citizens, is an extraordinary tale of tomorrow and an urgent examination of the environmental questions facing us today.
Project Creator: Liam Young
Producers: Well Played Studios (Elliot Ordower), HTC Vive Arts
Plastisapiens, (Canada, Israel) – World Premiere. Platisapiens is a surrealist work of eco-fiction, an invitation to explore human influences on the environment, and, inversely, an exploration of how the environment affects human evolution. This speculative, playful, and ironic piece imagines a future where plastic and organic life merge to create a new life form. Viewers will journey back into prehistory to discover that they share the same origins as plastic until they finally mutate into Plastisapiens, and discover the Plastosphere.
The Black Movement Library – Movement Portraits, (United States) – World Premiere. The Black Movement Library-Movement Portraits serve as a way to learn about the lives of performers contributing their movement data to the Black Movement Library, taking viewers on a journey through each portrait. What happens when we ritualize the archival process of data collection and invite the community as a witness? Using motion capture and Unreal Engine, performers send their movement data to be translated into visuals in real-time.
Project Creator: LaJuné McMillian
Producers: Brooklyn Public Library, National Endowment for the Arts, Sundance Institute, The Andy Warhol Foundation For Visual Arts, Jerome Foundation, Times Square Arts, Bitforms Gallery and Movement Lab Barnard
This Is Not A Ceremony, (Canada) – New York Premiere. Witness an unforgettable cinematic VR experience, guided with care and kindness by tricksters, matriarchs, and buffalo, as they confront the darker sides of life in Canada while Indigenous. This is Not a Ceremony calls on all who’ve watched to bear witness, and share what they’ve seen and heard—and to never forget.
Project Creator: Ahnahktsipiitaa (Colin Van Loon)
Producer: NFB (Dana Dansereau)
BEST OF SEASON
These selections include the best immersive experiences presented in 2021.
Container (South Africa) – New York Premiere. Positioned at the intersection of virtual reality and installation art, Container takes viewers on an ever-transforming journey, beginning at Clifton Beach, Cape Town, where lie the graves of the 221 enslaved men and women who drowned in shackles when a slave ship sank in 1794. Through a mix of documentary and constructed reality, viewers are taken on an unknown journey into the world of products and people.
Project Creator: Simon Wood, Meghna Singh
Producers: Ingrid Kopp, Steven Markovitz, Caitlin Robinson
End of Night, (Denmark) – North American Premiere. 1943. You are sitting in a boat with Josef. He is rowing from Nazi-occupied Denmark to safety in neutral Sweden. As the boat crosses the ocean, the sea gives way to the streets and the people that inhabit his mind. Your journey together becomes a living landscape of the painful recollections from the night of his escape. As dawn draws near, you will witness the trauma of his escape and the grueling choices that those on the run make in order to survive.
Project Creator: David Adler
Producers: MAKROPOL (Mikkel Skov, Mads Damsbo)
Exhibition A, (United States) – New York Premiere. A love letter to women of color written in virtual reality, Exhibition A showcases talent fromthe POC, immigrant, non-binary, LGBTQ, and Black communities in Portland, Maine to benefit Coded by Young Women of Color (CYWOC). Play as glittering avatars amidst intimate performances, including Veeva Banga’s Afrobeats Dance, “Kiwi Drip” performed by Adrienne Mack-Davis and Felicia Cruz, spoken word from Portland’s Poet Laureate Maya Williams,
“Diamonds” by JanaeSound, and interactive 3D design by Nick Hall/Tripdragon.
Glimpse, (Ireland, United Kingdom, France) – North American Premiere. Glimpse is an animated interactive VR experience starring Taron Egerton and Lucy Boynton, directed by Academy Award® winning Writer and Director Benjamin Cleary and VR Creator Michael O’Connor. A highly emotive, visual feast, Glimpse is set in the imaginative mind of a heartbroken panda and illustrator, Herbie, who has recently broken up with his deer girlfriend, Rice. Through Herbie’s art, viewers delve back through the memories of their relationship.
Project Creators: Benjamin Cleary, Michael O’Connor
Producers: Michael O’Connor, Raphael Penasa, Lee Harris
In addition to Festival Laurels, winners of the Main Competition and New Voices awards will receive artwork by a comic illustrator and cover artist from AWA (Artists, Writers & Artisans).
As previously announced, the Tribeca Festival kicks off on June 8 with the world premiere of HALFTIME, a Netflix documentary by director and Tribeca alum Amanda Micheli that follows global superstar Jennifer Lopez, as she reflects on her milestones and evolution as an artist. Tribeca 2022 closes on June 18 with the world premiere of Loudmouth, a documentary written and directed by Josh Alexander that puts a disruptive spotlight on Reverend Al Sharpton, who has been at the center of the national conversation around race since the late 1980s.Other Festival highlights include the mid-season premiere of the final season of AMC’s Better Call Saul with Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn, Giancarlo Esposito, and Jonathan Banks; the world premiere of Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby, a feature documentary from director Karam Gill about Lil Baby’s transformational journey from local Atlanta hustler to one of hip-hop’s biggest stars and pop culture’s most important voices for change, followed by a special performance; live world premiere and conversation with the cast and creators of USG Audio’s The End Up, a podcast series about a tilted near-future where terminal cancer patients who wish to end their suffering must attend a weeklong boot camp starring Himesh Patel, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Merritt Wever, and John Reynolds; and a special live playthrough of interactive thriller Immortality by renowned video game writer and designer Sam Barlow.
As previously announced, the Tribeca Festival kicks off on June 8 with the world premiere of Halftime, a Netflix documentary by director and Tribeca alum Amanda Micheli that follows global superstar Jennifer Lopez, as she reflects on her milestones and evolution as an artist. Tribeca 2022 closes on June 18 with the world premiere of Loudmouth, a documentary written and directed by Josh Alexander that puts a disruptive spotlight on Reverend Al Sharpton, who has been at the center of the national conversation around race since the late 1980s.
Other Festival highlights include the mid-season premiere of the final season of AMC’s Better Call Saul with Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn, Giancarlo Esposito, and Jonathan Banks; the world premiere of Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby, a feature documentary from director Karam Gill about Lil Baby’s transformational journey from local Atlanta hustler to one of hip-hop’s biggest stars and pop culture’s most important voices for change, followed by a special performance; and live world premiere and conversation with the cast and creators of USG Audio’s The End Up, a podcast series about a tilted near-future where terminal cancer patients who wish to end their suffering must attend a weeklong boot camp starring Himesh Patel, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Merritt Wever, and John Reynolds.For the latest updates on programming for the 2022 Tribeca Festival, follow @Tribeca on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn or visit tribecafilm.com/festival and sign up for the official Tribeca newsletter.
Press Credentials Media interested in covering the festival may submit a press credential application on Tribeca’s press site. The deadline to apply is Friday, May 6, 2022.
About the Tribeca Festival The Tribeca Festival brings artists and diverse audiences together to celebrate storytelling in all its forms, including film, TV, VR, gaming, music, and online work. With strong roots in independent film, Tribeca is a platform for creative expression and immersive entertainment. Tribeca champions emerging and established voices; discovers award-winning filmmakers and creators; curates innovative experiences; and introduces new technology and ideas through premieres, exhibitions, talks, and live performances.
The Festival was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in 2001 to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of lower Manhattan following the attacks on the World Trade Center. Tribeca will celebrate its 21st year from June 8–19, 2022.
In 2019, James Murdoch’s Lupa Systems, a private investment company with locations in New York and Mumbai, bought a majority stake in Tribeca Enterprises, bringing together Rosenthal, De Niro, and Murdoch to grow the enterprise.
About the 2022 Tribeca Festival Partners The 2022 Tribeca Festival is supported by our partners: AT&T, Audible, Bayer’s One a Day, Bloomberg Philanthropies, CHANEL, City National Bank, Diageo, DoorDash, Indeed, Meta, NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, and Spring Studios New York.
The 2022 Tribeca Festival™ today unveiled its official Games selections, which celebrate the convergence of games, entertainment, and culture. This year’s lineup features nine titles that demonstrate phenomenal storytelling, art, and innovation through interactive experiences. Each selection will vie for the Tribeca Games Award, which honors an unreleased game for its excellence in art and storytelling through design, artistic mastery, and highly immersive worlds.
The games program features the world premieres of Immortality, an interactive trilogy in which players can explore the legend of Marissa Marcel, a film star who disappeared, through her work; OXENFREE II: Lost Signals, the mind-bending follow up to the critically acclaimed narrative adventure OXENFREE, from Night School Studio; and Cuphead – The Delicious Last Course, another helping of classic Cuphead action with new weapons, magical charms, and more.
“This year’s selections represent the incredible range of how games prove to be a powerful form of storytelling,” said Vice President of Tribeca Games and Immersive Casey Baltes. “We’re continuing to expand how audiences and players interact with games, not only as entertainment but as one of the most impactful cultural mediums.
In 2021, Tribeca Festival featured its first ever Official Selections for Games, including Ember Lab’s visually stunning Kena: Bridge of Spirits; Luis Antonio’s interactive thriller Twelve Minutes, starring James McAvoy, Daisy Ridley, and Willem Dafoe; and the inaugural Tribeca Games Award winner, NORCO, which was praised by critics upon its release in March 2022 for its brilliant, narrative-rich experience.
From June 11-19, the Tribeca Festival once again offers digital experiences for global audiences powered by Parsec. Those able to join the Festival in person this year will be the first to experience a playable Games Gallery featuring demos, art, and artifacts for this year’s selections, hosted at Tribeca Festival’s hub, Spring Studios (50 Varick Street).
Additionally, the Tribeca Games Spotlight, an online showcase of this year’s official selections, features never-before-seen footage and interviews from the creators of the official sections as part of the Summer Game Fest — a free, all-digital global celebration of video games streaming online. Games fans across the globe can tune in on June 10 at 3pm EDT via Tribeca’s website, major streaming platforms, and summergamefest.com.
The 2022 Tribeca Festival Games Official Selections are as follows:
American Arcadia, (Spain, Greece, Brazil) – World Premiere. Welcome to Arcadia! A 70s retro-futuristic metropolis where all of its citizens enjoy a life of luxury and comfort… unaware that they’re being broadcast live 24/7! Arcadia is not an ordinary city, but the most-watched reality show on the planet—where a drop in popularity ratings comes at the highest cost: death. Uncover the truth and escape with your life from a televised utopia in Out of the Blue’s brand new puzzle platformer game. Developer: Out of the Blue Studios Publisher: Raw Fury
As Dusk Falls, (United Kingdom) – World Premiere. As Dusk Falls is an original interactive drama from INTERIOR/NIGHT that explores the entangled lives of two families across thirty years in small-town Arizona. Starting with a robbery-gone-wrong, the choices you make will have a powerful impact on the characters’ lives in this story of betrayal, sacrifice, and resilience. Developer: INTERIOR/NIGHT Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
The Cub, (Serbia, United States, Poland) – World Premiere. Welcome to Earth after The Great Climate Catastrophe, where only the ultra-rich managed to evacuate to Mars. Decades have passed and those on Mars venture back to Earth to collect specimens like a safari hunt. As the Cub, a mutant orphan immune to the toxins that killed off most of humanity, players will be relentlessly hunted by a science expedition and must run to safety amongst the ruins of Earth. Featuring an original soundtrack program, Radio Nostalgia from Mars. Developer: Demagog Studio Publisher: Untold Tales
Cuphead – The Delicious Last Course, (Canada, United States) – World Premiere. Another helping of classic Cuphead action awaits you in Cuphead – The Delicious Last Course. Brothers Cuphead and Mugman are joined by the clever, adventurous Ms. Chalice for a rollicking adventure on a previously undiscovered Inkwell Isle. With the aid of new weapons, magical charms, and Ms. Chalice’s unique abilities, assist the jolly Chef Saltbaker and take on a new cast of fearsome, larger-than-life bosses in Cuphead’s final challenging quest. Developer and Publisher: Studio MDHR
Immortality, (United States) – World Premiere. Marissa Marcel was a film star. She made three movies. But none of the movies were ever released. And then Marissa Marcel disappeared. After discovering rare footage from her three lost movies — Ambrosio (1968), Minsky (1970) and Two of Everything (1999) — award-winning Game Director Sam Barlow (Her Story, Telling Lies) has assembled an interactive trilogy in which players can explore the legend of Marissa Marcel through her work. Developer and Publisher: Half Mermaid
OXENFREE II: Lost Signals, (United States) – World Premiere. OXENFREE II: Lost Signals is the mind-bending follow-up to the critically-acclaimed narrative adventure game OXENFREE from Night School Studio. In the small coastal town of Camena, unnaturally occurring electromagnetic waves are causing interference with electrical and radio equipment. Reluctantly, Riley Poverly returns to her hometown to investigate the mystery. What she finds is more than she bargained for. Developer: Night School Studio Publisher: Netflix
A Plague Tale: Requiem, (France) – World Premiere. This direct sequel to A Plague Tale: Innocence follows Amicia and her brother Hugo on a heartrending journey into a breathtaking, brutal medieval world twisted by supernatural forces as they discover the cost of saving loved ones in a desperate struggle for survival. Strike from the shadows or unleash hell, and overcome foes and challenges with a variety of weapons, tools, and unearthly powers. A Plague Tale: Requiem will be released in 2022 on consoles and PC. Developer: Asobo Studio Publisher: Focus Entertainment
Thirsty Suitors, (United States) – World Premiere. Jala is a young woman returning home for her sister’s wedding and confronting her past. With wildly varied gameplay, Jala will fight skate punks, random suitors, and ultimately, her exes, in the ultimate battle to heal old hurts and ignite new truths, bringing Jala closer to understanding what she wants from her future. Can she learn to love herself and heal the wounds of her past? Developer: Outerloop Games Publisher: Annapurna Interactive
Venba, (Canada) – World Premiere. Venba is a narrative cooking game centered around an Indian mom who immigrates to Canada with her family in the 1980s. Players will cook various dishes, restore lost recipes, engage in branching conversations, and explore a story about family, love, loss, and more. Developer: Visai Games
In addition to Festival Laurels, the winner of the Tribeca Games Award will receive artwork by a comic illustrator and cover artist from AWA (Artists, Writers & Artisans).
As previously announced, the Tribeca Festival kicks off on June 8 with the world premiere of Halftime, a Netflix documentary by director and Tribeca alum Amanda Micheli that follows global superstar Jennifer Lopez, as she reflects on her milestones and evolution as an artist. Tribeca 2022 closes on June 18 with the world premiere of Loudmouth, a documentary written and directed by Josh Alexander that puts a disruptive spotlight on Reverend Al Sharpton, who has been at the center of the national conversation around race since the late 1980s.
Other Festival highlights include the mid-season premiere of the final season of AMC’s Better Call Saul with Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn, Giancarlo Esposito, and Jonathan Banks; the world premiere of Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby, a feature documentary from director Karam Gill about Lil Baby’s transformational journey from local Atlanta hustler to one of hip-hop’s biggest stars and pop culture’s most important voices for change, followed by a special performance; and live world premiere and conversation with the cast and creators of USG Audio’s The End Up, a podcast series about a tilted near-future where terminal cancer patients who wish to end their suffering must attend a weeklong boot camp starring Himesh Patel, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Merritt Wever, and John Reynolds. For the latest updates on programming for the 2022 Tribeca Festival, follow @Tribeca on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn or visit tribecafilm.com/festival and sign up for the official Tribeca newsletter.
About the Tribeca Festival The Tribeca Festival brings artists and diverse audiences together to celebrate storytelling in all its forms, including film, TV, VR, gaming, music, and online work. With strong roots in independent film, Tribeca is a platform for creative expression and immersive entertainment. Tribeca champions emerging and established voices; discovers award-winning filmmakers and creators; curates innovative experiences; and introduces new technology and ideas through premieres, exhibitions, talks, and live performances.
The Festival was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in 2001 to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of lower Manhattan following the attacks on the World Trade Center. Tribeca will celebrate its 21st year from June 8–19, 2022.
In 2019, James Murdoch’s Lupa Systems, a private investment company with locations in New York and Mumbai, bought a majority stake in Tribeca Enterprises, bringing together Rosenthal, De Niro, and Murdoch to grow the enterprise.
About the 2022 Tribeca Festival Partners The 2022 Tribeca Festival is supported by our partners: AT&T, Audible, Bayer’s One a Day, Bloomberg Philanthropies, CHANEL, City National Bank, Diageo, DoorDash, Indeed, Meta, NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, and Spring Studios New York.
The following is a press release from the Tribeca Film Festival:
The 2022 Tribeca Festival™ today announced its lineup of world premieres of new and returning television, original scripted audio, and original indie episodic series. The Festival, which takes place June 8-19, will present a selection of highly anticipated programs at the forefront of innovative storytelling.
Tribeca brings the festival experience to the world of television by serving as a platform for fans to experience premieres of current and future favorites, along with live conversations featuring casts and creators. This year’s TV lineup features nine series premieres and two first looks at returning favorites, including ESPN’s The Captain, about iconic New York Yankee Derek Jeter; Amazon Prime Video’s A League of Their Own, inspired by the 1992 film, with Abbi Jacobson; Hulu’s Victoria’s Secret: Angels and Demons, a provocative exposé of Victoria’s Secret; HBO Max’s Menudo: Forever Young, a behind-the-scenes look at the multi-generational pop sensation; FX’s The Bear, an exhilarating ride through the culinary world; TIME Studios for A&E Network’s Right to Offend, a docuseries about the intrepid Black comedians who used laughter to push social boundaries and cultural change; EPIX’s Bridge and Tunnel, which follows a group of Long Islanders pursuing their Manhattan dreams, written and directed by Edward Burns; and the mid-season premiere of the final season of AMC’s Better Call Saul with Bob Odenkirk, Giancarlo Esposito, and Jonathan Banks.
Tribeca’s NOW program unearths compelling independent episodic work, including short and long-form pilots and series. The 2022 NOW showcase focuses on six standout selections, including The Green Veil, a scripted anthology series about oppression in America from John Leguizamo and Aram Rappaport, and Cannabis Buyers Club, a dive into the little-known story of the legalization of marijuana in the U.S. and also the most important LGBTQ+ rights struggle of the 20th century from Kip Andersen and Chris O’Connell.
“This year’s TV selections and NOW indie episodic pilots are an impressive array of both short- and long-form narrative and documentary projects. Our diverse network selections will excite everyone from sports fans to TV buffs awaiting premieres of highly anticipated new series to sci-fi animation lovers,” said Tribeca Senior Programmer Liza Domnitz. “The Festival will also give audiences an early glimpse at – what will hopefully become – their next favorite series, with indie projects that include collaborators like John Leguizamo, Kathryn Bigelow, John Early, and Philip Glass.
For the first time, Tribeca’s audio storytelling program is dedicated entirely to scripted content, with a focus on excellence in writing and performance. Tribeca is especially proud to celebrate Pride and Juneteeth by bringing stories from emerging and established Queer and Black creators to the forefront of the scripted audio space.
Tribeca is honored to welcome back Audible as the exclusive Audio Entertainment sponsor of the Festival. Audible celebrates the Tribeca creative community and showcases bold creators who are developing innovative, cinematic audio entertainment. This year, Audible will be debuting their latest dynamic Audible Original as they host the world premiere of The Big Lie. Produced in collaboration with Fresh Produce Media, The Big Lie tells the incredible true story behind Salt of the Earth, a 1950s pro-union film that suffered a conspiracy of active sabotage efforts from the U.S. government, the Hollywood studio system, and Howard Hughes during the “Red Scare.” The series is created by John Mankiewicz and stars Jon Hamm, John Slattery, Ana de la Reguera, Kate Mara, and a full cast.
Included in the audio storytelling lineup is the live world premiere of USG Audio’s The End Up, which stars Himesh Patel, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Merritt Wever, and John Reynolds. The event will be followed by a conversation with the cast and creators, hosted byScott Adsit. The series takes place in a tilted near-future where terminal cancer patients who wish to end their suffering must attend a weeklong boot camp. Two best friends wrestle with their goodbye after one enrolls in the program and the other grows skeptical. Tribeca will also host the world premiere of Radiotopia Presents: My Mother Made Me with creator Jason Reynolds, interviewed by Radiolab’s Jad Abumrad, and the world premiere of the supernatural audio drama Mirage Diner with creator Lauren Shippen interviewed by Welcome to Nightvale’s Dylan Marron.
The Festival will present a live conversation with the cast and creators of Spotify’s Gay Pride & Prejudice, an upcoming scripted romantic comedy series from Gimlet, with Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Maulik Pancholy, Blake Lee, Vella Lovell, Justin Mikita, and Zackary Grady interviewed by Mimi O’Donnell. There will also be a live taping of Radiotopia’s Oprahdemics with creators Kellie Carter Jackson and Leah Wright Riguer with special guest The New York Times’s Wesley Morris, as well as a narrative journalism event on Connie Walker’s Stolen with guest Ryan McMahon.
“Tribeca’s audio storytelling program celebrates audio-forward and sound-rich stories from all scripted genres – from audio drama and scripted comedy, to documentary and narrative journalism,”said Tribeca Curator of Audio Storytelling Davy Gardner. “We’re committed to podcasting’s roots as a creator-first and democratized space where marginalized creators can share stories and find their audiences.”
The Tribeca Festival is curated by Festival Director and VP of Programming Cara Cusumano; Artistic Director Frédéric Boyer; VP of Filmmaker Relations & Shorts Programming Sharon Badal and Head Shorts Programmer Ben Thompson; Senior Programmers Liza Domnitz and Lucy Mukerjee; Programmers José F. Rodriguez and Karen McMullen; VP of Games and Immersive Casey Baltes and Immersive Curator Ana Brzezinska; Curator of Audio Storytelling Davy Gardner; Music Programmer Vincent Cassous; and program advisor Paula Weinstein, along with a team of associate programmers.
The full TV, Audio Storytelling, and NOW lineups are detailed below. For updates on the full slate of programming for the 2022 Tribeca Festival, follow @Tribeca and #Tribeca2022 on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and at tribecafilm.com/festival.
TV
“Bridge & Tunnel” (Photo courtesy of Epix)
The Bear (Hulu) – New Series World Premiere. The Bear follows Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto, a young chef from the fine dining world, who comes home to Chicago to run his family sandwich shop after a heartbreaking death. It’s a comedy about food, family, the insanity of the grind, the beauty of a sense of urgency, and the steep slippery downsides. As Carmy fights to transform the restaurant and himself, his rough-around-the-edges kitchen crew ultimately reveal themselves as his chosen family. Executive produced by Christopher Storer, Joanna Calo, Hiro Murai, Nate Matteson, Josh Senior. With Jeremy Allen White, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri, Abby Elliott, Lionel Boyce, and Liza Colón-Zayas; Edwin Lee Gibson and Matty Matheson in recurring roles.
After the Screening: A conversation with Creator, Co-Showrunner, Executive Producer, Writer, and Director Christopher Storer; Co-Showrunner, Executive Producer, Writer, and Director Joanna Calo; and cast members Jeremy Allen White, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri, Lionel Boyce and Matty Matheson.
Better Call Saul (AMC) – Mid-season World Premiere. Better Call Saul’s final season concludes the complicated journey and transformation of its compromised hero, Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk), into criminal lawyer Saul Goodman. From the cartel to the courthouse, from Albuquerque to Omaha, season six tracks Jimmy, Saul, and Gene as well as Jimmy’s complex relationship with Kim (Rhea Seehorn), who is in the midst of her own existential crisis. Meanwhile, Mike (Jonathan Banks), Gus (Giancarlo Esposito), Nacho (Michael Mando), and Lalo (Tony Dalton) are locked into a game of cat and mouse with mortal stakes. Executive Produced by Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Mark Johnson, Melissa Bernstein, Gordon Smith, Alison Tatlock, Tom Schnauz, Michael Morris, and Diane Mercer.
After the Screening: A conversation with Showrunner, Executive Producer, and Co-Creator Peter Gould, Bob Odenkirk, and Rhea Seehorn.
Bridge and Tunnel (EPIX) – Season 2 World Premiere. Written, directed, and produced by Edward Burns, this dramedy series set in 1980 revolves around a group of college grads setting out to pursue their dreams in Manhattan while still clinging to the familiarity of their working-class Long Island hometown.
After the Screening: A conversation with Writer, Director, and Executive Producer Edward Burns, plus cast members Sam Vartholomeos, Caitlin Stasey, Gigi Zumbado, JanLuis Castellanos, Isabella Farrell, and Brian Muller. Moderated by Mike Vaccaro, lead sports columnist for the New York Post.
The Captain (ESPN) – New Series World Premiere. The Captain is a compelling narrative revealing the man behind the icon – Derek Jeter. Amidst a time of great change in New York City, Derek Jeter’s arrival to the New York Yankees returned a struggling franchise to its traditional perch amongst baseball’s elite. Viewers will be enthralled by the professional and personal triumphs and challenges that not only created a dynasty, but a legend. Executive Produced by Mike Tollin and Spike Lee.
After the Screening: A conversation with series subject and New York Yankee legend, Derek Jeter, and director Randy Wilkins.
The End is Nye (Peacock) – News Series World Premiere. The End is Nye sends Bill Nye into the most epic global disasters imaginable – both natural and unnatural – and then demystifies them using science to show how we can survive, mitigate, and even prevent them. Executive Produced by Seth MacFarlane, Erica Huggins, Brannon Braga, Bill Nye. With Bill Nye.
After the Screening: A conversation with host, science educator, executive producer Bill Nye; director, executive producer, showrunner Brannon Braga; and executive producer and Fuzzy Door President Erica Huggins.
A League of Their Own (Prime Video) – New Series World Premiere. A League of Their Own evokes the joyful spirit of Penny Marshall’s beloved classic, while widening the lens to tell the story of an entire generation of women who dreamed of playing professional baseball. The show takes a deeper look at race and sexuality, following the journey of a whole new ensemble of characters as they carve their own paths towards the field, both in the League and outside of it. Executive Produced by Abbi Jacobson, Will Graham, Hailey Wierengo, Desta Tedros Reff, Jamie Babbit. With Abbi Jacobson, Chanté Adams, D’Arcy Carden, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Roberta Colindrez, Kelly McCormack, and Priscilla Delgado, Molly Ephraim, Kate Berlant, Melanie Field.
After the Screening: A conversation with co-creator and executive producer Abbi Jacobson “Carson,” co-creator and executive producer Will Graham, executive producer Desta Tedros Reff, D’Arcy Carden “Greta,” Chanté Adams “Max,” and Gbemisola Ikumelo “Clance.”
Menudo: Forever Young (HBO Max) – New Series World Premiere. The rise and fall of the most iconic Latin American boy band in history, bringing viewers into the world of the popular teen idols’ global tours, magazine covers, ‘80s outfits, and screaming fangirls. But the four-part documentary reveals that behind the glitz and glamour was a web of abuse and exploitation at the hands of the band’s manager, Edgardo Diaz. Through revealing interviews with ex-Menudo members, the film examines how this extravagant facade was disguising serious wrongdoings by Diaz. Executive produced by Cristina Costantini and Jeff Plunkett of Muck Media, Alex Fumero of Trojan Horse, Bryn Mooser and Justin Lacob of XTR, and Angel Manuel Soto; co-executive producers are Maura Anderson and Kristofer Rios.
After the Screening: A conversation with directors Angel Manuel Soto and Kris Rios, with members of Menudo.
Pantheon (AMC) – New Series World Premiere. Bullied teen Maddie receives mysterious help from someone online revealed to be her deceased father, whose consciousness has been uploaded. He is the first “Uploaded Intelligence,” beginning a global conspiracy. Executive Produced by Craig Silverstein, Chris Prynoski, Shannon Prynoski, Antonio Canobbio, Ben Kalina, Juno Lee. With Daniel Dae Kim, Katie Chang, Paul Dano, Rosemarie DeWitt, Aaron Eckhart, Taylor Schilling, Ron Livingston, Chris Diamantopoulos, Raza Jaffrey, Scoot McNairy.
After the Screening: A conversation with creator, showrunner, and executive producer Craig Silverstein.
Right to Offend: The Black Comedy Revolution (TIME Studios for A&E Network) – New Series World Premiere. The two-part documentary event Right to Offend: The Black Comedy Revolution explores the progression of Black comedy and the comedians who have used pointed humor to expose, challenge, and ridicule society’s injustices and to articulate the Black experience in America. The series examines Black comedy through a unique lens, tracing the evolution and social awakening of the courageous comedians who dared to push against the constraints of their time and spoke truth to power. Executive produced by Alexa Conway, Mario Diaz, Loren Hammonds, Lance Nichols, Ian Orefice, Jessica Sherif, Brad Abramson, and Elaine Frontain Bryant. Co-directed by Mario Diaz and Jessica Sherif.
After the Screening: A conversation with comedian Alonzo Bodden, Dick Gregory’s son Christian Gregory, Richard Pryor’s son Richard Pryor Jr, co-director and executive producer Mario Diaz, co-director and executive producer Jessica Sherif, and executive producer Loren Hammonds.
Supreme Team (SHOWTIME) – World Premiere. Directed by Nasir “Nas” Jones and Peter J Scalettar, Supreme Team is a three-part limited docuseries that takes an in-depth look at the notorious Queens, New York gang, and tells the real story from the mouths of its two leaders and family members, Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff and Gerald “Prince” Miller.
After the Screening: A conversation with co-directors Nasir (Nas) Jones and Peter J. Scalettar.
Victoria’s Secret: Angels and Demons (Hulu) – New Series World Premiere. Investigated with journalistic rigor, Matt Tyrnauer directs this searing and provocative exposé of the Victoria’s Secret brand as well as their then CEO, the larger-than-life, enigmatic billionaire, Les Wexner. Truth is not what it seems; as the underworld of fashion, the billionaire class, and Jeffrey Epstein are revealed to all be inextricably intertwined with the fall of this legendary brand. Directed by Matt Tyrnauer. Produced by Corey Reeser.
After the Screening: A conversation with director Matt Tyrnauer.
NOW (Indie Episodic)
NOW Showcase A (Narrative)
“The Green Veil”
The Green Veil, Created by Aram Rappaport (United States) – Episodes 1 & 2 (World Premiere). The story follows Gordon Rogers (John Leguizamo), a federal agent working tirelessly to complete a secretive mission while holding his fracturing family together in picture-perfect post-WWII suburbia.
My Trip to Spain, Created by Theda Hammel (United States) – Episode 1 (New York Premiere). Two friends (Theda Hammel and John Early) reunite one year into the pandemic, as one prepares to get a surgery she hopes will change her life for the better.
Teddy Bear, Created by Sara Shelton, Jed Cohen (United States) – Episode 1 (World Premiere). Best friends Pete and Annie reluctantly head out to a bar to attend a friend’s show. Despite promising each other they’ll leave early, their nights both take a turn when they meet two strangers.
Off Fairfax, Created by Rell Battle and Directed by Erica Eng (United States) – Episode 1 (World Premiere). Quinn Park, still reeling from the sudden disappearance of his Black activist mother 20 years earlier, has dedicated his life to solving local mysteries in his LA neighborhood. Quinn is accompanied by his two best friends to a diner on Fairfax Avenue on his latest hunt to solve the murder of a popular musician, which, as by a twist of fate, ends up shedding light on Quinn’s mother’s disappearance.
NOW Showcase B (Documentary)
“Cannabis Buyers Club”
Cannabis Buyers Club, Created by Kip Andersen and Chris O’Connell (United States) – Episode 1 (World Premiere). Cannabis Buyers Club is the little-known story of the legalization of marijuana in the U.S. and also the most important LGBTQ+ rights struggle of the 20th century. It’s about how a neglected group suffering during the peak of the AIDS pandemic was led by renegade pot dealer, Dennis Peron. Peron fought to legalize medical marijuana and change public opinion in the face of oppression by the police and the right-wing California government.
Year Zero, Created by Zein Zubi, Billy Silva, Pol Rodriguez, Guille Isa (Chile, India, Peru, United States) – Episode 1 (World Premiere). From Executive Producer, Academy Award-winner Kathryn Bigelow comes Year Zero, a three-part documentary series that takes us back to early 2020 and explores the individual experiences of wildly different people around the world and the unexpected connections between them. Filmed by ten filmmakers in ten countries, the series shines a light on the resiliency of the human spirit, all the while, moving the conversation forward by asking, “Where do we go from here?”
AUDIO STORYTELLING
“Oprahdemics”
Special Events:
USG Audio’s The End Up – World Premiere. This cinematic audio series by USG Audio, executive produced by award-winning producer Sam Esmail, takes place in a tilted near-future where terminal cancer patients who wish to end their suffering must attend a weeklong boot camp. Two best friends wrestle with their goodbye after one enrolls in the program and the other grows skeptical. The series stars Himesh Patel, John Reynolds, Merritt Wever, and Marianne Jean-Baptiste.
After the Premiere: A conversation with the cast and creators, moderated by Scott Adsit.
Radiotopia Presents: My Mother Made Me – World Premiere. My Mother Made Me explores the relationship between New York Times best-selling author Jason Reynolds and his mother, Isabell. Through informal interviews and intimate conversation, they wax poetic about what Reynolds was taught as a child as it pertains to ideas around ambition, family, and purpose and how those teachings have evolved with the changing tides of their lives. It’s a love letter to their connection, an homage to parent-child friendship, and a testament to how growth can be perpetual, despite age or circumstance. Reynolds is also the recipient of a Newbery Honor, an NAACP Image Award, and multiple Coretta Scott King honors.
After the Premiere: This special event will feature Reynolds in conversation with “Radiolab” creator and audio trailblazer Jad Abumrad.
Lauren Shippen’s Mirage Diner – World Premiere. Join us for the world premiere of this supernatural audio dramedy about a diner that travels through time and space in twentieth-century America. The series follows the workers of the diner and a revolving cast of patrons against the sonic backdrop of surrealist Americana and will be the first weekly fiction show from Atypical Artists.
After the Premiere: A discussion with Lauren Shippen and cast moderated by Welcome to Nightvale’s Dylan Marron.
Spotify – Gimlet’s Stolen – In season one, Connie examined the unsolved disappearance of Jermain Charlo, a 23-year-old Indigenous mother from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, who went missing in Missoula, Montana, in 2018. In season two of Stolen, Connie Walker digs deep into her own past to uncover how her family’s story fits into one of Canada’s darkest chapters: the Indigenous residential school system.
After the Episode Sneak Peek: A conversation with Connie Walker moderated by Ryan McMahon.
Live from Tribeca: Radiotopia’s Oprahdemics – Kellie Carter Jackson and Leah Wright Riguer are historians, best friends, and Oprah obsessives. In this podcast, they go through their picks for the most iconic episodes from the decades-long run of the Oprah Winfrey Show. From book club controversies to diet fads and wars with the meat industry, conversations about police brutality and sexuality… and of course big giveaways…
This is a live taping with hosts Kellie Carter Jackson and Leah Wright Riguer with special guest The New York Times’s Wesley Morris.
Audible’s The Big Lie – World Premiere. The Big Lie tells the incredible true story behind Salt of the Earth, a 1950s pro-union film that suffered a conspiracy of active sabotage efforts from the US Government, the Hollywood Studio System, and Howard Hughes during the “Red Scare.” Created by John Mankiewicz and produced in collaboration with Fresh Produce. Starring Jon Hamm, Ana de la Reguera, John Slattery, Kate Mara, and a full cast.
After the Premiere: A conversation with John Mankiewicz and select cast members.
Spotify’s Gay Pride & Prejudice – A modern podcast adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice from Gimlet. When same-sex marriage finally becomes legal, Bennet struggles to find belonging when his chosen family suddenly begins coupling off and settling down.
After the Episode: A presentation and discussion with creators Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Vella Lovell, Maulik Pancholy, Blake Lee, Ronald Peet, Justin Mitika, moderated by Mimi O’Donnell.
Official Selections:
The following titles will be eligible for the juried Audio Storytelling Fiction Award and the Audio Storytelling Narrative Nonfiction Award. The juries will include:
Nonfiction Jane Coaston (The New York Times’s “The Argument”) Manoush Zomorodi (NPR’s “TED Radio Hour”) Anna Sale (WNYC’s “Death, Sex & Money”) Rachel Ghiazza (Audible) Josh Dean (Campside Media’s “Hooked”)
Divine Intervention – Fifty years ago, a ragtag band of radical nuns in combat boots, wild-haired priests, and their madcap friends swiftly became accomplished cat-burglars in an effort to sabotage the war in Vietnam. They picked locks, scaled walls, and broke into federal buildings, pilfering the files of the young men about to be sent into combat. Many went to jail, some betrayed their friends, and others fell in love. Two were my parents.
I Was Never There – Take a trip into the countercultural movements swirling through West Virginia in the 1970s and 80s. In this series from Wonder Media Network, Jamie Zelermyer and her mother Karen investigate the shocking disappearance of their friend Marsha “Mudd” Ferber and explore Marsha’s evolution from suburban housewife to back-to-the-land hippie to the drug-dealing bar owner. Now the same age as Marsha when she vanished, Jamie reflects on her nontraditional upbringing and Karen examines the parallels between her choices and Marsha’s.
Mother Country Radicals – Zayd Ayers Dohrn was born underground – when his family was on the run from the FBI. Now Zayd takes us back to the 1970s when his parents and their friends declared war on the United States government. They brawled with riot cops on the streets of Chicago, bombed the Pentagon, broke comrades out of prison, and teamed up with Black militant groups to rob banks, fight racism – and help build a revolution. A new podcast from Crooked Media, produced in partnership with Audacy.
Radiotopia Presents: My Mother Made Me – My Mother Made Me explores the relationship between writer Jason Reynolds and his mother, Isabell. Through informal interviews and intimate conversations, they wax poetic about what Reynolds was taught as a child as it pertains to ideas around ambition, family, and purpose and how those teachings have evolved with the changing tides of their lives. It’s a love letter to their connection, an homage to parent-child friendship, and a testament to how growth can be perpetual, despite age or circumstance.
Once Removed – When he learns about a gay relative who was lost to AIDS in 1993, playwright Paul Kruse goes on a journey of discovery about the Queer history of his family. Initially for live performance, Once Removed was produced by Hatch Arts Collective under the direction of Adil Mansoor with sound design, editing, and original music by Aaron Landgraf.
FICTION
“Conference Call”
Modes of Thought in Anterran Literature – Second Year Classics, C667, Professor [REDACTED]. This course discusses the Anterran Civilization, examining the available evidence regarding all aspects of the culture. The recent archeological discovery uncovered at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean will be explored to provide opportunities for analysis of the writings of the earliest human society, [REDACTED] years older than previously known to exist. Topics include literature, religion, and philosophy. Wednesdays, Room 014 Brussels Hall, Harbridge University.
Conference Call – Join Julie Burke as she partners with eccentric entrepreneurs “The Toade Bros.” Julie patiently helps the Toades desperately pitch their half-baked ideas to a string of bewildered investors. Pouring over hours of cringe-worthy recorded phone calls from this oddball tech company, our (fake) investigative podcaster, Charlotte Dunn, delivers a story of incompetence, fraud, and betrayal. After the Toades manage to do the unthinkable, Julie is left with no choice but to take action.
Day By Day – Cody, a bitcoin trader with an opioid habit, is mandated to a therapeutic community after a suicide attempt. He joins a motley group of addicts in recovery; Vaughn, a crackhead bank robber, Ricky, who wants to give up hustling, Art, a country-western lesbian who identifies as one of the men, and Felipe, a salsa musician and heroin addict who is having an affair with the counselor’s secretary. Gabrielle, the controlling counselor who oversees the group, is hiding secrets of her own.
The Hollowed Out – Jesse, a journalist, returns to her hometown to investigate an accident involving a friend. While she’s there, she exposes double lives, fractured relationships, and rumors of missing kids with special powers. A chemical spill in a neighborhood called ‘The Hollowed Out’ has caused strange illnesses amongst the survivors. Children have been taken for testing and never returned home. Jesse learns that the missing kids from the Hollowed Out can move things with their minds. The chemicals company wants to weaponize their gifts. Jesse works to bring the kids home.
Vapor Trail – At a chance meeting at the farmers market, two strangers find a connection rooted in their own unspeakable tragedies. The evening they spend together becomes an encounter they can’t forget. A meditation on grief and finding connection in surprising places.
In addition to Festival Laurels, winners in the Narrative Fiction and Nonfiction categories will receive artwork by a comic illustrator and cover artist from AWA (Artists, Writers & Artisans).
About the Tribeca Festival The Tribeca Festival brings artists and diverse audiences together to celebrate storytelling in all its forms, including film, TV, VR, gaming, music, and online work. With strong roots in independent film, Tribeca is a platform for creative expression and immersive entertainment. Tribeca champions emerging and established voices; discovers award-winning filmmakers and creators; curates innovative experiences; and introduces new technology and ideas through premieres, exhibitions, talks, and live performances.
The Festival was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in 2001 to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of lower Manhattan following the attacks on the World Trade Center. Tribeca will celebrate its 21st year from June 8–19, 2022.
In 2019, James Murdoch’s Lupa Systems, a private investment company with locations in New York and Mumbai, bought a majority stake in Tribeca Enterprises, bringing together Rosenthal, De Niro, and Murdoch to grow the enterprise.
About the 2022 Tribeca Festival Partners The 2022 Tribeca Festival is supported by our partners: AT&T, Audible, Bayer’s One a Day, Bloomberg Philanthropies, CHANEL, City National Bank, Diageo, DoorDash, Indeed, Meta, NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, and Spring Studios New York.
Ray Romano and Laurie Metcalf in “Somewhere in Queens”
The following is a press release from the Tribeca Film Festival:
The 2022 Tribeca Festival™ today announced its lineup of feature and short narrative, documentary, and animated films. This year’s festival takes place from June 8-19 and spotlights everything from breakout independent shorts to renowned global features.
The features program spans ten categories – narrative competitions, topical documentaries, anticipated new films – and showcases 111 feature films and 16 online premieres from 151 filmmakers across 40 countries. The lineup includes 88 world premieres, 2 international premieres, 7 North American premieres, 2 U.S. premieres, and 11 New York premieres. There are 32 directors returning to Tribeca with their latest projects, and 50 first-time directors. More than 64% (81) of the feature films are directed by female, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ filmmakers — 46% (58) female directors, 34% (43) BIPOC directors, 8% (10) LGBTQ+ directors.
The Festival’s selection of world premieres includes Corner Office, starring Jon Hamm and Danny Pudi and Somewhere in Queens, directed by Ray Romano and co-starring Laurie Metcalf, Tony Lo Bianco, Sebastian Maniscalco, and Jennifer Esposito. Additional films include American Dreamer, with Peter Dinklage, Shirley MacLaine, Matt Dillon, and Danny Glover; The Cave of Adullam, produced by Laurence Fishburne; Beauty, written by Lena Waithe; Jerry & Marge Go Large by David Frankel and starring Bryan Cranston, Annette Bening, and Rainn Wilson; Aisha with Letitia Wright; Alone Together, directed, written, and starring Katie Holmes alongside Jim Sturgess, Zosia Mamet, and Melissa Leo; My Name Is Andrea with Ashley Judd; Space Oddity, directed by Kyra Sedgwick; Acidman with Thomas Haden Church and Dianna Agron; and The Integrity of Joseph Chambers with Clayne Crawford, Jordana Brewster, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan; among many others.
This year, Tribeca also presents a series of exciting live conversations and performances. Grammy Award-winning rapper Lil Baby will perform following the world premiere of Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby; Colson Baker (AKA Machine Gun Kelly) will make a special appearance after Taurus; and Of Monsters and Men will perform after TÍU. And, among many special appearances and conversations, the Festival will also host members of the WNBA’s New York Liberty squad following the premiere of Unfinished Business; LeVar Burton will speak on the importance of children’s literacy after Butterfly in the Sky; and tennis legend John McEnroe will sit down for a discussion after the world premiere of McEnroe.
The Festival closes on June 18 with the world premiere of the documentary Loudmouth, written and directed by Josh Alexander. The Reverend Al Sharpton, who has been at the center of the national conversation around race since the late 1980s, and who is the blazing subject of this extraordinary film, will participate in a conversation following the screening.
“This 2022 feature film program leaves us proud and humbled by the boundless ingenuity and passion of our indefatigable filmmaking community,” said Festival Director and VP of Programming Cara Cusumano. “Whether a comedic breath of fresh air or a trenchant expose of the most urgent contemporary issues, this year’s official selections again remind us of the vitality and urgency of independent film in a world that needs it more than ever.”
As previously announced, the Festival kicks off on June 8 with the world premiere of HALFTIME, a Netflix documentary by director and Tribeca alum Amanda Micheli that follows global superstar Jennifer Lopez, as she reflects on her milestones and evolution as an artist, and navigates the second half of her career. Other documentaries include the world premieres of After Selma, directed by Sam Pollard, and Geeta Gandbhir; All Man: The International Male Story narrated by Matt Bomer; Angelheaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan & T. Rex, a musical documentary celebrating the life and work of glam rock pioneer Marc Bolan featuring U2, Joan Jett with Ringo Starr, Nick Cave, Hal Willner, and David Bowie; Body Parts featuring Jane Fonda and Rose McGowan; It Ain’t Over, about the life and times of Yankee Yogi Berra with Joe Torre, Derek Jeter, Don Mattingly, Bob Costas, Vin Scully, and Billy Crystal; The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks; Rudy! A Documusical, the definitive Rudy Giuliani documentary; Turn Every Page – The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb, directed by Lizzie Gottlieb with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Robert Caro, Robert Gottlieb, Ethan Hawke, Conan O’Brien, David Remnick, Bill Clinton, and Majora Carter; The Wild One narrated by Willem Dafoe; The YouTube Effect directed and written by Alex Winter; and more.
This year’s shorts program, in partnership with Meta, includes 43 shorts in competition, 10 music videos, 9 Tribeca Online Premieres, and 18 special screening shorts from 25 countries worldwide. Recipients of the Tribeca Festival awards for Best Narrative Short, Best Documentary Short, and Best Animated Short qualify for consideration in the Academy Awards’ Short Films category, provided the film complies with Academy rules. Tribeca also grants a Student Visionary Award to a rising filmmaker with emerging talent and potential. The shorts will be presented in 9 distinct thematic programs.
“Tribeca received a record number of more than 7,200 shorts submissions,” said Tribeca Vice President of Filmmaker Relations and Shorts Programming Sharon Badal. “We’re excited to have music videos in our programming, and curated a crazy late-night program — one about love in all shapes and sizes, and a peaceful program where our audience can just escape and chill out. Each year my co-programmer Ben Thompson and I try to do something different, and this year is no exception.”
Additionally, the ‘Tribeca at Home’ platform will allow U.S. audiences to enjoy an array of thought-provoking and compelling narrative, documentary, and short films, online from June 9 through June 26.
The Tribeca Festival is curated by Festival Director and VP of Programming Cara Cusumano, Artistic Director Frédéric Boyer; VP of Filmmaker Relations & Shorts Programming Sharon Badal and Head Shorts Programmer Ben Thompson; Senior Programmers Liza Domnitz and Lucy Mukerjee; Programmers José F. Rodriguez and Karen McMullen; VP of Games and Immersive Casey Baltes and Immersive Curator Ana Brzezinska; Curator of Audio Storytelling Davy Gardner; Music Programmer Vincent Cassous; and program advisor Paula Weinstein, along with a team of associate programmers.
The full feature and short film line-up is detailed below. For more updates on the complete list of programming for the 2022 Tribeca Festival in the coming weeks, follow @Tribeca and #Tribeca2022 on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and at tribecafilm.com/festival to this: The full feature and short film line-up is detailed below. For more updates on the complete list of programming for the 2022 Tribeca Festival in the coming weeks, follow @Tribeca and #Tribeca2022 on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and at tribecafilm.com/festival.
2022 FEATURE FILM SELECTIONS
OPENING NIGHT
Jennifer Lopez in “Halftime” (Photo courtesy of Netflix)
HALFTIME, (United States) – World Premiere. A new Netflix documentary film that follows global superstar Jennifer Lopez, as she reflects on her milestones and evolution as an artist, and navigates the second half of her career continuing to entertain, empower, and inspire. HALFTIME offers an intimate peek behind the curtain revealing the grit and determination that makes Jennifer Lopez the icon she is, from her performances onscreen and on stages around the world, to her Super Bowl Halftime show, to the recent Presidential inauguration. The documentary focuses on an international superstar who has inspired people for decades with her perseverance, creative brilliance, and cultural contributions. And it’s only the beginning. HALFTIME serves as the kickoff to the second half of Lopez’s life, as she lays bare her evolution as a Latina, a mother, and an artist, taking agency in her career and using her voice for a greater purpose. Directed by Amanda Micheli.
CLOSING NIGHT
Al Sharpton in “Loudmouth”
Loudmouth, (United States) – World Premiere. Since bursting into the headlines in New York City in the late 1980s, preacher and activist Reverend Al Sharpton has been at the center of the national conversation around race. In the aftermath of George Floyd’s horrific murder in 2020, the veteran civil rights leader has further expanded the reach of his powerful bullhorn against America’s deafening complacency in the fight against racial injustice — amplifying the ugly truths about the ongoing impact of structural racism on this nation many would prefer to ignore. Rabble-rouser or activist? Opportunist or trailblazer? With never-before-seen archival footage and unprecedented access, Loudmouth puts a disruptive spotlight on the pastoral prodigy turned political firebrand turned media establishment figure. Written, directed, and produced by Josh Alexander. Produced by Daniel J. Chalfen, Mike Jackson, and Kedar Massenburg.
U.S. NARRATIVE COMPETITION
Tribeca’s U.S. Narrative Competition showcases extraordinary world premieres that will vie for the Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature, and the Awards for Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Performance.
“Allswell” (Photo by Oren Soffer)
Allswell, (United States) – World Premiere. Three Nuyorican sisters navigate the daunting life challenges of single motherhood, career, and family, all while finding humor and solace within the bonds of sisterhood in this absorbing dramedy. Directed and written by Ben Snyder, and written by Elizabeth Rodriguez. Produced by Gia Walsh, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Vince Jolivette, Ben Snyder, Ari Issler, Paul Jarrett, Kara Baker. With Elizabeth Rodriguez, Liza Colon-Zayas, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Felix Solis, Max Cassella, Michael Rispoli, Shirley Rodriguez, MacKenzie Lansing, and J. Cameron Barnett.
The Drop, (United States, Mexico) – World Premiere. In this clever cringe comedy, a seemingly happy married couple confronts a test of their marriage when one of them drops a baby while at a destination wedding at a tropical island. Directed by Sarah Adina Smith. Written by Sarah Adina Smith, Joshua Leonard. Produced by Jonako Donley, Mel Eslyn, Sarah Adina Smith, Joshua Leonard, Shuli Harel, Tim Headington, Lia Buman. With Anna Konkle, Jermaine Fowler, Jillian Bell.
Four Samosas, (United States) – World Premiere. Determined to disrupt the wedding of his ex-girlfriend by bankrupting her family, underachieving, wanna-be rapper Vinny and his neighborhood pals concoct a plan to steal her family’s jewels from a supermarket safe. Directed and written by Ravi Kapoor. Produced by Ravi Kapoor, Venk Potula, Rajiv Maikhuri, Craig Stovel.
God’s Time, (United States) – World Premiere. A heart-racing, NYC-set dark comedy that sees two best bros in recovery for addiction trying to prevent the potential murder of their mutual crush’s ex-boyfriend. Directed and written by Daniel Antebi. Produced by Emily Korteweg, Andrew Hutcheson, Reid Hannaford. With Ben Groh, Dion Costelloe, Liz Caribel Sierra, Jared Abrahamson, Christiane Seidel.
Good Girl Jane, (United States) – World Premiere. Bullied out of private school and at odds with her divorced parents, lonely high schooler Jane spirals out of control after falling in with a hard-partying crowd and becoming smitten with a dangerously charismatic bad boy. Directed and written by Sarah Elizabeth Mintz. Produced by Fred Bernstein, Dominique Telson, Lauren Pratt, Sarah Elizabeth Mintz, Simone Williams. With Rain Spencer, Patrick Gibson, Andie MacDowell, Odessa A’Zion, Olan Prenatt, Eloisa Huggins.
The Integrity of Joseph Chambers, (United States) – World Premiere. In this stark and brooding psychological drama, a family man — hoping to prove his survivalist capabilities and manliness to his family — decides to irresponsibly head off into the woods and go deer hunting by himself. Directed and written by Robert Machoian. Produced by Clayne Crawford, Kiki Crawford, Robert Machoian. With Clayne Crawford, Jordana Brewster, Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
Next Exit, (United States) – World Premiere. In a world where ghosts are real and front-page news, a controversial new medical procedure allows people to peacefully kill themselves. In the midst of this breakthrough, two strangers travel cross country together to end their lives, only to unexpectedly find what they’ve been missing along the way. Directed and written by Mali Elfman. Produced by Derek Bishé, Narineh Hacopian. With Katie Parker, Rahul Kohli, Rose McIver, Karen Gillan, Tongayi Chirisa, Diva Zappa.
Three Headed Beast, (United States) – World Premiere. In this poetic exploration of love and suppressed communication, the foundation of a bisexual couple’s healthy open relationship starts to show its cracks. Directed and written by Fernando Andres, Tyler Rugh. Produced by Fernando Andrés, Lisa Freberg, Tyler Rugh. With Cody Shook, Jacob Schatz, Dani Hurtado, Daniel Abramson, Paul Grant, Sarah Bartholomew.
Wes Schlagenhauf Is Dying, (United States) – World Premiere. An irreverent and eccentric road trip comedy that celebrates DIY filmmaking and bromances, Wes Schlagenhauf Is Dying follows two filmmakers who set out to make their masterpiece while on a journey toward an estranged, purportedly languishing friend. Directed by Parker Seaman, written by Devin Das, Parker Seaman, produced by Devin Das, Trent Anderson, Adam Maffei, Parker Seaman. With Devin Das, Parker Seaman, Wes Schlagenhauf, Aparna Nancherla, D’Arcy Carden, Mark Duplass.
The Year Between, (United States) – World Premiere. Forced to return home from college after her erratic behavior alienates everyone around her, Clemence begrudgingly begins a new chapter in the suburbs, hell-bent on defying her mom, dad, younger siblings, therapist—and a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Directed and written by Alex Heller. Produced by Eugene Sun Park, Amanda P. Phillips, Sonya Lunsford, Rachel Gould, Caterin Camargo-Alvarez.
INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE COMPETITION
The New-York based Festival breaks its geographical boundaries with the International Narrative Competition, welcoming filmmakers from abroad to join a global platform for contemporary world cinema. These films will compete for Best Narrative Feature, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Performance.
“Blaze” (Photo courtesy of Causeway Films)
Blaze, (Australia) – World Premiere. After a young girl witnesses a violent crime, she summons an imaginary dragon to help process her anger and protect her on her journey into womanhood. Directed by Del Kathryn Barton. Written by Del Kathryn Barton, Huna Amweero. Produced by Samantha Jennings. With Julia Savage, Simon Baker, Yael Stone, Josh Lawson, Sofia Hampson.
January (Janvaris), (Latvia, Lithuania, Poland) – World Premiere. An aspiring filmmaker tries to search for who he is against the backdrop of Latvian independence in this dark but dreamy coming-of-age story. Directed by Viesturs Kairiss. Written by Viesturs Kairiss, Andris Feldmanis, Livia Ulman. Produced by Inese Boka-Grūbe, Gints Grūbe. With Kārlis Arnolds Avots, Alise Danovska, Sandis Runge, Baiba Broka, Aleksas Kazanavičius, Juhan Ulfsak. In Latvian, Lithuanian, Russian, with English subtitles.
Karaoke, (Israel) – World Premiere. A comedy about a married middle-class suburban couple in their 60s who are drawn to their new neighbor, a charismatic bachelor who has karaoke evenings at his apartment. Directed and written by Moshe Rosenthal. Produced by Efrat Cohen. With Sasson Gabay, Rita Shukrun, Lior Ashkenazi. In Hebrew with English subtitles.
A Matter Of Trust (Ingen Kender Dagen), (Denmark) – World Premiere. Five stories on interpersonal trust and unspoken truths intertwine in Annette K. Olesen’s artful, elliptical, and bittersweet relationship drama. Directed and written by Anette K Olesen. Produced by Jonas Frederiksen. With Trine Dyrholm, Jakob Cedergreen, Lisbet Dahl, Morten Hee Andersen. In Danish with English subtitles.
My Love Affair with Marriage, (United States, Latvia, Luxembourg) – World Premiere. Some people spend their lives wondering why a marriage didn’t last. Signe Baumane set out to get some answers. The result is this animated film, which combines ancient mythology and contemporary neuroscience. Directed and written by Signe Baumane. Produced by Sturgis Warner, Signe Baumane. With Dagmara Dominczyk, Michele Pawk, Matthew Modine, Cameron Monaghan, Ieva Katkovska, Kristine Pastare, Iluta Alsberga.
Pink Moon, (Italy, Netherlands, Slovenia) – World Premiere. An adult daughter kidnaps her father, whisking him away to a cabin in the snow, hoping to alter his unexpected announcement that he has had enough of life and will end it by his next birthday. Directed by Floor van der Meulen. Written by Bastiaan Kroeger. Produced by Derk-Jan Warrink and Koji Nelissen. With Julia Akkermans, Johan Leysen, Eelco Smits, Anniek Pheifer, Sinem Kavus.
Two Sisters and a Husband, (India) – World Premiere. Tara and Amrita are sisters. One is married to hotel manager Rajat, while the other is expecting his child. Set in the beautiful Himalayan foothills, this is a compelling drama about a thorny domestic arrangement. Directed by Shlok Sharma. Written by Shilpa Srivastava, Shlok Sharmaand. Produced by Navin Shetty, Shlok Sharma, Anurag Kashyap. With Avani Rai, Dinker Sharma, Manya Grover, Himanshu Kohli, Ashutosh Pathak. In Hindi with English subtitles.=
The Visitor, (Bolivia, Uruguay) – World Premiere. In the atmospheric and visually-compelling drama The Visitor, an ex-convict returns home in search of a new life and a chance to reconnect with his estranged young daughter, only to be met with resistance from his father-in-law – an influential pastor in the Evangelical community in town. Directed by Martín Boulocq. Written by Martín Boulocq, Rodrigo Hasbún. Produced by Andrea Camponovo, Alvaro Olmos. With Enrique Aráoz, César Troncoso, Mirella Pascual, Svet Ailyn Mena, Romel Vargas, Teresa Gutiérrez. In Spanish with English subtitles.
We Might As Well Be Dead (Wir könnten genauso gut tot sein), (Germany, Romania) – International Premiere. The disappearance of a dog and the sudden isolation of a security guard’s daughter start a bizarre chain of events in an apartment complex obsessed with keeping up appearances. Directed by Natalia Sinelnikova. Written by Natalia Sinelnikova, Viktor Gallandi. Produced by Julia Wagner. With Ioana Iacob, Pola Geiger, Jörg Schüttauf, Şiir Eloğlu, Moritz Jahn, Susanne Wuest, Knut Berger, Mina Özlem Sağdıç. In German, Polish with English subtitles.
Woman on the Roof, (Poland, France, Sweden) – World Premiere. One morning a 60-year-old midwife does something extremely unexpected, which breaks her family and life apart. Inspired by a true story, this is a complex character portrayal told with outstanding cinematic realism. Directed and written by Anna Jadowska. Produced by Maria Blicharska. With Dorota Pomykala, Bogdan Koca, Adam Bobik. In Polish with English subtitles.
DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
Over Tribeca’s 20-year history, the non-fiction film selections have exhibited work from emerging and renowned filmmakers, including future Academy Award® winners. This year’s films will compete for Best Documentary Feature, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing.
“An Act of Worship”
An Act of Worship, (United States) – World Premiere. An Act of Worship is Pakistani-American filmmaker Nausheen Dadabhoy’s lyrical portrait of the last 20 years of Muslim Life in America as told through the lens of Muslims living in the United States. In Arabic and English with English subtitles. Directed and written by Nausheen Dadabhoy. Produced by Sofian Khan, Kristi Jacobson, Heba Elorbany.
Battleground, (United States) – World Premiere. Heading distinctly different anti-choice organizations, three women lead the charge in their single-minded quest to overturn Roe v. Wade, as they face down forces equally determined to safeguard women’s access to safe and legal abortions. Directed by Cynthia Lowen. Written by Cynthia Lowen, Nancy Novack. Produced by Rebecca Stern, Cynthia Lowen. With Alexis McGill Johnson, Jenna King, Nancy Northup.
The Cave of Adullam, (United States) – World Premiere. Living by the mantra ‘it’s easier to raise boys than to repair broken men’, martial arts sensei Jason Wright tenderly guides his often-troubled young Detroit students with a beautifully effective blend of compassion and tough love. Directed by Laura Checkoway. Produced by Laurence Fishburne, Helen Sugland, Roy Bank, Joe Plummer, Laura Checkoway. With Jason Wilson, Kevin L. Collins Jr., Gabriel Davenport, Daniel White, Tamarkus Williams.
Hidden Letters, (China, Germany, Norway, United States) – World Premiere. In modern-day China, two women strive to preserve Nushu, an ancient secret language that bonded generations of Chinese women together through centuries of oppression in a clandestine support system of sisterhood and survival. Directed by Violet Du Feng. Written by Violet Du Feng, John Farbrother. Produced by Violet Du Feng, Mette Cheng Munthe-Kaas, Jean Tsien, Su Kim. With Xin Hu, Simu Wu, He Yanxin. In Chinese and Mandarin with English subtitles.
Katrina Babies, (United States) – World Premiere. Katrina Babies is a first-person account of the short-term and long-term devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina, as told by young people who were between the ages of 3 and 19 when the levees broke. Directed by Edward Buckles Jr. Written by Edward Buckles Jr., Luther Clement Lam, Audrey Rosenberg. Produced by Edward Buckles Jr., Audrey Rosenberg, Rebecca Teitel. With Miesha Williams, Cierra Chenier, Arnold Burks, Damaris Calliet, Calvin Baxter, Quintina Thomas Green. An HBO Documentary Films release.
Lakota Nation vs. United States, (United States) – World Premiere. Poet Layli Long Soldier crafts a searing portrait of her Oyate’s connection to the Black Hills, through first contact and broken treaties to the promise of the Land Back movement, in this lyrical testament to the resilience of a nation. Directed by Jesse Short Bull, Laura Tomaselli. Written by Layli Long Soldier. Produced by Benjamin Hedin. With Nick Tilsen, Phyllis Young, Candi Brings Plenty, Krystal Two Bulls, Nick Estes, Henry Red Cloud.
My Name Is Andrea, (United States) – World Premiere. A rousing portrait of feminist writer Andrea Dworkin, one of the most controversial and misunderstood figures of the 20th century, who fought passionately for justice and equality for women. Directed and written by Pratibha Parmar. Produced by Shaheen Haq. With Ashley Judd, Soko, Amandla Stenberg, Andrea Riseborough, Allen Leech, Christine Lahti.
Naked Gardens, (United States, France) – World Premiere. With a cheekily contemplative tone and an empathetic lens, Naked Gardens takes us inside an isolated nudist community in Florida – where residents find a place to feel accepted, deal with their past traumas and jointly pursue forming a utopian society. Directed by Ivete Lucas, Patrick Bresnan. Written by Ivete Lucas. Produced by Patrick Bresnan, Ivete Lucas, Tabs Breese, Julia Nottingham, Roberto Minervini, Denise Ping Lee. With Jeremy, McKayla, Jamie, Gretchen, Deedee, Serenity, Morley.
Sophia, (United States) – World Premiere. This stirring and visually-immersive documentary brings us inside the spirited pursuits of David Hanson – a restless inventor aiming to perfect the world’s most life-like A.I. With freewheeling energy and storytelling gusto, Kasbe’s & Moselle’s probing film masterfully ponders the future of artificial intelligence – and humanity’s shared need for connectedness. Directed by Jon Kasbe, Crystal Moselle. Written by Daniel Koehler. Produced by Bits Sola. With David Hanson. In Chinese, English with English subtitles. A Showtime Documentary Films release.
A Story Of Bones, (UK) – World Premiere. A Story of Bones chronicles Annina van Neel’s tireless work to reclaim and honor the neglected history of St. Helena after the remains of thousands of formerly enslaved Africans are uncovered on the remote island. Directed by Joseph Curran, Dominic Aubrey de Vere. Produced by Yvonne Ibazebo. With Annina Van Neel, Peggy King Jorde.
Subject, (United States) – World Premiere. Subject unpacks the ethics and responsibility inherent in documentary filmmaking by examining well-known documentaries of the past decade and revealing the impact their commercial success has had on the lives of the onscreen subjects. Directed by Jennifer Tiexiera, Camilla Hall. Produced by Camilla Hall, Jennifer Tiexiera, Joe Caterini. With Arthur Agee, Ahmed Hassan, Margie Ratliff, Michael Peterson, Mukunda Angulo, Jesse Friedman, Elaine Friedman, Lisa Walsh, Susanne Reisenbichler.
The Wild One, (France) – World Premiere. Jack Garfein — Holocaust survivor, theater and film director, key figure in the formation of the Actors Studio — vividly, animatedly, passionately recalls a life where historical tragedy and personal art formed a unique, driving, uncompromising vision. Directed, written, and produced by Tessa Louise-Salomé. With Jack Garfein, Willem Dafoe, Peter Bogdanovich, Irène Jacob, Boby Sotto, Dick Guttman, Blanche Baker, Patricia Bosworth, Foster Hirsch, Geoffrey Horne, Kate Rennebohm.
SPOTLIGHT NARRATIVE
Anticipated premieres from acclaimed filmmakers and performers are the focus of the Spotlight Narrative section which continues to be a launching pad for the most buzzworthy new films.
“Acidman”
Acidman, (United States) – World Premiere. After a decade apart, Maggie tracks down her elusive father. His fixation with UFOs has intensified over the years, which frustrates her attempts to communicate some big news. Directed by Alex Lehmann. Written by Alex Lehmann, Chris Dowling. Produced by Liz Cardenas, Alex Lehmann, Dianna Agron, Christian Agypt. With Thomas Haden Church, Dianna Agron, Sameerah Luqmaan-Harris.
Aisha, (Ireland) – World Premiere. Aisha, a young Nigerian woman seeking asylum in Ireland, is floundering in a maze of social services and bureaucracy. As her situation becomes increasingly dire, Aisha struggles to maintain hope and dignity against the looming threat of deportation. Directed and written by Frank Berry. Produced by Tristan Orpen Lynch, Donna Eperon, Aoife O’Sullivan, Sam Bisbee. With Letitia Wright, Josh O’Connor.
Alone Together, (United States) – World Premiere. Strangers June and Charlie have to learn to co-exist when they accidentally book the same Airbnb to get away from the pandemic. Alone Together is the ultimate New York lockdown love story. Directed and written by Katie Holmes. Produced by Yale Productions, Lafayette Pictures. With Katie Holmes, Jim Sturgess, Derek Luke, Becky Ann Baker, Zosia Mamet, Melissa Leo.
American Dreamer, (United States) – World Premiere. In this winsome comedy, an entitled Economics professor pursues a tactic to buy an ailing widow’s mansion for nothing – but he quickly realizes that his seemingly foolproof strategy won’t be as easy as he thought. Directed by Paul Dektor. Written by Theodore Melfi. Produced by Toyo Shimano, Emily Shimano, Theodore Melfi, Kimberly Quinn, Peter Dinklage, David Ginsberg, Paul Dektor. With Peter Dinklage, Shirley MacLaine, Matt Dillon, Danny Glover, Kimberly Quinn, Danny Pudi.
Beauty, (United States) – World Premiere. A gifted young Black woman struggles to maintain her voice and identity after she’s offered a lucrative recording contract. Directed by Andrew Dosunmu. Written by Lena Waithe. Produced by Lena Waithe, Michael Ellenberg, Rishi Rajani. With Niecy Nash, Aleyshe Shannon, Giancarlo Esposito, Gracie Marie Bradley, Kyle Bary, Michael Ward, Sharon Stone. A Netflix release.
Cha Cha Real Smooth, (United States) – New York Premiere. Fresh out of college and stuck at his New Jersey home without a clear path forward, 22-year-old Andrew begins working as a party starter on the local bar/bat mitzvah circuit, where he strikes up a unique friendship with a young mom and her teenage daughter. Directed and written by Cooper Raiff. Produced by Dakota Johnson, Ro Donnelly, Erik Feig, Jessica Switch, Cooper Raiff. With Dakota Johnson, Cooper Raiff, Vanessa Burghardt, Evan Assante, Brad Garrett, Leslie Mann. An Apple Original Films release.
Corner Office, (Canada) – World Premiere. In this office satire, Jon Hamm plays Orson, a straight-laced employee who retreats to a blissfully empty corner office to get away from his lackluster colleagues. But why does this seem to upset them so much? Directed by Joachim Back. Written by Ted Kupper. Produced by David Milchard. With Jon Hamm, Danny Pudi, Christopher Heyerdahl, Sarah Gadon.
Don’t Make Me Go, (United States) – World Premiere. This stirring drama stars a charming John Cho as a single father who takes his teenage daughter on a road trip to find her estranged mother. Directed by Hannah Marks. Written by Vera Herbert. Produced by Donald De Line, Leah Holzer, Peter Saraf. With John Cho, Mia Isaac, Mitchell Hope, Jemaine Clement, Stefania LaVie Owen, Kaya Scodelario. An Amazon Studios release.
The Forgiven, (UK) – US Premiere. A getaway for a couple visiting Morocco turns deadly after they accidentally kill a local boy, resulting in a volatile chain reaction of events throughout the villa they’re visiting. Directed and written by John Michael McDonagh. Produced by John Michael McDonagh, Elizabeth Eves, Trevor Matthews, Nick Gordon. With Ralph Fiennes, Jessica Chastain, Matt Smith, Saïd Taghmaoui, Caleb Landry Jones, Christopher Abbott. A Roadside Attractions release.
Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, (UK) – New York Premiere. Emma Thompson shines in this British comedy about the connection between Nancy, a conservative retired teacher, and Leo, a younger man she hires to help her experience an orgasm for the first time. Directed by Sophie Hyde. Written by Katy Brand. Produced by Debbie Gray, Adrian Politowski. With Emma Thompson, Daryl McCormack. A Searchlight Pictures release.
Jerry & Marge Go Large, (United States) – World Premiere. In this charming, feel-great comedy inspired by a true story, recent retirees Jerry and Marge discover a new sense of drive (and a whole bunch of money) when they find a legal loophole in the lottery system. Directed by David Frankel. With Bryan Cranston, Annette Bening, Rainn Wilson, Larry Wilmore. A Paramount+ Release.
Land of Dreams, (United States) – North American Premiere. A census taker acquires information about the dreams of Americans in this grounded science-fiction drama turned political satire. Directed by Shirin Neshat. Written by Jean-Claude Carrière, Shoja Azari. Produced by Sol Tryon, Amir Hamz, Christian Springer. With Sheila Vand, Matt Dillon, William Moseley, Isabella Rosselini, Joaquim De Almeida, Christopher McDonald, Anna Gunn. In English and Farsi with English subtitles.
Official Competition, (Spain, Argentina) – US Premiere. When a billionaire entrepreneur decides to get into the movie business, he commissions international auteur director Lola Cuevas, Hollywood heartthrob Felix Rivero, and titan of the stage Ivan Torres to collaborate on a cinematic masterpiece. But when these larger-than-life egos arrive for the shoot, they encounter an unexpected series of “rehearsals” set by Lola in this sharp showbiz satire. Directed by Mariano Cohn, Gastón Duprat. Written by Andrés Duprat, Mariano Cohn, Gastón Duprat. Produced by Jaume Roures. With Penélope Cruz, Antonio Banderas, Oscar Martínez. In Spanish with English subtitles. An IFC Films release.
Somewhere in Queens, (United States) – World Premiere. An Italian-American dad from Queens gets increasingly involved in ensuring his son’s high school basketball success in Ray Romano’s directorial debut. Directed by Ray Romano. Written by Ray Romano, Mark Stegemann. Produced by Albert Berger, Ron Yerxa, Ray Romano, Mark Stegemann. With Ray Romano, Laurie Metcalf, Tony Lo Bianco, Sebastian Maniscalco, Jennifer Esposito.
Space Oddity, (United States) – World Premiere. A space-obsessed man gets the opportunity of a lifetime thanks to a Mars colonization program but finds his plans compromised by his feelings for a woman who brings him down to Earth. Directed by Kyra Sedgwick. Written by Rebecca Banner. Produced by Valerie Stadler, Kyra Sedgwick, Meredith Bagby, Richard Arlook, Jack Greenbaum, Mark Maxey. With Kyle Allen, Alexandra Shipp, Madeline Brewer, Carrie Preston, Simon Helberg, Kevin Bacon.
There There, (United States) – World Premiere. Andrew Bujalski is back with a warped series of short scenes featuring two characters at a time that toy with our perceptions and expectations in an unhinged reality not far from our own. directed and written by Andrew Bujalski. Produced by Houston King, Dia Sokol Savage, Sam Bisbee. With Jason Schwartzman, Lili Taylor, Molly Gordon, Lennie James, Avi Nash, Annie LaGanga.
SPOTLIGHT DOCUMENTARY
Documentaries consistently make waves at Tribeca as notable filmmakers and major stories are represented in this section through high-profile premieres.
“After Selma: The Lowndes County Freedom Party”
After Selma: The Lowndes County Freedom Party, (United States) – World Premiere. Told by those who were on the frontlines in 1960s Georgia, After Selma recounts the courageous campaign of citizens and activists who faced violence and oppression in the struggle for the right to vote. Directed by Sam Pollard, Geeta Gandbhir. Produced by Jessica Devaney, Anya Rous, Dema Paxton Fofang.
All Man: The International Male Story, (United States) – World Premiere. A nostalgic and colorful peek behind the pages and personalities of International Male, one of the most ubiquitous and sought-after mail-order catalogs of the ‘80s and ‘90s. Directed by Bryan Darling, Jesse Finley Reed, written by Peter Jones, produced by Peter Jones, Bryan Darling, Jesse Finley Reed, Taylor Vracin-Harrell. With Carson Kressley, Matt Bomer.
American Pain, (United States) – World Premiere. American Pain tells the jaw-dropping story of twin brothers Chris and Jeff George who open up a chain of pain clinics in Florida where they hand out pain pills like candy. Directed by Darren Foster. Produced by Darren Foster, Julie Goldman, Christopher Clements, Carolyn Hepburn, Diane Becker. A CNN Films Release.
Angelheaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan & T. Rex, (United States) – World Premiere. A musical documentary celebrating the life and work of glam rock pioneer Marc Bolan, combined with a behind-the-scenes look at the tribute album of the same name. Directed and written by Ethan Silverman. Produced by Bill Curbishley. With Marc Bolan, Gloria Jones, Rolan Bolan, Ringo Starr, Nick Cave, Hal Willner, Joan Jett, David Bowie.
The Big Payback, (United States) – World Premiere. Funded by a tax on cannabis, Evanston, IL, earmarked $10 million to compensate descendants of enslaved Africans for 400 years of unpaid labor. Alderwoman Simmons leads her constituents through this historic campaign for reparations for the Black community. Directed by Erika Alexander, Whitney Dow. Produced by Ben Arnon, Xan Parker.
Body Parts, (United States) – World Premiere. An eye-opening investigation into the making of Hollywood sex scenes, shedding light on the real-life experiences behind classic scenes of cinema and tracing the legacy of exploitation of women in the entertainment industry. Directed by Kristy Guevara-Flanagan. Produced by Helen Hood Scheer. With Jane Fonda, Joey Soloway, Angela Robinson, Karyn Kusama, Rose McGowan, David Simon.
CIVIL, (United States) – World Premiere. An intimate yet expansive profile of Ben Crump, the lawyer dubbed “Black America’s attorney general.” Directed by Nadia Hallgren. Produced by Lauren Cioffi. A Netflix release.
Endangered, (Brazil, Mexico, United States) – World Premiere. With riveting access and kinetic visual flair, Endangered is a sobering look at the erosion of democracy & freedom of the press in the United States and abroad. Directed by Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady. Produced by Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady, Alex Takats. With Patrícia Campos Mello, Carl Juste, Sáshenka Gutiérrez, Oliver Laughland. In English, Portuguese, Spanish with English subtitles. An HBO Documentary Films release.
Fashion Reimagined, (United Kingdom, United States) – World Premiere. Fashion designer Amy Powney is at the peak of her career, but she’s troubled by her industry’s wasteful practices. Fashion Reimagined follows her transformative global journey to create a collection that’s sustainable on every level. Directed by Becky Hutner. Produced by Becky Hutner, Linsday Lowe, Andrea van Beuren. With Amy Powney, Chloe Marks.
It Ain’t Over, (United States) – World Premiere. The life and times of Yankee Yogi Berra, whose unique personality and unforgettable Yogi-isms sometimes got in the way of his being recognized as one of baseball’s very greatest catchers. Directed and written by Sean Mullin. Produced by Peter Sobiloff, Mike Sobiloff, Natalie Metzger, Matt Miller. With Joe Torre, Derek Jeter, Don Mattingly, Bob Costas, Vin Scully, Billy Crystal.
Leave No Trace, (United States) – World Premiere. In February 2022, The Boy Scouts Of America reached a $2.7 billion agreement over sex abuse claims, the largest such settlement in history. Leave No Trace explores how this all-American institution went so horrifyingly wrong. Directed by Irene Taylor. Produced by Nigel Jaquiss, Sara Bernstein, Justin Wilkes, Emily Singer Chapman. A Hulu release.
Lynch / Oz, (United States) – World Premiere. Victor Fleming’s 1939 film The Wizard of Oz is one of David Lynch’s most enduring obsessions. This new documentary goes over the rainbow to explore this Technicolor through-line in Lynch’s work. Directed and written by Alexandre O. Philippe. Produced by Kerry Deignan Roy. With Amy Nicholson, Rodney Ascher, John Waters, Karyn Kusama, Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead, David Lowery.
Nothing Compares, (Ireland, UK) – New York Premiere. Over the course of just six years, Sinead O’Connor went from an international superstar to a pariah. Nothing Compares tells the story of O’Connor’s life as a musician, mother, and iconoclast in her own words. Directed by Kathryn Ferguson. Produced by Eleanor Emptage, Michael Mallie. A Showtime Documentary Films release.
Of Medicine and Miracles, (United States) – World Premiere. This riveting documentary chronicles the monumental task of curing cancer, as seen through the harrowing experiences of one young girl, her family, and a doctor on a mission. Directed by Ross Kauffman. Produced by Robin Honan, Nicole Galovski.
On the Line: The Richard Williams Story, (United States) – World Premiere. Through exclusive interviews and home movies, this film follows the outspoken patriarch of the Williams family who beat impossible odds to help daughters Venus and Serena become two of the greatest athletes of our time. Directed by Stuart McClave. Produced by Chavoita LeSane, Brit Marling, Brenda Robinson, Duncan Montgomery, Gary Ousdahl, Jack Selby.
The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks, (United States) – World Premiere. Beyond her historic role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott, this comprehensive dive into Civil Rights icon Rosa Parks sheds light on her extensive organizing, radical politics, and lifelong dedication to activism. Directed by Johanna Hamilton, Yoruba Richen. Produced by Christalyn Hampton. A Peacock release.
Rudy! A Documusical, (United States) – World Premiere. The definitive Rudy Giuliani documentary, charting his fall from the cover of Time Magazine to the parking lot of Four Seasons Total Landscaping. Directed and written by Jed Rothstein. Produced by Ross M. Dinerstein, Sarit G. Work.
Turn Every Page – The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb, (United States) – World Premiere. Delight in the fascinating, intersecting stories of the iconic Pulitzer Prize-winning author Robert Caro and his editor, the literary giant Robert Gottlieb, in this chronicle of a unique 50-year professional relationship. Directed by Lizzie Gottlieb. Produced by Joanne Nerenberg, Jen Small, Lizzie Gottlieb. With Robert Caro, Robert Gottlieb, Ethan Hawke, Conan O’Brien, David Remnick, Bill Clinton, Majora Carter.
The YouTube Effect, (United States, Brazil, Germany, India, Taiwan R.O.C., Chile) – World Premiere. YouTube has garnered over 2.3 billion users and is worth up to $300 billion dollars. At its center is its algorithm, something that threatens to destroy not only the platform, but the entire Internet. Directed and written by Alex Winter. Produced by Alex Winter, Gale Anne Hurd, Glen Zipper. With Caleb Cain, Steve Chen, Carrie Goldberg Loann, Ryan and Shion Kaji, Anthony Padilla, Andy Parker, Susan Wojcicki, Brianna Wu, Natalie Wynn.
VIEWPOINTS
Viewpoints, which includes narratives and documentaries, recognizes distinct voices in independent filmmaking by creating a home for bold directorial visions and embracing distinct characters and points of view.
“88”
88, (United States) – Feature Narrative, World Premiere. The Financial Director for a democratic super PAC behind a frontrunner presidential candidate investigates donations uncovering a conspiracy. Eromose returns to Tribeca after his acclaimed Legacy (2010) capturing the zeitgeist of government mistrust and institutional racism in a timely political thriller. Directed and written by Eromose. Produced by Hunter Arnold, Linda Rubin, Eromose, Brandon Victor Dixon, Warren Adams. With Brandon Victor Dixon, Naturi Naughton, Orlando Jones, Thomas Sadoski, William Fichtner, Amy Sloan.
Breaking the Ice, (Austria) – Feature Narrative, World Premiere. An Austrian woman escapes from the pressure of running her family’s vineyard by playing ice hockey. Then a new player arrives to challenge her rigid worldview, leading to a life-changing night on the streets of Vienna. Directed and written by Clara Stern. Produced by Michael Kitzberger, Wolfgang Widerhofer, Nikolaus Geyrhalter, Markus Glaser. With Alina Schaller, Judith Altenberger, Tobias Resch. In German with English subtitles.
Carajita, (Argentina, Dominican Republic) – Feature Narrative, New York Premiere. The relationship between a spoiled white Argentinian teenager and the Black Dominican nanny who raised her is pushed to its limit when a night of partying leads to a troubling disappearance. Directed and written by Silvina Schnicer, Ulises Porra. Produced by Ulla Prida, Alexandra Guerrero, Federico Eibuszyc, Bárbara Sarasola-Day. With Cecile Van Welie, Magnolia Muñez, Adelanny Padilla, Genesis Buret, Javier Hermida, Richard Douglas. In Spanish with English subtitles.
Carol & Johnny, (United States) – Feature Documentary, World Premiere. Two of the most infamous bank robbers in American history, Carol Marie Williams & Johnny Madison Williams Jr., tell their love story in their own words. Directed and written by Colin Barnicle. Produced by Barnicle Brothers with Words and Pictures. With Johnny Madison Williams, Carol Hawkins Williams.
Dreaming Walls: Inside the Chelsea Hotel, (France, Belgium, United States, Netherlands, Sweden) – Feature Documentary, North American Premiere. Manhattan’s Chelsea Hotel is a counterculture legend as well as a brick-and-mortar structure. Dreaming Walls documents a critical juncture in Chelsea’s history, as it prepares to evict longtime residents and transform into a luxury hotel. Directed by Amélie van Elmbt, Maya Duverdier. Produced by Hanne Phlypo, Quentin Laurent. A Magnolia Release.
Hommage (오마주), (South Korea) – Feature Narrative, North American Premiere. A struggling filmmaker finds unexpected solidarity and validation when she takes on the job of restoring a classic 1960s film directed by the first known female South Korean director. Directed and written by Shin Su-won. Produced by Francis C.K. Lim, Shin Su-won. With Lee Jung-eun, Kwon Hae-hyo, Tang Jun-sang. In Korean with English subtitles.
Land of Gold, (United States) – Feature Narrative, World Premiere. When truck driver Kiran hears pounding on a shipping container and finds a young Mexican-American girl inside, his already tumultuous life takes a drastic turn as he seeks to reunite her family. Directed and written by Nardeep Khurmi. Produced by Keertana Sastry, Pallavi Sastry, Simon TaufiQue. With Nardeep Khurmi, Caroline Valencia, Pallavi Sastry, Riti Sachdeva, Iqbal Theba, Dhruv Uday Singh, Karen David. In English, Punjabi, Spanish with English subtitles.
Lift, (United States) – Feature Documentary, World Premiere. The New York Theatre Ballet’s LIFT program offers scholarships to children experiencing homelessness, helping them develop untapped skills as classical dancers. Spanning 10 years, this moving film follows their turbulent journeys from shelter to stage. Directed by David Petersen. Produced by Mary Recine. With Steven Melendez, Victor Abreu, Yolanssie Cardona, Sharia Blockwood. In English, Spanish with English subtitles.
Liquor Store Dreams, (United States) – Feature Documentary, World Premiere. So Yun Um’s debut feature is a moving portrait of two Korean American children of liquor store owners reconciling their dreams with those of their immigrant parents, against the backdrop of struggles for racial equity in Los Angeles. Directed by So Yun Um. Written by So Yun Um, Christina Sun Kim. Produced by So Yun Um, Eddie Kim. With So Yun Um, Hae Sup Um, Danny Park, May Park, Mark Burton. In English and Korean with English subtitles.
Our Father, The Devil (Mon Père, le Diabe), (United States) – Feature Narrative, North American Premiere. Caretaker Marie finds her peaceful life in France upended by the arrival of a new priest who reminds her of her traumatic past. Directed and written by Ellie Foumbi. Produced by Ellie Foumbi, Joseph Mastantuono. With Babetida Sadjo, Souleymane Sy Savané, Jennifer Tchiakpe, Franck Saurel, Martine Amisse. In French with English subtitles.
Peace in the Valley, (United States) – Feature Narrative, World Premiere. In the aftermath of a senseless act of violence, a young mother must learn to manage her overwhelming grief—not only for her own peace of mind but for the sake of her young son. Directed and written by Tyler Riggs. Produced by Andrew Carlberg, Brit Shaw. With Brit Shaw, Michael Abbott Jr., Dendrie Taylor, William Samiri.
Petit Mal, (Colombia) – Feature Narrative, World Premiere. In director Ruth Caudeli’s latest collaborative chronicle of queer life, three charismatic women living in an intimate, passionate partnership must learn to navigate the shift in their dynamic when one lover is called away for a long-term project. Directed and written by Ruth Caudeli. Produced by Ruth Caudeli, Sara Larrota, Ovella Blava Films. With Ruth Caudeli, Ana María Otálora, Silvia Varón. In Spanish with English subtitles.
Roving Woman, (Poland, United States) – Feature Narrative, World Premiere. A break-up leaves Sara reeling and directionless, standing alone on her ex’s doorstep in a ballgown. Following her impulses, she starts to drive through the desert and makes unexpected connections along the way. Directed by Michal Chmielewski. Written by Lena Góra, Michal Chmielewski. Produced by Lena Góra. With Lena Góra, John Hawkes, Chris Hanley, Brian McGuire, Ed Mattiuzzi, Crystal Rivers, Bear Badeaux.
Sansón and Me (Sansón y Yo), (United States, Mexico) – Feature Documentary, World Premiere. Tracing a young immigrant’s path from coastal Mexico to a life sentence for murder in California, this deeply compassionate documentary utilizes evocative recreations to explore the meaning of a life fragmented by poverty, borders, and incarceration. Directed by Rodrigo Reyes. Produced by Su Kim. With Sanson Noe Andrade, Gerardo Reyes, Antonio González Andrade, Miguel Andrade. In English, Spanish with English subtitles.
To the End, (United States) – Feature Documentary, New York Premiere. This timely and urgent film follows four women including three young environmental activists and NY Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as they battle corporate greed and political gridlock in a fight for the future of our planet. Directed by Rachel Lears. Written by Rachel Lears, Robin Blotnick. Produced by Sabrina Schmidt Gordon. With Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Varshini Prakash, Alexandra Rojas, Rhiana Gunn-Wright.
You Can Live Forever, (Canada) – Feature Narrative, World Premiere. Two teenage girls begin a secret relationship in a strict Jehovah’s Witness community. Directed and written by Sarah Watts, Mark Slutsky. Produced by Robert Vroom. With Anwen O’Driscoll, June Laporte, Liane Balaban, Deragh Campbell, Tim Campbell, Antoine Yared. In English, French with English subtitles.
MIDNIGHT
Always surprising and boundary-pushing, Tribeca Midnight is the destination for the best in horror and genre discoveries.
“Attachment”
Attachment (Natten Har Øjne), (Denmark) – Feature Narrative, International Premiere. Maja and Leah’s new relationship is interrupted when mysterious things start happening in their London flat. It seems that Leah’s disapproving mother, who lives downstairs, is using Jewish folklore to come between them. In Danish and English with English subtitles. Directed and written by Gabriel Bier Gislason. Produced by Thomas Heinesen. With Josephine Park, Ellie Kendrick, Sofie Gråbøl, David Dencik. A Shudder release.
The Black Phone, (United States) – Feature Narrative, New York Premiere. Locked in a soundproof basement by a masked child killer, a teenage boy finds the possibility of hope through an unexpected and supernatural lifeline: a telephone on which he receives motivational calls from the killer’s past victims. Directed by Scott Derrickson. Written by Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill. Produced by Jason Blum, Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill. A Universal Pictures release.
Family Dinner, (Austria) – Feature Narrative, World Premiere. Overweight and insecure, Simi spends Easter weekend with her famous nutritionist aunt. The hope is that it’ll help her get on a healthier track, but as the aunt’s family’s icy dynamics and an increasingly malevolent atmosphere leave Simi feeling uneasy, weight isn’t the only thing she’s about to lose. Directed and written by Peter Hengl. Produced by Lola Basara. With Pia Hierzegger, Nina Katlein, Michael Pink, Alexander Sladek. In German with English subtitles.
Huesera, (Mexico) – Feature Narrative, World Premiere. Valeria has long dreamed about becoming a mother. After learning that she’s pregnant, she expects to feel happy, yet something’s off. Nightmarish visions and an unshakeable paranoia have her questioning what she wants, and an ancient evil spirit may be the cause. Directed by Michelle Garza Cervera. Written by Michelle Garza Cervera, Abia Castillo. Produced by Paulina Villavicencio, Edher Campos. With Natalia Solián, Alfonso Dosal, Mayra Batalla, Mercedes Hernández, Aída López, Martha Claudia Moreno. In Spanish with English subtitles. An XYZ release.
A Wounded Fawn, (United States) – Feature Narrative, World Premiere. It’s the perfect plan: A serial killer brings an unsuspecting new victim on a weekend getaway to add another body to his ever-growing count. She’s buying into his faux charms, and he’s eagerly lusting for blood. What could possibly go wrong? Directed by Travis Stevens. Written by Travis Stevens, Nathan Faudree. Produced by Joe Barbagallo, Laurence Gendron, Travis Stevens. With Josh Ruben, Sarah Lind, Malin Barr, Katie Kuang, Laksmi Hedemark, Tanya Everett, Marshall Taylor Thurman, Leandro Taub, Neal Mayer.
MIDNIGHT: TRIBECXPLOITATION! Grindhouse IS Art House
They were Filmmakers Who Knew No Rules, No Boundaries, No Mercy!
Are you easily triggered? Are you easily entertained? Are you nostalgic for a time when independent films were made down and dirty and swam WAY outside the mainstream? Then join us for a series of Cult Classics, shot right here on the Mean Streets of NYC and presented in glorious color by their directors; the incredible Abel Ferrara, Roberta Findlay, and Frank Henenlotter!*
*The management advises no one be admitted if they are easily offended or sober!
Basket Case, (United States) – Feature Narrative, 1982. The debut gutter-trash symphony from Frank Henenlotter (Brain Damage, Frankenhooker), stealthily filmed in the toilet bowls of Times Square and chock-full of demented fury. Directed and written by Frank Henenlotter. Produced by Edgar Ievins. With Kevin Van Hentenryck, Terri Susan Smith, Beverly Bonner, Robert Vogel, Diana Browne, Lloyd Pace, Bill Freeman. Courtesy of Arrow Films and the American Genre Film Archive.
Ms .45, (United States) – Feature Narrative, 1981. Eerie and unforgettable, Ms. 45 is an essential snapshot of New York City in the early 1980s from Abel Ferrara (Driller Killer, The Addiction) — one of the greatest and most unique living filmmakers on the planet. Directed by Abel Ferrara. Written by Nicholas St. John. Produced by Richard Howorth, Mary Kane, Arthur Weisberg. With Zoë Lund, Bogey, Albert Sinkys. Courtesy of Drafthouse Films and the American Genre Film Archive.
Tenement, (United States) – Feature Narrative, 1985. The sordid story of a South Bronx apartment building ruled by a gang of crazed, junkie punks. Directed by Roberta Findlay. Written by Joel Bender, Rick Marx. Produced by Walter E. Sear. With Joe Linn, Enrique Sandino, Paul Calderon, Corrine Chateau.
MOVIES PLUS
Tribeca’s unique Movies Plus events bring the film experience off the screen with live conversations and performances after each screening.
“Broadway Rising”
Broadway Rising, (United States) – Feature Documentary, World Premiere. This rousing film documents the Broadway community’s journey, from the almost overnight shut down due to the pandemic, to the paths essential theater workers took on their road back to the stage. Directed by Amy Rice. Produced by Sam Bisbee, Justin Mikita, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Christopher G. Cowen, Amy Rice.
After the Movie: A conversation celebrating Broadway featuring Director Amy Rice, Producer Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and more Broadway luminaries along with a very special performance.
Butterfly in the Sky, (United States) – Feature Documentary, World Premiere. For over 25 years, Reading Rainbow set the standard for literary children’s television. Thanks to its uncondescending approach, plus its immersive documentary-style adventures, LeVar Burton and the Reading Rainbow creative team instilled a love of reading in millions of children. Directed by Bradford Thomason, Brett Whitcomb. Produced by Bryan Storkel, Bradford Thomason, Brett Whitcomb. Executive Produced by Whoopi Goldberg. With LeVar Burton, Twila C. Liggett, Larry Lancit, Cecily Lancit, Dean Parisot.
After the Movie: A conversation with education advocate and former Reading Rainbow host, LeVar Burton.
Chop & Steele, (United States) – Feature Documentary, World. For years, Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher toured as the Found Footage Festival, with a sideline in absurdist morning-show pranks. Then they got sued. A David and Goliath story where David pees himself on national television. Directed by Ben Steinbauer, Berndt Mader. Written by Alex MacKenzie. Produced by Janice Woods, Ben Steinbauer, Berndt Mader, Mike Saenz, Don Swaynos. With Joe Pickett, Nick Prueher, Albertina Rizzo, David Cross, Bobcat Goldthwaite, The Yes Men, Chad Nackers, Kurt Braunholer, Davy Rothbart, Jon Lee, Alyson Levy.
After the Movie: A performance of the Found Footage Festival hosted by Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher, with surprise special guests.
The DOC, (United States) – Feature Documentary, World Premiere. Director David Caplan’s latest documentary is a love letter and inspirational hip hop archive about The D.O.C, a master of the art who is more than likely your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper. Directed by David Caplan. Written by The DOC. Produced by Gary Ousdahl, The DOC, Dave Caplan. With The DOC, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Erykah Badu, Ice Cube, Xzibit, Too $hort, Kurupt, Daz, Tone Loc, DJ Yella, Jewell, Dr. Rock, Peter Johnson, Dr. Peter Belafsky, Puma Curry, Shella Curry, Charles Curry, Para Henderson, Michelle Henderson, Tonya Heard, Erotic D, John Payne.
After the Movie: A special birthday performance for The DOC by DJ Quik, Das, Kurupt, & surprise guests.
Game Change Game, (United States) – World Premiere. With unfettered access to the NBA, Game Change Game documents a tumultuous, and at times surreal, basketball season plagued by once unimaginable circumstances. Directed by Maxime Quoilin, Spike Jordan. Produced by Christina Norman, Jonathan Lia, Whitney Jackson. With CJ McCollum, JaVale McGee, Chris Paul, Doc Rivers, Michele Roberts, Matisse Thybulle.
After the Movie: A conversation with the directors, Maxime Quoilin, Spike Jordan, and players from the film.
God Said Give ‘Em Drum Machines, (United States) – Feature Documentary, World Premiere. A vibrant and nostalgic music documentary that showcases the beginnings of Techno Music and how Detroit was the creative and cultural hub for the creation of one of the most celebrated genres in the world. Directed by Kristian R. Hill. Written by Kristian R. Hill, Jennifer Washington, Thomas Quarterman. Produced by Jennifer Washington. With Kevin Saunderson, Juan Atkins, Derrick May, Santonio Echols, Eddie Fowlkes, Blake Baxter, Richie Hawtin, Mike Huckaby.
After the Movie: A special performance by Inner City and Model 500.
Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song, (United States) – Feature Documentary, World Premiere. Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song is a definitive exploration of singer- songwriter Leonard Cohen as seen through the prism of his internationally renowned hymn, “Hallelujah.” This feature-length documentary weaves together three creative strands: The songwriter and his times; the song’s dramatic journey from record label reject to chart-topping hit; and moving testimonies from major recording artists for whom “Hallelujah” has become a personal touchstone. Approved for production by Leonard Cohen just before his 80th birthday in 2014, the film accesses a wealth of never-before-seen archival materials from the Cohen Trust including Cohen’s personal notebooks, journals and photographs, performance footage, and extremely rare audio recordings and interviews. Directed and produced by Dan Geller, Dayna Goldfine. A Sony Pictures Classics release.
After the Movie: A musical performance in tribute to Leonard Cohen with Judy Collins, Amanda Shires, Sharon Robinson, and a surprise guest.
John Leguizamo Live at Rikers, (United States) – Short Documentary, World Premiere. Actor John Leguizamo performs his play Ghetto Klown at Rikers Island prison inspiring justice-involved young men to reflect openly on their own lives and the serious challenges of incarceration. Directed and written by Elena Francesca Engel. Produced by Elena Francesca Engel, Ben Konigsberg. With John Leguizamo, Captain Sean Jones, Benjamin, Dante, Tyriek, Stephen. In English, Spanish with English subtitles.
After the Movie: A conversation with the creators and John Leguizamo.
McEnroe, (United States) – Feature Documentary, World Premiere. Legendary “bad boy of tennis” John McEnroe finally tells his side of his storied career and famously hot-tempered performances on the court in this engrossing documentary revisiting the record-setting career of one of the all-time greats. Directed and written by Barney Douglas. Produced by Victoria Barrell, Paddy Kelly, Anna Godas. With John McEnroe. A Showtime Documentary Films release.
After the Movie: A conversation with tennis legend John McEnroe.
Music Pictures: New Orleans, (United States) – Feature Documentary, World Premiere. Music Pictures gives us four legacy portraits of New Orleans music figures Irma Thomas, Little Freddie King, Ellis Marsalis, and The Tremé Brass Band. Now in their 80s, these local masters continue their practice, for the love of the music, in the city that made them who they are. Directed and written by Ben Chace. Produced by Ben Chace, Bill Ramsey. With Irma Thomas, Little Freddie King, Ellis Marsalis, Jason Marsalis, Benny Jones Sr. and The Tremé Brass Band.
After the Movie: Special performances by Irma Thomas, Little Freddie King & Jason Marsalis.
Reinventing Mirazur, (United States, UK, Switzerland, France) – Feature Documentary, North American Premiere. An exploration into the life of Chef Mauro Colagreco, who finds himself changing everything about his flagship restaurant Mirazur after the COVID-19 pandemic halted his worldwide rise to prominence. Directed and written by Verane Frediani, Franck Ribiere. Produced by Verane Frediani, Franck Ribiere, Thomas Augsberger, Schuyler Ransohoff, Wes Fleuchaus. With Mauro Colagreco. In English, French, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish with English subtitles.
After the Movie: A conversation about the future of gastronomy with Chef Mauro Colagreco and chef guests.
Taurus, (United States) – Feature Narrative, North American Premiere. A rising but troubled musician searches for the inspiration to record one last song, pushing himself deep into the void. A work of fiction that explores fame, addiction, the artistic process, and the music industry, Taurus is a soulful and universal cautionary tale. Directed and written by Tim Sutton. Produced by Jib Polhemus, Rob Paris, Mike Witherill. With Colson Baker, Maddie Hasson, Demetrius “Lil Meech” Flenory, Megan Fox, Ruby Rose, Scoot McNairy, Lil TJay, Naomi Wild. Original music by Machine Gun Kelly.
After the Movie: A special appearance by Colson Baker.
TÍU, (Iceland) – Feature Documentary, World Premiere. TÍU is a glorious journey through sight and sound into the world of the multi-platinum Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men, as they commemorate the 10th anniversary of their groundbreaking debut album My Head Is An Animal. Directed by Dean Deblois. Produced by Heather Kolker. With Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, Ragnar Þórhallsson, Kristján Páll Kristjánsson, Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson, Brynjar Leifsson. In English and Icelandic with English subtitles.
After the Movie: A performance by Of Monsters and Men.
Unfinished Business, (United States) – Feature Documentary, World Premiere. An intimate look at the past and present of the New York Liberty, one of the WNBA’s flagship teams as they play for acceptance, respect, and the future of basketball. Directed by Alison Klayman. Produced by Alison Klayman, Julie Goldman, Carolyn Hepburn, Christopher Clements, Nicholas Ma, Mishka Brown. With Teresa Weatherspoon, Rebecca Lobo, Sue Wicks, Betnijah Laney, Sabrina Ionescu, Joan Jett.
After the Movie: A special appearance and conversation with current and past players of the New York Liberty.
Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby, (United States) – Feature Documentary, World Premiere. Director Karam Gill follows the transformational career of Atlanta rapper Lil Baby, and his rise as a giant in rap and pop culture. Directed and written by Karam Gill. Produced by Dominique Jones, Pierre Thomas, Kevin Lee, Karam Gill, Daniel Malikyar, Andrew Primavera, Blase Biello.
After the Movie: A special performance by Lil Baby.
TRIBECA CRITICS’ WEEK
Tribeca Critics’ Week presents a curated slate of feature films from critics including Inkoo Kang of The Washington Post, Chris Murphy of Vanity Fair, Tambay Obenson and Eric Kohn of IndieWire, and Jourdain Searles writer for Bitch Media, Okayplayer, and The Hollywood Reporter.
“After Sherman”
After Sherman, (United States) – Feature Documentary, New York Premiere. After Sherman is a story about inheritance and the tension that defines our collective American history. Directed and written by Jon-Sesrie Goff. Produced by Blair Dorosh-Walther, Madeleine Hunt-Ehrlich, Jon-Sesrie Goff. With Rev. Dr. Norvel Goff, Sr.
Babysitter, (Canada, France) – Feature Narrative, New York Premiere. When a viral act of sexism gets Cédric suspended from work at the same time his girlfriend navigates postpartum depression, a young babysitter enters their lives and shifts the family’s paradigm. Directed by Monia Chokri. Written by Catherine Léger. Produced by Martin Paul-Hus. With Nadia Tereszkiewicz, Monia Chokri, Patrick Hivon. In French with English subtitles.
Beba, (United States) – Feature Documentary, New York Premiere. Beba is a poetic, raw, and ruthless coming of age tale, in which a young Afro-Latina from New York City stares down historical, societal, and generational trauma with unflinching courage. Directed and written by Rebecca Huntt. Produced by Rebeca Huntt, Sofia Geld. With Rebeca Huntt. In English, Spanish with English subtitles. A Neon release.
A Love Song, (United States) – Feature Narrative, New York Premiere. An unconventional romance set against a timeless Colorado landscape, this tender heartbreaker of a directorial debut packs decades of memories, longing, and nostalgia into a fateful campsite reunion between two could-be lovers. Directed and written by Max Walker-Silverman. Produced by Jesse Hope, Dan Janvey, Max Walker-Silverman. With Dale Dickey, Wes Studi, Michelle Wilson, Benja K. Thomas, Marty Grace Dennis, John Way. A Bleecker Street release.
Mars One, (Brazil) – Feature Narrative, New York Premiere. In this tender drama, a Brazilian family copes with an uncertain future as a far-right conservative leader rises to power. Through this time of turbulent change, the family’s optimism and deep capacity for love guides them through. Directed and written by Gabriel Martins. Produced by Thiago Macêdo Correia, André Novais Oliveira, Gabriel Martins, Maurilio Martins. With Rejane Faria, Carlos Francisco, Camilla Damiao, Cicero Lucas. In Portuguese with English subtitles. A Magnolia Release.
TRIBECA ONLINE PREMIERES:
A selection of compelling films that will be available for U.S. online audiences.
Feature Documentaries
“Bowery”
Bowery, (United States). A compelling, intimate portrait of the lives of New Yorkers living on the street in the Bowery as they struggle with homelessness, drug addiction, job-hunting, harsh weather, and Covid-19. Directed and produced by Mike Mintz, Irad Straus. With Richard “Dollar” Thomas, Jaime “Rubia” Gonzalez, Andrew Harris, Steven Miller, “Fifty.”
Billion Dollar Babies: The True Story of the Cabbage Patch Kids, (United States) – World Premiere. This is the unbelievable, but true story of the kids who stole America’s heart…the Cabbage Patch Kids and how they set the wheels in motion for modern-day Black Friday. Before Cabbage Patch Kids no one left a K-Mart with a bloody nose, nor could we have imagined a world where police would need to be called in to break up fights over dolls. Directed by Andrew Jenks. Executive produced by Dan Goodman, BRIAN Hunt, William H. Masterson III, Neil Patrick Harris. Narrated by Neil Patrick Harris.
Hazing, (United States). Weaving his own personal experience with hazing into larger narratives, director Byron Hurt posits the function, politics, and consequences of pledging rituals. Directed by Byron Hurt. Written by Jessica Lee Salas. Produced by Natalie Bullock Brown. With Byron Hurt, Patricia Strong-Fargas, Nikki High, Karim Saafir, Pamela Champion, Gerald Champion, Marie Andre, James Vivenzio, Jack Abele, Wendy Abele, Jo Hanna Burch, Brent Maclanahan II.
Kaepernick & America, (United States). In the midst of swelling racial tension, Kaepernick & America explores the protest at the center of an ever exploding culture war. This documentary details the political hysteria around the enigmatic quarterback’s fateful decision. Directed by Tommy Walker, Ross Hockrow. Produced by Bill Stephney, Gary Cohen, Matt McDonald. With Don Lemon, DeRay Mckesson, Pam Oliver, Steve Wyche, Nate Boyer, Hue Jackson, April Dinwoodie.
The Lost Weekend: A Love Story, (United States). May Pang lovingly recounts her life in rock & roll and the whirlwind 18 months spent as a friend, lover, and confidante to one of the towering figures of popular culture, John Lennon, in this funny, touching and vibrant portrait of first love. Directed and produced by Eve Brandstein, Richard Kaufman, Stuart Samuels. With May Pang, John Lennon, Julian Lennon.
Lucky, (France). A transcendent portrait of a model, musician, dancer, and drag queen, Lucky follows Luc Bruyère as he travels from Paris to Berlin. Having lost his left arm to Agenesis, Luc has a lust for life, always elevating his art. Directed by Loren Denis, Anthony Vibert. Written by Loren Denis, Anthony Vibert. Produced by Benjamin Duval, Jean-Pierre Gavini, François-Charles Le Goff. With Luc Bruyère.
Rebellion, (United Kingdom). An in-depth look into Extinction Rebellion (XR) follows motivated activists who fight climate change through economic disruption in the United Kingdom. Now they must overcome infighting amongst the leadership and a new bill seeking to outlaw protest. Directed by Maia Kenworthy, Elena Sánchez Bellot. Written by Maia Kenworthy, Elena Sánchez Bellot. Produced by Kat Mansoor. With Savannah Lovelock, Gail Bradbrook, Farhana Yamin, Roger Hallam, Alejandra Piazzolla Ramírez, Sam Knights.
A Rising Fury, (Ukraine, Norway, United States). Following the 2013 Maidan Revolution in Kyiv, A Rising Fury takes viewers to the front lines of a growing conflict between Ukraine and Russia to witness firsthand a war that is tearing country and family apart. Directed by Lesya Kalynska, Ruslan Batytskyi. Written by Lesya Kalynska. Produced by TJ Collins, Lesya Kalynska, Ruslan Batytskyi, Jonathan Borge Lie.
Feature Narratives
“Blessed Boys”
Blessed Boys, (Italy). In a sunny district of Naples where everyone knows each other, Mario and Lino, two inseparable friends, live day by day in the monotony of neighborhood life until their fraternal friendship is put to the test. Directed by Silvia Brunelli. Written by Silvia Brunelli and Francesca Scanu. Produced by Valentina Quarantini. With Francesco Pellegrino, Vincenzo Antonucci, Sofia Guastaferro, Pina Di Gennaro.
Cherry, (United States). A driftless young woman discovers she’s 11 weeks pregnant and has only 24 hours to make a consequential decision. This charming film examines how softly life moves, even in our most urgent moments. Directed by Sophie Galibert. Written by Sophie Galibert, Arthur Cohen. Produced by Sophie Galibert, Shincy Lu, Phillipe Gompel. With Alex Trewhitt, Joe Sachem, Dan Schultz, Sandy Duarte, Alice Bang, Hannah Alline, Melinda DeKay, Angela Nicholas, Charlie S. Jensen, Darius Levanté.
The Courtroom, (United States). After mistakenly registering to vote, a Filipina immigrant faces deportation and permanent separation from her American husband and newborn child. Using actual transcripts from the court hearing, The Courtroom is a dramatic reenactment of one woman’s harrowing experience with the US legal system. Directed by Lee Sunday Evans. Written by Arian Moayed. Executive produced by Ryan Chanatry, Gena Konstantinakos, Anne Carey. Produced by Jonathan Olson and Damon Owlia. With Marsha Stephanie Blake, Michael Braun, Kathleen Chalfant, Hannah Cheek, Michael Chernus, Michael Bryan French, Mick Hilgers, Linda Powell, Kristin Villanueva, BD Wong.
Employee of the Month (L’Employée du mois), (United States, Belgium). In this mischievous dark comedy, an employee at a cleaning products company accidentally commits a messily bloody crime – and must figure out how to cover her tracks with the help of her young trainee. Directed by Véronique Jadin. Written by Nina Vanspranghe. Produced by Sebastian Schelenz.With Jasmina Douieb, Laetitia Mampaka, Alex Vizorek, Peter Van Den Begin, Laurence Bibot.
God Save the Queens, (United States). A quartet of drag queens meet on a group therapy retreat that will change their lives forever. Directed and written by Jordan Danger. Produced by Cecile Cubilo. With Justin Andrew Honard AKA Alaska Thunderfuck, Jay Jackson AKA Laganja Estranja, Kelly Mantle, Jordan Michael Green, Peter Facinelli, Michelle Visage, Joaquim De Almeida, Lunell, Zack Gottsagen.
In Her Name, (United States). Against the backdrop of LA’s contemporary art scene, aspiring artist Freya and her estranged, more conventional sister Fiona navigate their tumultuous relationship as they grapple with the impending demise of their eccentric, famous artist father. Directed, written, and produced by Sarah Carter. With Erin Hammond, Ciera Danielle, Philippe Caland, Nyambi Nyambi, James Oliver, and Shivarasa
Nude Tuesday, (New Zealand, Australia). Laura and Bruno are stuck in a hapless marriage with frigid chemistry and ample unspoken tension. To spice things up and hopefully save their relationship, they head to a peculiar hippy-dippy retreat where inhibitions are discouraged. Directed by Armagan Ballantyne. Written by Jackie van Beek, Julia Davis. Produced by Emma Slade, Virginia Whitwell, Nick Batzias. With Jackie van Beek, Damon Herriman, Jemaine Clement.
Rounding, (United States). When a motivated resident doctor transfers to a rural hospital for a fresh start, his demons follow him as he becomes consumed with the case of a young asthma patient, in Alex Thompson’s psychological horror follow up to his highly acclaimed Saint Frances. Directed by Alex Thompson. Written by Alex Thompson, Christopher Thompson. Produced by James Choi, Pierce Cravens, Leah Gaydos, Julianna Imel, Edwin Linker, Alex Thompson. With Namir Smallwood, Sidney Flanigan, Michael Potts, Max Lipchitz, David Cromer, Cheryl Lynn Bruce.
Shorts
“Bardo”
BARDO, (Ireland) – Short Animation. A woman questions her lifestyle choices when the travails of urban living are one day jolted into juxtaposition with a simpler way of life. Directed and written by Aisling Conroy. Produced by Claire Lennon. With Clare Barrett, Olwen Fouéré.
Crimson Ties, (United States) – Short Narrative. When a 10 year old girl is forced to spend the weekend with her older sister, she becomes drawn to a pendant, and the night takes a deadly turn. Directed by Francesca Scorsese. Written by Savannah Braswell. Produced by Savannah Braswell, Federica Domeneghetti. With Carleigh Johnston, Petra McGregor, Isan Elba, Sophia Ravazzani, Naomi Nelson, Marifé Quesada, Elsa Aitchison.
Fever Dream (حُمى و حُلمْ), (Qatar, Poland, United States) – Short Documentary. Locked up at a clinic in the sky. حُمى و حُلمْ – humeh wa hulum – fever, and dream. Where do we go from here? “Do not leave the house.” Directed, written and produced by Ania Hendryx Wójtowicz. With Sebastián Betancur Montoya, Ania Hendryx Wójtowicz, Gloria Amparo Montoya Diez, Nedal Rabhi Hammouda, Marek Wójtowicz.
Five-O (Ça passe), (France) – Short Narrative. Amin is a young spotter with the gift of the gab. Isabelle, a theater director from Paris, sees the opportunity for Amin to become a soloist in her opera. Directed by Ismaïl Alaoui Fdili. Written by Yassine Ramdani. Produced by Ladj Ly, Dimitri Krassoulia-Vronsky. With Jeanne Bailbar, Adil Dehbi, Bakary Diombera, Abdallah Charki, Rayanne Behilil. In French with English subtitles.
For Love and Legacy, (United States) – Short Documentary. Sculptor Dana King’s hands and activist Fredrika Newton’s memories come together to build a new monument that honors the Black Panther Party’s vital place in American history. Directed by A.K. Sandhu. Produced by A.K. Sandhu, Selina Lewis Davidson, Kenneth Eng. With Dana King, Fredrika Newton.
It Feels Personal, (UK) – Short Documentary. A short documentary about a stolen video, and the online search for the thief. Directed and produced by Hugh Clegg.
Mooptopia, (United States) – Short Documentary. It took two days for high school senior Anastasiya to become a TikTok sensation. A year later, she struggles to cope with the loss of fame. With Anastaysia Borysovska. Directed by Delaney Buffett. Produced by Evan Arnold.
Sparring Partner, (United States) – Short Narrative. When a long flirtation between two co-workers comes to a head during a revealing lunch break in the park, who gets to walk away with their head held high? Directed by J.J. Kandel. Written by Neil LaBute. Produced by Tim Harms, J.J. Kandel. With Cecily Strong, KeiLyn Durrel Jones.
Triggered, (United States) – Short Narrative. A US Senator faces her greatest challenge when a home invasion takes a shocking turn. Directed and produced by Tara Westwood. Written by Thomas C Dunn. Produced by Tara Westwood, John Leguizamo. With Isiah Whitlock Jr., Caitlin Mehner, Robert Burke, Tara Westwood.
2022 SHORT FILM PROGRAMS:
Animated Shorts Curated By Whoopi G:
Imaginative storytelling and captivating craft.
Tehura, (Canada, Tahiti) – World Premiere, Short Animation. A Tahitian dancer tries to reclaim her identity by confronting a tourist audience with a dance of her own. Directed, written, and produced by Wei Li. With Tainatea Voirin, Ben Lockhart, Vaehakaiki “Moon” Urima. In English, French with English subtitles.
More Than I Remember, (United States) – New York Premiere, Short Animation. Fourteen-year-old Mugeni awakes to the sounds of bombs. As her family scatters to the surrounding forests to save themselves, Mugeni finds herself completely alone. Directed by Amy Bench. Written by Mugeni Ornella, Amy Bench, Carolyn Merriman. Produced by Amy Bench, Carolyn Merriman. With Mugeni Ornella.
Pete, (United States) – World Premiere, Short Animation. Pete is a short film about gender identity, Little League Baseball, the people who inspire change by trying to be themselves, and the superheroes who allow that change to happen. Directed by Bret Parker. Written by Bret Parker, Pete Barma. Produced by Jake Kaplan. With Tom Gately, Justin Pearson, Frank Tai.
Lilith & Eve, (UK) – World Premiere, Short Animation. This adult comedy animation is a feminist reimagining of the Adam and Eve story, in which Eve bumps into Adam’s first wife and equal, Lilith. Directed by Sam de Ceccatty. Written by Sam de Ceccatty, Manon Ardisson. Produced by Manon Ardisson. With Aimee Lou Wood, Susan Wokoma, Conor Kennedy, Jake Graf.
The Originals, (United States) – New York Premiere, Short Animation. Matty “Square” Ruggiero and his childhood friends tell their story of what it was like to grow up in South Brooklyn, where money was tight but friendships were tighter. Directed by Cristina Costantini, Alfie Koetter. Written by Cristina Costantini. Produced by Cristina Costantini, Alfie Koetter. With Matteo Ruggiero, Carmine Ruggiero, Sal Alioto, Matteo Alioto, Anthony Demaio.
Hardboiled, (United States) – World Premiere, Short Animation. Food and felonies are inseparable in Hardboiled, a stop-motion animated satire of the classic urban American crime drama. Directed and written by Peter Sluszka. Produced by Peter Sluszka, Marty Geren. With Edd Hall, Joey Wells, Judy Greer, George S. Irving, Chris Chalk, Lola Glaudini, Anne Heche.
Call Me Crazy:
Late-night shorts to keep you on the edge.
Girls Night In, (United States) – New York Premiere, Short Narrative. Girls Night In is a satirical horror short based on the Bechdel test. Directed by Alison Roberto. Written by Landon LaRue. Produced by Alison Roberto, Landon LaRue, Brian Henderson. With Jess Adams, Skylar Benton, Brian Henderson, Tolliver.
Unicorn, (United States) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. A bisexual man meets an attractive couple to explore the possibilities of life as a “unicorn”: a drama-free, emotionally non-threatening third. Directed by Matt Porter. Written by Charles Gould, Matt Porter. Produced by Caroline Creaghead. With Charles Gould, Brianna Baker, Patrick Woodall, Mike Lane.
Let Me Go (The Right Way), (United States) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. Let Me Go (The Right Way) is a psychological thriller about a young veteran whose sense of reality is fraying, and the psychiatrist who treats him. Directed by Destry Allyn Spielberg. Written by Owen King. Produced by Josh Kesselman, Oliver Brooks, Gilana Lobel, Michael Pitt. With Hopper Penn, Brian D’Arcy James, Pooya Mosheni.
Bumblebees, (United States) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. When an escaped hostage is turned loose, Billie struggles against the clock to prove her loyalty and become a full-fledged member of the Bumblebees. Directed by Sebastian Sdaigui. Written by Carol Garlick. Produced by Mariah Morgenstern, Sebastian Sdaigui. With Isabella di Rienzo, Jackie Cruz, Millicent Simmonds, Beau Knapp. In American Sign Language, English, Spanish with English subtitles.
Skin & Bone, (United States) – New York Premiere, Short Narrative. After taking a job on a farm run by a reclusive woman, a drifter begins suffering from visions of men trapped inside the bodies of animals. Directed and written by Eli Powers. Produced by Aidan Sheldon, Holly Victoria Furman, Thaddeus Bouska. With Amanda Seyfried, Thomas Sadoski.
Night Breakers, (Spain) – New York Premiere, Short Narrative. A group of people trudge through a maze of underground tunnels. On their journey, they face the dangers that lurk in the dark, and worse: themselves. Directed and written by Gabriel Campoy, Guillem Lafoz. Produced by Gabriel Campoy, Guillem Lafoz, Tito Coca, Joan Coca, Aitana Coca. With Andrew Tarbet, Chacha Huang, Anna Gonzalvo, Pol Fernandez, Sergi Subirà, Marc Padró. In English, Spanish with English subtitles.
Compass:
Short documentaries about navigating life.
The Dreamlife of Georgie Stone, (Australia) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. Spanning 19 years, The Dreamlife of Georgie Stone reveals the memories of Georgie, an Australian transgender teen, as she changes laws, affirms her gender, finds her voice, and enters adulthood. Directed by Maya Newell. Produced by Sophie Hyde, Lisa Sherrard, Matt Bate, Maya Newell. With Georgie Stone, Rebekah Robertson, Greg Stone, Harry Stone.
Paint & Pitchfork, (United States) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. This profile of celebrated artists Amy Sherald and Kehinde Wiley provides insight into why they make art and their unique perspectives on painting portraits. Directed by Christine Turner. Produced by Erin Wright. With Amy Sherald, Kehinde Wiley.
Santa Barbara, (United States, Armenia) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. Based on the true story of artist Diana Markosian, Santa Barbara explores the profound sacrifice made by Markosian’s mother becoming a mail-order bride in search of the American Dream. Directed by Diana Markosian. Written by Lynda Myles, Paul Germain. Produced by Jacob Halajian, Sarah Miller. With Gene Jones, Ana Imnadze. In English, Russian with English subtitles.
Elsa, (United States) – Short Documentary, World Premiere. The internet’s beloved truth-teller, Kenya-born Elsa Majimbo, exposes the harsh reality behind being unashamedly herself. Still, she wouldn’t have it any other way. Directed and produced by Julia Jansch. Written by Elsa Majimbo. With Elsa Majimbo, Laolu Senbanjo.
Walking Two Worlds, (United States) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. 19-year-old Quannah Chasinghorse, and their mother, Jody Potts-Joseph, take a stand to defend their sacred homelands and way of life while breaking barriers in Indigenous representation. Directed and produced by Maia Wikler. Written by Maia Wikler, Cecilia Brown, Princess Lucaj. With Quannah Chasinghorse, Jody Joseph-Potts, Adeline Potts.
Head Space:
After a rough couple of years, chill out, relax, and breathe in this peaceful program.
Heart Valley, (UK, Wales) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. Heart Valley follows a day in the life of solitary Welsh shepherd Wilf Davies. Directed by Christian Cargill. Written by Kiran Sidhu. Produced by Christian Cargill, Lily Wakeley, Kiran Sidhu. With Evan Wilf Davies.
Brave by Eris, (Canada) – World Premiere, Music Video. Eris was on a journey across the stars when she crashed. What will she find in this new place? The voids? Directed by August Blue. Written and produced by Nathan Lee. With Eris.
Life Rendered, (United States) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. Set in the near future, Mark splits his time between rural Colorado and virtual reality. In rural Colorado, he is his disabled father’s caretaker. In virtual reality, he finds romance. Directed by Emma Needell. Written by Emma Needell, Ryan Barton. Produced by Jake Sally, Jonathan Schwartz, Patrick Hackett, Eric Day. With Owen Teague, Luce Rains, Armen Taylor.
Pale Ember, (United States) – Festival Premiere, Music Video. Pale Ember is a beautiful and heartbreaking examination of love, loss, and looking back. Directed and produced by Brad Tobler. Written by Brad Tobler, Bonnie Story. With Kelli Baker, Chris Jarosz.
All of This Unreal Time, (UK) – International Premiere, Short Narrative. On a journey from darkness into light, a man explores his failings as a human being. Directed by Aoife McArdle. Written by Max Porter. Produced by Mary Hickson, Fran Thompson. With Cillian Murphy.
Life, Camera, Action!:
Turning the spotlight on new perspectives in these short documentaries.
BOURN KIND: The Tiny Kindness Project, (United States) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. Bourn, a Black- Jewish street artist, confronts the fear and isolation of the moment through art, and creates a street mural project to celebrate kindness and connection in his community. Directed and written by Rachel Myers. Produced by Connie Jo Sechrist. With Bourn Rich, Fin Hanney, Donna Jo Thorndale, Jules Dameron, Marnina Shcon, Tony Amendola.
Stranger at the Gate, (United States) – New York Premiere, Short Documentary. A U.S. Marine plots a terrorist attack on a small-town American mosque. His plan takes an unexpected turn when he comes face-to-face with the people he sets out to kill. Directed by Joshua Seftel. Produced by Mohannad Malas, Suzanne Hillinger, Conall Jones, Jeremy Mack, Anna Rowe, Eric Nichols. With Bibi Bahrami, Dr. Saber Bahrami, Dana McKinney, Emily McKinney, Richard “Mac” McKinney, Jomo Williams.
Beirut Dreams in Color, (Lebanon, UK, United States) – New York Premiere, Short Documentary. He’s the openly gay frontman of a Lebanese rock band. She is an ardent activist and fan. After one fateful night, their lives intersect and are altered forever. Directed by Michael Collins. Written by Patty Kim, Michael Collins. Produced by Marty Syjuco, Sarah Kaskas, James Costa, Michael Collins. With Tarek Zeidan, Hamed Sinno, Haig Papazian, Sarah Hegazi, Mostafa Fouad. In Arabic, English with English subtitles.
Point and Kill, (UK, Nigeria) – World Premiere, Music Video. Smuggler director Ebeneza Blanche directs the “Point & Kill” video for Little Simz ft. Obongjayar. Directed by Ebeneza Blanche. Written by Obongjayar. Produced by Luca Chapman. With Little Simz, Obongjayar. In English, Pidgin with English subtitles.
The Tipping Point: Nicholas Brothers, (United States) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. In the 1940s, the Nicholas Brothers performed a dance routine so seminal it prefigured hip hop by 3 decades. Contemporary dancers Les Twins choreograph and perform their homage to the original. Directed by Michael Shevloff. Written by Heather Ross. Produced by Michael Shevloff, Alison Taupier, Paul Crowder. With Savion Glover, Laurent Bourgeois and Larry Nicolas Bourgeois (Les Twins), Moses Boyd, Fayard Nicholas, Harold Nicholas.
New York Keeping it Real:
Documentaries take center stage in our flagship NY program.
Gone Forgotten Year, (United States) – Festival Premiere, Music Video. Music Video for the song “Gone Forgotten Year” in which two Black Queer lovers, separated by the global crisis of 2020-2021, finally reunite. Directed by Brandon Burks. Written by Justin Anthony Long. Produced by Joanna Burns, Justin Anthony Long. With Jelani Remy, Josh Breckenridge.
The House of LaBeija, (United States) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. The House of LaBeija is a short documentary film that pays homage to the House of LaBeija through a series of letters from its members. Directed and produced by Fredgy Noël. Written by Samil LaBeija, Krystal LaBeija, Jasmine Rice LaBeija, Bougie LaBeija, Jeffrey Bryant, Diovanna LaBeija, Vivja. With Vivian LaBeija, Samil LaBeija, Krystal LaBeija, Jasmine Rice LaBeija, Bougie LaBeija, Jeffrey Bryant, Diovanna LaBeija.
ALHAMDU | MUSLIM FUTURISM, (United States) – New York Premiere, Music Video. Alhamdu | Muslim Futurism is an experimental vision of resistance and liberation through the lens of Muslim joy, flourishing, and imagination. Directed by Abbas Rattani. Written by Sara Alfageeh, Abbas Rattani. Produced by Sofi Khan, Akifa Khan, Sumer Zuberi, Yusuf Siddiquee, Anum Hussain, Fatima Gloria Shahzad. With Neelam Hakeem, Ramy El-Etreby, Fatma Almheiri, Fatima Dicko, The Almomani Sisters, Maaz Ali. In Arabic, EnglEnglish subtitles.
John Leguizamo Live at Rikers, (United States) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. Actor John Leguizamo performs his play Ghetto Klown at Rikers Island prison, inspiring justice-involved young men to reflect openly about their own lives and the serious challenges of incarceration. Directed and written by Elena Francesca Engel. Produced by Elena Francesca Engel, Ben Konigsberg. With John Leguizamo, Captain Sean Jones, Benjamin, Dante, Tyriek, Stephen. In English, Spanish with English subtitles.
38 at the Garden, (United States) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. In a hostile time for Asian Americans, the revisiting of an unlikely athlete’s story 10 years later gives hope and shatters stereotypes on sport’s biggest stage. Directed and written by Frank Chi. Produced by Travon Free, Samir Hernandez. With Jeremy Lin, Hasan Minhaj, Lisa Ling, Tyson Chandler, Iman Shumpert, Pablo Torre.
Obstacle Course:
In life, nothing stays the same.
The Artichoke Season (La Saison Des Artichauts), (Israel) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. The Artichoke Season follows the fantastic childhood memories of 10-year-old Rosalie in a Jerusalem slum after her father leaves home. Directed, written, and produced by Orna Rottenberg. With Sol Zimberoff, Michal Amit, Amir Frenkel, Liad Zucker. In French with English subtitles.
Daydreamers, (Belgium) – North American Premiere, Short Narrative. A father and his daughter are very passionate about motorcycles. An eye condition jeopardizes their shared hobby. Directed by Ante Pask. Written by Ante Pask, Emiel van Wouwe. Produced by Ella Bal, Ante Pask.With Jurgen Delnaet, Flo Martens, Robby Cleiren. In Dutch with English subtitles.
Vodka, (United States) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. A 16-year-old girl deals with loss, humor, and reincarnation by drinking vodka for the first time on the day of her grandmother’s shiva. Directed and written by Roxy Sophie Sorkin. Produced by Brian Niles, Chelsea Eisen, Sophia Loren Heriveaux. With Iris Apatow, Alexis G Zall.
Touchline (Khat At-tamass), (United States, Jordan) – North American Premiere, Short Narrative. During the Occupation of Palestine in 1948, Ahmad, a 17-year-old Palestinian boy, faces the war in his hometown that forces him to give up his dream of being a professional footballer. Directed and written by Mohammed Saffouri. Produced by Tareq Baddar. With Basil Askar, Anas Algaraleh, Mustafa Murad, Lina Abu-Riziq. In Arabic and Hebrew with English subtitles.
Another Country, (United States) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. Based on Native Guard by Natasha Trethewey, Another Country tells the story of an interracial couple raising their mixed-race child in the racially polarizing times of 1956 Mississippi. Directed and written by Sherif Alabede. Produced by Andrea Sastoque, Ariel Navarrete Spahn. With Taylour Paige, Mark Webber, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Devina Hale, Glen Baggerly.
brutal, (United States) – Festival Premiere, Music Video. brutal is an ode to those Y2K teen movies, video games, and TV shows that are so unabashedly funny, observant, and cutting. Directed by Petra Collins. Produced by David Moore, Michelle An.
Canceled, (Netherlands) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. From a million admiring followers to a million merciless haters: a famous rapper gets canceled and dangerously faces his point of no return. Directed and written by Teemong. Produced by Koji Nelissen, Derk-Jan Warrink. With Roy ‘Fresku’ Reymound, Werner Kolf, Peter Gorissen. In Dutch with English subtitles.
Sex, Love and Rock & Roll:
Love lost and found is in these from-the-heart shorts.
Time In Berlin, (United States) – Festival Premiere, Music Video. “Time In Berlin” revolves around the twin themes of self-fulfillment and self-discovery through a significant other, charging the concept through the time constraint. Directed by Javier Blanco Chiocchio. Written by Stephan Jenkins, Javier Blanco Chiocchio, Robert Grant. Produced by Ezequiel Debernardi, Javier Blanco Chiocchio. With Emiko Morgaine, Remo Trajano, Ruut Ahonen, Camila Canteros, Rafael Miranda.
The Letter Men, (United States) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. Based on real love letters from WWII, The Letter Men is a window into the untold story of two gay men desperately in love but torn apart by war. Directed by Andy Vallentine. Written by Andy Vallentine, Danny Vallentine. Produced by Andy Vallentine, Siddharth Ganji, Mike Diaz, Cameron Hutchison, Matthew Postlethwaite, Garrett Clayton. With Garrett Clayton, Matthew Postlethwaite.
Not the 80s, (Germany) – New York Premiere, Short Narrative. Two people, one restaurant, some preconceptions, and a bit of fish. Directed by Marleen Valien. Written by Marleen Valien, Max Rauer, Christine Duttlinger, Ludwig Meck. Produced by Christine Duttlinger, Ludwig Meck, Markus Krojer, Lotta Schmelzer. With Deniz Orta, Merlin Rose, Joshua Jaco Seelenbinder. In German with English subtitles.
Living in the Heart of Love, (UK, France) – Festival Premiere, Music Video. Living In the Heart of Love tracks two female heroes and a cast of like-minded characters who traverse Paris after hours, down for whatever magic the night has in store. Directed and written by Charles Mehling. Produced by Alexa Haywood. With Marguerite Thiam Donnadieu, Nailia Harzoune, Marion Giovalucchi. In French with English subtitles.
Fraud, (United States) – North American Premiere, Short Narrative. A trans rocker girl getting by with petty credit card fraud is left to question who she wants to be when her latest target surprises her with an unforeseen proposition. Directed by Zen Pace. Written by Dana Aliya Levinson. Produced by K. Dawn Dumas, Gretchen Wylder, Erikx DiSantis, Amanda Mesaikos, Katie Rosin. With Dana Aliya Levinson, Babak Tafti, Mike Meth.
Troy, (United States) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. Troy has loud sex, 24/7. Troy shares a wall with Thea and Charlie. Troy is ruining their lives… or is he saving them? Troy is a darkly comedic tale about the unexpected consequences of unasked-for intimacy. Directed by Mike Donahue. Written by Jen Silverman. Produced by Evan Jonigkeit. With Adina Verson, Michael Braun, Dylan Baker, Florian Klein, Dana Delany, Max Jenkins, Phillip James Brannon.
Pragma, (UK) – International Premiere, Short Narrative. Willow heads to the first School for Relationships and finds herself in a tumultuous, spicy love triangle. Should she trust science or her heart (or let’s be honest… her burning loins)? Directed by Ellie Heydon. Written by Lucy Heath. Produced by Phil Dunster, Fay Mohamed. With Phil Dunster, Nick Mohammed, Lucy Heath, Amanda Hale, Sid Sagar.
Sink or Swim:
Keep your head above water.
Hot & Heavy, (United States) – Festival Premiere, Music Video. Hot & Heavy was the first music video released for songwriter Lucy Dacus’ acclaimed 2021 album Home Video. Directed by Lucy Dacus, Marin Leong, Jordan Rodericks. Produced by Erin Surber. With Lucy Dacus.
Lamb, (Ireland) – Short Narrative, World Premiere. An ordinary day takes a sinister turn for a woman and her child when a stranger walks into their isolated rural home. Directed and written by Sinéad O’Loughlin. Produced by Lara Hickey. With Aoife Duffin, Éanna Hardwicke.
Chicken, (United States) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. In a Bronx juvenile prison, a 16-year-old boy faced with losing custody of his child must discover what it takes to be a father by raising a chicken. Directed and written by Josh Leong. Produced by Denyvi Rose, Catherine Nguyen, Nadera Herbert-Bey, Josh Leong. With Jordan Biggs, Biorkys Acosta, Opal Besson.
Fireworks, (UK) – North American Premiere, Short Narrative. This tense thriller, with moments of dark humor, is set in an MI6 Ops Room and uses cutting-edge Virtual Production technology to tell its story. Directed by Paul Franklin. Written by Steven Lally. Produced by Annalise Davis. With Charlotte Riley, Ivanno Jeremiah, Hammed Aminashaun, Sophie Wu, Raghad Chaar.
Cross Country, (United States) – Festival Premiere, Music Video. Cross Country explores Daniel Breland’s career and asks: what if life went another way? Directed by James Larese. Written by Nada Taha. Produced by Aaron Johnson. With Daniel Breland, Tiger Youngblood, Hope Elena Garcia, Rafael Miguel, Brandon Brown, Renae Anderson.
Hoop Dreams, (United States) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. Savannah Walker’s fear of speaking publicly in poetry class leads her to steal her mother’s magical golden hoops, believing that they’ll help her overcome her fear. Directed and written by Kasey Elise Walker. Produced by Nabil Elderkin, Samantha Nirenberg, Kasey Elise Walker. With Madison Southerland, Torin Ashtun, Jess Willard, Honneur Je Suis Aimé, Rikki Wright, Gale Madyun, Ronda Bankston, Dymond Campbell.
Night Ride (Nattrikken), (Norway) – New York Premiere, Short Narrative. It is a cold night in December. As Ebba waits for the tram, an unexpected turn of events transforms the ride home into something she was not expecting. Directed and written by Eirik Tveiten. Produced by Gaute Lid Larssen, Heidi Arnesen. With Sigrid Husjord, Ola Hoemsnes Sandum, Axel Barø Aasen. In Norwegian with English subtitles.
Special Screening Shorts:
Condicion Humana (Human Condition) – Curated by Jose Rodriguez
The shorts program Condicion Humana spans unique creative sensibilities from five different Latin American countries. These seven compelling and visually-distinctive shorts explore fraught and emotionally-resonant human relationships – from tumultuous dynamics between siblings and the joys & violent struggles of Latinx youth, to the thoughtful connections we can have to the earth and our ancestors.
Ñaños, (United States) – Short Narrative. In the heart of Corona, Queens, two brothers are placed at odds with each other when one reveals a sudden urge to leave their home. Directed, written, and produced by Emilio Subía.With Isaias Badilla, Andrés León, Jose Caraballo. In English, Spanish with English subtitles.
Baby (Bebé), (Colombia) – Short Narrative. On her step-sister’s birthday, Nina must confront her insecurities and her fraying relationship with her father. Directed, written, and produced by Cristina Sánchez Salamanca. With Maria José, Rashed Estefenn, Juliana Bustillo. In Spanish with English subtitles.
Paraclete (Paráclito), (Argentina) – Short Narrative. Ricardo is all set to play Jesus in a biblical reenactment but crashes into a dilemma while traveling to the show. Directed and written by Tomas Maumus. Produced by Rebolucion. With Martin Tchira, Milagros Azem. In Spanish with English subtitles.
Fifth of June (Cinco de junio), (Mexico) – Short Narrative. Fifth of June is a reflection of police brutality, in which a group of young protesters are kidnapped by the same forces they are protesting. Directed by Humberto Flores Jáuregui. Produced by Rhea Plangg. With Jesús Estrada Escobedo, Max Valencia, Oswaldo Rada Barba, Héctor Contreras. In Spanish with English subtitles.
Desert Lights (Estrellas del Desierto), (Chile) – Short Narrative. In the Atacama desert, Antay and his friends struggle to keep their drought-stricken town afloat. Directed by Katherina Harder Sacre. Written by Rubens Juárez. Produced by Selva González, Elliot Morfi, Katherina Harder. With Bastián Bravo, Luciano González, Josefa Aguilar, Catalina Saavedra. In Spanish with English subtitles.
Phonos (Fonos), (Mexico) – Short Animation. Cloe and her grandfather share a fondness for sounds, which they sense, admire, absorb and catalog. But when her grandfather dies, Cloe must confront the loss of a shared passion. Directed and written by Gabriela Badillo. Produced by IMCINE, HELLO! COMBO.
Mamá, (Argentina) – Short Narrative. Mother Earth embarks on a journey of evolution and human connection. Directed and written by Francisco Mazziotti. Produced by Luca Macome. With Daiana Provenzano.
LGBTQIA+ Shorts: See Me, Feel Me – Curated by Lucy Mukerjee
These seven short films span the queer experience with humor, heart, and hope, showing characters navigating emotioense terrain in their search for connection and compassion.
My Dear Boy, (United States) – Short Narrative. Within the first few seconds of meeting each other, two men experience the rise and collapse of their destined relationship through a surreal journey. Directed and written by Leaf Lieber. Produced by Leaf Lieber, Xulani Akel. With Juan Cortes, Tyler Givens.
Work, (United States) – Short Narrative. Unable to move on from a breakup, Gabriela impulsively drops into an old job, where she unexpectedly runs into a friend from her past. Directed and written by April Maxey. Produced by Skylar Andrews.With Marisela Zumbado, Elaine Whae.
DogFriend (Hundefreund), (Germany) – Short Narrative. A date takes an unexpected turn in this meditation on race, politics, and history in Germany. Directed by Maissa Lihedheb. Written by Lamin Leroy Gibba. Produced by Sailesh Naidu. With Lamin Leroy Gibba, Til Schindler. In German with English subtitles.
Valentine, (United States) – Short Narrative. With gender and identity in flux, Corey and Mia struggle to redefine their relationship. Directed and written by Beck Kitsis, Chris McNabb. Produced by Katy Drake Bettner, Zach Fleming, Beck Kitsis. With Jacob Tobia, Sadie Scott.
Coming Out with the Help of a Time Machine, (United States) – Short Narrative. When coming out to his traditional Indian parents, Sid uses his time machine to reset the day in an attempt to make sure everything goes perfectly. Directed by Naman Gupta. Written by Naman Gupta, Janki Parikh. Produced by Neetu Sharma Gupta, James Orfanos. With Karan Soni, Sangeeta Agrawal, Raghuram Shetty.
Inner Wound Real, (United States) – Short Documentary. Inner Wound Real relays the story of three BIPOC folks who self-injure, then find new ways to cope. Directed and written by Carrie Hawks. Produced by Chelsea Moore.
F^¢K ‘€M R!GHT B@¢K, (United States) – Short Narrative. In order to avoid being fired after having accidentally taken drugs, a queer Black rapper must outwit his boss at his day job. Directed by Harris Doran. Written by Harris Doran, Emmanuel ‘DDm’ Williams. Produced by Doris Casap, Harris Doran, James Burkhalter, Haley Geffen. With Emmanuel ‘DDm’ Williams, Kara Young, Catherine Curtin.
Portraits and Performance: Celebrating Black Art & Artists – Curated by Karen McMullen
Through dance, painting, sculpture, and performance, these dynamic short films document excellence in Black artistry, and celebrate the creativity, power, beauty, and love in the African American experience.
Kylie, (United States) – Short Documentary. A young Black ballerina from the inner city voices her experiences in the dance industry whilst performing on the streets of LA. Directed, written, and produced by Master Sterling. With Kylie Jefferson.
For Love and Legacy, (United States) – Short Documentary. Sculptor Dana King’s hands and activist Fredrika Newton’s memories come together to build a new monument that honors the Black Panther Party’s vital place in American history. Directed by A.K. Sandhu. Produced by A.K. Sandhu, Selina Lewis Davidson, Kenneth Eng. With Dana King, Fredrika Newton.
Paint & Pitchfork, (United States) – Short Documentary. This profile of celebrated artists Amy Sherald and Kehinde Wiley provides insight into why they make art and their unique perspectives on painting portraits. Directed by Christine Turner. Produced by Erin Wright. With Amy Sherald, Kehinde Wiley.
Shut Up and Paint, (United States) – Short Documentary. Shut Up and Paint follows Black painter Titus Kaphar, as he explores film as a medium in the face of an insatiable art market seeking to silence his activism. Directed by Titus Kaphar. Produced by Perri Peltz. With Titus Kaphar.
We Dance, (United States) – Short Documentary. We Dance is a love story, deconstructed and distilled into its most elemental ingredients: dreams, memories, family, and environments. Directed by Brian Foster, Ethan Payne. Written by Brian Foster. Produced by Tanya Wideman-Davis, Thaddeus Davis. With Tanya Wideman-Davis, Thaddeus Davis.
Peculiar Silence: A Day in Angola, (United States) – Short Documentary. Peculiar Silence: A Day in Angola tells the story of playwright Liza Jessie Peterson’s 2020 performance of her acclaimed play The Peculiar Patriot at Angola, the Louisiana State Penitentiary, America’s largest prison. Directed by Cinque Northern. Produced by Catherine Gund.
Tribeca is proud to partner with City National Bank, the official bank of the Festival.
About the Tribeca Festival The Tribeca Festival brings artists and diverse audiences together to celebrate storytelling in all its forms, including film, TV, VR, gaming, music, and online work. With strong roots in independent film, Tribeca is a platform for creative expression and immersive entertainment. Tribeca champions emerging and established voices; discovers award-winning filmmakers and creators; curates innovative experiences; and introduces new technology and ideas through premieres, exhibitions, talks, and live performances.
The Festival was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in 2001 to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of lower Manhattan following the attacks on the World Trade Center. Tribeca will celebrate its 21st year from June 8–19, 2022.
In 2019, James Murdoch’s Lupa Systems, a private investment company with locations in New York and Mumbai, bought a majority stake in Tribeca Enterprises, bringing together Rosenthal, De Niro, and Murdoch to grow the enterprise.
About the 2022 Tribeca Festival Partners The 2022 Tribeca Festival is supported by our corporate partners: AT&T, Audible, Bayer’s One a Day, Bloomberg Philanthropies, CHANEL, City National Bank, Diageo, DoorDash, Indeed, Meta, NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, and Spring Studios New York.
Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro (Photo courtesy of Getty Images)
The following is a press release from the Tribeca Film Festival:
The Tribeca Talks program will return to entertain and inspire audiences at the 18th annual Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, taking place April 24 – May 5. This year’s lineup will include intimate and once in a lifetime conversations with a diverse list of groundbreaking and critically acclaimed filmmakers, artists, entertainers, and icons.
Tribeca Talks: Directors Series will feature some of the industry’s most renowned filmmakers who will share stories and highlights from their illustrious careers. Longtime filmmaking partners Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro will come together for a conversation at the Beacon Theatre. From Mean Streets to their upcoming The Irishman, the duo will reflect on their decades-long working relationship. This year’s series will also include a conversation with Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro, and Oscar-nominated filmmaker David O. Russell will be joined by his frequent collaborator Jennifer Lawrence.
Tribeca Talks: Storytellers spotlights pioneering creators working across multiple mediums. This accomplished group includes musician Questlove; comedian Sarah Silverman in conversation with Mike Birbiglia; actor and writer Rashida Jones; actors Michael J. Fox and Denis Leary will come together for a one-on-one conversation; and author and VR pioneer Jaron Lanier. There will also be a special Tribeca Talk featuring a conversation with Queen Latifah and Dee Rees about Queen’s extraordinary career followed by the premiere of the Queen Collective shorts.
Tribeca Games Presents a conversation with legendary video game creator Hideo Kojima and actor Norman Reedus to discuss working together on the upcoming video game, Death Stranding.
“Our Tribeca Talks have been so successful because they bring together cultural icons to discuss and debate a wide range of topics,” said Paula Weinstein, EVP of Tribeca Enterprises. “With each participant comes a different perspective and set of career experiences, which, when juxtaposed with those of the other participants and audience members, creates an exclusive experience. No two Tribeca Talks are the same.”
Tribeca Talks: Master Classes, a series of free events to engage with the film industry, will return with each class focusing on a different aspect of the filmmaking process, breaking down the intricacies and discussing them in-depth. This year’s series will offer an inside look at film producing with esteemed Oscar and Golden Globe winner Irwin Winkler. The series will also include a master class on The Art of Cinematic Sound presented by The Dolby Institute and a class discussing the rise of New Online Work (N.O.W.) and the process of translating from the web to the screen.
The Festival announced additional feature films as part of the Movies Plus section. The series gives audiences the opportunity to hear directly from the filmmakers and creators about their projects’ themes through lively panels, discussions, and performances following the screenings. The films include Luce,It Takes a Lunatic, Meeting Gorbachev, The Wrong Man, and Waldo on Weed, and more.
“As cinema continues to grow and change, we wanted to broaden the Tribeca Talks program to include a wider spectrum of filmmakers than ever before,” said Cara Cusumano, Festival Director of the Tribeca Film Festival. “This lineup of speakers includes those creatives at the cutting edge of innovative storytelling alongside some of the all time greats.”
TRIBECA TALKS: DIRECTORS SERIES
In Partnership with Squarespace
Today’s most groundbreaking filmmakers discuss their careers and highlights.
Robert De Niro (Photo by Brigitte Lacombe)
Martin Scorsese (Photo by Brigitte Lacombe)
Tribeca Talks: Directors Series – Martin Scorsese with Robert De Niro Martin Scorsese is an Academy Award®-winning director and one of the most influential and celebrated filmmakers working today. He has directed some of the mostly highly-regarded, critically acclaimed films, including Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, Gangs of New York, The Departed, The Wolf of Wall Street and Silence. He will sit down with the Academy Award®-winning actor and frequent collaborator Robert De Niro, who he has directed in nine feature films, including his Academy Award®-winning performance as boxer Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull. Scorsese has directed documentaries including the Peabody Award-winning No Direction Home: Bob Dylan and the Emmy Award®-winning George Harrison: Living in the Material World. He was the executive producer on the HBO series, Boardwalk Empire, winning an Emmy Award® and DGA Award for directing the pilot episode. This legendary duo will come together at the Beacon Theatre to reflect upon their illustrious decades of collaboration from Mean Streets to their upcoming film, The Irishman.
Event time: Sunday, April 28 at 2:00 PM, Beacon Theatre
Tribeca Talks: Directors Series – Guillermo del Toro
Among the most creative and visionary artists working today, Guillermo del Toro will discuss his prolific career turning horror, fairy tales, and the supernatural into world-class filmmaking. Del Toro earned widespread acclaim and multiple Academy Award® wins for 2006 fantasy drama, Pan’s Labyrinth. His 2018 film, The Shape of Water, won four Academy Awards® including Best Director and Best Picture. His other work includes beloved genre films such as Cronos, Mimic, The Devil’s Backbone, Hellboy, Pacific Rim, and Crimson Peak. In this conversation, the auteur will give audiences an exclusive look into his creative process. UPDATE: Alec Baldwin will interview del Toro for this panel.
Event time: Thursday, April 25 at 8:00 PM, BMCC
Tribeca Talks: Directors Series – David O. Russell with Jennifer Lawrence David O. Russell is an acclaimed Oscar®-nominated film writer, director, and producer known for his cinema of intense, tragi-comedic characters and worlds. Russell has earned immense acclaim and recognition throughout his career, most notably for his Academy Award® and Golden Globe® winning films The Fighter, Silver Linings Playbook, and American Hustle. Russell will be joined in conversation by Academy-Award® winning actor and frequent collaborator Jennifer Lawrence, who he has directed to three Golden Globe® wins and three of her four Oscar® nominations, including a Best Actress win for her role in Silver Linings Playbook. This iconic duo will come together for an extraordinary, one-on-one conversation covering their remarkable creative relationship.
Event time: Saturday, April 27 at 6:00 PM, BMCC
TRIBECA TALKS: STORYTELLERS
Sponsored by Montefiore
This series celebrates the illustrious careers of today’s most innovative creators, who have broken from traditional roles and pioneered their own forms of storytelling.
Questlove (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
Tribeca Talks: Storytellers – Questlove Questlove is an iconic drummer, DJ, producer, culinary entrepreneur, New York Times best-selling author, and, as a member of The Roots, the unmistakable heartbeat of Philadelphia’s most influential hip-hop group. He is the Musical Director for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where his Roots crew serves as house band. Beyond that, this five-time Grammy Award®-winning musician’s indisputable reputation has landed him musical directing positions with everyone from D’Angelo and Eminem to Jay-Z. Join Questlove in conversation for a celebration of his boundless and eclectic career.
Event time: Tuesday, April 30 at 8:30 PM, Tribeca Festival Hub
Tribeca Talks: Storytellers – Sarah Silverman with Mike Birbiglia Sarah Silverman is a force in stand-up comedy, but this two-time Emmy Award® winner works across a variety of mediums and has cemented herself as one of the most versatile talents working today. Silverman’s many credits include the Emmy®-nominated Hulu talk series I Love You, America and the acclaimed films I Smile Back and Battle of the Sexes. She has lent her voice to the Emmy Award®-winning animated series Bob’s Burgers and the Wreck it Ralph films, and received widespread praise for her 2017 Netflix stand-up special A Speck of Dust. Silverman will be joined in conversation by fellow comedian, actor, and filmmaker Mike Birbiglia, best known for his indie breakout films Sleepwalk with Me and Don’t Think Twice – for which he was the writer, director and star – as well as his guest role as Oscar Langstraat on the hit series Billions, and his celebrated solo Broadway play The New One. Silverman and Birbiglia share a unique gift for transforming the deeply personal into the universal and will come together to discuss their creative processes as comedians, storytellers and performers.
Event time: Monday, April 29 at 8:00 PM, BMCC
Tribeca Talks: Storytellers – Michael J. Fox with Denis Leary Michael J. Fox is an acclaimed television and film actor known for his iconic work on the sitcom Family Ties and the classic film trilogy Back to the Future. At 29, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, news the actor and icon shared publicly in 1998. In 2000, he established The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research to advance scientific progress toward a cure. In addition to his Parkinson’s advocacy, Fox is a NY Times bestselling author and his acting continues to earn him widespread recognition, including a Grammy®, four Golden Globes®, two SAG® awards and five Emmy Awards®, including a win for his guest appearance on Rescue Me, the critically acclaimed show created by and starring his longtime friend and fellow hockey lover, Denis Leary. Join these two spirited entertainers and friends for an illuminating and lighthearted conversation that will cover the breadth of Fox’s remarkable career.
Event time: Tuesday, April 30 at 6:00 PM, BMCC
Tribeca Talks: Storytellers – Jaron Lanier Jaron Lanier, a celebrated writer, computer scientist, musician, is frequently cited for his pioneering work in Virtual Reality. He is known for charting a humanistic approach to technology appreciation and criticism, wrote books including Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now, has consulted on films such as Minority Report and The Circle, and created music with Philip Glass and T Bone Burnett. Lanier takes a singular approach to the intersection between technology and the arts, evidenced by his significant creative output. In this enticing talk, he discusses his dynamic and prolific career while illustrating the powerful connection between science, music, and storytelling.
Event time: Saturday, April 27 at 2:00 PM, Tribeca Festival Hub
Tribeca Talks: Storytellers – Rashida Jones
Versatile actor, director, screenwriter, producer, and Harvard graduate Rashida Jones will be in conversation to discuss an illustrious and accomplished career that spans across a variety of mediums. She co-wrote and starred in the indie breakout film Celeste and Jesse Forever, and received widespread acclaim for her sophomore directorial effort Quincy—an intimate portrait of her father and music legend Quincy Jones. She is the executive producer of the TNT hit-series Claws and currently stars on the TBS series Angie Tribeca.
Event Time: Wednesday, May 1 at 6:00 PM, BMCC
TRIBECA TALKS: MASTER CLASSES
Supported by The Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment
Tribeca Talks: Master Classes feature in-depth conversations focusing on a specific sector of the filmmaking process.
Benjamin Burtt
Gary Rydstrom
Tribeca Talks: Master Class – The Art of Cinematic Sound
Following the world premiere screening of Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound, three of the industry’s most legendary and decorated sound designers will come together in conversation to discuss the art and craft of sound design. Oscar winner Walter Murch created indelible soundscapes on such films as The Conversation, The Godfather and The English Patient, winning three Academy Awards® including for his work on Apocalypse Now, where he coined the term “sound designer.” Ben Burtt transported audiences to a galaxy far, far away, winning Academy Awards® for his masterful sound work on such films as Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Gary Rydstrom created visionary sound designs on such iconic films as Jurassic Park, Toy Story, Titanic, and Saving Private Ryan, and has won a total of seven Academy Awards® and two Career Achievement Awards. Join these illustrious sound designers as they speak to their creative process and illuminate how their work has evolved the craft of sound on film. Moderated by the Director of the Dolby® Institute Glenn Kiser.
Event Time: Monday, April 29 at 5:00 PM, SVA-02
Tribeca Talks: Master Class – Irwin Winkler on the Art and Craft of Producing
With a career spanning over 50 years, Academy Award®-winning producer and director Irwin Winkler is one of the most prolific and decorated producers working in the industry today. His incalculable contributions to cinema include his work on such films as Rocky, Raging Bull, The Right Stuff, Goodfellas, The Wolf of Wall Street, Creed, Silence, and the upcoming film, The Irishman. He has received numerous honors, including the Commandeur des Arts et Lettres and the 2017 Producers Guild of America’s David O. Selznick Achievement Award. For this master class discussion, Winkler will walk audiences through his process of getting a movie made, what it really means to be a great producer, and illuminate the innumerable ways in which producing is integral to the filmmaking process.
Event Time: Friday, May 3 at 3:30 PM, SVA-2
Tribeca Talks: Master Class – The Journey of Digital Storytelling to TV: A Discussion with HBO Talent
Source material for Television series has changed over the past decade. As the media landscape continues to shift, the model of stories that are created solely from original concepts or adapted from literature has become more and more open to interpretation. Now, we see networks like HBO finding unique and diverse voices from the ever-expanding sphere of media. Web series and podcasts have become increasingly exciting areas from which to build a fleshed-out series. Join HBO talent who hail from the digital storytelling space as they discuss the process of transitioning their series to the small screen.
Event Time: Saturday, May 4 at 3:30 PM, SVA-1
TRIBECA TALKS: QUEEN LATIFAH WITH DEE REES
with the premiere of the Queen Collective shorts
Sponsored by P&G
Dee Rees at the 55th New York Film Festival premiere of “Mudbound” at Alice Tully Hall in New York City on October 12, 2017. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Netflix)
Queen Latifah is a critically acclaimed and award winning musician, actor, label president, author and entrepreneur. The first hip-hop artist to be crowned with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Latifah has had immeasurable success in music and acting; she has received Grammy®, Emmy®, and Golden Globe® awards for work, as well as an Academy Award® nomination for her portrayal of Mama Morton in Chicago. The trailblazing, Academy Award®-nominated screenwriter and director Dee Rees, who directed Latifah to a SAG award for her role in the HBO film Bessie, will join Latifah in conversation to discuss her extraordinary and multifaceted career. Together, these two remarkable storytellers will cover Latifah’s creative journey from musician to actor to entrepreneur, and how she is using her influence to mentor and uplift diverse female filmmakers in order to accelerate gender and racial equality behind the camera
Event time: Friday, April 26 at 5:30 PM, Tribeca Festival Hub
Following the talk will be the debut of The Queen Collective short documentaries. The Queen Collective is a program developed in partnership with Procter & Gamble and Queen Latifah with Flavor Unit Entertainment, aimed at accelerating gender and racial equality behind the camera. Created by diverse young women – these short films inspire positive social change and embody Procter and Gamble’s commitment to supporting gender and racial equity, on-screen and behind the scenes.
Ballet After Dark – Directed by B.Monét. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. Ballet After Dark tells the story a young woman who found the strength to survive after an attack. She created an organization that is helping sexual abuse and domestic violence survivors find healing after trauma through dance therapy
If There Is Light – Directed by Haley Elizabeth Anderson. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. Fourteen-year-old Janiyah Blackmon wrestles with her new life in New York City as her mom tries to move her family out of the shelter system and into a stable home. With Janiyah Blackmon, McKayla Blackmon, Jakena Blackmon.
TRIBECA GAMES PRESENTS: HIDEO KOJIMA WITH NORMAN REEDUS
Hideo Kojima
Norman Reedus at the 22nd Annual Critics’ Choice Awards at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, on December 11, 2016. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images for Fashion Media)
World-renowned auteur game creator Hideo Kojima, widely considered the father of the stealth genre, has been hard at work on the highly anticipated PlayStation®4 title Death Stranding. Little is known about this mysterious new project, and speculation from fans and industry alike have created a deafening excitement. To discuss his boundary-pushing new game, Hideo Kojima will be joined by the star of Death Stranding, Norman Reedus, best known for his star-turning performances in The Boondock Saints and the acclaimed series The Walking Dead. Together, they will discuss pushing the boundaries of the video game medium and talk about how their relationship has established over working on the title together. This exclusive conversation will be moderated by game journalist Geoff Keighley, whose work and creation of The Game Awards has furthered the appreciation and understanding of the video game industry.
Death Stranding is a trademark of Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC. Created and developed by Kojima Productions. “PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
Event time: Thursday, April 25 at 6:00 PM, BMCC
MOVIES PLUS
A Tribeca tradition, Movies Plus offers audiences the unique opportunity to continue the experience of a film through buzzworthy conversations or performances after each special screening.
Wynn Handman (pictured at right) in “It Takes a Lunatic” (Photo by Cliff Lipson)
It Takes a Lunatic, directed and produced by Billy Lyons. (USA, UK, Germany) – World Premiere, Feature Documentary. A tribute to the life and legacy of influential acting teacher Wynn Handman, whose American Place Theater helped launched the off Broadway scene, as well as the careers of students from Richard Gere and Michael Douglas to Sam Shepard. With Michael Douglas, Richard Gere, Susan Lucci, Eric Bogosian, John Leguizamo, Woodie King, Jr.
After the Premiere Screening: A conversation with acting teacher, artistic director and film subject Wynn Handman, actors Robert De Niro and Michael Douglas, and director Billy Lyons.
Event Time: Friday, May 3 at 8 PM, BMCC
Luce directed by Julius Onah, written by JC Lee, Julius Onah. Produced by John Baker, Julius Onah, Andrew Yang. (USA) – New York Premiere. After writing an inflammatory essay, a high school overachiever finds himself on a collision course with his adoptive parents and an overbearing teacher. A complex drama boasting an amazing ensemble cast, Luce sears the screen. With Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Tim Roth, Norbert Leo Butz, Andrea Bang and Marsha Stephanie Blake. A NEON and Topic release.
After the Premiere Screening: Join us in honoring the virtuosic ensemble cast of Luce with an empowering conversation led by Naomi Watts, Kelvin Harrison Jr, Andrea Bang, Marsha Stephanie Blake, and director Julius Onah, discussing their expansive careers and the indelible roles that led each cast member to Luce.
Event Time: Sunday, April 28 at 7:30 PM, BMCC
Meeting Gorbachev, directed and written by Werner Herzog, André Singer. Produced by Lucki Stipetic, Svetlana Palmer. (UK, USA) – New York Premiere, Feature Documentary. Profiling one of the most influential figures of 20th-century history, legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog candidly sits down with Mikhail Gorbachev for a revealing look at the life and legacy of the final leader of the Soviet Union. An Orchard release.
After the Premiere Screening: Director Werner Herzog will be in conversation with his frequent collaborator and Professor of Classical Studies at Boston University Herb Golder.
Event Time: Friday, April 26 at 6:00 PM, Village East Cinema
Waldo On Weed, directed and written by Tommy Avallone. Produced by Lee Leshen, Derrick Kunzer, Raymond Esposito, Josh Bender. (USA) – World Premiere, Feature Documentary. When Brian and Danielle Dwyer’s son, Waldo, is diagnosed with cancer, they proceed with a controversial—and illegal—treatment plan consisting of one of the most divisive substances in our country: cannabis. With Waldo James Mysterious Dwyer, Brian Dwyer, Danielle Dwyer, Matt Rize, Mike Wert, Larry Anderson, Senator Daylin Leach, Senator Mike Folmer, Dr. Staci Gruber, Dr. Charles Pollack.
After the Premiere Screening: a conversation with medical marijuana expert Doctor Junella Chin, patient Lily Derwin, subject Danielle Dwyer, and Senator Daylin Leach. Moderated by actor, comedian and author Whoopi Goldberg.
Event Time: Friday, May 3 at 8:30 PM, SVA 2
The Wrong Man directed by Ross Golan, John Hwan. Produced by Jaren Shelton, Ross Golan and John Hwang. (USA) – World Premiere, Feature Documentary. From multi-platinum songwriter Ross Golan, The Wrong Man is an animated concept film that uses Golan’s poetic lyrics and haunting melodies to tell a tragic story of love gone terribly wrong.
After the Screening: A conversation with director and acclaimed songwriter Ross Golan, CEO of Lava Records and board member of The Innocence Project Jason Flom and more
Event Time: Saturday, April 27 at 11:00 AM, Tribeca Festival Hub
Tribeca Talks: Prune Nourry and Serendipity
Artist Prune Nourry has spent her working life exploring issues around the human body. At the tender age of 31, Prune is diagnosed with breast cancer and she starts documenting her treatment and its effect on her own body, turning her medical odyssey into an epic artistic adventure — and feature documentary film Serendipity — discovering new meaning in her body of work and its curious relationship to her illness. Join us for a multisensory evening of film, food and conversation that explores the many themes of Prune’s work and opens up a dialogue about narrative medicine.
After the Screening: A conversation with Director and Artist Prune Nourry, Columbia University Professor and author Rita Charon, and more. Afterwards, join us for drinks and bites inspired by the work of Prune Nourry.
Event Time: Friday, May 3 at 8:00 PM, Tribeca Festival Hub
Passes and Tickets for the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival
The Hudson Pass, an all-access pass to screenings and talks taking place at BMCC, Regal Battery Park Stadium, Village East Cinema, and SVA theaters as well as full access to all events at the Festival Hub at Spring Studios, which includes VR and Immersive projects, Movies Plus screenings and access to festival lounges. The Hudson pass can be purchased online at tribecafilm.com/festival/tickets, or by telephone at (646) 502-5296 or toll-free at (866) 941-FEST (3378).
Single tickets cost $24.00 for evening and weekend screenings, $12.00 for weekday matinee screenings, $30.00 for Tribeca TV and Movies Plus, $40.00 for Tribeca Talks panels and $40.00 for Tribeca Immersive. Single ticket sales begin Tuesday, March 26 and can be purchased online through our film guide or through the call center.
Tickets for events at the Beacon Theatre are now available for purchase. You can find information here.
Packages and passes are now available for purchase on the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival App, on:
About the Tribeca Film Festival:
The Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, brings visionaries and diverse audiences together to celebrate storytelling in all its forms, including film, TV, VR, gaming, music, and online work. With strong roots in independent film, Tribeca is a platform for creative expression and immersive entertainment. The Festival champions emerging and established voices; discovers award-winning filmmakers and creators; curates innovative experiences; and introduces new technology and ideas through premieres, exhibitions, talks, and live performances.
The Festival was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in 2001 to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of lower Manhattan following the attacks on the World Trade Center. Now in its 18th year, the Festival has evolved into a destination for creativity that reimagines the cinematic experience and explores how art can unite communities. The 18th annual edition will take place April 24 – May 5, 2019.www.tribecafilm.com/festival
About 2019 Tribeca Film Festival Partners:
As Presenting Sponsor of the Tribeca Film Festival, AT&T is committed to supporting the Festival and the art of filmmaking through access and innovation, while expanding opportunities to diverse creators around the globe. AT&T helps millions connect to their passions – no matter where they are. This year, AT&T and Tribeca will once again collaborate to give the world access to stories from underrepresented filmmakers that deserve to be seen. “AT&T Presents Untold Stories” is an inclusive film program in collaboration with Tribeca – a multi-year, multi-tier alliance between AT&T and Tribeca along with the year-round nonprofit Tribeca Film Institute.
The Tribeca Film Festival is pleased to announce its 2019 Partners: 23andMe, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Bai Beverages, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC), BVLGARI, CHANEL, Diageo, ESPN, IMDb, Kia, Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card from Chase, Merck, Montefiore, National CineMedia (NCM), Nespresso, New York Magazine, NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Prime Video Direct, P&G, PwC, Spring Studios New York, Squarespace, and Status Sparkling Wine.
Julianna Margulies in “The Hot Zone” (Photo by Amanda Matlovich/National Geographic)
The following is a press release from the Tribeca Film Festival:
The 2019 Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, will debut highly-anticipated new and returning TV series and spotlight creative online storytelling work. The Tribeca TV lineup will include 16 shows made up of eight series premieres, two season premieres, one feature documentary, and five indie pilots.The N.O.W. (New Online Work) section, sponsored by HBO, will showcase 12 projects from creators using digital platforms to tell original stories in addition to special spotlight programs. The N.O.W. Creators Market will return to connect online creators with industry professionals. Building on the Festival’s successful film reunions, for the first time this year, Tribeca TV will celebrate anniversaries of acclaimed series In Living Color and The Simpsons, the longest-running American sitcom, marking its milestone 30th anniversary. The hit series Mr. Robot will return to Tribeca after its first episode screened at the Festival in 2015 to celebrate the final season with a special Tribeca Talk conversation with stars Rami Malek, fresh off his Oscar win, Christian Slater, Carly Chaikin, and creator Sam Esmail. The 18th Tribeca Film Festival takes place April 24 – May 5.
Tribeca TV will showcase several world premieres including The Boys(Amazon Prime Video), a darkly funny and subversive take on superheroes executive produced by Eric Kripke, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg; Tuca & Bertie (Netflix), an animated comedy series with the lead characters voiced by Tiffany Haddish and Ali Wong; On Tour with Asperger’s Are Us (HBO), a docu-series from the Duplass Brothers that follows a comedy troupe, all of whom are on the autism spectrum, on their first cross-country tour; The Hot Zone (Nat Geo), starring Julianna Margulies, is inspired by the true story of the origins of the Ebola virus and its arrival on U.S soil; and Chernobyl (HBO) the story of the 1986 nuclear accident, which will premiere on the anniversary of the actual disaster, starring Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, and Emily Watson. Shows premiering upcoming seasons include Vida (Starz), the critically acclaimed story of two Mexican-American sisters from the Eastside of Los Angeles whose circumstances force them to confront their past and their differences, will debut the first episode from its sophomore season; and Younger (Paramount Network), the hit series that follows Liza, a talented and aspiring editor navigating the highly competitive world of publishing—while juggling the complications of the lie she created about her age to land her dream job, will premiere the first episode of its sixth season. I Want My MTV (A&E Network), a documentary special about the rise of the network that came to define a generation, will also premiere as part of the TV program.
Making their New York Premieres at this year’s Festival are Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men (Showtime), a four-part docu-series about one of the most influential hip-hop groups of all time which will premiere at the Beacon Theatre, and State of the Union (SundanceTV/SundanceNOW), an original comedy about the challenges of a contemporary relationship. Each 10-minute episode, directed by Stephen Frears, written by Nick Hornby and starring Chris O’Dowd and Rosamund Pike, is set in a pub before a couple’s weekly marital therapy session. Finally, Tribeca TV will spotlight upcoming independent voices in episodic storytelling with its Pilot Season section.
“When some of the most cinematic storytelling continues to happen on screens of all sizes and shapes, we were particularly inspired this year by the scope, innovation, and accomplishment of the so-called ‘small’ screen,” said Cara Cusumano, Festival Director of the Tribeca Film Festival. “It’s a privilege to showcase these diverse works with a robust program that speaks to the limitless potential of the episodic form.”
Tribeca TV will bring two of the most influential series in television history to the big screen. Twenty-five years after its finale, In Living Color, the sketch comedy series recognized for launching the careers of Keenen Ivory Wayans and other members of the Wayans Family, as well as Jim Carrey, Jennifer Lopez, Jamie Foxx, and David Alan Grier, will be celebrated at Tribeca with a screening of its first episode followed by a conversation with creator and co-star Keenen Ivory Wayans and Shawn Wayans, Kim Wayans, Tommy Davidson, David Alan Grier and Rosie Perez. The Simpsons needs little introduction: the satirical animated show that has become part of our cultural fabric will be celebrating its 30th anniversary. A screening of two episodes of the series will be followed by a panel with James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, Matt Selman, Al Jean and Harry Shearer and moderated by Lisa Simpson herself Yeardley Smith.
The two-part N.O.W. Showcase will feature the latest works from 12 unique online creators. The first N.O.W. Showcase, “Headspace,” will include a range of projects from a narrative short about sexual awakening and self-discovery, set in a Chinese restaurant, in Kiss of the Rabbit Godto Release, a science-fiction series built around the fallout of a rapidly spreading and unknown airborne disease. “Reality Check,” the second N.O.W. Showcase, includes a documentary series about the impact of photojournalists in Frame by Frame, Better Days, a coming-of-age comedy series about a young Muslim-American twenty-something, and 99, a comedic narrative about a mother and her adult son shopping for a Bar Mitzvah gift at a 99 Cent store. N.O.W. will also host two Special Screenings featuring Topic Studios documentary work, as well as The New York Times Op-Docs, with a collection of five short films all with a timely thread of immigration-related issues.
“Each year, our small but mighty section of New Online Work showcases an increasingly diverse group of perspectives, genres and formats,” said Liza Domnitz, Senior Programmer, Tribeca Film Festival. “In 2019, we selected a group of filmmakers whose work delves into the reality of the everyday minutiae of life—career confusion, single motherhood, burgeoning sexuality—as well as the dissociative ways our brains utilize to get through it all. Through 12 works that mix comedy, sci-fi, documentary and movement, the 2019 N.O.W. program promises an eclectically evocative mix of voices.”
This year’s TV and N.O.W. programs will include more world premieres, more networks – both established and emerging, more formats, and more diverse storytelling than ever before. Tribeca will continue to support creators in diverse mediums, reflected by the expansion of its programming into these now well-established sections of the Festival each year.
TRIBECA TV LINEUP
REUNIONS:
The cast of “In Living Color” (Photo courtesy of Fox)
In Living Color – Celebrating 25 Years since the Finale
Twenty-five years after its finale, the cast and creator of the groundbreaking sketch comedy show In Living Color will reunite to reflect on theEmmy Award-winning show that upended the landscape of television comedy and launched the careers of some of the greatest entertainers of our time. Following a screening of the pilot episode of In Living Color, the series creator and stars will come together to celebrate the show’s immeasurable influence and illuminate how the show continues to be equal parts subversive and hilarious.
After the Screening: A conversation with creator and star Keenan Ivory Wayans, and co-stars Shawn Wayans, Kim Wayans, Tommy Davidson,Rosie Perez, and David Alan Grier.
Event time: April 27 at 5:00 PM, Tribeca Festival Hub
“The Simpsons” (Image courtesy of Fox)
The Simpsons – 30th Anniversary
In the 30 years since The Simpsons first debuted, the satirical cartoon has become the very center of popular culture; a juggernaut that is ingrained in the cultural fabric of America. In the three decades it has been on the air, the show has influenced popular culture, media and politics by brilliantly and incisively depicting the ridiculous pageant of American society. Following a screening of the episodes Marge vs the Monorail and The Day the Earth Stood Cool, the creative team of The Simpsons will come together to celebrate the immeasurable legacy of the longest-running animated series in television history.
After the Screening: A conversation with executive producers James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, Al Jean and Matt Selman, and the voice of many Harry Shearer. Moderated by the voice of Lisa Simpson, Yeardley Smith.
Event time: April 28 at 5:00 PM, BMCC
TRIBECA TV
With media support from Vulture, the entertainment and culture site from New York Magazine
Jack Quaid and Karl Urban in “The Boys” (Photo by Jan Thijs)
The Boys (Amazon Prime Video) – New Series World Premiere Executive Producers: Eric Kripke, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Neal H. Moritz, Pavun Shetty, Ori Marmur, Ken F. Levin, Jason Netter. The Boys is a fun and irreverent take on what happens when superheroes abuse their superpowers rather than use them for good. Based on a comic by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson.
After the screening: A conversation with series stars Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty,Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso, Chace Crawford, Karen Fukuhara, Elisabeth Shue and executive producer/showrunner Eric Kripke.
Screen time: April 29 at 8:45 PM, SVA Theatre
Chernobyl (HBO/Sky) – New Series World Premiere Executive Producers: Carolyn Strauss, Jane Featherstone, Craig Mazin. Chernobyl dramatizes the story of the 1986 nuclear accident, one of the worst man-made catastrophes in history, and of the brave men and women who sacrificed to save Europe from disaster, all the while battling a culture of disinformation.
After the Screening:A conversation with cast members Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, and Emily Watson,writer Craig Mazin, and director Johan Renck.
Screen time: April 26 at 8:00 PM, Tribeca Festival Hub
The Hot Zone (National Geographic) – New Series World Premiere Executive Producers: Lynda Obst, David Zucker, Kelly Souders, Brian Peterson, Jenn Vintar The Hot Zone is based on Richard Preston’s bestseller, and is inspired by a true story about the origins of the Ebola virus and its arrival on U.S. soil.
After the Screening:A conversation with showrunners and executive producers Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson,bestselling author Richard Preston,and cast member Julianna Margulies.Hosted by Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
Screen time: April 30 at 5:30 PM, SVA
I Want My MTV (A&E Network) – World Premiere, Feature Documentary Produced by: David Kennedy, Nick Quested, Tyler Measom, Patrick Waldrop.
Directed and written by Tyler Measom, Patrick Waldrop.
In 1981, a new music-centric network launched that would come to define a generation. Featuring the musicians, VJ’s and executives who were there from the beginning, Tyler Measom and Patrick Waldrop’s energetic documentary revisits the early days of the cultural juggernaut.
After the Screening:A conversation with film directors Tyler Measom and Patrick Waldrop, MTV co-founder John Sykes, former MTV CEO Judy McGrath, Darryl McDaniels ofRun DMC, and original MTV VJ Mark Goodman.
Screen time:May 1 at 9:00 PM, SVA
On Tour With Asperger’s Are Us (HBO) – New Series World Premiere Executive Producers:Mark Duplass, Jay Duplass, Mel Eslyn, Carolyn Craddock, Alex Lehmann, Sean Bradley.
This six-part documentary series follows the first all-autistic comedy troupe as it navigates its first cross-country tour.
After the Screening: Acomedy performance by the featured comedy troupe Asperger’s Are Us.
Screen time: April 29 at 8:00 PM, SVA
State of the Union (SundanceTV/SundanceNOW) – New Series New York Premiere Executive Producers: Jamie Laurenson, Hakan Kousetta, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman
An original comedy series about contemporary relationships. Each 10-minute episode is set in a pub immediately before Louise (Rosamund Pike) and Tom (Chris O’Dowd) have their weekly marital therapy session.
After the Screening: A conversation with director and executive producer Stephen Frears, screenwriter and executive producer Nick Hornby and cast member Rosamund Pike.
Screen time: May 4 at 6:30 PM, SVA
Tuca & Bertie (Netflix) – New Series World Premiere Creator:Lisa Hanawalt Executive Producers: Lisa Hanawalt, Raphael Bob-Waksberg, Noel Bright, Steven A. Cohen, Tiffany Haddish, Ali Wong. Tuca & Bertie is an animated comedy series about the friendship between two 30-year-old bird women who live in the same apartment building. It features Tuca, a cocky, carefree toucan, and Bertie, an anxious, daydreaming songbird.
After the Screening:A conversation with stars Ali Wong and Tiffany Haddish,and creator Lisa Hanawalt.
Screen time: May 1 at 8:30 PM, Tribeca Festival Hub
Vida (Starz) – Season 2 World Premiere Executive Producers: Tanya Saracho, Robin Schwartz, Marc Turtletaub, Peter Saraf, Stephanie Langhoff.
In the second season of Vida, Lyn and Emma begin the monumental task of rebuilding the bar. They navigate obstacles while contemplating the relationships in their lives, including their own, and are forced to dig deep to unearth what their mother’s legacy means to them.
After the Screening:A conversation with executive producer Tanya Saracho,and cast members Melissa Barrera, Mishel Prada, Ser Anzoategui, Chelsea Rendon, Carlos Miranda, Roberta Colindrez and Raúl Castillo.
Screen time: May 2 at 5:30 PM, SVA
Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics And Men (Showtime) – New Series New York Premiere Director:Sacha Jenkins Executive Producers: Sacha Jenkins, Peter Bittenbender, Chris Gary, Peter J. Scalettar.
The series looks back on the group’s career, combining intimate interviews from each of its nine living members with never-before-seen archival footage and performances. Join us at the Beacon Theatre for the premiere with all of the living members in attendance: RZA, GZA, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Raekwon da Chef, Cappadonna and Masta Killa.
Screen time: April 25 at 8:00 PM, Beacon Theatre
Younger (Paramount Network) – Season 6 World Premiere Executive Producer: Darren Star Younger follows Liza, a talented and aspiring editor navigating the highly competitive world of publishing—while juggling the complications of the lie she created about her age to land her dream job. Starring Sutton Foster, Hilary Duff, Debi Mazar, Miriam Shor, Nico Tortorella, Peter Hermann, Molly Bernard and Charles Michael Davis.
After the Screening:A conversation with executive producer Darren Star, and cast members Sutton Foster, Hilary Duff, Debi Mazar, Miriam Shor, Nico Tortorella, Peter Hermann, Molly Bernard, and Charles Michael Davis.
Screen time: April 25 at 6:00 PM, Tribeca Festival Hub
Tribeca Talks: A Farewell to Mr. Robot (USA)
Four years ago, the pilot episode of Mr. Robot had its New York premiere at Tribeca. Now the Golden Globe- and Emmy Award®-winning series returns for a special celebration of the show and a look ahead to its fourth and final season. Join Academy Award® winner Rami Malek, Golden Globe® Award winner Christian Slater, co-star Carly Chaikin and series-creator Sam Esmail, as they look back on three incredible seasons of this groundbreaking series – and share new and exclusive information about what to expect when the show returns.
Tribeca Talk:A conversation with stars Rami Malek, Christian Slater, Carly Chaikin and creator Sam Esmail.
Event time: April 28 at 3:00 PM, Tribeca Festival Hub
PILOT SEASON
Following successful programs at both the film festival and the September TV festival, Tribeca is continuing its tradition of opening submissions to independently produced TV pilots. Gunpowder & Sky acquired Shrimp following its Tribeca premiere and it was recently announced that On the Spectrum (2018), would be adapted by Jason Katims for Amazon.
“Awokened”
Screening Showcase: April 29 at 8:00 PM, Village East Cinema
Awokened (USA) – World Premiere Executive Producers: Daryl Wein, David Walton, Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello Awokened is an independent half hour cable/streaming show about a guy who has a spiritual awakening that changes his life forever. With David Walton, Majandra Delfino, Hannah Simone, Jeremy Sisto, Zoe Lister-Jones, Paul W. Downs, Lamorne Morris.
DC Noir (USA) – World Premiere Executive Producers: George Pelecanos, Ginny Grenham DC Noir is a crime series composed of stories that follow an array of different characters living and dying on the fringes of society in the nation’s capital. With Jay O. Sanders, Marcus Craig-Bradford, Thaddeus Street, Wale Florin, Kia Goodwin, Anwan Glover, Backyard Band.
Halfway (USA) – World Premiere Executive Producer: Kimberley Browning
Krystal just got released from prison, and now must navigate the new rules, and an intimidating crew of fellow ex-con women residents of a Christian halfway house. With Anastasia Leddick, Noemi Gonzalez, Joy Nash, Shondrella Avery, Dot-Marie Jones, Garrick Bernard.
Lady Liberty (USA) – World Premiere Executive Producers: Julia Lindon, Taylor Lee Nagel, Melinda Andrade
An aspiring comedian (Shea Miller) learns to embrace her queerness to find her comedic voice, and more importantly, her community. With Julia Lindon, Jason Sudeikis, Rebecca Henderson, Karen Eilbacher, Yoni Lotan, Chip Hamilton.
Unimundo 45 (USA) – World Premiere Executive Producer: Kimberley Browning
After Trump wins the White House, a jaded Latina news producer reconnects with her suppressed activist side and becomes an unlikely TV news star. With Elizabeth De Razzo, Maria Camargo, Luis Fernandez-Gil, Garrick Bernard, Jandres Burgos, Blanca Araceli.
N.O.W.
Sponsored by HBO
Tribeca New Online Work(N.O.W.) highlights independent creators who use the web sphere as an exhibition space to tell their stories. Previous inclusions in the slate have gone on to achieve recognition in the form of awards and network pick-up, including High Maintenance from creators Katja Blichfeld and Ben Sinclair and Gotham award nominees Cleaner Daze from creator Tess Sweet and The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo from creator Brian Jordan Alvarez. This year’s slate includes episodic, short form and documentary work from up-and-coming and seasoned filmmakers.
N.O.W. SHOWCASE: HEADSPACE
Sci-fi, documentary, drama, and comedy collide in this collection of works that push aesthetic boundaries and challenge storytelling tropes.
Karen Gillan in “nuerotica.” (Photo by Ben Rutkowski)
Premiere Screening: Thursday, April 25, 6:30 PM, Regal Battery Park Theater
neurotica., created by Laura Moss & Nick Kocher (USA) – World Premiere.
A comedic sci-fi anthology series exploring personal anxieties. In episode 1, eureka!, a chronic procrastinator (Karen Gillan) meets an otherworldly being responsible for giving humanity its great ideas. Also starring Jillian Bell.
Laura Moss is a filmmaker from New York City. Her recent short film, Allen Anders – Live at the Comedy Castle (circa 1987) premiered at SXSW 2018. Her previous short, Fry Day, screened at SXSW and Tribeca in 2017. Laura was named one of Filmmaker Magazine‘s 25 New Faces of Independent Film. Her debut feature, After Birth, will be produced by Fangoria Films in 2019.
Nick Kocher is a stand-up comic and writer who has written for Saturday Night Live, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and the occasional Marvel comic book. He is also one half of the sketch comedy group BriTANicK.
The Future is Then, created by Sarah Salovaara (USA) – Episodes 1 & 2 (World Premiere).
Set in 1996, The Future Is Then follows a widowed Trinidadian woman who is recruited to be the brains behind the scenes of an Expedia-esque start up, run by three twenty-something white dudes.
Sarah Salovaara is a filmmaker from New York City. Her work is primarily concerned with the retooling of gender roles and genre tropes. Her previous series, Let Me Die a Nun, starring Ana Fabrega and Hari Nef, was nominated for a Gotham Independent Film Award in 2017.
Release, created by Joe Penna & Ryan Morrison – Episodes 1 & 2 (World Premiere).
When a deadly and mysterious airborne disease spreads from remote areas of the world to the United States, the country is thrust into chaos and panic as it strikes the quiet outskirts of a large American city.
Joe Penna is a Brazilian writer and director. For the past 12 years, he has maintained a YouTube channel dedicated to inventive music videos and short films, and was selected as one of the top 10 new directors at the 20th Cannes Lions Saatchi & Saatchi New Directors’ Showcase. Penna’s debut feature, Arctic, was shot entirely on location in Iceland and stars Mads Mikkelsen, and was part of the Official Selection for the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. He is currently in pre-production on Stowaway, starring Anna Kendrick and Toni Collette.
Ryan Morrison is a writer, producer and editor from the Boston area. For the last 7 years, Morrison has been a creating content with his producing partner Joe Penna on their YouTube channel, “MysteryGuitarMan,” and over the last few years Morrison has written, produced and edited several short films that have been featured on their channel. Arctic, which Morrison co-wrote, edited, and executive produced with director Joe Penna, was his first feature film.
Sweater, created by Nick Borenstein (USA) – World Premiere.
Corey’s day couldn’t be worse. Then he gets a free coffee.
Nick Borenstein is a New York-based writer, director, dancer and actor. He wrote, directed and starred in the comedic digital series Trip, a selection of IFP’s Screen Forward Lab, and The Buddy System, a short film that was developed into a digital series for EliteDaily.com. His most recent series was a finalist for Sundance Institute’s YouTube New Voices Lab, and he staged a live dance performance entitled “5INCO” during his 2019 Artist Residency at Casa Lü in Mexico City. Nick has also worked in the programming, casting and marketing departments at ABC, NBC, HBO, Comedy Central, Pivot TV, Hud:sun Media and Topic Studios.
Kiss of the Rabbit God, created by Andrew Thomas Huang (USA) – World Premiere.
A young Chinese restaurant worker falls in love with a god who leads him on a journey of sexual awakening and self-discovery.
Andrew Thomas Huang studied Fine Art at the University of Southern California, graduating in 2007. His film and video work has been exhibited at The Museum of Modern Art, NYC; MoMA PS1; The Barbican Centre, London; and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. As an experimental filmmaker with a background in puppetry, animation, live action performance and visual effects, Huang’s work bridges the gap between video art and film, expanding beyond into installation and alternative modes of storytelling.
Walk Run Cha-Cha, created by Laura Nix (USA) – World Premiere.
Paul and Millie Cao reunited in Los Angeles after being separated by the Vietnam War. Forty years later, they become ballroom dancers to reconnect and make up for lost time in this moving documentary short.
Laura Nix is an award-winning documentary filmmaker based in Los Angeles. She previously directed the feature documentary films Inventing Tomorrow (Sundance 2018), The Yes Men Are Revolting (TIFF, Berlinale 2014), and The Light In Her Eyes (IDFA 2011). She is currently developing a feature-length film based on the San Gabriel ballroom dance community.
N.O.W. SHOWCASE: REALITY CHECK
A cornucopia of personalities are at the center of these evergreen stories of parenthood, aging, and sexuality. Plus, President Obama.
Campbell Scott and Matt Dellapina in “Adult Ed” (Photo by Alexander Herron)
Premiere Screening: Thursday, April 25, 9:15 PM, Regal Battery Park Theater
Adult Ed, created by Matt Dellapina (USA) – Episode 2, Episode 4 (World Premiere).
A disgraced former teacher starts tutoring fellow failures around New York City while coming to grips with the toughest lesson of his life: fatherhood. With Campbell Scott.
Matt Dellapina, born and raised in the Bronx, cut his teeth on the New York stage for years, becoming a mainstay of the Off-Broadway scene. This work soon bloomed into a dynamic onscreen career, with recent credits including Dirty 30, Fits and Starts from Laura Terruso (Hello, My Name Is Doris), and Ruin Me, now streaming on ABC Shudder. Also a playwright and screenwriter (including the plays Interstate, Deacon of the Bronx, and the upcoming digital series Meetings), Dellapina serves as Co-Artistic Director of Slant Theatre Project, where he help found the New York City storytelling series On This Island.
Anne+, created by Maud Wiemeijer & Valerie Bisscheroux (NED) – Episode 1 (North American Premiere), Episode 2 (International Premiere).
The weekend 24-year-old Anne moves into her Amsterdam apartment, she unexpectedly runs into ex-girlfriend Lily. Her reappearance pushes Anne to reflect on the diverse women from her past and their influence on her life.
Maud Wiemeijer is a screenwriter. She studied Theatre Studies at the University of Amsterdam and graduated in 2016, and worked as trainee copywriter at Vandejong Creative Agency. In 2015, she created the concept for the (web) series Anne+,which she developed and co-wrote with director Valerie Bisscheroux. The series premiered at the Nederlands Film Festival and aired on national Dutch television. In her work, representation of (sexual) diversity is always at the forefront.
Valerie Bisscheroux is a film director. Her main focus and incentive as a filmmaker is the positive and nuanced representation of LGBTQ+ characters and storylines in films and series, content that was lacking when she was younger and of which there is still a shortage today. She graduated from The Netherlands Film Academy in 2017 as a creative producer, and with Anne+, Valerie made her debut as a director.
Frame by Frame, created by Yvonne Michelle Shirley (USA) – Episodes 1 & 2 (World Premiere).
Celebrated photojournalists explore images of the people and events that helped shape the American experience in this documentary series, and discuss how working with photographs impacts them personally. Featuring Pete Souza and Alysia Burton Steele.
Yvonne Michelle Shirley is a director and producer of narrative and documentary films inspired by the social realist tradition. A graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts’ Graduate Film Program, her work includes Flowers, which won Best Short Film in the HBO Short Film Competition at the 2016 American Black Film Festival, and Miasia: The Nature of Experience. Currently, Yvonne is producing a feature length documentary on the artist, Gil Scott-Heron, directed by Orlando Bagwell (Eyes on the Prize, Malcolm X: Make It Plain).
Better Days, created by Nabeel Muscatwalla & Adam Turkel (USA) – Episodes 1 & 5 (World Premiere), Episode 2 (New York Premiere).
A Muslim-American twenty-something faces a series of awkward encounters as he tries to get on with his day.
Nabeel Muscatwalla is an LA-based comedian. He can be seen writing and performing sketch comedy on Maude Nights at UCB LA. He can be heard discussing pop culture on the Toast The Town podcast. He performs regularly in the Sunday Team at ComedySportz and in the ensemble of Story Pirates. Nabeel graduated from Northwestern University in 2018, where he was a member of Mee-Ow (’18 director), The Titanic Players, and NSTV.
Adam Turkel is a writer/director/editor born, raised, and based in NYC. His 2018 short Freehand was an official selection of the Boston Film Festival and HollyWeb Festival, among others. His 2016 short 39 Acrosswon Best Student Film at the Big Apple Film Festival, and was the recipient of Northwestern University’s Joann Torretta Award. He currently works in the theatre department at WME.
99, created by Nick Borenstein (USA) – World Premiere.
A mother and son shop for a Bar Mitzvah gift at a 99 Cent store.
Nick Borenstein is a New York-based writer, director, dancer and actor. He wrote, directed and starred in the comedic digital series Trip, a selection of IFP’s Screen Forward Lab, and The Buddy System, a short film that was developed into a digital series for EliteDaily.com. His most recent series was a finalist for Sundance Institute’s YouTube New Voices Lab, and he staged a live dance performance entitled “5INCO” during his 2019 Artist Residency at Casa Lü in Mexico City. Nick has also worked in the programming, casting and marketing departments at ABC, NBC, HBO, Comedy Central, Pivot TV, Hud:sun Media and Topic Studios.
MotherStruck, created by Staceyann Chin & Micaela Birmingham (USA) – Episodes 1 & 2 (World Premiere).
The true story of a lesbian’s quest to become a mother. With her closest friends by her side, she embarks on a wild road toward motherhood.
Staceyann Chin is a 2017 LGBTQ Humanist Award recipient. Widely known as a co-writer and original performer in the Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam on Broadway, her poetry has seen the rousing cheers of the Nuyorican Poets’ Café, one-woman-shows Off-Broadway, writing workshops in Sweden, South Africa, and Australia. Chin’s three one-woman shows, Hands Afire, Unspeakable Things, and Border/Clash all opened to rave reviews at the Culture Project in New York City. Her critically acclaimed solo theater piece MotherStruck, directed by Cynthia Nixon and produced by Rosie O’Donnell, opened in New York in December of 2015.
Micaela Birmingham is an Emmy Award-winning writer and director with projects spanning public service, comedy, and branded content. As Head of Studio for Scary Mommy, Micaela oversees the development and production of original series. She is the creator of Lullaby League, a competition show hosted by Jim O’Heir in which a cappella singers compete to sing a real baby to sleep. Birmingham is also the creator and executive producer of the popular web series Momsplained and Madge the Vag. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and on CNN and the TEDx stage.
TRIBECA N.O.W. SPECIAL SCREENINGS
The New York Times’ Op-Docs – Featuring Stories Of Immigration
For the third year in a row, TheNew York Times‘ Op-Docs brings five inventively crafted documentary shorts to Tribeca N.O.W. This year’s group of films, produced with Concordia Studio, find a common thread in stories of immigration and belonging, captured with poignant and unflinching eloquence by a diverse range of artists.
After the screening, please join us for a conversation with the filmmakers, moderated by The New York Times’ national immigration reporter, Caitlin Dickerson.
“Walk Run Cha-Cha”
Screening: Saturday, May 4, 2:30 PM, SVA
Walk Run Cha-Cha., directed by Laura Nix (USA) – World Premiere
Paul and Millie Cao lost their youth to the aftermath of the Vietnam War. Forty years later, they have become successful professionals in Southern California — and are rediscovering themselves on the dancefloor.
Darlin, directed by Isabel Castro (USA) – World Premiere Darlin follows a Honduran family in the months after their separation under the zero tolerance policy.
El Vacio, directed by Deborah Esquenazi (USA) – World Premiere
In a mesmerizing confessional built from home video and animation, Karla Cornejo Villavicencio explores the mental prisons and personal trauma created by immigration policy.
La Reina de Watermelon Thump, directed by Jeff Reichert & Farihah Zaman (USA) – World Premiere
In Luling, the “toughest town in Texas”, two Latina high school girls compete to be the next Watermelon Thump Queen.
Boca del Lobo, directed by Jesse Moss (USA) – World Premiere
Mario Guevara, a reporter for Mundo Hispanico, investigates the impact of ICE arrests on his Atlanta community.
Topic Studios – Digital Docs
Tribeca N.O.W. is excited to spotlight Topic Studios’ commitment to supporting and cultivating creators of online work. These formally dynamic documentary projects—offering meditations on familial connection, historical memory, and photographic representation—epitomize the experimentation that Topic pursues in the digital space.
After the screening, please join us for a moderated conversation with the filmmakers.
“Black 14”
Screening: Monday, April 29, 6:30 PM, VEC
Black 14, directed by Darius Clark Monroe (USA)
Directed by Darius Clark Monroe and executive produced by Spike Lee, this documentary short tells the story of what happened when a group of college athletes decided to protest racial injustice.
Frame by Frame, directed by Yvonne Shirley (USA) – World Premiere
Celebrated photojournalists explore images of the people and events that helped shape the American experience, and discuss how working with photographs impacts them personally. Featuring Pete Souza and Alysia Burton Steele.
Passing: A Family in Black & White, directed by Robin Cloud (USA) – World Premiere
Filmmaker Robin Cloud reaches out to her long lost Nebraska cousins – who unbeknownst to them were passing for white – in an attempt to bring them back into her family.
Obits, directed by Alix Lambert & Manual Cinema (USA) – World Premiere Obits explores the unexpected connections between the lives of three strangers who all died on the same day, revealing how much more we have in common than we might think.
TRIBECA N.O.W. CREATORS MARKET
A first of its kind daylong, private industry market that brings together leading online and immersive storytellers (2019 N.O.W. Showcase creators + an additional curated group of online and VR writers/performers/influencers) to pitch new projects to a wide-range of industry, including distributors, agencies and brands.
The following online and VR/immersive filmmakers will participate in the Creators Market:
Robin Cloud
Robin Cloud is a Los Angeles-based comedian, writer, and director Arts. Her first narrative short, Out Again (2017), was executive produced by Refinery29 as part of their Shatterbox Anthology and has screened at over 35 film festivals. Her production company, Cloud Creative Media, was launched in March of 2016 and focuses on creating independent narrative and documentary films and series.
Jade Daugherty and Fred Soligan
A Chicago native, Jade Daugherty is a comedy writer/performer currently living in Brooklyn, NY. She loves hot dogs and dichotomies. Fred Soligan has directed work for UCB, BricTV, The New Yorker and IFC Comedy Cribs. In 2018, projects he directed won awards at festivals including NYTVF and UrbanWorld.
Alex Goyette
Alex Goyette is a writer/director with projects that have been featured on Netflix, MTV and Amazon. In 2014, Alex wrote and directed EXPELLED, which topped all digital download charts on its first day of release.
Nora Hawari
Nora Hawari is a first generation Arab-American filmmaker who seeks to change the world through her love of cinema. Nora acts, writes and directs all her own original work.
Betsy Kenney and Dara Katz
Betsy Kenney and Dara Katz are writing partners and performers based in New York City. Dubbed the new “Genre Queens” by Splitsider, they are the creators of the ’90s action-packed thriller Bounty Hunters, the Aaron Spelling-inspired IFC Comedy Crib series The Place We Live, and most recently, the chilling “true” crime anthology unSOLVABLE. They perform regularly at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theater and their work has been featured in The Huffington Post, Decider, Time Out, and Vice.
Noah Levenson
Noah Levenson’s viral interactive projects have received millions of views and enthusiastic praise from Fast Company, SFist, Bustle, and many more. He’s created sketches about the internet with Key & Peele and written about meme culture for the NY Daily News. Previously, he served as Editorial Director of MTV2.
Mijie Li and J. Faye Yuan
Originally from Hunan, China, Mijie Li served as co-producer on the Sundance-winning documentary, American Factory. Her first feature, Confucian Dream, will have its World Premiere at Hot Docs in 2019.
Born in Shanghai, J. Faye Yuan is a New York based bilingual writer, producer, and editor. Her mobile documentary launched at POV Hackathon 9 and was a finalist at Sundance New Frontier.
Alix Lambert
Alix Lambert has directed and produced three feature length documentaries: The Mark of Cain, Bayou Blue, and Mentor, as well as numerous shorts. She was a writer on the HBO show Deadwood and a writer / producer on John from Cincinnati. She has conceived, written and directed two short series for MOCA tv: Crime: The Animated Series, and Ambiance. She is the author of Crime and The Silencing.
Manual Cinema
Manual Cinema is a performance collective, design studio, and film/ video production company founded in 2010 by Drew Dir, Sarah Fornace, Ben Kauffman, Julia Miller, and Kyle Vegter. Manual Cinema combines handmade shadow puppetry, cinematic techniques, and innovative sound and music to create immersive stories for stage and screen.
Lilian Mehrel, Mary Evangelista Lilian Mehrel is an award-winning writer & director who distills the humor and poetics of life into stories. She earned her NYU Tisch Grad Film MFA with a PDSoros Fellowship, and wrote/illustrated a family memoir as a Dartmouth Senior Fellow. Her awards include HFPA, Tribeca Film Institute, Google, and Alfred P. Sloan. Mary Evangelista is an award-winning filmmaker born in the Philippines with an MFA from NYU Tisch, Mary pursues transformative stories full of bullish heart/levity. Her screenings include Tribeca 2019 (co-creator, Water Melts), Sundance 2019 (creator, Fran This Summer), and Slamdance 2018 (producer, Fish Bones). She is a Film Independent’s Project Involve Directing Fellow.
Krista Nylen
Krista Nylen is a creator and product designer. She studied creative writing at Williams College and attended Harvard Business School, focusing on emerging technology. She currently works at Spotify, specializing in new content experiences.
Vishaal Reddy
Vishaal Reddy is an actor, singer, and creator based in New York. Vishaal hopes to develop more TV & film content geared towards making South Asian stories more multi-dimensional and accessible to the masses. As a member of the queer community, he hopes to challenge stereotypes that often plague queer people of color’s narratives in media.
Emily Diana Ruth
Emily is a Canadian/British filmmaker currently in Toronto. Emily created and directed the series COLD starring Emily Basso (CAPTAIN FANTASTIC) for Verizon’s Go90. She graduated from York University in Canada with a BFA in Film Production & Screenwriting.
Tamara Shogalu
Tamara Shogaolu is an international director with a track record in featuring her work at film festivals, galleries, and museums worldwide. She is a 2018 Sundance Institute New Frontier lab Programs Fellow.
Christian Teelucksingh
Christian Teelucksingh is the founder of Breakthrough Ideas LLC, a turnkey production company, directing and producing projects from commercials to documentaries. At BTI we create, innovate, and turn ideas into action.
Celine Tricart
Celine Tricart is a director, cinematographer and founder of Lucid Dreams Productions whose work has gathered numerous awards. She is considered a pioneer in both 3D and virtual reality. Celine produced and directed Maria Bello’s “Sun Ladies” VR experience about the women fighting ISIS in Iraq, which premiered at Sundance 2018.
Alice Trueman
Alice Trueman is an award-winning, upcoming writer/director from the UK. She is currently developing new work with the British Film Institute and created the new comedy sketch webseries SPOON THE PRUNE.
Rain Valdez
Rain Valdez is an out and proud transgender actress and award-winning filmmaker. She played Coco in season 2 of TV Land’s Lopez and doubles in Amazon’s Transparent as Miss Van Nuys on screen and a Producer behind the scenes. She recently starred in a half hour comedy pilot directed by Paul Feig for Freeform TV, and also just completed showrunning and starring in Razor Tongue, a web series she wrote.
Also participating in the Tribeca N.O.W. Creators Market are N.O.W Showcase creators Nick Borenstein, Micaela Birmingham, Matt Dellapina, Andrew Thomas Huang, Laura Moss and Nick Kocher, Nabeel Muscatwalla and Adam Turkel, Laura Nix, Sarah Salovaara, Yvonne Michelle Shirley, and Maud Wiemeijer and Valerie Bischeroux.
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Tickets for events at The Beacon Theatre are available for purchase online starting on Tuesday, March 19. You can find information here.
About the Tribeca Film Festival:
The Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, brings visionaries and diverse audiences together to celebrate storytelling in all its forms, including film, TV, VR, gaming, music, and online work. With strong roots in independent film, Tribeca is a platform for creative expression and immersive entertainment. The Festival champions emerging and established voices; discovers award-winning filmmakers and creators; curates innovative experiences; and introduces new technology and ideas through premieres, exhibitions, talks, and live performances.
The Festival was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in 2001 to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of lower Manhattan following the attacks on the World Trade Center. Now in its 18th year, the Festival has evolved into a destination for creativity that reimagines the cinematic experience and explores how art can unite communities. The 18th annual edition will take place April 24 – May 5, 2019. www.tribecafilm.com/festival
About 2019 Tribeca Film Festival Partners:
As Presenting Sponsor of the Tribeca Film Festival, AT&T is committed to supporting the Festival and the art of filmmaking through access and innovation, while expanding opportunities to diverse creators around the globe. AT&T helps millions connect to their passions – no matter where they are. This year, AT&T and Tribeca will once again collaborate to give the world access to stories from underrepresented filmmakers that deserve to be seen. “AT&T Presents Untold Stories” is an inclusive film program in collaboration with Tribeca – a multi-year, multi-tier alliance between AT&T and Tribeca along with the year-round nonprofit Tribeca Film Institute.
The Tribeca Film Festival is pleased to announce its 2019 Partners: 23andMe, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Bai Beverages, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC), BVLGARI, CHANEL, Diageo, ESPN, IMDb, Kia, Merck, Montefiore, National CineMedia (NCM), Nespresso, New York Magazine, NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Prime Video Direct, P&G, PwC, Spring Studios New York, Squarespace, and Status Sparkling Wine.
“A Love Song for Latasha” (Photo by Sophia Nahli Allison)
The following is a press release from the Tribeca Film Festival:
The 18th annual Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, today announced its 2019 lineup of 63 diverse and engaging short films in competition, including 31 world premieres. This year’s shorts program includes a cross-section of international and U.S. filmmakers, curated from a record 5131 submissions with female filmmakers directing 45% of the selections. The short films will be presented in 11 distinct competition programs, consisting of six narrative, four documentary, and one animation program. There will also be special screening programs for the annual Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival and the debut of shorts from The Queen Collective, a program aimed at accelerating gender and racial equality behind the camera. The 2019 shorts lineup is programmed by Sharon Badal and Ben Thompson. The 2019 Tribeca Film Festival takes place April 24 – May 5.
“We spent a great deal of time curating programs that reflect the diverse interests of our audiences,” said Sharon Badal, Vice President of Filmmaker Relations and Shorts Programming. “This year we emphasize identity, community, and humanity while also entertaining our audience with some laughter, fun, and adventure.”
The flagship New York Shorts Program this year is entitled Streetwise and contains all world premiere narrative films, and back by popular demand are comedy (Funhouse) and sci-fi (Down to Earth). Among the new programs are the music-focused On Tour and the female-focused No Shortcuts documentary programs, and curated especially for late-night is the self-explanatory program WTF.
This year’s shorts program continues Tribeca’s tradition of discovering talent and encouraging filmmaker alumni development. Alumni returning this year with short films include Alexandra Barreto (Lady Hater), Matthew Bonifacio (Master Maggie), 2019 Oscar® nominee Marshall Curry (The Neighbors’ Window) David Darg (Lazarus), Lance Edmands (Whiteout,) Henry Hayes (Rogers and Tilden), Nadia Hallgren (After Maria), Jonathan Halperin (These American Truths), Scott Floyd Lochmus (Metronome) Smriti Mundhra (St. Louis Superman), Dana Nachman (Hook Up 2.0) and Victoria Rivera (Night Swim).
Some of the notable actors featured in the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival Shorts Film program include Lorraine Bracco, Brian Dennehy, Veronica Dunne, Brianna Hildebrand, Amanda Plummer, Bella Ramsey, and Keenan Thompson.
Tribeca’s Short Film program celebrates international storytelling with 44% of its selections representing 19 countries, including: Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, France, Iran, Ireland, Japan, Malawi, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Spain, Taiwan, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The 2019 Oscar winner Bao, directed by Domee Shi world premiered at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival and is the latest in the Festival’s long tradition of curating films that have been nominated or won an Oscar. Recipients of the Tribeca Film Festival awards for Best Narrative Short, Best Documentary Short, and Best Animated Short will qualify for consideration in the Academy Awards’ Short Films category, provided the film complies with Academy rules. Tribeca Film Festival also gives out a Student Visionary Award to a student filmmaker.
The 2019 Tribeca Film Festival Shorts Program is as follows:
Animated Shorts Curated by Whoopi G Showcasing imaginative storytelling and captivating craft. This program is suggested for those 14 and older.
“La Noria” (Image courtesy of NightWheel Pictures)
La Noria, directed and written by Carlos Baena. (Spain) – New York Premiere. A young boy who loves to draw and build ferris wheels encounters strange creatures that turn his life upside down. With English subtitles.
PeiXes, directed and written by Juan C. Pena. (Spain) – New York Premiere. A bold fish wants to see that there is beyond the water, and it is determined to succeed… With Antón Cancelas. In Spanish with English subtitles.
Mind My Mind, directed and written by Floor Adams. (Netherlands) – International Premiere. When relying on social scripts to survive the social world, it’s not easy to go off-script. Especially if you’re obsessed with German dive bombers and just want to date a girl. With Simon Hodges, Cézanne Tegelberg, Adam Fields, Faye Bloomfield, Lesley Hughes, Elias Vervecken.
My Mother’s Eyes, directed and written by Jenny Wright. (UK) – New York Premiere. My Mother’s Eyes is a story about motherhood and loss in the abstracted world of childhood memory.
These American Truths, directed by Ed Bell, Clementine Briand, Pierce Freelon, Jon Halperin, Aaron Keane, Drew Takahashi, written by Pierce Freelon, Jon Halperin. (USA) – World Premiere. How skin became color, color became race, and race became power. Or… the relationship of Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson in an animated musical.
The Downfall of Santa Claus (Julenissens fall), directed and written by Robert Depuis. (Norway) – North American Premiere. Santa Claus whole existence is dependent on a little boy’s faith. With Jan Sælid, Jonathan Gebuhr, Fridtjov Såheim, Tone Merete Aas Skålevik. In Norwegian with English subtitles.
Down to Earth Sci-fi shorts explore the “gravity” of the situations.
John Bubniak in “Storm” (Photo by David Vollrath)
Storm, directed and written by Will Kindrick. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. An unexpected user is accidentally launched through a series of turbulent splash portals when his government enforced dating app malfunctions in his bathtub. With John Bubniak, Corey Potter, Gwen Van Dam, RJ Howard, Corey L Page.
Bunker Burger, directed and written by Adam Yorke. (Canada) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. The members of an underground, post-apocalyptic bunker invite a psychologist from the radioactive and chaotic surface to audition for a place to live among them. With Enrico Colantoni, Sara Mitich, Tony Babcock, Jennifer Vallance, Sarah Gnocato, Bethanie Ho.
Flyby, directed and written by Jesse Mittelstadt. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. When a passing asteroid begins to affect how people perceive time, one man struggles to keep up with a life that is quickly disappearing into the future. With Tommee May, Riley Egan, Adam Mayfield, Akul Dang, Bardot Corso, Charles Chu, Chelsea Harris, Chris Reagan, Justin Rupple, Phil Abrams, Ryan Shrime, Torrey Devitto, Valeria Maldonado, Caity Ware.
Unregistered, directed by Sophia Banks, written by Erin Dignam. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. Unregistered is a narrative short film following a new couple navigating analog and digital connections in the not-too-distant future of a dystopian Los Angeles. With Dylan Penn, Trevor Jackson, David Lee Smith.
Zero, directed and written by The Brother’s Lynch. (USA, UK) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. After a mysterious electromagnetic pulse renders the world’s technology useless, a young girl finds herself isolated and alone with only her father’s strict set of rules to keep her alive. With Bella Ramsey, Nigel O’Neill, Danny Shooter, James Oliver Wheatley.
The Shipment, directed and written by Bobby Bala. (Canada) – New York Premiere, Short Narrative. Unable to afford repairs to his old broken ship, a struggling interplanetary transporter and his daughter are stranded on a wretched spaceport as his morality is put to the test. With Aleks Paunovic, Ishana Bala, Robert Maillet, Omari Newton.
Express Yourself Shorts that show their true colors.
Michelle Keating in “Perfect Day” (Photo by Alice Stephens)
This Perfect Day, directed and written by Lydia Rui. (Australia) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. Across the street, a music store is closing. With only a few minutes to make their move, Julia realizes it’s time for them to face their fears. With Michelle Keating, Lee Mason, Hannah Koch.
Ponyboi, directed and written by River Gallo. (USA) – New York Premiere, Short Narrative. Ponyboi, an intersex sex-worker, looks for love and to escape his seedy life in New Jersey. Through an encounter with the man of his dreams, Ponyboi discovers his worth. With River Gallo, Keith Allan, Aaron Schwartz, Sophie Labelle, Logan Arevelo.
War Paint, directed by J.C. Doler, Taylor Bracewell, written by J.C. Doler. (USA) – New York Premiere, Short Narrative. War Paint is a reverse first-person narrative telling the true story of Joe, a veteran of the Vietnam war. The film follows him as he enlists, prepares, and heads off to war. With J.C. Doler, Alex Dafnis, Patrick Kirton, Chris Alan Evans, Paul Petersen, Clayton Henderson.
Street Flame, directed and written by Katherine Propper. (USA) – New York Premiere, Short Narrative. Following the death of their friend, a crew of skaters and motley street teens imagine their own rituals to commemorate her on their own terms. With Sauve Sidle, Isaiah Shepard, Jessica Price, Kaitlyn Mitchell, Curtis Rhodes.
Driving Lessons, directed and written by Marziyeh Riahi. (Iran) – North American Premiere, Short Narrative. According Iranian law, Bahareh must have her traditional, chauvinistic husband accompany her on driving lessons so she and her instructor will not be alone. With Linda Kiani, Alireza Sanifar, Salar Khamseh, Sanaz Mesbah. In Persian with English subtitles.
Maja, directed by Marijana Jankovic, written by Marijana Jankovic, Adam August. (Denmark) – New York Premiere, Short Narrative. Maja, a six-year-old Serbian girl, has a difficult time interacting with the other kids—and she ends up being misunderstood and lonesome. With Selena Marsenic, Jesper Christensen, Dejan Cukic, Marijana Jankovic. In Danish, Serbian with English subtitles.
Forces of Nature Character docs that demand attention.
“99 Problems” (Photo by Malcolm McGettigan)
99 Problems, directed by Ross Killeen. (Ireland) – International Premiere, Short Documentary. The inside scoop on the murky world of the ice cream business.
Framing Agnes, directed by Chase Joynt, Kristen Schilt. (USA) – North American Premiere, Short Documentary. In 2017, trans artists gained access to a 1950s archive of never-before-seen histories of transgender people. Through reenactment and documentary, they revive the past to redefine the future. With Angelica Ross, Chase Joynt, Max Wolf Valerio, Silas Howard, Zackary Drucker.
Stanley Stellar: Here for this Reason, directed and written by Eric Leven. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. 40 years of New York City gay history told through photographs and the man behind the camera there to capture it all.
War Mothers: Unbreakable, directed by Stefan Bugryn. (Ukraine, Australia) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. What does an 18-year-old do when war comes to her country? In Ukrainian with English subtitles.
St. Louis Superman, directed by Smriti Mundhra, Sami Khan. (USA) – New York Premiere, Short Documentary. Bruce Franks Jr., a Ferguson activist and battle rapper who was elected to the overwhelmingly white and Republican Missouri House of Representatives, must overcome both personal trauma and political obstacles to pass a critical bill for his community.
Funhouse It’s all fun and games in these comedic shorts.
“Hook Up 2.0”
Hook Up 2.0, directed and written by Dana Nachman. (USA) – New York Premiere, Short Narrative. A sorority girl figures out a way to eliminate all risk from the late-night ritual that is the college hook up. Now all she needs is to find a guy to test out her idea on… and with. With Veronica Dunne, Billy Meade.
Westfalia, directed and written by Haley Finnegan, written by Haley Finnegan. (USA) – New York Premiere, Short Narrative. A couple embarks on an epic road trip in an attempt to gain more followers after their Instagram rival’s fame doubles overnight. With Haley Finnegan, Brian Flynn, Nicholas DePriest, Belle Adams, Laura Lawson Visconti, Nick Visconti.
Lady Hater, directed and written by Alexandra Barreto. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. A self-proclaimed “guy’s girl” finds herself stuck in an all-female, goddess seminar. With Allyn Rachel, Natalie Zea.
I Think She Likes You, directed by Bridey Elliott, written by Teresa Lee (Screenplay), Christine Medrano. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. When Justine and Julia pick Jake up at a bar, it’s not quite the threesome he was expecting. With Christine Medrano, Teresa Lee, Josh Fadem.
Peggy, directed and written by Justin O’Neal Miller. (USA) – New York Premiere, Short Narrative. Everything always seems to work out perfectly for Peggy, but her social graces are put to the test when she throws a birthday party for her eight-year-old son. With Jason MacDonald, Sarah Blackman, Josh Warren, Kurt Yue.
Hard-ish Bodies, directed and written by Mike Carreon. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. A plus-size male stripper knocks on the wrong door and is thrust into the criminal underworld. His only chance to save the club and himself is to do what he does best … DANCE! With Mike Carreon, James C Leary, Regina Soto, Heidi Lornz, Marcone Cangussu, Adam Mengesha, Isaac Garza, Meghan Malone.
40 Minutes Over Maui, directed by Michael Feld, Josh Covitt, written by Steve Feld, Michael Feld, Josh Covitt. (USA) – New York Premiere, Short Narrative. For 40 minutes on January 13, 2018, the fate of the world hung in the balance. For Larry and Penny… their Hawaiian vacation became a lot more meaningful. With Julie Brister, Johnny Ray Meeks.
Life Preserver Docs that make a difference.
“Keepers of the Wild”
Keepers of the Wild, directed and written by Adam McClelland. (USA) – New York Premiere, Short Documentary. Keepers of the Wild follows baby orphan elephants and their human keepers in the constant struggle to keep these majestic, complex and loving animals alive and wild in Kenya’s largest National Park.
A Tale of Two Kitchens, directed by Trisha Ziff, written by Trisha Ziff, Sheerly Avni. (USA, Mexico) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. Two countries, two restaurants, one vision. A Tale of Two Kitchens explores how a restaurant is a place of dignity and community across Mexico City and San Francisco. In English, Spanish with English subtitles. A Netflix release.
All On a Mardi Gras Day, directed and written by Michal Pietrzyk. (USA) – New York Premiere, Short Documentary. In a gentrifying New Orleans, Demond is part of a secret culture called Mardi Gras Indians, African-American men who spend all year sewing feathered suits to decide who’s “the prettiest.”
Learning To Skateboard In a Warzone (If You’re A Girl), directed by Carol Dysinger. (UK) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. Learning To Skateboard In A Warzone (If You’re A Girl) is the story of young Afghan girls learning to read, write—and skateboard—in Kabul. In Dari with English subtitles.
No Shortcuts Navigating life is tough in these female-focused docs.
“Reality Baby” (Photo by Matt Leigh)
Reality Baby, directed by Nodlag Houlihan. (Ireland) – International Premiere, Short Documentary. A group of friends is given lifelike baby dolls to care for over 24 hours. How will they rise to the challenges of teenage motherhood?
Little Miss Sumo, directed and written by Matt Kay. (Japan, Taiwan R.O.C., UK, USA) – North American Premiere, Short Documentary. Female sumo wrestling champion Hiyori confronts obstacles both inside and outside the ring in an attempt to change Japan’s national sport forever. In English, Japanese with English subtitles. Also playing in Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival: Sports Shorts
A Love Song for Latasha, directed by Sophia Nahli Allison. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. A dreamlike conversation with the past and the present, this film reimagines a more nuanced narrative of Latasha Harlins by excavating intimate memories shared by her cousin and best friend. With Tybee O’Bard, Shinese Harlins, Zoe Flint, Nnenna Brown, Juanita Jennings, Marley Cortez, Londyn Sharp, Raigan Alex, Irie Hudson.
After Maria, directed by Nadia Hallgren. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. Strong Puerto Rican women forced to flee the island after Hurricane Maria have bonded like family in a FEMA hotel in the Bronx. They seek stability in their new life as forces try to pull them apart. In Spanish with English subtitles. A Netflix release.
On Tour Music docs that speak to heart and soul.
“Xmas Cake” (Photo by May Yam)
Xmas Cake – This American Shelf-Life, directed by May Yam, written by Petra Hanson. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. A coming-of-middle-age story about a female singer’s journey from hot to not, and what ensues across cultures—from New York to Tokyo. With Petra Hanson.
Lost Weekend, directed by Bradford Thomason, Brett Whitcomb. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. In 1984, two friends from small town Pennsylvania win an MTV contest and the chance to party with Van Halen for 48 Hours. With Kurt Jefferis, Tom Winnick.
A Song Can’t Burn, directed and written by Roscoe Neil. (UK) – New York Premiere, Short Documentary. A Song Can’t Burn follows a Scottish musician working with refugee children who have crossed the border from Syria to Lebanon.
Lazarus, directed by David Darg. (USA, Malawi, UK) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. Lazarus is a short documentary following Lazarus Chigwandali, a street musician with Albinism from Malawi as he teams up with a London-based music producer to record his debut album. With Clem Kwizombe, Esau Mwamwaya, Johan Hugo, Ikponwosa Ero. In Chechewa, English with English subtitles.
That’s My Jazz, directed by Ben Proudfoot. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. Milt Abel Jr., a world-renowned pastry chef, reflects on his relationship with his deceased father and famed Kansas City jazz musician, Milton Abel Sr. With Albert Trepanier Jr., Bobby “Hurricane” Spencer, Cathy Luke, Henry Franklin, Ibrahima Sow, Kaleb Ross, Lasse Funch Sørenson, Lasse Mørck, Marie Buch Hoyer, Michael Be Holden, Norman Weatherly, Retha Spencer, Richard Spicer, Søren Høst.
Roads Less Traveled Destinations unknown.
“East of the River” (Photo by Christopher Messina)
East of the River, directed and written by Hannah Peterson. (USA) – New York Premiere, Short Narrative. When Teonna is unexpectedly suspended from school, she encounters a girl from her past who takes her on an adventure through the city. With Ayiana T. Davis, Steloni Mason, Malachi Mack.
Pearl (Zhen Zhu), directed and written by Yuchao Feng. (China) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. In a desolate Chinese fishing village, a single mother gives her 6-year-old daughter one final lesson. With Lu Liu, Yating Cao, Menghua Zhong, Jinnai Chen. In Chinese with English subtitles.
Black Hat, directed by Sarah Smith, written by Phillip Guttmann. (USA) – New York Premiere, Short Narrative. A pious Hasidic man living a secret double life misplaces his hat one night, which will cause his two separate lives to collide in a way he never imagined. With Adam Silver, Sebastian Velmont, Shelly Kurtz, Alan Lennick, Carolyn Michelle Smith, Nicholas Hylander.
Snare, directed by Madeleine Gottlieb, written by Madeleine Gottlieb, James Fraser. (Australia) – New York Premiere, Short Narrative. At an aging Chinese restaurant in 1997, a dad asks his punk musician son to help him follow his dreams. With Steve Rodgers, James Fraser.
Carlito Leaves Forever, directed and written by Quentin Lazzarotto. (France, Peru) – New York Premiere, Short Narrative. A short poetic film following Carlito, a young man living in an indigenous village at the heart of the Amazonian jungle, who decided to leave and change his life forever. With Carlito Tirira Meshi, Alfonsina Sehua Tioshe.
Jebel Banat, directed and written by Sharine Atif. (Egypt) – North American Premiere, Short Narrative. Two Bedouin sisters hide on a mountain, escaping forced marriages and embarking on a journey of freedom. With Sara Soumaya Abed, Jala Hesham, Soliman El Jebaly. In Arabic with English subtitles.
Where I End And You Begin, directed and written by Will Hoffman, Julius Metoyer. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. Snapshots of different lives are woven together to illuminate something deeply human about the country: despite obvious differences, emotions provide a common ground.
Streetwise New York shorts that can handle themselves.
“The Dishwasher” (Photo by Nick Hartanto)
The Dishwasher, directed and written by Nick Hartanto, Sam Roden. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. A chef at a fine dining restaurant in New York City asks a Mexican dishwasher to find good tortillas. With Kevin Balmore, Elisha Yaffe, Holly Lynn Ellis, Teddy Cañez, Arisleyda Lombert, Richie Moriarty. In English, Spanish with English subtitles.
Night Swim, directed by Victoria Rivera, written by Victoria Rivera and Neda Jebelli. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. Three teenage girls break into a shut down pool. When uninvited guests show up, their friendship is tested and one of them is left behind. With Adriana Santos, Chloe Roe, Adea Lennox.
Rogers and Tilden, directed by Henry Hayes, written by Zolan Kanno-Youngs, Henry Hayes. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. Fresh out of prison in a Brooklyn he barely recognizes, Marcus is looking to seize his second chance. But first, he needs that driver’s license. With Gbenga Akinnagbe, Curtiss Cook Jr, Lorrie Odom.
Master Maggie, directed by Matthew Bonifacio, written by Julianna Gelinas Bonifacio, Matthew Bonifacio. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. A celebrity acting coach is interrupted by an unknown actor begging for her help for a TV audition. What follows is an unexpected journey for the both of them. With Lorraine Bracco, Neil Jain, Kenan Thompson, Brian Dennehy, Chris Henry Coffey.
Metronome (In Time), directed and written by Scott Floyd Lochmus. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. In this wordless fable, an ailing elderly maestro and a young piano prodigy venture out of their musical isolation in hopes of selling their beloved piano. With David Patrick Kelly, Gabriel Gurevich, Patrick Cannell, Adaku Ononogbo, Mehdi Barakchian, Valerie Steinberg.
The Neighbors’ Window, directed and written by Marshall Curry. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. The Neighbors’ Window tells the true story of a middle-aged woman with small children whose life is shaken up when two free-spirited twenty-somethings move in across the street. With Maria Dizzia, Greg Keller, Juliana Canfield, Bret Lada.
WTF Watch These Films curated especially for late-night.
“Twist” (Photo by Cory Geryak)
Twist, directed and written by Aly Migliori. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. No choice but to walk home alone, Hannah sees an opportunity for a ride, but others see an opportunity in her. With Helena Howard, Megan Seely, Henry Dwyer, Mike Donovan, Justin Hofstad, Matthew Russell.
Whiteout, directed by Lance Edmands, written by Lance Edmands, Sarah Tihany. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. When a young couple encounters a strange old man wandering in a snowstorm, they must decide if he needs help, or if he has more sinister intentions. With Sarah Tihany, David Call, Patrick M Walsh Jr..
His Hands, directed and written by Arron Blake, Darius Shu. (UK) – North American Premiere, Short Narrative. Two men of different ages meet for the strangest encounter of their lives. With Arron Blake, Philip Brisebois.
Momster, directed and written by Drew Denny. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. When notorious bank robber, the Momster, catches her daughter Angel mid-gunfight, Angel thinks she’s being rescued… until she realizes she has to do the saving. With Brianna Hildebrand, Amanda Plummer, John Ennis, Josh Fadem, Ryan Simpkins.
Hunting Season, directed by Shannon Kohli, written by Hannah Levien. (Canada) – New York Premiere, Short Narrative. Callie, a small town gas station attendant, has an unexpected encounter which will change the course of her life forever. With Hannah Levien, Luke Camilleri.
11:50, directed and written by Yiguo Chen. (China) – World Premiere, Short Narrative. In the pouring rain, a junkie takes the hotel key of a man that his car has accidentally killed. As he walks into the hotel and finds that room, he has to face a mysterious journey that will never have an end. In Chinese with English subtitles.
Snaggletooth, directed and written by Colin Bishopp. (USA) – New York Premiere, Short Narrative. An unusual girl needs to get her teeth fixed at midnight. With Jolie Ledford, Sierra Marcks, Susan Louise O’Connor, Thomas Cokenias.
Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival: Sports Shorts A spectrum of stories, styles, and sports, this collection of athletically-minded short films will take audiences on the exciting personal journeys of athletes.
“Who Says I Can’t”
The Boxers of Brule, directed and written by Jessie Adler. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. Shaionna, a young Lakota woman, creates a girls’ boxing team to combat the youth suicide epidemic threatening the Lower Brule Sioux Reservation. With the odds stacked against her, she must confront her own demons while fighting to bring hope and healing to her community. With Shaionna Grassrope-Ziegler, Davita Thompson, Shilea Grassrope, Pam Ziegler, Jada Whitelight, Rianna Rodriguez. In English with English subtitles.
Mack Wrestles (Mack Wrestles), directed by Taylor Hess, Erin Sanger. (USA) – New York Premiere, Short Documentary. Mack Beggs loved wrestling—it gave him a sense of purpose and a sense of self. Mack Wrestles, takes the audience behind the scenes as this gifted athlete from Euless, Texas, struggles against the outside forces that stigmatize transgender athletes.
Who Says I Can’t (Who Says I Can’t), directed by Kristen Lappas. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. Rob Mendez was born without arms or legs, but after more than a decade of acting as an assistant football coach, he finally got the opportunity he’d always wanted: the head coaching position at a major high school. Who Says I Can’t chronicles Mendez’s first season at the helm of his own team.
Also playing in Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival: Sports Shorts —Little Miss Sumo
The Queen Collective shorts The debut of two Queen Collective documentaries, supported by Proctor & Gamble, aimed at accelerating gender and racial equality behind the camera. Created by diverse young women – these short films inspire positive social change and embody Proctor and Gamble’s commitment to supporting gender and racial equity, on-screen and behind the scenes.
“Ballet After Dark” (Photo by Bunmi Abari)
Ballet After Dark, directed by B.Monét. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. Ballet After Dark tells the story a young woman who found the strength to survive after an attack. She created an organization that is helping sexual abuse and domestic violence survivors find healing after trauma through dance therapy.
If There Is Light, directed by Haley Elizabeth Anderson. (USA) – World Premiere, Short Documentary. Fourteen-year-old Janiyah Blackmon wrestles with her new life in New York City as her mom tries to move her family out of the shelter system and into a stable home. With Janiyah Blackmon, McKayla Blackmon, Jakena Blackmon.
Passes and Tickets for the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival
Advance selection ticket packages are now on sale. All packages can be purchased online at tribecafilm.com/festival/tickets, or by telephone at (646) 502-5296 or toll-free at (866) 941-FEST (3378).
Also available for purchase now is The Hudson Pass, an all-access pass to screenings and talks taking place at BMCC, Regal Battery Park Stadium, Village East Cinema, and SVA theaters as well as full access to all events at the Festival Hub at Spring Studios, which includes VR and Immersive projects, Movies Plus screenings and access to festival lounges.
Single tickets cost $24.00 for evening and weekend screenings, $12.00 for weekday matinee screenings, $30.00 for Tribeca TV and Movies Plus $40.00 for Tribeca Talks panels and $40.00 for Tribeca Immersive. Single ticket sales begin Tuesday, March 26 and can be purchased online through our film guide or through the call center.
Tickets for events at The Beacon Theatre are available for purchase online starting March 19.
Packages and passes are now available for purchase on the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival App, on:
About the Tribeca Film Festival:
The Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, brings visionaries and diverse audiences together to celebrate storytelling in all its forms, including film, TV, VR, gaming, music, and online work. With strong roots in independent film, Tribeca is a platform for creative expression and immersive entertainment. The Festival champions emerging and established voices; discovers award-winning filmmakers and creators; curates innovative experiences; and introduces new technology and ideas through premieres, exhibitions, talks, and live performances.
The Festival was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in 2001 to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of lower Manhattan following the attacks on the World Trade Center. Now in its 18th year, the Festival has evolved into a destination for creativity that reimagines the cinematic experience and explores how art can unite communities. The 18th annual edition will take place April 24 – May 5, 2019. www.tribecafilm.com/festival #Tribeca2019
Hashtag: #Tribeca2019
Twitter: @Tribeca
Instagram: @tribeca
Facebook: facebook.com/Tribeca
About 2019 Tribeca Film Festival Partners:
As Presenting Sponsor of the Tribeca Film Festival, AT&T is committed to supporting the Festival and the art of filmmaking through access and innovation, while expanding opportunities to diverse creators around the globe. AT&T helps millions connect to their passions – no matter where they are. This year, AT&T and Tribeca will once again collaborate to give the world access to stories from underrepresented filmmakers that deserve to be seen. “AT&T Presents Untold Stories” is an inclusive film program in collaboration with Tribeca – a multi-year, multi-tier alliance between AT&T and Tribeca along with the year-round nonprofit Tribeca Film Institute.
The Tribeca Film Festival is pleased to announce its 2019 Partners: 23andMe, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Bai Beverages, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC), BVLGARI, CHANEL, Diageo, ESPN, IMDb, Kia, Merck, Montefiore, National CineMedia (NCM), Nespresso, New York Magazine, NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Prime Video Direct, P&G, PwC, Spring Studios New York, Squarespace, and Status Sparkling Wine.
“Gymnasia” (Photo courtesy of Felix & Paul Studios)
The following is a press release from the Tribeca Film Festival:
The Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, announced today that Tribeca Immersive, which leads as an incubator for innovation and is a global stage where top VR creators choose to debut their latest work, will showcase more than 30 cinematic and cutting-edge virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality experiences by top artists who push the boundaries of storytelling with technology. Tribeca Immersive encompasses two events that run the duration of the Festival, Virtual Arcade, presented by AT&T, and Tribeca Cinema360. The Tribeca Film Festival takes place from April 24 to May 5.
Visitors to the Virtual Arcade will encounter a lineup of 22 compelling VR, AR and MR experiences and exhibits from new and established artists, with Tribeca Cinema360 featuring 12 curated screenings in a custom VR theater. Immersive attendees will be transported to places they’ve never been, from a time-warping dream bubble (Future Dreaming) to an alien jungle (Bonfire), to riding on the back of a jellyfish to experience the wonders of the deep to see the impact of pollution from a vitally different perspective (A Drop in the Ocean). The Festival will premiere the first Dr. Who experience in VR, Dr. Who: The Runaway, voiced by the current and first female doctor Jodie Whittaker, and also present a one-of-a-kind collaboration with popular historian/podcaster Dan Carlin and MWM Immersive that transports attendees to a WWI battlefield with stunning realism (War Remains).
“Tribeca Immersive remains committed to the power of new technology as a dynamic vehicle for storytelling,” said Loren Hammonds, Senior Programmer, Film & Immersive for Tribeca Film Festival. “This year’s programming spans a myriad of genres, including many world premiere VR, MR and AR experiences.”
Numerous projects in this year’s program address relevant cultural issues, including gun control (12 Seconds of Gunfire: The True Story of a School Shooting), gentrification (Common Ground), pollution and conservation (A Drop in the Ocean) and persecution of the LGBTQIA community (Another Dream). Throughout the exhibition, Tribeca welcomes bleeding-edge creativity, showcasing top tech innovations, many of which showcase the future of location-based entertainment.
At this year’s Virtual Arcade, the Storyscapes juried selections present new trends and innovative work across mediums that integrate various forms of audience participation, with interactive installations focused on emotion and the human experience. The Storyscapes Award, presented by AT&T, honors artists who bridge the gap between technology and storytelling. This year, four of the five experiences up for the award were made by female creators.
Tribeca Immersive includes innovative experiences from creators such as Eric Darnell and Baobab Studios (Bonfire), Jessica Brillhart (Into The Light), Jan Kounen and producers Atlas V (Ayahuasca), Celine Tricart (The Key), Clyde Henry and Felix & Paul Studios (Gymnasia), Adam May (A Drop In The Ocean), Dan Carlin and MWM Immersive (War Remains) and Fable Studios’ Pete Billington and Jessica Yaffa Shamash (Wolves in the Walls: It’s All Over). Other notable names involved with projects include comedian Ali Wong (Bonfire), actors Jeffrey Wright and Noah Schnapp (Wolves In The Walls: It’s All Over), and musician Yo-Yo Ma (Into The Light).
“It has been a wild ride seeing how artists and filmmakers have responded to new technologies over the years, constantly pushing and prodding and exploring the edges of things in order to make beautiful and vital work,” said Ingrid Kopp, co-curator of Tribeca Immersive.
VIRTUAL ARCADE Sponsored by AT&T
“7 Lives” (Image courtesy of Red Corner)
2nd Civil War (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Kevin Cornish Key Collaborators: Moth + Flame, Conversive, Pollution Studios, Denis Sharabarin
2nd Civil War has broken out in America. In this voice-activated VR experience, you will drop into an Insurgent Hot Zone, interrogate the inner circle of the insurgency and decide: which side are you on?
7 Lives (World Premiere) – Luxembourg, France, Belgium Project Creator: Charles Ayats, Sabrina Calvo, Jan Kounen Key Collaborators: Franck Weber, Céline Tricart, Marie Blondiaux, Adrien Oumhani
An afternoon in June. Tokyo. 5 p.m. A girl jumps in front of the subway. Her soul rises from the rails. On the platform, the six people who witnessed the scene are in shock. It revived a trauma in them, painful memories they never overcame…
Ayahuasca (World Premiere) – France, Luxembourg Project Creator: Jan Kounen Key Collaborators: Guillermo Arévalo Valera – Shaman, Antoine Cayrol, Marion Guth, Vincent Guttman, Nicolas Becker, Nicolas Blies, Stéphane Hueber-Blies
Participants are immersed in visions triggered by a dose of ayahuasca. The spectator lives this through director Jan Kounen’s eyes as he travels on a spiritual voyage.
Bonfire (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Eric Darnell, Baobab Studios Key Collaborators: Maureen Fan, Larry Cutler, Kane Lee, Shannon Ryan, Ali Wong
Nice job. You’ve crashed your spaceship into an alien jungle. Your instincts, nourishment cylinders, and a wary robot sidekick are all you have for survival… or so you think. With Ali Wong.
Cave (US Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Ken Perlin, Kris Layng, Sebastian Herscher Key Collaborators: Jess Bass Cave is a coming-of-age story told through cutting edge Parallux technology, featuring a fully immersive holographic VR experience that can be shared by many audience members at once.
Children Do Not Play War (World Premiere) – Uganda, Brazil, USA Project Creator: Fabiano Mixo Children Do Not Play War is a cinematic VR tale of the war in Uganda told through the eyes of a young girl. Also playing in the program Cinema360: Her Truth, Her Power
Common Ground(World Premiere) – UK Project Creator: Darren Emerson Key Collaborators: Ashley Cowan, Conan Roberts
Explore the notorious Aylesbury Estate, concrete monument to the history and legacy of social housing in the UK, and home to a community affected by forces beyond their control.
Doctor Who: The Runaway (World Premiere) – UK Project Creator: BBC / Passion Animation Studios Key Collaborators: Mathias Chelebourg
Step inside the TARDIS with the Doctor in this beautiful, animated, interactive story from the Doctor Who team. With Jodie Whittaker, Richard Elfyn.
A Drop in the Ocean (World Premiere) – UK, France, USA Project Creator: Adam May, Chris Campkin, Chris Parks Key Collaborators: Philippe Cousteau, Ashlan Cousteau, Vision3, Conservation International
Discover a miniature universe at the heart of our survival. Become part of a Social VR adventure through the ocean food chain, to reveal a crisis of our making.
Ello (World Premiere) – China Project Creator: Haodan Su Key Collaborators: Zhiyuan Ma, Hao Luo Ello is a sweet story about loneliness and friendship. When people expect friendship or love, proactively pursuing rather than passively waiting might lead to a surprising end.
Gymnasia (World Premiere) – Canada Project Creator: Clyde Henry Productions Key Collaborators: The National Film Board of Canada and Felix & Paul StudiosStep into a dream, where the ghostly ephemera of a lost childhood await you.
Into the Light (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Jessica Brillhart, Igal Nassima Key Collaborator: Yo-Yo Ma
Ascend Spring Studios and move through the movements of Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 2 in D Minor,” performed by the legendary Yo-Yo Ma.
Stealing Ur Feelings (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Noah Levenson Key Collaborators: Brett Gaylor Stealing Ur Feelings is an AR experience about the power of facial emotion recognition AI that exploits your reaction to its own content in horrifying ways.
Unceded Territories (World Premiere) – Canada/USA Project Creator: Paisley Smith and Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun Key Collaborators: Ketsia Vedrine, Peter Denny, Patrick Weekes, Jason Legge
Through infectious interaction, build a natural world made up of the colorful, surrealist art of acclaimed First Nations painter Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun, until you are confronted by Colonialist Snake who forces you to see the truth behind your actions.
War Remains (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Dan Carlin, MWM Immersive
Key Collaborators: Brandon Oldenburg, Ethan Stearns, Flight School Studio, Skywalker Sound
Podcast legend Dan Carlin employs the unique power of virtual reality to transport audiences into one of the most extreme battlefields in history – the Western Front of The First World War.
Where There’s Smoke (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Lance Weiler Key Collaborators: Peter English, Julia Pontecorvo, Dale Worstall Where There’s Smoke mixes documentary, immersive theater, and an escape room to explore memory and loss. Set within the aftermath of a blaze, participants race to determine the cause of a tragic fire by sifting through the charred remains.
Wolves in the Walls: It’s All Over (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Pete Billington, Jessica Yaffa Shamash Key Collaborators: Fable, Facebook Sound+Design, Third Rail Projects, Oculus Studios, Edward Saatchi, Chris Hanson
Transport into the magic of VR cinema, where only you can help Lucy discover what’s truly hiding inside the walls of her house. With Jeffrey Wright, Noah Schnapp, Elizabeth Carena, Cadence Goblirsch
STORYSCAPES Sponsored by AT&T
“Another Dream” (Photo courtesy of Ado Ato Pictures)
The competition includes four world premieres and one International premiere. One Storyscapes nominee will be selected by a jury to receive the Storyscapes Award, presented by AT&T, which recognizes groundbreaking approaches in storytelling and technology. The five projects come from Australia, Egypt, Iraq, Netherlands, UK and USA.
Another Dream (حلم آخر) (World Premiere) – Netherlands, USA, Egypt Project Creator: Tamara Shogaolu, Ado Ato Pictures Key Collaborators: Lauren Dubowski, Natalya Sarch, Nada El-Kouny, Anastasia Semenoff (alpha_rats), Martijn Zandvliet, Gata Mahardika, Ytje Veenstra, Audioimmersive.com Another Dream brings to life the gripping, true story of an Egyptian lesbian couple. Faced with a post-Revolution backlash against their community, they must choose between love and home.
The Collider (North American Premiere) – UK Project Creator: Anagram.
Enter The Collider, a machine built to decipher the mysteries of human relationships. The Collider is an immersive virtual and theatrical experience exploring power, dependency, and the space between people.
Future Dreaming (World Premiere) – Australia Project Creator: Sutu Key Collaborators: Charles Henden, Alison Lockyer, Maverick Eaton, Maxie Coppin, Nelson Coppin
Step into a time-warping dream bubble as four young Aboriginal Australians approach their futures. Be ready for an intergalactic adventure. Look out for the space emus!
The Key (World Premiere) – USA, Iraq Project Creator: Celine Tricart Key Collaborators: Gloria Bradbury
An interactive VR experience taking the viewer on a journey through memories. Will they be able to unlock the mystery behind the mysterious Key without sacrificing too much?
Traitor (World Premiere) – UK Project Creator: Pilot Theatre, Lucy Hammond Key Collaborators: Matt Stuttard Parker, Richard Hurford, Rebecca Saw, Lydia Denno, Jonathan Eato
Eight hours ago, teenager Emma McCoy vanished. All she left behind was a game. Now it’s the viewer’s job to find her.
TRIBECA CINEMA360
“12 Seconds of Gunfire: The True Story of a School Shooting”
Change is Gonna Come 12 Seconds of Gunfire: The True Story of a School Shooting (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Suzette Moyer, Seth Blanchard Key Collaborators: John Woodrow Cox
After a gunman shoots her best friend on the playground, a first-grade girl confronts a journey of trauma and loss after the Townville, South Carolina, school shooting.
Ashe ’68 (New York Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Brad Lichtenstein Key Collaborators: Beth Hubbard, Rex Miller, Jeff Fitzsimmons
Arthur Ashe emerged as an elite athlete who parlayed his fame as the first black man to win the US Open tennis championship into a lifetime devoted to fighting injustice.
Accused No. 2: Walter Sisalu (North American Premiere) – France Project Creator: Nicolas Champeaux & Gilles Porte Key Collaborators: Oerd Van Cuijlenborg
A trove of 256 hours of sound archives of the Rivonia trial bring back to life the political battle waged by Nelson Mandela and his seven co-defendants against apartheid. This film looks at one of them in particular: Accused No. 2, Walter Sisulu.
Go Team! 11.11.18 (World Premiere) – Belgium, France Project Creator: Sébastien Tixador et Django Schreven Key Collaborators: Boris Baum, Sébastien Plazeneix, Antoine Sauwen
A few minutes before the suspension of fighting in World War on November 11, 1918, soldiers have to face a series of decisions.
Space Buddies (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Matt Jenkins, Ethan Shaftel Key Collaborators: Piotr Karwas
It takes a special team of astronauts to survive the voyage to Mars without going insane. This crew will be lucky to make it past launch.
Mr. Buddha (董仔的人) (International Premiere) – Taiwan R.O.C. Project Creator: HTC Corporation, Lee Chung Key Collaborators: HTC VIVE, Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival Executive Committee
The short crime story takes place in a car, following Dong-Tzu, Ching-Tsai, and Ni-Sang, who get their hands on a valuable antique only to have the fruits of their labor shared with the newcomer, A-Che.
Her Truth, Her Power Mercy (New York Premiere) – USA, Cameroon Project Creator: Armando Kirwin Key Collaborators: Sutu, Ruben Plomp, Emma Debany, AMK LTD, Oculus VR for Good
Edith, a 14-year-old from Cameroon, journeys through the jungle seeking life-transforming surgery to remove a tumor on her jaw.
Girl Icon (New York Premiere) – USA, India Project Creator: Sadah Espii Proctor Key Collaborators: Amy Seidenwurm, Skye Von, Paula Cuneo, Lauren Burmaster, Espii Studios, little GIANT Wolf, Oculus VR for Good
Globally, over 130 million girls do not go to school. Step into the life of one girl from India who is inspired by Malala Yousafzai to change her course.
Children Do Not Play War (World Premiere) – Uganda, Brazil, USA Project Creator: Fabiano Mixo Key Collaborators: Amy Seidenwurm, VILD Studio, Oculus VR for Good Children Do Not Play War is a cinematic VR tale of the war in Uganda told through the eyes of a young girl. Also playing in the Virtual Arcade.
Such Sweet Sorrow Armonia (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Bracey Smith Key Collaborators: Anja Moreno-Smith, Neil Dvorak, Sara K White, Josh Bernhard, Jacques Lalo, Daniel Coletta Armonia takes the ride of the dynamic original piano concerto “Armonia Degli Uccelli,” and marries it to a universally accessible animation, to produce a uniquely layered spectacle of spatial storytelling.
Dreams of The Jaguar’s Daughter (World Premiere) – USA, Mexico Project Creator: Alfredo Salazar-Caro Key Collaborators: Genesis Mancheren Abaj, Prashast Thapan, Tarek Turkey Dreams Of The Jaguar‘s Daughter is a surreal VR documentary where Achik’, the spirit of a young Maya immigrant, guides the viewer through her memories of an arduous journey north.
Water Melts (World Premiere) – USA Project Creator: Lilian Mehrel, Mary Evangelista Key Collaborators: Ting Liu, Maya Edelman. Ariel Marx
A blue-hearted rom-com about people who are going to lose someone they love. Nobody knows what to say, so they bicker, laugh/cry, get married. It’s a romantic comedy, after all.
Tickets for the 2019 Tribeca Immersive Program
Tribeca Immersive takes place in the Tribeca Festival Hub located at Spring Studios – 50 Varick Street. Admission to presentations of the Virtual Arcade featuring Storyscapes is $40. Screening tickets for Tribeca Cinema360 screenings are $15. Tickets can be purchased online at tribecafilm.com/immersive beginning March 26 or by telephone at (646) 502-5296 or toll-free at (866) 941-FEST (3378).
Packages and passes are now available for purchase on the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival App, on:
About the Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, brings visionaries and diverse audiences together to celebrate storytelling in all its forms, including film, TV, VR, gaming, music, and online work. With strong roots in independent film, Tribeca is a platform for creative expression and immersive entertainment. The Festival champions emerging and established voices; discovers award-winning filmmakers and creators; curates innovative experiences; and introduces new technology and ideas through premieres, exhibitions, talks, and live performances.
The Festival was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in 2001 to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of lower Manhattan following the attacks on the World Trade Center. Now in its 18th year, the Festival has evolved into a destination for creativity that reimagines the cinematic experience and explores how art can unite communities. The 18th annual edition will take place April 24 – May 5, 2019. www.tribecafilm.com/festival #Tribeca2019
About 2019 Tribeca Film Festival Partners
As Presenting Sponsor of the Tribeca Film Festival, AT&T is committed to supporting the Festival and the art of filmmaking through access and innovation, while expanding opportunities to diverse creators around the globe. AT&T helps millions connect to their passions – no matter where they are. This year, AT&T and Tribeca will once again collaborate to give the world access to stories from underrepresented filmmakers that deserve to be seen. “AT&T Presents Untold Stories” is an inclusive film program in collaboration with Tribeca – a multi-year, multi-tier alliance between AT&T and Tribeca along with the year-round nonprofit Tribeca Film Institute.
The Tribeca Film Festival is pleased to announce its 2019 Partners: 23andMe, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Bai Beverages, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC), BVLGARI, CHANEL, Diageo, ESPN, IMDb, Kia, Merck, Montefiore, National CineMedia (NCM), Nespresso, New York Magazine, NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Prime Video Direct, P&G, PwC, Spring Studios New York, Squarespace, and Status Sparkling Wine.