It’s that time of year again and what’s becoming one of New York’s premiere film festivals, the 13th annual Tribeca Film Festival (TFF), is getting ready to kick off the spring, running from April 16 to April 27, with the announcement of the full line of films playing both in competition and outside competition.
The “Spotlight” section has a lot of interesting entries among its 31 films with some of the World Premieres including that of Dito (A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints) Montiel’s Boardwalk starring Robin Williams and Kathy Bates, actors Chris Messina and Courtney Cox make their directorial debuts with Alex of Venice and Just Before I Go respectively, Oscar nominated doc director Amy Berg makes her narrative debut with a movie written by Nicole Holofcener, Every Secret Thing, starring Elizabeth Banks, Diane Lane and Dakota Fanning; plus Joss Whedon wrote In Your Eyes, a romantic drama starring Zoe Kazan.
There are also a number of films playing that have done the festival circuit and already have distribution, including the New York premiere of Favreau’s star-studded Chef following it opening the SXSW Film Festival this week; Roman Polanski’s movie based on the award-winning play Venus in Fur, Paul Haggis’ Third Person; Ira Sachs’ Love is Strange and Charlie McDowell’s The One I Love starring Mark Duplass and Elizabeth Moss.
The festival’s “Viewpoints” section also includes a number of World Premieres amongst its 19 films as well as David McKenzie’s Starred Up and the SXSW Midnighter selection Honeymoon.
There are 12 narrative and 12 documentary features in competition from all over the world, although they’re a mixed bag with some featuring known actors and filmmakers, such as Racing Dreams director Marshall Curry who returns to Tribeca with his new doc Point and Shoot and Junebug screenwriter Angus McLachlan who offers Goodbye to All That in the narrative competition.
Below is the official Tribeca Film Festival press release announcing the Spotlight, Midnight and Special Screenings from the festival and after that is the full list of films in competition and the out-of-competition Viewpoints films:
The Tribeca Film Festival (TFF), presented by AT&T, today announced its feature film selections in the Spotlight, Midnight, and Special Screenings sections, as well as the selections for the Storyscapes program. The 13th edition of the Festival will take place from April 16th to April 27th in New York City.
The Spotlight section features 31 films, consisting of 22 narratives and 9 documentaries. Twenty films in the selection will have their world premieres at the Festival. The Midnight section will open with the feature film, Preservation, and includes a lineup of seven genre-bending titles from fresh voices around the world that run the gamut from tongue-in-cheek comedy to chilling horror films. The Special Screenings include a work-in-progress documentary from Louie Psihoyos (The Cove), a film entitled 6, on a team of activists who risk their lives to shed light on species extinction.
Spotlight and Special screenings are an especially dynamic aspect of this years program, both in range of styles and stories, said Genna Terranova, Director of Programming. Many films feature real-life personalities whove accomplished extraordinary feats, while in other films we see personal relationships at pivotal moments of transition. We look forward to sharing these engaging stories with audiences.
“Whether they made us laugh, squirm, or plain scared the heck out of us, each of the seven films in this years Midnight section never failed to genuinely surprise us with wildly original and unexpected reimaginings of classic genre stories,” said Cara Cusumano, Programmer. From ghost stories to creature features, and even an underdog sports comedy, were proud to present an eclectic and adventurous slate of films that we believe represent the years most interesting new voices in genre filmmaking.
For the second year, and joining an expanded range of programs at the Festival that bridge filmmaking and technology, is Storyscapes. Created in collaboration with BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® Gin, this multi-platform transmedia program celebrates new trends in digital media and recognizes filmmakers and content creators who employ an interactive, web-based, or cross-platform approach to story creation.
The complete list of films selected for the Spotlight, Midnight, and Special Screenings sections along with the projects in the Storyscapes program are as follows:
SPOTLIGHT
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With its focus on marquee directors, prominent actors, and star performers, Spotlight is Tribecas showcase for launching breakout films. This years program finds maturing millennials navigating the changing nature of their friendships in best-friends comedy Life Partners, and Big Chill-homage About Alex, while older characters also struggle with changelike the New York couple at the center of Ira Sachs touching Love is Strange, and a subdued Robin Williams as a late-in-life man finally embracing his authentic self in Boulevard. From the international side, provocateur Roman Polanski finally brings his Cannes hit Venus In Fur to the U.S., while Stellan Skarsgård anchors pitch-black comedy, In Order of Disappearance as an unlikely vigilante. The Spotlight documentaries probe topics from LEGO bricks to Chinese-American cuisine, and include profiles of icons ranging from legendary musicians like The Grateful Deads Bob Weir in The Other One: The Long, Strange Trip of Bob Weir and shock-rock badboy, Alice Cooper, in Super Duper Alice Cooper, to sharp-tongued Texas governor Ann Richards in All About Ann: Governor Richards of the Lone Star State and the (as-of-now) only American winner of the Tour de France, Greg LeMond, whose bitter rivalry with a teammate threatens to derail his career in Slaying the Badger. Rounding out the docs is a an expose of questionable undercover FBI tactics, The Newburgh Sting. With something for every taste, Spotlight is an exciting panorama of premieres sure to stimulate, inspire, and entertain.
5 to 7, directed and written by Victor Levin. (USA) World Premiere, Narrative. Young aspiring novelist Brian (Anton Yelchin) meets Arielle (Bérénice Marlohe), the sophisticated wife of a French Diplomat. They soon embark on a cinq-a-sept affair that challenges Brians traditional American ideas of love and relationships. A cosmopolitan comedy of manners told with surprising warmth and lightness, 5 to 7 marks writer and producer Levins (Mad Men) directorial debut, and welcomes actress Marlohe (Skyfall) as a glamorous, ebullient screen presence. With Glenn Close and Frank Langella.
About Alex, directed and written by Jesse Zwick. (USA) World Premiere, Narrative. A circle of twenty-something friends reunite for a weekend away to console a suicidal member of their group. Yet, despite their best efforts to enjoy themselves, a tinderbox of old jealousies, unrequited love, and widening political differences leads to an explosion of drama that, coupled with the flammable combination of drugs, wine, and risotto, cannot be contained. A Big Chill for our current social media moment, About Alex is a lighthearted look at the struggles of a generation that has it alland wants more. Starring Aubrey Plaza, Max Greenfield, Max Minghella, Jason Ritter, Nate Parker, and Maggie Grace.
Alex of Venice, directed by Chris Messina, written by Jessica Goldberg and Katie Nehra & Justin Shilton. (USA) World Premiere, Narrative. Workaholic environmental attorney Alex (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) has always relied on her husband George (Chris Messina) to take the reins at home. But when he unexpectedly asks for a break, his departure forces Alex to reevaluate her life as she juggles the care of her son and needs of an aspiring-actor father (Don Johnson), all amid the most important case of her life. Actor Chris Messina steps behind the camera for his directorial debut about a woman pushed to the edge who finds the strength to press on.
All About Ann: Governor Richards of the Lone Star State, directed by Keith Patterson and Phillip Schopper. (USA) World Premiere, Documentary. An unmissable documentary for any political junkie, All About Ann celebrates the achievements of larger-than-life Ann Richards, who became the first elected female governor of Texas. Her cool demeanor, acid wit, and passion for social inclusivity made her one of the most powerful and progressive governors in U.S. history, a liberal democrat intent on building the new Texas. But, when the 1994 election begins, Richards is faced with her toughest challenge yet, as an increasingly conservative majority turn towards a new, pro-business candidate: George W. Bush. An HBO Documentary Film.
Boulevard, directed by Dito Montiel, written by Douglas Soesbe. (USA) World Premiere, Narrative. Nolan Mack, a soft-spoken bank employee, undoubtedly loves his wife Joy, though their cavernous empty house only underscores how disconnected theyve always been from each other. Nolan finds himself drifting from his familiar present-day life in pursuit of lost time after meeting a troubled young man named Leo on his drive home. What begins as an aimless drive down an unfamiliar street turns into a life-altering series of events. Robin Williams and Kathy Baker deliver quietly stirring performances in this touching film about finding the strength to be true to yourself at any age.
Bright Days Ahead (Les beaux jours), directed by Marion Vernoux, written by Fanny Chesnel. (France) U.S. Premiere, Narrative. In this sophisticated and sexy drama, a newly retired woman in her 60s (French cinema icon Fanny Ardant, 8 Women, Confidentially Yours) finds herself tumbling into an affair with a much younger man (Laurent Lafitte, Little White Lies), her computer teacher at the local seniors club. As she finds herself courting dangertaking her young lover to places they could easily be discovered by her husband (Patrick Chesnais, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly)she must decide if her retirement will mark the end for her marriage, or a new beginning. In French with English Subtitles. A Tribeca Film Release.
Chef, directed and written by Jon Favreau. (USA) New York Premiere, Narrative. After talented and dynamic chef Carl Caspers (Favreau) social media-fueled meltdown against his nemesis food critic lands him without any job prospects, Chef Casper hits the road with his son and his sous chef (John Leguizamo) to launch a brand new food truck business. Complete with lavish food imagery and a star-studded cast including Sofia Vergara, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Dustin Hoffman, Oliver Platt, and Amy Sedaris, Favreaus fresh take on food and chef culture has poignant messages about the media-driven world in which we live and the real meaning of success. An Open Road Release.
Every Secret Thing, directed by Amy Berg, written by Nicole Holofcener. (USA) World Premiere, Narrative. One clear summer day in a Baltimore suburb, a baby goes missing from her front porch. Two young girls serve seven years for the crime and are released into a town that hasnt fully forgiven or forgotten. Soon, another child is missing, and two detectives are called in to investigate the mystery in a community where everyone seems to have a secret. An ensemble cast, including Elizabeth Banks, Diane Lane, Dakota Fanning, and Nate Parker, brings to life Laura Lippmans acclaimed novel of love, loss, and murder.
In Order of Disappearance (Kraftidioten), directed by Hans Petter Moland, written by Kim Fupz Aakeson. (Norway) North American Premiere, Narrative. Upstanding community leader Nils (Stellan Skarsgård) has just won an award for Citizen of the Year when he learns the news that his son has died of a heroin overdose. Suspecting foul play, Nils begins to investigate, and soon finds himself at the center of an escalating underworld gang war between Serbian drug dealers and a sociopathic criminal mastermind known only as The Count. Hans Petter Molands action-thriller is an entertaining and intelligent black comedy set in the dead of frozen Norwegian winter. In English, Norwegian, and Swedish with English subtitles.
In Your Eyes, directed by Brin Hill, written by Joss Whedon. (USA) World Premiere, Narrative.
East Coast housewife Rebecca (Zoe Kazan) lives a comfortable, sheltered life, but she always knew there was something special about herself. Charismatic ex-con Dylan (Michael Stahl-David) has paid his debt to society and is ready for a fresh start in New Mexico, including a burgeoning flirtation with local good-time-gal Donna (Nikki Reed). When the two polar opposites realize they are strangely connected, an utterly unique metaphysical romance begins in TFF alum Brin Hills sweet and smart film, which star Zoe Kazan aptly described as Joss Whedon does Nicholas Sparks.
Just Before I Go, directed by Courteney Cox, written by David Flebotte. (USA) World Premiere, Narrative. Seann William Scott plays Ted Morgan, a down-on-his-luck everyman who has decided hes had enough of the hard knocks life has thrown his way. But before saying his final adieu, Ted returns to his hometown to right a few wrongs. Enter a zany cast of characters, including Rob Riggle, Olivia Thirlby, and Garret Dillahunt, who, whilst royally messing up his scheme, manage to teach him a few clumsy, but ultimately valuable lessons.
Keep On Keepin On, directed and written by Alan Hicks, co-written by Davis Coombe. (USA) World Premiere, Documentary. Eighty-nine year old trumpeting legend Clark Terry has mentored jazz wonders like Miles Davis and Quincy Jones, but Terrys most unlikely friendship is with Justin Kauflin, a 23-year-old blind piano player with uncanny talent, but debilitating nerves. As Justin prepares for the most pivotal moment in his budding career, Terrys ailing health threatens to end his own. Charming and nostalgic, Alan Hicks melodic debut celebrates an iconic musician while introducing an emerging star of equal vibrancy.
Life Partners, directed and written by Susanna Fogel, co-written by Joni Lefkowitz. (USA) World Premiere, Narrative. Nearing 30, Sasha and Paige realize their codependent friendship is preventing either of them from settling down. But when Paige meets the dorky yet lovable Tim, Sasha fears that shes being replaced. Leighton Meester, Gillian Jacobs, Gabourey Sidibe, and Adam Brody star in a comedy revolving around two friends and the guy that strikes discord in their harmoniously laid-back resistance to growing up. Directed by Susanna Fogel, Life Partners affectionately tackles the intimacy and complexity of female friendship.
Love is Strange, directed and written by Ira Sachs, co-written by Mauricio Zacharias. (USA) New York Premiere, Narrative. Ira Sachs returns to the indie scene following 2012s acclaimed Keep the Lights On with another new take on modern love. Acting veterans John Lithgow and Alfred Molina star as Ben and George, a Manhattan couple who are finally given the opportunity to make their union official. But when Ben loses his teaching job as a result, the relationship is tested in unconventional waysleaving them to lean more heavily than ever on their love to hold things together. A Sony Pictures Classics Release.
Lucky Them, directed by Megan Griffiths, written by Huck Botko and Emily Wachtel. (USA) U.S. Premiere, Narrative. More interested in partying and flirting with young musicians than work, veteran rock journalist Ellie Klug (Toni Collette) has one last chance to prove her value to her magazines editor: a no-stone-unturned search to discover what really happened to long lost rock god, Matt Smith, who also happens to be her ex-boyfriend. Teaming up with an eccentric amateur documentary filmmaker (Thomas Haden Church in a delightful performance), Ellie hits the road in search of answers in this charming dramedy set against the vibrant Seattle indie music scene. An IFC Films Release.
Manos Sucias, directed and written by Josef Wladyka, co-written by Alan Blanco. (Colombia, USA) International Premiere, Narrative. Towing a submerged torpedo in the wake of their battered fishing boat, a desperate fisherman and a naive kid embark on a journey trafficking millions of dollars worth of cocaine. Shot entirely on location along the Pacific coast of Colombiain areas that bear the indelible scars of the drug tradeManos Sucias refuses to glamorize the drug trade but rather seeks to offer a rare glimpse of its devastating effects. Executive Produced by Spike Lee.
Match, directed and written by Stephen Belber. (USA) World Premiere, Narrative. A Seattle couple (Matthew Lillard and Carla Gugino) travel to New York to interview colorful former dancer Tobi (played with remarkable dexterity by Patrick Stewart) for research on a dissertation about dance. But soon, common niceties and social graces erode when the questions turn personal and the true nature of the interview is called into question. Based on the Tony Award-winning play of the same name, Match moves effortlessly between riotous wit and delicate poignancy in this story of responsibility, artistic commitment, and love.
Miss Meadows, directed and written by Karen Leigh Hopkins (USA) World Premiere, Narrative. Prim schoolteacher Miss Meadows (Katie Holmes) is not entirely what she appears. Well-mannered, sweet, and caring, yes, but underneath the candy-sweet exterior hides the soul of a vigilante, taking it upon herself to right the wrongs in this cruel world by whatever means necessary. Things get complicated, however, when Miss Meadows gets romantically entangled with the town sheriff (James Badge Dale) and her steadfast moral compass is thrown off, begging the question: Who is the real Miss Meadows and what is she hiding?
The Newburgh Sting, directed by David Heilbroner and Kate Davis, written by David Heilbroner. (USA) World Premiere, Documentary. Just 60 miles north of New York City sits the poverty-stricken town of Newburgh, where, in 2009, four men were arrested for a plan to bomb two Jewish centers in the Bronx. But their leader, a suspicious Pakistani businessman planted by the government as an informant, led these men straight into the hands of the authorities. With endless footage gathered from hidden cameras, directors David Heilbroner and Kate Davis investigate just what homegrown terrorism truly means in this shocking and galvanizing exposé.
Night Moves, directed and written by Kelly Reichardt, co-written by Jon Raymond. (USA) U.S. Premiere, Narrative. Jesse Eisenberg, Dakota Fanning, and Peter Sarsgaard star as radical activists surreptitiously plotting to blow up Oregons Green Peter Dam in an act of environmental sabotage. As their plan marches inexorably towards fruition, they soon discover that small steps have enormous consequences. Old Joy and Wendy and Lucy director Kelly Reichardt crafts another graceful and absorbing film about outsiders searching for a meaningful place on the edges of the system in this atmospheric environmental thriller. A Cinedigm Release.
The One I Love, directed by Charlie McDowell, written by Justin Lader. (USA) New York Premiere, Narrative. In Charlie McDowells refreshing and inventive twist on the love story, Ethan and Sophie escape to a country retreat in a last ditch attempt to save their ailing marriage. But what begins as a quiet opportunity to reconnect soon morphs into an unexplainable head trip that forces the couple to confront their relationship in an impossibly unique way. Starring Mark Duplass and Elisabeth Moss in heartfelt performances, The One I Love turns the romantic comedy upside down with an altogether original take on monogamy, relationships, and how much you ever really know your partner. A Radius-TWC Release.
The Other One: The Long, Strange Trip of Bob Weir, directed by Mike Fleiss. (USA) World Premiere, Documentary. Drop out of school to ride with the Merry Pranksters. Form Americas most enduring jam band. Become a family man and father. Never stop chasing the muse. Bob Weir took his own path to and through superstardom as rhythm guitarist for The Grateful Dead. Mike Fleiss re-imagines the whole wild journey in this magnetic rock doc and concert film, with memorable input from bandmates, contemporaries, followers, family, and, of course, the inimitable Bob Weir himself.
Palo Alto, directed and written by Gia Coppola, adapted from Palo Alto: Stories by James Franco. (USA) U.S. Premiere, Narrative. Popular but shy soccer player April (Emma Roberts) frequently babysits for her single-dad coach, Mr. B. (James Franco), while Teddy (Jack Kilmer) is an introspective artist whose best friend and sidekick, Fred (Nat Wolff), is an unpredictable live wire with few filters or boundaries. One party bleeds into another as April and Teddy finally acknowledge their mutual affection, and Freds escalating recklessness spirals into chaos. Palo Alto is a vibrant cinematic immersion into the overlapping stories and emotions that make up the high school experience. A Tribeca Film Release.
The Search for General Tso, directed by Ian Cheney. (USA) World Premiere, Documentary. From New York City to the farmlands of the Midwest, there are 50,000 Chinese restaurants in the U.S., yet one dish in particular has conquered the American culinary landscape with a force befitting its military monikerGeneral Tsos Chicken. But who was General Tso and how did this dish become so ubiquitous? Ian Cheneys delightfully insightful documentary charts the history of Chinese Americans through the surprising origins of this sticky, sweet, just-spicy-enough dish that weve adopted as our own.
Silenced, directed by James Spione. (USA) World Premiere, Documentary. Only 11 Americans have ever been charged under the Espionage Act of 1917; eight of them since President Obama took office. Academy Award®-nominated documentarian James Spione returns to TFF with the incredible personal journeys of two members of that octet, Thomas Drake and John Kiriakou, along with accountability advocate, Jesselyn Radack, who helped bring their cases to light. With resonance in the post-Snowden era, Silenced catalogs the lengths to which the government has gone to keep its most damning secrets quiet, in an impassioned and thought-provoking defense of whistleblowers everywhere. Executive produced by Susan Sarandon.
Sister, directed and written by David Lascher, co-written by Todd Camhe. (USA) World Premiere, Narrative. When unstable Connie (Barbara Hershey) is tragically widowed, she finds it impossible to care for her delinquent adolescent daughter, Nicki, forcing her son, Bill (Reid Scott), to take his sister in. As the two begin to forge a healthy bond, well-meaning Bill implements his own method of treatment for Nickis mental troubles, but, when turmoil persists, he must reconcile his beliefs with what actually may be best for his sister. Sister addresses the polemic issue of youth psychotropic drug prescription with restraint and sensitivity.
Slaying the Badger, directed and written by John Dower. (UK) World Premiere, Documentary. Before Lance Armstrong, there was Greg LeMond, who is now the first and only American to win the Tour de France. In this engrossing documentary, LeMond looks back at the pivotal 1986 Tour, and his increasingly vicious rivalry with friend, teammate, and mentor Bernard Hinault. The reigning Tour champion and brutal competitor known as The Badger, Hinault promised to help LeMond to his first victory, in return for LeMond supporting him in the previous year. But in a sport that purports to reward teamwork, its really every man for himself. An ESPN Films Production.
Super Duper Alice Cooper, directed and written by Reginald Harkema, Scot McFadyen, and Sam Dunn. (Canada) World Premiere, Documentary. Emerging from the Detroit music scene of the 1970s in a flurry of long hair and sequins, Alice Cooper restored hard rock with a sense of showmanship, while simultaneously striking fear into the hearts of Middle America with the chicken-slaughtering, dead-baby-eating theatrics that would cement his identity as a glam metal icon. Meticulously crafted from rare archival footage, Super Duper Alice Cooper tells the story of the man behind the makeup, Vincent Furnier, the son of a preacher, who got caught in the grip of his own monster.
Third Person, directed and written by Paul Haggis. (Belgium) U.S. Premiere, Narrative. Veteran screenwriter and director Paul Haggis (Crash) brings to the screen a calculated vision of the drama of love. Three stories set in cities known for romanceNew York, Rome, and Paristake raw and personal twists as characters grapple with the difficulties of modern relationships. With a heavyweight cast including James Franco, Mila Kunis, Liam Neeson, Olivia Wilde, Adrien Brody, and Maria Bello, Haggis once again weaves an intricate narrative out of seemingly separate worlds. A Sony Pictures Classics Release.
Untitled Daniel Junge and Kief Davidson Documentary. (USA, Denmark) – World Premiere, Documentary. Stay tuned for more information on this new documentary exploring the fans of a beloved childhood toy.
Venus in Fur (La Vénus à la fourrure), directed and written by Roman Polanski, co-written by David Ives. (France, Poland) North American Premiere, Narrative. Thomas (Matthieu Almaric) is a theater director staging an adaptation of an obscure 19th century Austrian novel. Frustrated by the quality of actresses he has auditioned, Thomas is about to give up when mysterious Vanda (Emmanuelle Seigner, Polanskis wife) arrives in his theater unannounced, knowing every line by heart. As the two begin a fevered, intense, and at times aggressive collaboration, the lines between passion and obsession (and theater and reality) begin to blur in auteur Roman Polanskis latest New York stage adaptation. In French and German with English subtitles. A Sundance Selects Release.
MIDNIGHT
What do alien invaders and chupacabras have in common with a sword-wielding maniac and the ghost of a turn-of-the-century murderer? They can all be found in Tribecas 2014 Midnight program, a collection of this years most boundary-pushing genre films from around the globe. Opening Night selection, Preservation, is a moody, intelligent take on the maniac in the woods genre, and an apt foreshadowing of the slew of inhuman baddies that emerge from the darkness to terrify sexed-up teens in Extraterrestrial, Indigenous, and sure-to-be-a-conversation-piece special screening, Zombeavers. Meanwhile, a rookie cop takes on his deranged doppelganger in bizarre German horror-cum-arthouse film, Der Samurai, while the conflict takes a team turn in Intramural, a wacky romp about an underdog flag football team that riffs on classic sports movies with a cartoonish comedic sensibility. Too terrifying, strange, or downright hilarious for daylight hours, these seven films wear their Midnight Movie moniker with pride.
The Canal, directed and written by Ivan Kavanagh. (Ireland) World Premiere, Narrative. Film archivist David and his wife are perfectly happyor so he believes. When a looming secret shatters their marriage at the same time as a turn-of-the-century film reel he is studying reveals their house to be the site of a 1902 multiple-murder, David begins to unravel, and the houses eerie history threatens to repeat itself. Dripping with tension and chilling to the core, this visceral Irish ghost story is a visually arresting and genuinely shocking journey into the darkness within.
Der Samurai, directed and written by Till Kleinert. (Germany) International Premiere, Narrative. A samurai-wielding figure wearing a white dress lurks menacingly in the forest, waiting to descend upon an unsuspecting village in the muddy backwaters of rural East Germany. As heads roll with each stroke of his sword, dutiful, straight-laced cop Jakob becomes increasingly powerless to resist the draw of the Samurais feral otherness. The two enter into a bizarre folie à deux as Jakob is forced to confront his own carnal impulses that he has long sought to repress.
Extraterrestrial, directed by Colin Minihan, written by The Vicious Brothers. (Canada) World Premiere, Narrative. The Vicious Brothers (Grave Encounters) return to Tribeca with their latest heart-pumping thriller. Five friends set out to a cabin in the woods for a fun weekend getawaythat is, until extraterrestrial visitors turn it into a fight for their lives. The group is pulled from their reverie when a flickering object crashes deep in the woods. As they investigate, the friends stumble across an alien spacecraft, and its inhabitants have not arrived in peace.
Indigenous, directed by Alastair Orr, written by Max Roberts. (USA) World Premiere, Narrative. A group of five American friends on the cusp of adulthood travel to Panama to relax and reconnect. They befriend a local woman in their hotel barand despite some ominous whispersshe goes against the specific instructions of her brother and brings the Americans on a daytrip into the pristine falls at the nearby jungle. What begins as an innocent outing to a picturesque waterfall quickly turns terrifying after she suddenly goes missing. As night closes in, the friends realize too late the truth behind the rumorsthe legendary, blood-sucking Chupacabra is now stalking them. In English and Spanish with subtitles.
Intramural, directed by Andrew Disney, written by Bradley Jackson. (USA) World Premiere, Narrative. There comes a time in every fifth-year seniors life where they must either accept the impending real world of jobs, marriage, and payment plans or shirk that responsibility in favor of playing the most glorious intramural football game your school probably doesnt really care to see. In this full throttle and hilarious send-up of inspirational sports movies, director Andrew Disney harnesses every cliché and overused trope to tell the greatest (and only) intramural sports movie of all time. Featuring an ensemble cast including Kate MacKinnon, Jay Pharoah, Beck Bennett, and Nikki Reed.
Preservation, directed and written by Christopher Denham, (USA) World Premiere, Narrative.
Three family members head deep into the woods for a hunting trip that doubles as a distraction from their troubles at home. When all of their gear is stolen, they turn on each other, but soon realize there are much more treacherous forces at work. Actor Christopher Denham takes his second turn in the directors chair with this finely crafted horror-thriller starring Pablo Schreiber (The Wire, Orange is the New Black), Aaron Staton (Mad Men), and Wrenn Schmidt (Boardwalk Empire).
Zombeavers, directed and written by Jordan Rubin, co-written by Al Kaplan and Jon Kaplan. (USA) World Premiere, Narrative. You know the story: sexy teens head to a secluded lakeside cabin for a weekend of debauched fun, only to be menaced by a mysterious force picking them off one by one. But here, the culprit proves to be a horde of rabid zombie beavers! The B-movie creature feature is making a comeback, and with 2 million views of its trailer in its first two weeks alone, Zombeavers is a veritable phenomenon. And its finally here. Special midnight screening.
STORYSCAPES
Tribeca Film Festivals Storyscapes, created in collaboration with BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Gin, is a juried section at the Festival to showcase innovative and interactive transmedia work across genres. This year the stories are all around us, bringing to life innovative forms of storytelling that encourage participation and spark imagination. Put on a Virtual Reality headset and experience the visceral power of Use of Force. Immerse yourself in the computer-generated, non-linear experience of Clouds. Vote on the path that Choose Your Own Documentary takes in a live performance that incorporates comedy, film and audience participation. Create your own joyful choir with On A Human Scale. Finally, eavesdrop on the past as you navigate through a 3D-city neighborhood that no longer exists in Circa 1948. These are stories that surround us and stories that involve us. Dive in. Curated by the TFF Programming team along with Ingrid Kopp, Director of Digital Initiatives for the Tribeca Film Institute, the program will present five selections as public, interactive installations at the Bombay Sapphire House of Imagination (121 Varick Street, 7th Floor) starting from April 23 April 26, 2014. The interactive nature of Storyscapes will also extend to the lounge and cocktail bars at Bombay Sapphire House of Imagination. Different locations will trigger specific messages sent to mobile phones; a mixture of facts and stories about cocktails, botanicals, technology and creativity. Guests will be encouraged to share thoughts and observations, which will be projected in the lounge.
Choose Your Own Documentary, Project Creators: Nathan Penlington, Fernando R. Gutierrez De Jesus, Nick Watson, and Sam Smaïl. Inspired by the Choose Your Own Adventure books of the 1980s, Choose Your Own Documentary tells the story of Nathan Penlingtons discovery of a diary tucked away in one of these books and his attempts to unravel its many mysteries. Part comedy stand-up, part documentary, this is a unique live interactive experience in which the audience plays a vital role. With over 1,566 possible versions, and multiple endings, every performance is different and the audience votes on the path the documentary takes. Where will the story lead? How will the story end? You decide.
Circa 1948, Project Creator: Stan Douglas with the NFB Digital Studio. Circa 1948 is a new project from internationally renowned artist Stan Douglas. Together with NFB Interactive, he has recreated areas from Vancouvers history that no longer exist. The locations have been meticulously researched and are recreated in historically accurate 3D detail, where they become the site of the disembodied voices of the people who once inhabited them. Eavesdrop on the past and explore a seminal turning point in the history of Vancouver through the voices of homeless veterans, gamblers, prostitutes, and police officers. Hearingbut not seeingthe inhabitants, you can navigate the different environments and be immersed in a plot peopled with characters from a disappeared world.
Clouds, Project Creators: Jonathan Minard, James George. A new generation of artists and hackers are emerging and creating tools for poetic and socially engaged experiments in art, storytelling, and technology. 3D-scanned conversations from this community form a network of ideas explored in a non-linear documentary that is assembled from code, bringing form and content together in a truly exciting way. Clouds will be presented as an interactive installation that you can navigate yourself.
On a Human Scale, Project Creator: Matthew Carey. On a Human Scale reimagines the people of New York City as a fully playable and immersive video instrument controlled by a piano. Each key triggers a different video of a different person, from a different walk of life, singing a different note. When played together they fuse into a joyful choir that is totally under the control of whoever is at the keyboard. Playing the piano brings to life an audiovisual installation that fuses music, film, people, and technology into a living, singing tapestry of humanity.
Use of Force, Project Creator: Nonny de la Peña. Use of Force is a fully immersive documentary experience that puts you on scene when migrant Anastasio Hernandez Rojas was killed by border patrol on the U.S.Mexico border in 2010. Using custom built virtual reality, participants stand alongside witnesses who were trying to stop the events unfolding, offering a profound and visceral experience. Nonny de la Peña is a pioneer of immersive journalism and this is an experience that really puts you in someone elses shoes.
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
6, directed by Louie Psihoyos. (USA) Work In Progress, Documentary. From the Academy Award®- winning filmmaking team that revealed oceanic atrocities in The Cove comes a bigger and bolder mission. Utilizing state-of-the-art equipment, director Louie Psihoyos assembles a team of activists intent on showing the world never-before-seen images that will change the way we understand issues of endangered species and mass extinction. Whether infiltrating notorious black markets with guerilla-style tactics, or working with artists to create beautiful imagery with unexpected animal subjects, 6 will literally change the way you see the world.
A Brony Tale, directed by Brent Hodge, written by Ashleigh Ball and Hodge. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. Born of internet mecca 4chan, the “Brony” phenomenon is a flourishing community of adult, mostly male, fans of the children’s cartoon “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,” a group drawn together by their mutual love of the show’s positive, teamwork-oriented moral. Brent Hodge’s funny and illuminating documentary surveys the members of this surprising subculture, framed by the journey of Ashleigh Bell, one of the show’s voice actors, to embrace her unexpected fan base.
Journey to the West (Xi You), directed and written by Tsai Ming Liang. (France, Taiwan R.O.C.) North American Premiere, Narrative. A meditation loosely based on the classical Chinese story by Wu Chengen. This groundbreaking new interpretation brings the legendary pilgrimage of a Buddhist Monk into the present tense. Director Tsai Ming Liang bids us to look and listen, providing a timeless take on the spiritual journey of an individual whose main battle is the constant negotiation between the self and the substrate in which he finds himself. Journey to the West proposes that true enlightenment awaits those who endure.
This Time Next Year, directed by Jeff Reichert and Farihah Zaman. (USA) World Premiere, Documentary. In 2012, Superstorm Sandy swept along the East Coast, devastating countless communities in its wake. This is one communitys story of what it takes to rebuild. TFF alum Jeff Reichert (Gerrymandering) teams up with co-director/producer Farihah Zaman to follow the residents of Long Beach Island, NJ, during the first full year after the storm. Funded by Tribeca Film Institute with support from the Rockefeller Foundation, this documentary is more than just a film; it is a call to action.
True Son, directed by Kevin Gordon. (USA) World Premiere, Documentary. Stockton, California is considered one of the worst cities in the United States, riddled with financial crisis and crime rates rivaling Afghanistan. But where everyone else saw hopelessness, 22-year-old Michael Tubbs saw possibility. In 2012, Tubbs decided to run for City Council to reinvent his hometown, building his campaign from the ground up. In Kevin Gordons passionate and inspirational documentary he sets out to beat a politician twice his age and bring his community back from bankruptcy.
The short film program will be announced on March 11, 2014.
Starting March 18, the Film Guide and screening schedule will be live on www.tribecafilm.com and detail all feature films announced to date; additional programs will be added upon announcement.
2014 Awards for Spotlight and Transmedia Sections
The BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Award for Transmediaan award introduced at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival marks Tribecas continued expansion in the new media space and recognizes transmedia creators who employ an interactive, web-based, and/or cross-platform approach to story creation.
Two feature filmsone narrative and one documentarywill be selected to receive the Heineken Audience Award, the audience choice for Best Feature Film. Films playing in the World Narrative Competition, World Documentary Competition, Viewpoints, Spotlight, and Midnight sections are eligible.
And here’s the press release listing the films in competition:
The 2014 Tribeca Film Festival (TFF), presented by AT&T, today announced the World Narrative and Documentary Competition film selections, along with selections for the out-of-competition Viewpoints section which highlights unique, personal stories and diverse filmmakers in international and American independent cinema. Forty seven of the 87 feature-length films were announced as part of the 13th edition of the Festival, which will take place from April 16 to April 27 at locations around New York City and open with the documentary film Time Is Illmatic.
The Festival announced that Dior and I will screen as opening night for the World Documentary competition, Gabriel will open the World Narrative competition, and Summer of Blood will open the Viewpoints section. All three titles will have their world premiere on April 17.
Variously inspired by individual interests and experience and driven by an intense sensibility of style, the array of new filmmaking voices in this years competition is especially impressive and I think memorable, said Frederic Boyer, Artistic Director Tribeca Film Festival. The range of American subcultures and international genres represented here are both eclectic and wide reaching.
The 2014 film selection includes feature films from 32 countries, including 55 World Premieres, 6 International Premieres, 12 North American Premieres, 9 U.S. Premieres and 5 New York Premieres. A total of 102 directors will present feature works at the Festival, with 37 of these filmmakers making their feature directorial debuts. Among these directors, 22 are women. The 2014 film slate was chosen from a total of 6,117 submissions.
This year’s Viewpoints section resonates with voices that are distinctive and vital, said Director of Programming Genna Terranova. I believe that these filmmakers push cinematic boundaries and ensure a bright and dynamic future for independent storytelling.
This year, 12 narrative and 12 documentary features making their North American, International, or World Premieres will compete for cash prizes totaling $215,000, as well as artwork from the Artists Awards program sponsored by Chanel, featuring donated work from contemporary artists.
The complete list of films selected for the World Narrative Feature and World Documentary Competition is as follows, followed by the out-of-competition Viewpoints titles:
World Narrative Feature Competition
In a testament to the universal power of film, the themes of this years competition resonate across international lines, in conversation with one another in their unique and powerful takes on self-discovery. Frequently unfolding through ensemble casts and multi-character structures- from X/Ys overlapping group of friends exploring sex and monogamy in New York, to the cadre of inept slacker chicks pulling hijinks in the Israeli military in Zero Motivation- young people are discovering themselves in all contexts. As it so often is, that discovery can be channeled through romantic relationships, like for Otto the recently divorced Dad of Goodbye to All That, or Something Must Breaks Sebastian, whose awakening identity comes amidst an all-consuming love affair. This theme of authenticity in finding ones true self resonates in the many films in which real people play fictionalized versions of themselves, such as The Kidnapping of Michel Houellebecq, Five Star, and the aforementioned Something Must Break. Films in this section compete for the Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature, Best New Narrative Director, Best Actor and Actress, Best Screenplay, and Best Cinematography.
Brides(Patardzlebi), directed and written by Tinatin Kajrishvili. (France, Georgia) North American Premiere. In the suburbs of Tbilisi, Georgia, seamstress Nutsa shares an apartment with her two young children and awaits the return of her husband, Goga, who has six years left on his prison sentence. With only rare visits and phone calls to connect with her husband, Nutsa faces difficult decisions about keeping the family together and maintaining her own freedom. In her first narrative feature, director Tinatin Kajrishvili captures an intimate look at love and absence, and a subtle indictment of the harsh Georgian penal system. In Georgian with subtitles.
Five Star, directed and written by Keith Miller. (USA) World Premiere. A member of the notorious Bloods since he was 12 years old, Primo takes John, the son of a fallen gang member, under his wing, versing him in the code of the streets. Set amongst the streets of East New York, Five Star blends documentary and fiction as director Keith Miller (Welcome to Pine Hill) carefully eschews worn clichés of gang culture to offer a compelling portrait of two men as they are both forced to confront the question of what it really means to be a man.
Gabriel, directed and written by Lou Howe. (USA) World Premiere. Rory Culkin delivers an electrifying performance as Gabriel, a vulnerable and confused teenager longing for stability and happiness. Convinced that reuniting with his old girlfriend will bring his dreams to fruition, Gabriel risks it all in a desperate and increasingly obsessive pursuit. First-time writer-director Lou Howe authentically portrays the heartbreaking reality of a young man battling his inner demons, establishing himself as an extraordinary new filmmaking talent.
Glass Chin, directed and written by Noah Buschel. (USA) World Premiere. After going down in the fifth round, boxer Bud Gordon bowed out of the limelight. Now residing in a fixer-upper apartment in New Jersey with his girlfriend, Bud longs for his former Manhattan glory. In an effort to get back in the game, he makes a deal with a crooked restaurateur. But quick schemes rarely bring easy pay-offs and as the consequences of his business negotiations unfold, Bud has to make a choice between his integrity and his aspirations.
Goodbye to All That, directed and written by Angus MacLachlan. (USA) World Premiere. Otto Wall is just a little unlucky in life, and unbeknownst to him, in love. When his wife suddenly asks for a divorce, he bounces between a search for answers, desperate attempts to stay connected to his daughter, and his fateful reentry into the dating pool. Junebug screenwriter Angus MacLachlan returns to the woods of North Carolina for this sharp and sensitive comedy starring Paul Schneider, Melanie Lynskey, Heather Graham, Anna Camp, Amy Sedaris, and Celia Weston.
Güeros, directed and written by Alonso Ruiz Palacios, co-written by Gibrán Portela. (Mexico) North American Premiere. A water balloon suddenly dropping from the sky exploding on a mothers head in the frantic first moments of this striking debut feature, announces its director, Alonso Ruiz Palacios, as a bold new voice of Mexican cinema. Set amidst the 1999 student strikes in Mexico City, this coming-of-age tale finds two brothers venturing through the city in a sentimental search for an aging legendary musician. Shot in beautiful black-and-white, Güeros brims with youthful exuberance. In Spanish with subtitles.
Human Capital (Il capitale umano), directed and written by Paolo Virzì, co-written by Francesco Bruni and Francesco Piccolo. (Italy, France) International Premiere. In Paolo Virzìs refined three-chapter tale, we begin at the end. Approaching a snowy night from three vastly different perspectives, the lives of two generations overlap as they tumble toward an ill-fated event that inextricably links them. Starring two of Italys leading actresses, Valeria Golino and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Human Capital twists love, class, and ambition into a singular, true-life story that exposes the consequences of valuing certain human lives over others. In Italian with subtitles.
The Kidnapping of Michel Houellebecq (L’Enlèvement de Michel Houellebecq), directed and written by Guillaume Nicloux. (France) North American Premiere. If novelist Michel Houellebecq had indeed been kidnapped during his 2011 promotional book tour, this may have been the definitive documentary on the case. As a wild alternative, Guillaume Nicloux presents this work of complete fiction starring none other than Houellebecq himself. Playfully speculating on the explanation for Houellebecq’s mysterious disappearance, this highly entertaining, farcical piece of cinema parallels the wry characteristics of its unique and ever-unconventional subject. In French with subtitles.
Loitering with Intent, directed by Adam Rapp, written by Michael Godere and Ivan Martin. (USA) World Premiere. After running into a film producer eager to invest in a new project, aspiring writers Dominic and Raphael need to come up with a script fast, so the pair head to the seclusion of rural Fire Island, NY, to churn out their masterpiece. But when Dominics siren of a sister (Marisa Tomei) turns up desperate for reprieve from her boyfriend (Sam Rockwell), they soon realize theyre in for more than they bargained for. Isabelle McNally and a hilarious Brian Geraghty round out this latest effort from director Adam Rapp.
Something Must Break (Nånting Måste Gå Sönder), directed and written by Ester Martin Bergsmark, co-written by Eli Levén. (Sweden) North American Premiere. When Sebastian meets Andreas for the first time, he knows they belong together. While Sebastian defies gender normsflouting convention in his androgynous fluiditystraight-identifying Andreas becomes unable to accept his attraction to another man, as their relationship progresses. Struggling with his identity, Sebastian becomes increasingly determined to become Ellie, even if it means walking away from Andreas. Something Must Break brims with raw electricity as it explores questions of gender and sexuality with refreshing candor. In Swedish with subtitles.
X/Y, directed and written by Ryan Piers Williams. (USA) World Premiere. Ryan Piers Williams directs and stars alongside America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn and Melonie Diaz in a character-driven drama centered around four restless New Yorkers, and their shifting sexual and romantic relationships as they search for a sense of intimacy and self-identity. As Mark, Jen, Sylvia, and Jake navigate through their emotionally-arrested states, X/Y reveals the honest and wanton desire we all have to connect with someone and what is at stake when that connection fades.
Zero Motivation directed and written by Talya Lavie. (Israel) World Premiere. Filmmaker Talya Lavie steps into the spotlight with a dark comedy about everyday life for a unit of young female Israeli soldiers. The human resources office at a remote desert base serves as the setting for this cast of characters, who bide their time pushing paper, battling for the top score in Minesweeper, and counting down the minutes until they can return to civilian life. Amidst their boredom and clashing personalities, issues of commitmentfrom friendship to love and countryare handled with humor and sharp-edged wit. In Hebrew with subtitles.
World Documentary Feature Competition
Sponsored by Santander Bank, N.A.
The 12 films of this years World Documentary Competition are typified by depth of character and beauty in form. Character studies exploring creative geniuses like the prodigy choreographer of Ballet 422, the freshman Artistic Director of fashion institution Dior in Dior and I, and iconic thinker and New Yorker Susan Sontag, all unfold through lush photography and thoughtful direction. These films celebrate the accomplishments of the individual, mirroring the thread of stories that espouse the power of groups in this years competition. A team of Indian traditional artists rally to protect their community threatened with displacement in Tomorrow We Disappear, while a vivacious gang of transgender women demand equal rights from the Puerto Rican government in Mala Mala, and activists risk everything for their cause in 1971. This riveting collection of international stories compete for Best Documentary Feature, Best New Documentary Director, and Best Editing.
1971, directed and written by Johanna Hamilton, co-written by Gabriel Rhodes. (USA) World Premiere. Forty years before WikiLeaks and the NSA scandal, there was Media, Pennsylvania. In 1971, eight activists plotted an intricate break-in to the local FBI offices to leak stolen documents and expose the illegal surveillance of ordinary Americans in an era of anti-war activism. In this riveting heist story, the perpetrators reveal themselves for the first time, reflecting on their actions and raising broader questions surrounding security leaks in activism today.
Ballet 422, directed by Jody Lee Lipes. (USA) World Premiere. Cinematographer and documentarian Jody Lee Lipes crafts an intimate, fly-on-the-wall documentary offering a rare peek into the hidden world of professional ballet. The film shadows Justin Peck, wunderkind choreographer of the New York City Ballet, as he undertakes the Herculean task of creating the companys 422nd original piece. Following the creative process from its embryonic stages to its highly anticipated premiere, Ballet 422 is a powerful celebration of the skill and endurance of New Yorks most talented dancersas well as those who remain hidden in the wings.
Dior and I (Dior et moi), directed and written by Frédéric Tcheng. (France) World Premiere.
In Frédéric Tchengs masterful documentary, one enters the storied world that is the House of Christian Dior with a privileged, behind-the-scenes look at the creation of Raf Simons first Dior Haute Couture collection as Artistic Director, a true labor of love by a dedicated, charming, and often humorous group of collaborators. Beautifully melding the everyday, pressure-filled components of fashion with a mysterious and elegant reverence for the history of this iconic brand, Tchengs colorful homage to the seamstresses of the atelier is nothing short of magical. In English and French with subtitles.
Fishtail, directed and written by Andrew Renzi. (USA) World Premiere. The iconic voice and noble philosophies proffered by Harry Dean Stanton punctuate this authentic look at life on the edge of wilderness. Producer of festival favorite, Two Gates of Sleep, Andrew Renzi makes his directorial debut with this glimpse into the rugged lifestyle few Americans still pursue. Follow the cowboys of Montanas Fishtail Basin Ranch as they survive another calving season in this captivating atmospheric documentary. Set to a seraphic score, Stanton would agree, this is a film for those of earth-born passion.
Garnets Gold, directed by Ed Perkins. (UK) World Premiere. Twenty years ago, Garnet Frost nearly lost his life hiking near Scotlands Loch Arkaig. The near-death experience still haunts him to this day, and, in particular, a peculiar wooden stick he discovered serendipitously right before he was rescued. Believing the staff (as he calls it) is actually a marker for a fortune hidden nearly 300 years ago, Garnet embarks on a treasure hunt to search for the lost riches. But beneath the search for gold, lies a poignant pursuit for lifes meaning and inspiration.
Mala Mala, directed by Dan Sickles and Antonio Santini. (Puerto Rico) World Premiere.
Antonio Santini and Dan Sickles vibrant and visually striking immersion in the transgender community of Puerto Rico celebrates the breadth of experiences among trans-identifying women: from campaigning for government-recognized human rights, to working in the sex industry, or performing as part of drag troupe, The Doll House. Unapologetic and unconventional, Mala Mala explores the ways internal and external identity pave the path of self discovery through the unique yet universal stories of its fascinating cast of characters. In English and Spanish with subtitles.
Misconception, directed by Jessica Yu. (USA) – World Premiere. For almost 50 years, the world’s population has grown at an alarming rate, raising fears about strains on the Earth’s resources. But how true are these claims? Taking cues from statistics guru Hans Rosling, Misconception offers a provocative glimpse at how the worldand women in particular are tackling a subject at once personal and global. Following three individuals, director Jessica Yu focuses on the human implications of this highly charged political issue, inspiring a fresh look at the consequences of population growth. In English, Hindi, Mandarin, and Russian with subtitles.
Ne Me Quitte Pas, directed and written by Sabine Lubbe Bakker and Niels van Koevorden.
(Netherlands, Belgium) International Premiere. Left by his wife for another man, Marcel falls into alcoholism and a deep depression, with only his friend Bob, also an alcoholic, to look after him. The friendship between the two men captures the frailty of the male ego and the natural comedy borne from their candid conversations. Ne Me Quitte Pas follows this downward spiral of mid-life crisis in a tender, often humorous, sometimes disturbing, examination of the crisis of masculinity, alongside a mesmerizing exploration of mundane rural existence. In Flemish and French with subtitles.
Point and Shoot, directed and written by Marshall Curry. (USA) World Premiere. In 2011, unassuming Matthew VanDyke left his home in Baltimore to find adventure and see the world on his motorcycle, only to end up joining the Libyan rebel army to take arms against Gaddafi. Gun in one hand, video camera in the other, Matthew finally finds purpose and meaning in his wanderlust, until he is captured and held in solitary confinement for six months and must decide where his allegiances really lie. Director and TFF award winner, Marshall Curry (Racing Dreams), captures one mans arresting transformation from a sheltered kid to a soldier on the front lines.
Regarding Susan Sontag, directed and written by Nancy Kates, co-written by John Haptas. (USA) World Premiere. Hungry for life and gracefully outspoken throughout her career, Susan Sontag became one of the most important literary, political, and feminist icons of her generation. Kates in depth documentary intimately tracks Sontags seminal, life-changing moments through her own words, as read by Patricia Clarksonfrom her early infatuation with books to her first experience in a gay bar; from her first marriage to her last lover. Regarding Susan Sontag is a nuanced investigation into the life of a towering cultural critic and writer whose works on photography, war, and terrorism still resonate today. An HBO Documentary film.
Tomorrow We Disappear, directed by Jimmy Goldblum and Adam Weber. (USA) World Premiere. The puppeteers, performers, and magicians of the Kathputli colony in Delhi are the last slum-dwellerartists of their kind. When their land is sold to high-rise developers, they must fight for the only home they know. Fending off relocation, they struggle to keep their mystical Indian folk arts alive and to conserve what beauty remains as they are forced into someone elses vision of the future. Tomorrow We Disappear is not just documentation, but ultimately becomes an extraordinary act of preservation. In Hindi with subtitles.
Virunga, directed and written by Orlando von Einsiedel. (UK) World Premiere. Virunga is Africas oldest national park, a UNESCO world heritage site, and the last natural habitat for the endangered mountain gorilla. None of that will stop the business interests and rebel insurgencies lurking at the parks doorstep. Orlando von Einsiedel pairs gorgeous natural scenes from Virunga with riveting footage of the Congolese crisis, raising an ardent call for conservation as a vital human enterprise. Along the way, he spotlights the incredibly dangerous work that is often required to safeguard the environment. In English, French, and Swahili with subtitles.
Viewpoints
The core of Tribeca’s commitment to launching fresh voices and embracing risky, utterly original storytelling is Viewpoints. Kicking off with the delightfully twisted Summer of Blood, Onur Tukel’s comedic reimagining of the vampire genre, the spectrum of boundary-pushing work Viewpoints celebrates is reflected in a bounty of styles, genres, filmmakers, and subjects. Love & Engineerings endearing nerds use their computer science expertise to find love by hacking women with data and algorithms, while illusionist The Amazing Randis decades long mission is not only to master the secrets of magic but to expose the charlatans who abuse them in An Honest Liar (charlatans not unlike Art and Crafts master art forger who dupes curators just for the fun of it). Taking his own life into his hands, nine-year old Junior in Venezuela is on a mission to be himself just with straight hairin the charming Bad Hair, while the hard hitting Starred Up centers on a young man desperately trying not to end up like his criminal father. This troupe of art forgers, legendary magicians, and lovesick engineers join film noir detectives, hotdog tycoons, and drug smugglers to populate a 2014 program of uncommon originality and exuberance.
Art and Craft, directed by Sam Cullman and Jennifer Grausman. (USA) World Premiere, Documentary. Mark Landis is one of the most prolific and notorious artists of the century. An expert forger of masterpiece art, Landis has duped curators across the nation, further befuddling them by donating his imitations instead of selling them. Many have dedicated years tracking his escapades with one burning question: Why? Framed around a cat-and-mouse chase between Landis and those he has hoodwinked, Art and Craft paints a richly complicated portrait of mental illness, skewed philanthropy, and the desire to feel connected.
The Bachelor Weekend, directed and written by John Butler. (Ireland) U.S. Premiere, Narrative. Pressured by his best man to spend a bachelors weekend camping, foppish groom-to-be, Fionan, reluctantly agrees. But when his fiancées alpha-male brother, nicknamed The Machine, unexpectedly turns up, the camping trip takes a turn for the worst. Fionan and his genteel friends are no match for the uncouth bully, and the trip begins to look like it will become Fionans worst nightmare. A slapstick, good-natured comedy, Bachelor Weekend hilariously delves into the stereotypical realm of masculinity that is camping and the great outdoors. A Tribeca Film release.
Bad Hair (Pelo Malo), directed and written by Mariana Rondon. (Venezuela, Peru, Argentina, Germany) U.S. Premiere, Narrative. Junior, a nine-year-old living in Caracas, wants nothing more than to straighten his unruly hair to look like a singer for his school photoa fixation that stirs homophobic panic in his overtaxed mother. Each effort Junior makes to alter his appearance and gain his mothers love is brushed off with abrasive avoidance until hes ultimately faced with a heartbreaking decision. With a painfully tender performance by Samuel Lange, writer-director Mariana Rondón directs this coming-of-age drama about the search for identity clashing with intolerance. In Spanish with subtitles.
Below Dreams, directed and written by Garrett Bradley. (USA) World Premiere, Narrative. A reverie of images and sound, Below Dreams loosely follows the narratives of three very different people returning to New Orleans for the promise of a better life. But as each character experiences the citys realities, it becomes clear that their individual hopes and dreams may no longer be possible, and that with change must also come sacrifice. Shot documentary style, but with dreamlike qualities melding fiction and reality, this is a hypnotic tribute to both the socially marginalized and to the city of New Orleans itself.
Beneath the Harvest Sky, directed and written by Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly. (USA) U.S. Premiere, Narrative. Bored and restless, best friends Dominic and Casper are making plans to escape their small town in Northern Maine to start new lives in Boston. In order to earn the money, Dominic spends the summer harvesting potatoes, while Casper becomes involved in the family businesssmuggling drugs over the Canadian border. The divergent paths of the two boys, both trapped in their circumstances in different ways, will change their friendship forever. Brought to life by two stellar lead performances, Beneath the Harvest Sky is an authentic portrayal of adolescent frustration, culminating in a heartbreaking coming-of-age drama. A Tribeca Film release.
Black Coal, Thin Ice (Bai Ri Yan Huo), directed and written by Diao Yinan. (China, Hong Kong) North American Premiere, Narrative. After a botched arrest in a grisly serial-murder case, small-town detective Zhang Zili is suspended from the force, taking a job as a security guard at a coal factory. When another series of mysteriously similar murders takes place five years later, Zhang sets out to investigate on his own. Winner of the top prize at this years Berlin Film Festival, Diao Yinans moody, quietly powerful thriller is a classic film noir staged against the quotidian lives of a wintry Northern Chinese industrial town. In Mandarin with subtitles.
Broken Hill Blues (Ömheten), directed and written by Sofia Norlin.
(Sweden) North American Premiere, Narrative. A group of adolescents wrestle with their uncertain futures in a remote mining town that is literally cracking underneath their feet. Kiruna, the northernmost town in Sweden, sits above an iron ore mine that has been slowly eroding the land around it for decades. Soon, Kiruna and everyone in it will have to move, but to where they do not know. As the displaced teenagers linger on the cusp of adulthood, they echo the towns own fragility in this beautiful and understated film. In Swedish with subtitles.
Electric Slide, directed and written by Tristan Patterson. (USA) World Premiere, Narrative.
A heightened homage to the City of Angels, Electric Slide riffs on the real-life story of Eddie Dodson, the notorious “Gentleman Bank Robber.” With a debonair sophistication and a serious talent for flirt, Dodson managed to lure money from mesmerized female tellers at over 60 banks during an epic spree in the 1980s. Director Tristan Patterson gathers Jim Sturgess, Chloë Sevigny, and Patricia Arquette to paint a dark, hyper-stylized tale of crime, love, and style.
Famous Nathan, directed and written by Lloyd Handwerker. (USA) World Premiere, Documentary. Nathans Famous Frankfurters, a New York City icon, has left a lasting imprint on the collective memory and palate of Coney Island. Director and grandson of Famous Nathan himself, Lloyd Handwerker, takes a look back at the immigrant experience and almost 100 years of family and New York history in this personal documentary gem. Featuring a strong score, colorful and endearing characters, rare archival material, and a nuanced editing style, Famous Nathan will not disappoint New York history enthusiasts.
An Honest Liar, directed and written by Justin Weinstein, Tyler Measom, co-written by Greg OToole. (USA) World Premiere, Documentary. Renowned magician James The Amazing Randi, has been wowing audiences with his jaw-dropping illusions, escapes, and sleight of hand for over 50 years. When Randi began seeing his cherished art form co-opted by all manner of con artists, from faith healers and fortune-tellers to psychics and gurus, Randi made it his mission to expose the simple tricks charlatans have borrowed from magicians to swindle the masses. Weinstein and Measom chronicle Randis best debunkings, with the help of interviewees including Penn Jillette, Bill Nye, and Mythbuster Adam Savage, ultimately showing us how we are all vulnerable to deception, even The Amazing Randi himself.
Honeymoon, directed and written by Leigh Janiak, co-written by Phil Graziadei.
(USA) New York Premiere, Narrative. What begins as a happy honeymoon for newlyweds Bea (Rose Leslie) and Paul (Harry Treadaway) takes a sinister turn when Bea disappears from bed one night and Paul discovers her the next day naked in the woods with no memory of how she got there. Soon Bea begins an escalating, unexplainable shift from a happy, carefree young woman to a cold, distant, and calculating one. Supernatural forces may be at work, but they uncannily echo some of the anxieties that come with a new marriageissues such as secrecy, mistrust, and loss of identityin Janiaks brooding domestic drama.
I Won’t Come Back (Ya Ne Vernus), directed by Ilmar Raag, written by Oleg Gaze and Jaroslava Pulinovich. (Belarus, Estonia, Finland, Kazakhstan, Russia) World Premiere, Narrative. Aloof graduate student Anya is on the run from the police when she encounters precocious and willful Kristina, an orphan determined to find her grandmother in Kazakhstan. Kristina offers a momentary solution to Anyas desperate situation, and the unlikely pair begins a harrowing and unpredictable odyssey, hitchhiking across the epic landscapes of Russia and its neighboring countries. I Won’t Come Back is a visceral look at survival and a heartfelt exploration into the depths of friendship and the meaning of family. In Russian with subtitles.
Ice Poison (Bing Du), directed and written by Midi Z. (Myanmar, Taiwan R.O.C.) North American Premiere, Narrative. Faced with diminishing returns on his harvest, a poor young farmer in Myanmar pawns his cow for a moped and seeks alternative income as a taxi driver. Among his first fares is a woman making a new start after escaping an arranged marriage in China. Together, they are lured into the lucrative business of selling ice poison (crystal meth) around town. With an unobtrusive documentary style, Burmese-Taiwanese director Midi Z captures the struggles faced by many in an unseen part of the world. In Burmese and Chinese Yunnan with subtitles.
Karpotrotter (Karpopotnik), directed and written by Matja Ivaniin, co-written by Nebeoja Pop-Tasić. (Slovenia) North American Premiere, Narrative. Karpotrotter is a road movie about place, time, and memory, as well as an homage to filmmaker Karpo Godina, whose work flourished during the Black Wave of Yugoslavian filmmaking in the 1960s. Director Matja Ivaniin retraces the footsteps of his compatriots journey, interlacing Godinas original Super 8mm footage with folklore music, landscape imagery, and contemporary portraits of the local villagers. In Slovene with subtitles.
Love & Engineering, directed and written by Tonislav Hristov. (Finland, Germany, Bulgaria) International Premiere, Documentary. Is there an algorithm for love? Atanas, a Bulgarian engineer living in Finland, is determined to find out. With the help of some of his geeky bachelor friends, he sets up a series of experiments to crack the code and develop a new, scientific approach to dating. This charming and lighthearted documentary follows Atanas and company as they research pheromones, chart brain waves, and try out hacks on blind dates, in their quest to find romance in the modern world. In Bulgarian, English and Finnish with subtitles.
Maravilla, directed and written by Juan Pablo Cadaveira. (Argentina) International Premiere, Documentary. A true underdog story, Maravilla follows Argentinian boxer Sergio Maravilla Martinez, as he sets out to reclaim the title of Middleweight champion that was unfairly snatched from him in 2011 by Julio Chavez, Jr. Focusing on the rise of Martinez from penniless amateur to world champion and sporting celebrity, director Juan Pablo Cadaveira offers a fascinating glimpse into todays boxing landscape, revealing the politics of the sporting profession that often places entertainment value over the sport itself. In English and Spanish with subtitles.
The Overnighters, directed by Jesse Moss. (USA) New York Premiere, Documentary. After hydraulic fracturing uncovers a rich oil field in North Dakota, a small conservative town is tested as hordes of unemployed men chasing the American Dream pour into its borders. Desperate men, often running from their past, find compassion and refuge in the form of a local pastor. However, the more responsibility he shoulders, the more everything threatens to come crumbling down. A film of dualities, this provocative modern-day parable by documentarian Jesse Moss challenges the very fabric of our society.
Starred Up, directed by David Mackenzie, written by Jonathan Asser. (UK) U.S. Premiere, Narrative. Writer Jonathan Asser intelligently brings the brutality of British prison life to raw, unflinching life in this tense and unpredictable drama. Jack OConnell (This Is England) plays Eric, a young offender so violent and volatile that he is starred upprematurely moved to an adult prison. As he tries to keep his head down and navigate this new microcosm of societal codes and loyalties, Erics explosive nature is tested under the ceaseless gaze of guards and fellow inmates, one who turns out to be his estranged father, Neville (Ben Mendelsohn). A Tribeca Film release.
Summer of Blood, directed and written by Onur Tukel. (USA) World Premiere, Narrative.
Misanthropic and immature Eric faces a premature mid-life crisis after his girlfriend leaves him. With no career and even less charisma in bed, it seems like this loveable loser is beyond hope, until one fateful summer night when a vampire bites him in a Brooklyn alleyway. The next day, Eric finds his confidence invigorated and his stomach in excruciating pain that can only be cured by one thing
blood. Onur Tukel directs and stars in this delightfully dark comedy about love, lust, and humanity.
Traitors, directed and written by Sean Gullette. (Morocco) North American Premiere, Narrative. In Sean Gullettes feature debut, Malika is the lead singer of an all-female punk band and sees music as a means to escape a dull and conservative life in Tangier. When a producer expresses interest in her, she jumps at the chance, but first shell need to find the money for recording, and a drug run across the Moroccan border may be her only option. Fiery and energetic, Traitors is a spirited and rebellious journey of a young woman breaking from the traditional life set before her. In Arabic, English and French with subtitles.
Traitors is screening as part of a special cultural partnership with Venice Days where a European film showcased at Venice Days is selected by organizers there to have its international premiere at Tribeca. In 2013 Venice Days premiered Lenny Cooke.
Vara: A Blessing, directed and written by Khyentse Norbu. (Bhutan) North American Premiere, Narrative. Raised in a sheltered village, young Lila yearns for a life devoted to Hindu worship, like that of her devadasi mother, but she begins to encounter worldly obstacles to her spiritual fulfillment. Guileless, Lila agrees to model for a lowly village boy who hopes to become a sculptor, unknowingly endangering both of their lives under the ever-present gaze of the villagers, especially the village landlords son.
Young Bodies Heal Quickly, directed and written by Andrew T. Betzer. (USA) World Premiere, Narrative. Two brothers drift aimlessly through their summer days, trashing abandoned cars and playing with paintball guns, until the accidental death of a young woman forces them to make drastic decisions. With few options, the duo flee across state lines to dodge arrest and search for refuge. Poetic, funny, and poignant, this quietly mesmerizing film follows the brothers transitions from boys to men through an absorption of the worldgood and badaround them.
In addition to those announced today, the Festival presents feature-length films in the Spotlight, Midnight, and Special sections, which will be announced on March 6, 2014.
2014 Competition Feature Film Awards:
Awards in the World Narrative and World Documentary Competitions will be presented in the following juried categories: Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature, sponsored by AT&T; Best New Narrative Director (for first-time feature directors in any section); Best Actor in a Narrative Feature; Best Actress in a Narrative Feature; Best Screenplay in a Narrative Feature; Best Cinematography in a Narrative Feature; Best Documentary Feature; Best Editing in a Documentary Feature; and Best New Documentary Director (for first-time feature directors in any section).
Two feature filmsone narrative and one documentarywill be selected to receive the Heineken Audience Award, the audience choice for best feature film. Films playing in the World Narrative Competition, World Documentary Competition, Viewpoints, Spotlight and Midnight sections are eligible.
