Bathtubs Over Broadway

  • ROBIN WILLIAMS: COME INSIDE MY MIND to Kickoff Hamptons International Film Festival 10th SummerDocs series

    [caption id="attachment_28784" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind[/caption] The Hamptons International Film Festival will kick off the 10th Anniversary SummerDocs series with HBO’s ROBIN WILLIAMS: COME INSIDE MY MIND on Friday, June 29, at 7pm, followed by a conversation with director Marina Zenovich. On Saturday, July 21, at 7pm, director Dava Whisenant’s BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY will screen.  The series will conclude with CHEF FLYNN on Saturday, August 25, at 7pm, with director Cameron Yates and celebrated chef Flynn McGarry scheduled to attend. “We are excited to celebrate the 10th anniversary of our SummerDocs series with three dynamic films covering a variety of topics, including a legendary actor, forgotten Broadway musicals and a culinary prodigy. Over the last decade we have captivated audiences with some of the most incredible storytelling and know that our 10th anniversary continues that tradition,” said HIFF Co-Chairman and SummerDocs series presenter Alec Baldwin. SummerDocs host (and HIFF Co-Chair) Alec Baldwin will once again lead conversations with filmmakers and guests, presenting new and groundbreaking documentary filmmaking and thought-provoking stories to the East End at Guild Hall of East Hampton. ROBIN WILLIAMS: COME INSIDE MY MIND Director: Marina Zenovich A funny, intimate and heartbreaking portrait of one of the world’s most beloved and inventive comedians, ROBIN WILLIAMS: COME INSIDE MY MIND takes us through his extraordinary life and career and reveals what drove him to give voice to the characters in his mind. Told largely by Robin himself, with a wealth of never-before-seen footage, and informed by in-depth interviews with those who loved and knew him, the film features Billy Crystal, Eric Idle, Whoopi Goldberg, David Letterman, Steve Martin, Pam Dawber, Zak Williams and many others. Directed by Marina Zenovich. Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind will premiere on HBO on Monday, July 16th. In conversation: director Marina Zenovich [caption id="attachment_29400" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY[/caption] BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY Director: Dava Whisenant When he started as a comedy writer for the LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, Steve Young had few interests outside of his day job. But while gathering material for a segment on the show, Steve stumbled onto a few vintage record albums that would change his life forever. Bizarre cast recordings—marked “internal use only”—revealed full-throated Broadway-style musical shows about some of the most recognizable corporations in America: General Electric, McDonald’s, Ford, DuPont, Xerox. Steve didn’t know much about musical theater, but these recordings delighted him in a way that nothing ever had. BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY follows Steve Young on his quest to find all he can about this hidden world. While tracking down rare albums, unseen footage, composers and performers, Steve forms unlikely friendships and discovers how this discarded musical genre starring tractors and bathtubs was bigger than Broadway. With David Letterman, Chita Rivera, Martin Short, Florence Henderson, Susan Stroman, Jello Biafra and more. In conversation: director Dava Whisenant [caption id="attachment_26690" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Flynn McGarry appears in Chef Flynn by Cameron Yates Flynn McGarry appears in Chef Flynn by Cameron Yates[/caption] CHEF FLYNN Director: Cameron Yates While many of young Flynn McGarry’s peers were playing video games, he was creating remarkable gastronomic delights far beyond his years at his home in Studio City, California. Flynn’s family encouraged him to pursue his creative passion, and his unique journey was thoroughly documented by his artist mother. He loved to prepare elaborate dinners for friends and family and soon became known as the “Teen Chef,” establishing his own supper club at age 12 and being featured in a New York Times Magazine cover story at age 15. Before he was 16, he had staged in top restaurants in Los Angeles, New York, and Europe. Trying to stay focused on his dream, Flynn had to weather the critics who challenged his rapid ascent in the culinary world. With access to a trove of personal archival footage and including new, intimate vérité footage, director Cameron Yates creates a collage of Flynn’s singular focus and distinctive path through childhood. CHEF FLYNN shares a rare view of a young man’s successful rise from the inside. In conversation: director Cameron Yates and celebrated chef Flynn McGarry Past SummerDocs selections, including ICARUS (2017), TWENTY FEET FROM STARDOM (2013), LAST DAYS OF VIETNAM (2014), THE COVE (2009), SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN (2012) and HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE (2012), have gone on to receive Academy Award® wins and nominations. What will audiences discover this year?

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  • AFI DOCS 2018 Unveils Full Slate of 92 Films

    [caption id="attachment_29156" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]UNITED SKATES UNITED SKATES[/caption] AFI DOCS has finally revealed its full slate of 92 films representing 22 countries for the 16th edition of the American Film Institute’s five-day documentary film festival in the nation’s capital.  AFI DOCS 2018 runs June 13 to 17 in Washington, DC, and Silver Spring, MD. As previously announced, the festival will open with the world premiere of PERSONAL STATEMENT and will close with UNITED SKATES. ABOVE AND BEYOND: NASA’S JOURNEY TO TOMORROW screens as the Centerpiece Screening. Special Screenings include THE COLD BLUE, KINSHASA MAKAMBO, MR. SOUL! and WITKIN & WITKIN.

    AFI DOCS 2018 PROGRAM

    OPENING NIGHT SCREENING

    PERSONAL STATEMENT: DIRS Juliane Dressner and Edwin Martinez. USA. Karoline, Enoch and Christine are Brooklyn high school seniors who just want to go to college, but like so many public-school students throughout the country, their schools don’t have enough college guidance support. Refusing to give up, they decide to work as college counselors in their schools, becoming the very resource they don’t have themselves. World Premiere.

    CLOSING NIGHT SCREENING

    UNITED SKATES: DIRS Dyana Winkler and Tina Brown. USA. Roller-skating has played a critical role in modern African-American culture, with rinks serving as both a haven of community and of artistic expression, and a flashpoint in the civil rights movement. UNITED SKATES chronicles the fight to save these rinks, and the souls of communities nationwide.

    CENTERPIECE SCREENING

    ABOVE AND BEYOND: NASA’S JOURNEY TO TOMORROW: DIR Rory Kennedy. USA. Rory Kennedy tells the stories of the women and men behind the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s decades-long exploration of our solar system, our universe and our planet, in this enlightening film that celebrates NASA’s triumphs, mourns its tragedies and affirms the importance of its mission both in space and on Earth.

    SPECIAL SCREENINGS

    THE COLD BLUE: DIR Erik Nelson. USA. In 1943, legendary Hollywood director William Wyler crafted MEMPHIS BELLE, a celebrated tribute to the titular WWII bomber. Using footage shot by Wyler from the National Archives, director Erik Nelson has made a new film, featuring gripping narration from some of the last surviving B-17 pilots. A meditation on youth, war and stunning bravery. World Premiere. KINSHASA MAKAMBO: DIR Dieudo Hamadi. DRC, France, Germany. Amid the backdrop of seemingly the neverending political and social unrest that hangs over the Democratic Republic of Congo, three young activists take to the streets with their fellow countrymen to overthrow their country’s President and help enact much needed change in their politically beleaguered country. East Coast Premiere. MR. SOUL!: DIRS Sam Pollard and Melissa Haizlip. USA. An in-depth look at the late 1960s WNET public television series SOUL! and its producer Ellis Haizlip. The series was among the first to provide expanded images of African Americans on television, shifting the gaze from inner-city poverty and violence to the vibrancy of the Black Arts Movement. WITKIN + WITKIN: DIR Trisha Ziff. Mexico. The artwork of septuagenarian twins Joel-Peter and Jerome Witkin transcends genres and traditional form. WITKIN & WITKIN explores the brothers’ complicated relationship with one another, and examines depths and divisions in their work. Joel-Peter’s stunning photography and Jerome’s powerful figurative paintings distinctly capture the human condition, reflecting differing emotional and intellectual approaches. U.S. Premiere.

    FEATURE FILM SELECTIONS

    209 RUE SAINT-MAUR, PARIS 10ÈME – THE NEIGHBOURS: DIR Ruth Zylberman. France. After selecting a building at random in a Jewish neighborhood in Paris, French director Ruth Zylberman meticulously reconstructed its community of inhabitants during the German occupation. What results is the spellbinding 209 RUE SAINT-MAUR, an experimental historiography that tells the emotional story of lives uprooted and destroyed under the Nazis. U.S. Premiere. ALONE IN THE GAME: DIRS Natalie Metzger and Michael Rohrbaugh. USA. Outdated ideas and outright prejudice have made competitive sports one of the gay rights movement’s final frontiers. ALONE IN THE GAME reveals how a new generation of queer and transgender athletes are scoring victories on and off the field by standing up for their rights — including the right to compete. World Premiere. AMÉRICA: DIRS Erick Stoll and Chase Whiteside. USA. At the heart of this film is 93-year-old matriarch América. When an accidental fall lands her son in jail for neglect, her three freewheeling grandsons must reunite to get their father out of prison and their grandmother out of bed. What emerges is an unforgettable and tender tale of familial love. AMERICA TO ME: DIR Steve James. USA. In this first episode of his excellent miniseries, Steve James returns to the subjects that have marked his career — class, race, and how the two affect social and economic mobility. James follows students at a public high school in suburban Chicago that is considered the gold standard of diversity, yet on the ground, he discovers a different story. BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY: DIR Dava Whisenant. USA. Steve Young is obsessed with industrial musicals, the often bizarre and hilarious productions commissioned by companies to celebrate their products at corporate conventions. Follow him as he investigates this odd aspect of midcentury corporate culture, while continuing his search for gems like “Diesel Dazzle” and “The Bathrooms Are Coming!” BISBEE ’17: DIR Robert Greene. USA. Bisbee, Arizona, an old copper-mining town on the Mexican border, finally reckons with its darkest day: the deportation of 1,200 immigrant miners left to die in the middle of the desert in 1917. Filmmaker Robert Greene captures the city’s residents as they commemorate this tragic event by staging a reenactment on its 100th anniversary. BLOWIN’ UP: DIR Stephanie Wang-Breal. USA. A New York City courtroom recommends a unique and compassionate intervention option to young women charged with prostitution: submit to free counseling sessions designed by a mentoring program to get you off the street, and your record will be expunged. Are they ready to make that change? CENTRAL AIRPORT THF: DIR Karim Aïnouz. Germany, France, Brazil. A decade after ceasing operations, Berlin’s historic Tempelhof Airport has found a second life serving a new group of arrivals and departures: refugees now seeking asylum in Germany. CENTRAL AIRPORT THF looks at the absurdity of life for migrants making the most of the long layover. CHARM CITY: DIR Marilyn Ness. USA. On the streets of Baltimore, the murder rate is approaching an all-time high, and distrust of the police reaches a fever pitch. With neighborhoods in peril, residents attempt to diffuse the violence through cooperative efforts helmed by community leaders, compassionate law-enforcement officers and a progressive young city councilman. COMBAT OBSCURA: DIR Miles Lagoze. USA. Miles Lagoze was deployed as a combat photographer in Afghanistan, making videos for official Marine Corps recruitment purposes. Compiled of outtakes from those videos, this disturbingly raw portrait of the conflict in Afghanistan exposes the gulf between the war we’re meant to see and the war as it really is. East Coast Premiere. CRIME + PUNISHMENT: DIR Stephen Maing. USA. In 2015, a group of 12 whistleblower cops sued the NYPD for using illegal quotas despite a 2010 statewide ban on the practice. A blood-boiling investigation into a corrupt organization, CRIME + PUNISHMENT follows these officers as they face retaliation for attempting to resist against racist practices. DARK MONEY: DIR Kimberly Reed. USA. A portrait of democracy under fire, DARK MONEY pulls back the curtain on big money in national politics. Revealing how right-wing giants like the Koch brothers hide behind super PACs to do their bidding — in the forms of corporate-funded smear campaigns and dangerous legislation — this film is as timely as it is eye-opening. THE DISTANT BARKING OF DOGS: DIR Simon Lereng Wilmont. Denmark, Finland, Sweden. Taking an observational approach, this masterful film follows 10-year-old Oleg and his grandmother as they cope with life mere miles from the frontline of the war in Ukraine, showing how children navigate the trauma of conflict, while still seeing the world with naiveté and wonder. DON’T BE NICE: DIR Max Powers. USA. Following a diverse team of slam poets as they mine their feelings and personal experiences about race, sexuality, gender and popular culture to craft poems for national competition, DON’T BE NICE demonstrates how collaboration and communication between artists can allow them to better understand who they are and what they want to say. U.S. Premiere. FOR THE BIRDS: DIR Richard Miron. USA. In Richard Miron’s surprising and empathetic film, we follow a woman named Kathy who lives with 200 pet birds. What starts as a story about Kathy’s battle with local animal advocacy groups slowly transforms into an intimate drama about the toll of Kathy’s bird-hoarding — on her marriage and mental health. North American Premiere. FOSTER: DIR Mark Jonathan Harris. USA. Oscar® winners Mark Jonathan Harris and Deborah Oppenheimer (INTO THE ARMS OF STRANGERS: STORIES OF THE KINDERTRANSPORT) roam courtrooms, foster homes, juvenile halls and the streets of Los Angeles to tell the moving human stories behind the largest county child protection agency in the United States. World Premiere. THE GOSPEL OF EUREKA: DIRS Michael Palmieri and Donal Mosher. USA. A tiny Arkansas town is home to a popular live-action Passion Play — and a tightknit gay community centered around a lively drag bar. A touching, upbeat look at an enlightened town that maintains a peaceful coexistence of two seemingly divergent groups through tolerance, love and inclusion. GURRUMUL: DIR Paul Williams. Australia. With the release of his debut album, blind indigenous Australian musician Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu became an unlikely star in both his homeland and in the larger world music scene. But as Gurrumul’s fame grew, the balance between his culture’s way of life and a career in music proved tricky to maintain. U.S. Premiere. HAL: DIR Amy Scott. USA. Surveying the works of iconoclastic filmmaker Hal Ashby (HAROLD AND MAUDE, THE LAST DETAIL, COMING HOME), director Amy Scott identifies how Ashby’s brilliant and seminal works helped define both the New Hollywood of the 1970s and the American experience for a decade. HALE COUNTY THIS MORNING, THIS EVENING: DIR RaMell Ross. USA. Winner of a Special Jury Prize at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, RaMell Ross’ assured feature debut is a lyrical look at the lives of two young African-American men born and raised in Alabama’s Hale County, the community that surrounds them and the paths they follow throughout the years. HAPPY WINTER: DIR Giovanni Totaro. Italy. The escapism of being on holiday gets a fascinating twist in Giovanni Totaro’s shrewdly observant HAPPY WINTER. Mondello beach in Palermo, Italy, is a seemingly pleasant circus of bronzed vacationers milling about. But behind the happy goings-on is a different story of collective denial about the looming economic crisis. U.S. Premiere. HESBURGH: DIR Patrick Creadon. USA. He counseled presidents and popes, served on corporate boards and infuriated Richard Nixon. He was one of the only friends to whom Ann Landers turned for advice. During his 35 years as president of the University of Notre Dame, Theodore Hesburgh became one of the most influential and inspiring people of the 20th century. World Premiere. INTO THE OKAVANGO: DIR Neil Gelinas. USA. National Geographic photographer Neil Gelinas makes his directorial debut with INTO THE OKAVANGO. This visually stunning film follows three passionate individuals as they embark on a four-month journey along the titular river — witnessing Africa’s animal and bird population in visceral, jaw-dropping close-up — to discover why the Okavango Delta is rapidly drying up. INVENTING TOMORROW: DIR Laura Nix. USA. Laura Nix’s inspiring film follows high school students from around the world, many of whom hail from dangerously polluted countries, as they tackle daunting environmental issues affecting their communities. Watch as the teens then bring their ingeniously proposed solutions to “the science fair of science fairs” — the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. IT WILL BE CHAOS: DIRS Lorena Luciano and Filippo Piscopo. USA. Follow an Eritrean man and a Syrian family on dual quests for freedom amid the refugee crisis in the eastern Mediterranean. Tension mounts as they battle the rough seas, harsh conditions and red tape standing in their way. Will they make it to a new life in Europe? THE LIBERATION: DIRS Christoph Green and Brendan Canty. USA. Therapy sessions, cooking lessons and raw personal stories provide the drama in THE LIBERATION, DC-based filmmakers Christoph Green and Brendan Canty’s story of the formerly incarcerated men and women struggling to get through DC Central Kitchen’s 14-week culinary training program. Can they make it and turn their lives around? East Coast Premiere. LOVE, GILDA: DIR Lisa D’Apolito. USA. Lisa D’Apolito’s moving documentary LOVE, GILDA looks back at the exuberant life and courageous death of Gilda Radner, the first female superstar of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. Using an abundance of archival photos and clips, along with confessional narration by Radner, the film paints a loving portrait of her short but spectacularly eventful life. MATANGI / MAYA / M.I.A.: DIR Stephen Loveridge. UK. Drawn from 22 years’ worth of personal video footage, MATANGI / MAYA / M.I.A. is an intimate look at the life of rapper, songwriter and activist M.I.A., from her childhood in war-torn Sri Lanka, to her eventual rise to international stardom as one of the most thought-provoking artists working in music today. MCQUEEN: DIRS Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui. UK. This intimate profile offers unparalleled access to one of the fashion industry’s brightest stars, Alexander McQueen. Brilliant, bold and informed by a British punk aesthetic, the designer was known for his exquisite and strikingly original clothes and his legendary runway shows — theatrical spectacles influenced by contemporary art, theater and photography. MINDING THE GAP: DIR Bing Liu. USA. First-time filmmaker Bing Liu turns the camera on himself, his family members and his skateboarder friends in this deeply moving depiction of three young men in a small Midwestern town grappling with issues of class, race and learning to overcome the cycles of family violence. A MURDER IN MANSFIELD: DIR Barbara Kopple. USA. Two-time Oscar® winner Barbara Kopple takes on true crime, revisiting a horrific 1989 domestic murder in Ohio. Collier Boyle was 12 when his father killed and buried his wife under the flooring of a remote countryside home. Now an adult, Collier returns to Mansfield to face the lingering impact of his mother’s murder. ON HER SHOULDERS: DIR Alexandria Bombach. USA. Filmmaker Alexandria Bombach follows Nadia Murad, a young Yazidi woman who gained international attention after escaping captivity by the Islamic State. Forgoing sensationalism, Bombach’s award-winning film offers a fresh perspective on Nadia’s new life as a human rights activist raising awareness for her people and their plight. OVER THE LIMIT: DIR Marta Prus. Poland, Germany, Finland. As the 2016 Summer Olympics loom, Russian gymnast Margarita Mamun prepares to represent her country at this historic event. But the path to the Olympics is not an easy one in this unflinching portrait of an athlete straining to retain her humanity while going for gold. U.S. Premiere. PICK OF THE LITTER: DIRS Dana Nachman and Don Hardy. USA. Shortly after birth, five Labrador puppies enter the intensive two-year training program at California’s Guide Dogs for the Blind. Here, only the best pups will make the cut to protect and serve blind partners, while others will have to change careers for good. THE PRICE OF EVERYTHING: DIR Nathaniel Kahn. USA. An examination of the contemporary art market through the eyes of artists, dealers and collectors, THE PRICE OF EVERYTHING is the latest work from Oscar® nominee Nathaniel Kahn. Illuminating complex dynamics between artistic intention and consumer behavior, the film begs the question: What value do we place on the priceless? THE PROVIDERS: DIRS Anna Moot-Levin and Laura Green. USA. THE PROVIDERS follows three “country doctors” — health care providers working for a small network of clinics in northern New Mexico — as they confront the challenges of keeping those in their poor and opioid-plagued communities safe. As the film movingly shows each doctor’s day-to-day responsibilities, a complex portrait emerges of small-town America. SHIRKERS: DIR Sandi Tan. USA. In 1992, Sandi Tan shot a film in Singapore with her friends and her American mentor, Georges. As the film neared completion, Georges disappeared with the footage, leaving Sandi heartbroken. Twenty years later, the footage is discovered, and the strange mystery of Georges begins to unravel. THE SILENCE OF OTHERS: DIRS Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar. USA, Spain. A quest for justice by those who suffered under the repressive regime of General Francisco Franco is at the heart of this powerful and provocative film. Those who were tortured or had family members murdered are demanding the truth be told to the Spanish people, and the remaining perpetrators put on trial. U.S. Premiere. STUDIO 54: DIR Matt Tyrnauer. USA. An Icarus tale unfolds to a disco beat in STUDIO 54, an intimate peek behind the velvet ropes, where mirror balls twinkled over Liza Minelli, Diana Ross, Mick Jagger and Andy Warhol in Matt Tyrnauer’s illuminating history of the rise and fall of the legendary New York nightclub. THIS ONE’S FOR THE LADIES: DIR Gene Graham. USA. Diving inside an unexpected subculture of Newark, THIS ONE’S FOR THE LADIES follows a group of women who throw weekly underground male exotic dance parties. Exploring sexual identity and the meaning of community, the film is a unique portrait of the black experience in 21st-century America. TRANSMILITARY: DIRS Gabriel Silverman and Fiona Dawson. USA. Gabriel Silverman and Fiona Dawson make their stirring feature debut with TRANSMILITARY, following four individuals who come out as transgender to top officials at the Pentagon — a brave move that puts their military careers in jeopardy, and shows a struggle for equality that is more relevant than ever. TRE MAISON DASAN: DIR Denali Tiller. USA. With a parent in prison, three Rhode Island boys tackle adult realities few of their peers can even imagine. Unfettered access to three troubled but promising young lives produces an unforgettable perspective on the multigenerational consequences of U.S. incarceration, where one out of 14 kids has a parent with a prison history. UNDER THE WIRE: DIR Chris Martin. UK. In 2012, acclaimed journalist Marie Colvin illegally crossed the Syrian border to cover the country’s civil war. She became one of the only voices reporting on the atrocities being committed against the Syrian people. With breathtaking footage, UNDER THE WIRE profiles one woman’s drive to uncover the truth, no matter the cost. International Premiere. UNITED WE FAN: DIR Michael Sparaga. Canada. UNITED WE FAN follows the ingenious save-our-show campaigns that have been spurred by passionate television uber-fans throughout the decades. From STAR TREK to CAGNEY AND LACEY and CHUCK — plus many more — this delightful doc highlights the grassroots efforts needed to save beloved TV shows. U.S. Premiere. YOURS IN SISTERHOOD: DIR Irene Lusztig. USA. More than four decades after the birth of Ms. Magazine, director Irene Lusztig combs the publication’s archives and pairs some of the most memorable letters, many never published, with contemporary readers to comment on just how far we’ve come — and what we still have to accomplish.

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  • Tribeca 2018: ‘Diane’ ‘Smuggling Hendrix’ ‘ Island of the Hungry Ghosts’ Win Top Jury Awards

    [caption id="attachment_28552" align="aligncenter" width="1392"]Smuggling Hendrix Smuggling Hendrix[/caption] The 17th annual Tribeca Film Festival held its awards ceremony this evening, and top honors went to Diane for the Founders Award for Best U.S. Narrative Feature, Smuggling Hendrix for Best International Narrative Feature, and Island of the Hungry Ghosts for Best Documentary Feature. The Festival awarded $145,000 in cash prizes. Tribeca runs through April 29, 2018. Awards were given in the following feature film competition categories: Founders Award for Best Narrative, International Narrative, Documentary, New Narrative Director, The Albert Maysles New Documentary Director, and the Nora Ephron Award, honoring a woman writer or director. Short films were honored in the Narrative, Documentary, Student Visionary and Animation categories. The Nora Ephron Award awarded a $25,000 prize to writer/director Nia DaCosta for Little Woods. The award was created six years ago to honor excellence in storytelling by a female writer or director embodying the spirit and boldness of the late filmmaker. Tribeca honored innovation in storytelling with its Storyscapes Award, which went to Hero. Square’s For Every Kind of Dream series was honored with the 3rd annual Tribeca X Award, which recognizes excellence in storytelling at the intersection of advertising and entertainment. “It is rewarding to honor films that tell important stories and moved our juries in profound way,” commented Jane Rosenthal, CEO, Executive Chair, and Co-Founder, Tribeca Film Festival. “Whether they excite, incite, inspire or simply entertain, it is a privilege to launch this worthy group with this special honor at Tribeca.” This year’s Festival included 99 feature length films, 55 short films, and 35 immersive storytelling projects from 46 countries. Screenings of the award–winning films will take place throughout the final day of the Festival: Sunday, April 29, at various venues.

    U.S. NARRATIVE COMPETITION CATEGORIES:

    Founders Award for Best Narrative FeatureDiane written and directed by Kent Jones. Winner receives $20,000, sponsored by AT&T, and the art award “The Lady of Shalott, Cool Evening” by Stephen Hannock. . Jury Comment: “Here we were presented with another very difficult decision, but after careful consideration we have chosen a film that we believe encompasses the beauty, aesthetic, as well as the powerful themes of love, struggle, life, death, and womanhood that are the spirit of this year’s Festival. For those reasons, our selection for this year’s Best Narrative Feature is Diane.” Best Actress in a U.S. Narrative Feature FilmAlia Shawkat in Duck Butter. Jury Comment: “To choose a Best Actress this year was a uniquely difficult decision, as this year’s Festival was jam-packed with truly amazing female performances. The actress we eventually chose to highlight gives a strikingly raw, connected, and honest performance about a character struggling to be raw, connected, and honest. This woman also co-wrote, co-produced and helped conceive this film…so it goes without saying that without Alia Shawkat there would be no Duck Butter.” Best Actor in a U.S. Narrative Feature FilmJeffrey Wright in O.G.  Jury Comment: “This year’s best actor has been transforming himself on stage, film, and television for many years. His performance in this year’s competition entry testifies to his talent, sensitivity, and craft. With masterful restraint, the inner life of his character seethes out of his pores. He has crafted a performance that solidifies his standing as one of the greatest actors working today. The award for Best Actor goes to Jeffrey Wright, for O.G.” Best Cinematography in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film – Cinematography by Wyatt Garfield for Diane. Jury Comment: “A cinematographer has to do more than just shoot pretty pictures. They have to help the director and the cast create a whole world, and then immerse us, the audience, in that world – all the while helping push the story forward visually, in both subtle and not-so-subtle ways. There were a number of exceptionally shot films in competition this year, but we were completely enraptured by the work of Wyatt Garfield for the film Diane” Best Screenplay in a U.S. Narrative Feature FilmDiane written by Kent Jones. Winner receives $2,500, sponsored by Chloe Wine Collection. Jury Comment: “This year’s diverse collection of films were all founded upon haunting and humorous screenplays about dangerous relationships, battles for redemption, and yes, even chronic back pain. They were fearless, frightening, sad, and soulful. Singling out one of them was an incredibly difficult task. But that was the task we were charged with. Henry David Thoreau once wrote, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” The screenplay we selected beautifully illustrated that notion through rich dialogue, complex characters, and elegant simplicity. It is for these reasons and many others that we have selected as the winning Screenplay of this year’s Festival…Diane, written by Kent Jones.”

    INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE COMPETITION CATEGORIES:

    Best International Narrative FeatureSmuggling Hendrix (Cyprus, Germany, Greece) written and directed by Marios Piperides. Winner receives $20,000 and the art award “Can We Turn Our Rage to Poetry” by Joan Snyder. Jury Comment: “For its unique, comedic exploration of a complicated absurd political situation told in a clear, personal compelling way, the Best International Narrative Feature Award goes to Smuggling Hendrix.” Best Actress in an International Narrative Feature Film – Joy Rieger in Virgins (France, Israel, Belgium). Jury Comment: “The acting category was a challenge because all of the characters portrayed were fleshed out individuals, but none more than the 16 year old girl who had to navigate a sexual awakening among a life filled with hardship and yearning. The actress portraying this character brought to life a sassy, sexually naïve teenager that is universally identifiable. The best actress prize goes to Joy Rieger for her portrayal of Lana in the film Virgins.” Best Actor in an International Narrative Feature FilmRasmus Bruun in The Saint Bernard Syndicate (Denmark). Jury Comment: “For his subtle comedic performance that manages to make a lasting impression on its audience and for his humorous, touching work that transcends both language and culture – he goes on a remarkable journey from a naïve furniture salesman to a murderer who’s battling ALS while selling Saint Bernard’s in China, we have chosen to award Rasmus Bruins from The Saint Bernard Syndicate as best actor. Best Cinematography in an International Narrative Feature Film – Cinematography by Albert Salas for Obey (UK). Jury Comment: “For its original, daring image-making that, along with bold direction, invites the viewer inside the tense circumstances of its characters lives, we have chosen Albert Salas as best cinematographer for his moving work on the film Obey.” Best Screenplay in an International Narrative Feature FilmThe Saint Bernard Syndicate written by Lærke Sanderhoff (Denmark). Winner receives $2,500. Jury Comment: “While there were many wonderful scripts in this year’s Festival, we have chosen to acknowledge as best screenplay a comedy that manages to be truly funny and inventive in its exploration of a culture clash. This script was refreshingly original and gave its actors the opportunity to really shine. This year’s award for best screenplay goes to Lærke Sanderhoff for The Saint Bernard Syndicate.”

    DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION CATEGORIES:

    Best Documentary FeatureIsland of the Hungry Ghosts, directed by Gabrielle Brady (Germany, UK, Australia). Winner receives $20,000, and the art award “Tehran, Iran (June 6, 1989)” by Julia Wachtel. Jury Comment: “The Best Documentary award goes to a film that demonstrates extraordinary mastery of the full symphonic range of cinematic tools: cinematography, editing, score, sound design, and, perhaps greatest of all, an exquisite use of metaphor. To a film that moved us deeply, impressed us immensely, and made us feel we were witnessing nothing less than the emergence, fully formed, of a major new cinematic talent, we are thrilled to award the Best Documentary award to Island of the Hungry Ghosts.” Best Cinematography in a Documentary Film – Cinematography by Niels van Koevorden for Tanzania Transit (Netherlands). Winner receives $2,500. Jury Comment: “To witness the care taken in the framing of each shot of this remarkable film conveys pleasure in and of itself. That the aesthetic rigor of each of these images also opens the space for us to contemplate the challenges of being human with such gentleness is transfixing. This is a movie that dares to have no beginning and no end. We honor Niels van Koevorden with the Cinematography Award for Tanzania Transit because it gives us the deep slow shiver of seeing anew! Best Editing in a Documentary Film – Editing by Frederick Shanahan, Jon Kasbe, Caitlyn Greene for When Lambs Become Lions (USA). Winner receives $2,500. Jury Comment: “The award for Best Editing goes to a film that unfolds with the urgency and tension one expects from the best Hollywood thrillers. From the opening frame to its startling climax, this film kept us on the edge of our seats. It’s also worth noting that one of the films three editors is also the film’s brilliant cinematographer, producer, and director, Jon Kasbe, and the jury could have recognized him in either of those disciplines. But ultimately it was the film’s incredible pacing that led us to present the award for Best Editing to the team from When Lambs Become Lions.”

    BEST NEW NARRATIVE DIRECTOR COMPETITION:

    Best New Narrative DirectorShawn Snyder, director of To Dust (USA). Winner receives $10,000, and the art award “Flash (To the tender flesh it went)” by Meghan Boody. Jury Comment: “As jurors of Tribeca’s New Narrative Director section, we’ve had the unique honor of spending the past week watching a group of lovingly curated films from first time fiction feature directors. These directors come with their own backstories as unique as their movies… some are fresh out of school, while others have already made significant marks in other arenas. But regardless of their backgrounds, they’ve all now joined the ranks with some of the greats… which among a jury of three actors, also means that they are our future employers. So while Zosia regrets missing tonight, she did ask that we give you each copies of her resume… and Josh and I would love to take a moment to tell you about our special skill sets, which include fire-eating, knot-tying and Parkour. This choice was not easy. There were many films this year that were made with unique vision, craft and heart that we wish we could recognize. But ultimately, our decision was unanimous. For a film that tackles a universal subject in a truly singular manner. A film that begins with loss and grief… but then transcends to take you on an exquisitely odd, sometimes hilarious, and always thought-provoking journey into the heart of our clumsy human struggle to heal and to connect. For the incredible performances of his two lead actors, and for a mastery of tone truly rare in such a young filmmaker, we are honored to present this year’s award to Shawn Snyder for his film, To Dust.”

    BEST NEW DOCUMENTARY DIRECTOR COMPETITION:

    Albert Maysles New Documentary Director AwardDava Whisenant for Bathtubs Over Broadway (USA). Winner receives $10,000 sponsored by CNN Films, and the art award “White Bowl” by John F. Simon Jr. Jury Comment: “The winner of the Best New Documentary Director goes to a film that we chose for many reasons. The story, the specific subject, the journey into a world we never knew existed. This film also has an element every great film, doc, and story needs…heart. It’s an honor to give the award to Bathtubs over Broadway!”

    SHORT FILM COMPETITION CATEGORIES:

    Best Narrative ShortPhone Duty, directed by Lenar Kamalov (Russia). Winner receives $5,000 sponsored by Nutella, and the art award “Learning How to Paint/Make A Wish” by Eddie Kang. Jury Comment: “This film shows us the emotional weight inanimate objects can have, and the humanized war in a surprising and impactful way. The award for Best Narrative Short goes to Phone Duty.” Shorts Animation AwardLate Afternoon directed by Louise Bagnall (Ireland). Winner receives $5,000 sponsored by Nutella. Jury Comment: “This film portrays memory in an insightful and impactful way that opened our hearts. As the animation moves from colorful blobs into meaningful shapes and finally breaks through to her realizing the person she loves the most, we realize the experience of Alzheimer’s with a poignancy that stayed with us all. The Award for Best Animated Short goes to Late Afternoon.” Best Documentary ShortNotes from Dunblane: Lessons from a School Shooting directed by Kim A. Snyder (USA). Winner receives $5,000 sponsored by Nutella, and the art award “Fort Apache” by David Levinthal. Jury Comment: “This transcendent film adds a revelatory dimension to a subject that is at the epicenter of public consciousness today. We found the wholly original approach of this film allowed us to feel again about subject matter that had shattered our collective souls and left us numb. An emotional paralysis was lifted as we watched this film that allowed us to engage once again with the brutal reality that is America today. We give the Best Documentary Short to Notes from Dunblane: Lessons from a School Shooting.” Student Visionary AwardThe Life of Esteban directed by Inès Eshun (Belgium). Winner receives $5,000 sponsored by Nutella. Jury Comment: “With a rare lyric intensity this film opens a window to a young boy’s difficult navigation from early childhood to young adulthood in a single parent family. We watch the sublime intensity of Esteban’s journey through a world that has given him little, and yet paradoxically allows him to achieve much. The Student Visionary Award goes to The Life of Esteban”

    STORYSCAPES AWARD

    Storyscapes AwardHero created by Navid Khonsari, Vassiliki Khonsari, and Brooks Brown. Winner receives $10,000, presented by AT&T, and the art award “Miracle” by Nancy Dwyer. Jury Comment: “Texture. Beauty. Heat. Life. Hero is an extraordinary story of life in a country under siege. It uses ambitious technology, and pushes viewers right up to, but not past, what one’s senses can bear. It will help you understand where VR is going, but also, viscerally, in some ways where this world is going.”

    THE NORA EPHRON AWARD

    The Nora Ephron Award: Nia DaCosta director of Little Woods (USA). Winner receives $25,000, sponsored by CHANEL, and the art award “For Wonder Woman” by Ghada Amer & Reza Farkhondeh. Jury Comment: “For its sure-footed storytelling featuring an unconventional heroine who pushes past expectations of what is bravery in a woman’s life or in cinema. In watching this portrait of a woman at a crossroads in small-town America, we found ourselves wanting to see more stories from this filmmaker and more of her vision of a woman in the world. We chose writer-director Nia DaCosta’s Little Woods.

    TRIBECA X AWARD

    Tribeca X Award: For Every Kind of Dream series for Square. Directed by Mohammad Gorjestani for Even/Odd. . Jury Comment: “The Square films showed an extremely deft sense of craft in telling a compelling and richly human story while maintaining a strong brand message throughout. We specifically responded to the Sister Hearts film, which elegantly told an poignant story about a marginalized community that was lifting itself up. We specifically responded to the level of intimacy captured with these women who opened up about their intensely harrowing and heartbreaking past, and whose presence and unfiltered character on camera makes us smile and shows a resilience that inspires. The role that Square plays fits seamlessly into the narrative, not lifting its head to show off, but instead lending a hand to the impressive journey these inspirational women have commanded.”

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  • 2018 Tribeca Film Festival Unveils Feature Film Lineup + Closes with World Premiere of “The Fourth Estate”

    [caption id="attachment_27371" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]The Fourth Estate The Fourth Estate[/caption] The 2018 Tribeca Film Festival revealed its feature film lineup championing the discovery of emerging voices and celebrating new work from established filmmaking talent. To close the Festival, Tribeca will World Premiere The Fourth Estate, from Oscar®-nominated director Liz Garbus, which follows The New York Times’ coverage of the Trump administration’s first year. The Centerpiece Gala will be the World Premiere of Drake Doremus’ sci-fi romance Zoe starring Ewan McGregor, Léa Seydoux, Rashida Jones, and Theo James. The 2018 Tribeca Film Festival takes place April 18-29. The 2018 feature film program includes 96 films from 103 filmmakers. Of the 96 films, 46% of them are directed by women, the highest percentage in the Festival’s history. The lineup includes 75 World Premieres, 5 International Premieres, 9 North American Premieres, 3 U.S. Premieres, and 4 New York Premieres from 27 countries. This year’s program includes 46 first time filmmakers, with 18 directors returning to the Festival with their latest feature film projects. Tribeca’s 2018 slate was programmed from more than 8,789 total submissions. Fifty-one narratives and 45 documentaries will debut over the course of the 12-day festival. The Competition section features 12 documentaries, 10 U.S. narratives and 10 international narratives; 14 Spotlight Narratives, 15 Spotlight Documentaries; 5 Midnight, 16 Viewpoints selections; and 11 Special Screenings. The films in competition will compete for cash prizes totaling $165,000, as well as artwork from the Artists Awards program, offering work from acclaimed contemporary artists in select categories. One of the first awards to honor excellence in storytelling by a female writer or director, the 6th annual Nora Ephron Award, presented by CHANEL, will award a $25,000 prize to a woman who embodies the spirit and boldness of the late filmmaker. This year’s Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival, sponsored by Mohegan Sun, includes 5 documentaries and 1 narrative feature film, as well as a shorts program and more to be announced. The 2018 film selections are as follows:

    CENTERPIECE:

    Zoe, directed by Drake Doremus, written by Richard Greenberg. Produced by Kevin Walsh, Michael Pruss, Drake Doremus, Robert George. (USA) – World Premiere, Feature Narrative. In a future world where cutting-edge technologies can simulate the high of true love, two colleagues at a revolutionary research lab yearn for a connection that’s real. With Léa Seydoux, Ewan McGregor, Christina Aguilera, Rashida Jones, Theo James, Miranda Otto, Matthew Gray Gubler, Anthony Shim

    CLOSING NIGHT:

    The Fourth Estate, directed by Liz Garbus. Produced by Jenny Carchman, Liz Garbus, Justin Wilkes (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. For the journalists at The New York Times, the election of Donald Trump presented a once in a generation challenge in how the press would cover a president who has declared the majority of the nation’s major news outlets “the enemy of the people.” Oscar-nominated filmmaker Liz Garbus witnessed the inner workings of journalism and investigative reporting from the front lines during this administrations’ first history-making year. A Showtime release After the movie: A conversation with The New York Times Executive Editor Dean Baquet, Washington Bureau Chief Elisabeth Bumiller, White House Correspondent Maggie Haberman, Washington Investigative Correspondent Mark Mazzetti, and director Liz Garbus.

    U.S. NARRATIVE COMPETITION

    All About Nina, directed and written by Eva Vives. Produced by Eric B. Fleischman, Sean Tabibian, Natalie Qasabian, Eva Vives. (USA) – World Premiere. Nina Geld’s passion and talent have made her a rising star in the comedy scene, but she’s an emotional mess offstage. When a new professional opportunity coincides with a romantic one, she is forced to reckon with the intersection of her life and her art. With Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Common, Chace Crawford, Clea DuVall, Kate del Castillo, Beau Bridges. Diane, directed and written by Kent Jones. Produced by Luca Borghese, Ben Howe, Caroline Kaplan, Oren Moverman. (USA) – World Premiere. Diane is a devoted friend and caretaker, particularly to her drug-addicted son. But as those around her begin to drift away in the last quarter of her life, she is left to reckon with past choices and long-dormant memories in this haunting character study. With Mary Kay Place, Jake Lacy, Estelle Parsons, Andrea Martin, Deirdre O’Connell, Glynis O’Connor, Phyllis Somerville, Joyce Van Patten. Duck Butter, directed by Miguel Arteta, written by Miguel Arteta, Alia Shawkat. Produced by Mel Eslyn, Natalie Qasabian. (USA) – World Premiere. Two women, jaded by dishonest and broken relationships, make a pact to spend 24 uninterrupted hours together, having sex on the hour. Their romantic experiment intends to create a new form of intimacy, but it doesn’t quite go as planned. With Alia Shawkat, Laia Costa, Hong Chau, Kate Berlant, Kumail Nanjiani, Mark Duplass, Jay Duplass, Lindsay Burdge. A release from The Orchard. Ghostbox Cowboy, directed and written by John Maringouin. Produced by Molly Lynch, John Maringouin, John Montague, George Rush, Sean Gillane. (USA, China) – World Premiere. In this darkly comedic morality tale, tech entrepreneur Jimmy Van Horn arrives in China armed with an invention and confidence, only to learn that being American is not enough to succeed. With David Zellner, Robert Longstreet, Johnny Robichaux, Vincent Xie, Carrie Gege Zhang. Little Woods, directed and written by Nia DaCosta. Produced by Rachael Fung, Gabrielle Nadig. (USA) – World Premiere. In this dramatic thriller set in the fracking boomtown of Little Woods, North Dakota, two estranged sisters are driven to extremes when their mother dies, leaving them with one week to pay back her mortgage. With Tessa Thompson, Lily James, Luke Kirby, James Badge Dale, Lance Reddick. Maine, directed and written by Matthew Brown. Produced by Summer Shelton, Michael B. Clark, Alex Turtletaub. (USA) – World Premiere. A married woman’s journey of self-discovery and introspection while solo-hiking the Appalachian Trail ends up sidetracked when she encounters a lone hiker. With Laia Costa, Thomas Mann. Mapplethorpe, directed and written by Ondi Timoner. Produced by Eliza Dushku, Nathaniel Dushku, Richard J. Bosner, Ondi Timoner. (USA) – World Premiere. In the late 1960s, art-school dropout Robert Mapplethorpe moves into the Chelsea Hotel with dreams of stardom. He quickly becomes the enfant terrible of the photography world as the downtown counterculture of 1970s New York reaches its zenith. With Matt Smith, Marianne Rendón, John Benjamin Hickey, Brandon Sklenar, McKinley Belcher III, Mark Moses. O.G., directed by Madeleine Sackler, written by Stephen Belber. Produced by Madeleine Sackler, Boyd Holbrook. (USA) – World Premiere. An inmate entering the final weeks of a twenty-plus-year sentence must navigate between old loyalties and a new protégé, while he also grapples with the looming uncertainty of his return to life outside bars. With Jeffrey Wright, William Fichtner, Theothus Carter, Mare Winningham, Boyd Holbrook, David Patrick Kelly. Song of Back and Neck, directed and written by Paul Lieberstein. Produced by Paul Lieberstein, Jennifer Prediger, Kim Leadford. (USA) – World Premiere. A hapless man seeking treatment for his crippling back pain discovers a very unusual talent and unexpected love in this inventive romantic comedy from writer-director-star Paul Lieberstein (The Office). With Paul Lieberstein, Rosemarie DeWitt, Clark Duke, Brian d’Arcy James, Robert Pine, Paul Feig. State Like Sleep, directed and written by Meredith Danluck. Produced by Eddie Vaisman, Julia Lebedev, Angel Lopez. (USA) – World Premiere. Following the death of her husband, Katherine travels to Brussels, where a few loose ends become a whole web of secrets as she untangles her late spouse’s mysterious last days alive. With Katherine Waterston, Michael Shannon, Luke Evans, Michiel Huisman, Mary Kay Place.

    DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

    Blowin’ Up, directed and written by Stephanie Wang-Breal. Produced by Carrie Weprin. (USA) – World Premiere. In a courtroom in Queens, women facing prostitution charges may earn a chance at redemption thanks to an experimental program established by a team of rebel heroines working to change the system. Call Her Ganda, directed by PJ Raval, written by PJ Raval, Victoria Chalk. Produced by PJ Raval, Lisa Valencia-Svensson, Marty Syjuco, Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala. (USA, Philippines) – World Premiere. When a transgender Filipina woman is found dead in the motel room of a U.S. Marine, grassroots activists demand accountability. The ensuing case lays bare a constellation of social and political tensions between the United States and the Philippines. Island of the Hungry Ghosts, directed and written by Gabrielle Brady. Produced by Alexander Wadouh, Samm Haillay, Alex Kelly, Gizem Acarla, Gabrielle Brady. (Australia, Germany, UK) – World Premiere. Christmas Island, Australia is home to one of the largest land migrations on earth—that of forty million crabs journeying from jungle to sea. But the jungle holds another secret: a high-security facility that indefinitely detains individuals seeking asylum. The Man Who Stole Banksy, directed by Marco Proserpio, written by Marco Proserpio, Filippo Perfido, Christian Omodeo. Produced by Marco Proserpio, Filippo Perfido. (Italy) – World Premiere. In 2007, the anonymous graffiti artist Banksy painted a series of political works around Palestine, only to have them cut down and sold off to the highest bidder. A stylish examination of public space and the commodification of street art, narrated by Iggy Pop. Momentum Generation, directed and written by Jeff Zimbalist, Michael Zimbalist. Produced by Jeff Zimbalist, Michael Zimbalist, Colby Gottert, Greg Little, Justine Chiara, Karen Lauder, Laura Michalchyshyn, Lizzie Friedman, Tina Elmo. (USA) – World Premiere. In the 1990s, a motley band of teen surfers from the north shore of Oahu brought professional surfing to new heights. But as their stars rose, the competition threatened to tear their group apart. With Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, Shane Dorian, Taylor Knox, Benji Weatherley, Kalani Robb, and Ross Williams. No Greater Law, directed by Tom Dumican, written by Tom Dumican, Jesse Lichtenstein. Produced by Jesse Lichtenstein. (UK, USA) – World Premiere. In Idaho’s rugged Treasure Valley, the Followers of Christ believe in God, family, and faith healing. As an investigation into the community’s high infant mortality rate closes in on the church, one patriarch fights for his right to his faith. An A&E release. Phantom Cowboys, directed by Daniel Patrick Carbone. Produced by Ryan Scafuro, Annie Waldman, Daniel Patrick Carbone. (USA) – World Premiere. This searing documentary, which spans nearly a decade, is a meditation on youth, tradition, and the evolving hopes and dreams of modern adolescents in the forgotten industrial towns across America. The Rachel Divide, directed by Laura Brownson, written by Laura Brownson, Jeff Gilbert. Produced by Laura Brownson, Bridget Stokes, Khaliah Neal. (USA) – World Premiere. Rachel Dolezal became infamous when she was unmasked as a white woman passing for black so thoroughly that she had become the head of her local N.A.A.C.P. chapter. This portrait cuts through the very public controversy to reveal Dolezal’s motivations. A Netflix release. Tanzania Transit, directed by Jeroen van Velzen, written by Jeroen van Velzen, Esther Eenstroom. Produced by Digna Sinke. (Netherlands) – World Premiere. A train journey across Tanzania captures a microcosm of contemporary African society in Tribeca alum Jeroen van Velzen’s captivating and visually stunning road movie. United Skates, directed and produced by Dyana Winkler, Tina Brown. (USA) – World Premiere. Credited with incubating East Coast hip-hop and West Coast rap, America’s roller rinks have long been bastions of regional African-American culture, music, and dance. As rinks shutter across the country, a few activists mount a last stand. When Lambs Become Lions, directed by Jon Kasbe. Produced by Jon Kasbe, Innbo Shim, Tom Yellin, Andrew Harrison Brown. (USA) – World Premiere. In the Kenyan bush, a crackdown on ivory poaching forces a silver-tongued second-generation poacher to seek out an unlikely ally in this fly-on-the-wall look at both sides of the conservation divide. Yellow is Forbidden, directed and written by Pietra Brettkelly. Produced by Pietra Brettkelly, Richard Fletcher, Naomi Wallwork. (New Zealand) – World Premiere. Celebrated Chinese couturier Guo Pei is perhaps best known for designing the brilliant gold gown Rihanna wore to the Met Ball in 2015. But Guo’s quest to be recognized by the gatekeepers of Paris haute couture goes beyond the red carpet and taps into global power dynamics and the perpetual tension between art and commerce.

    INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE COMPETITION

    Amateurs (Amatörer), directed by Gabriela Pichler, written by Jonas Hassen Khemiri, Gabriela Pichler. Produced by Anna-Maria Kantarius. (Sweden) – North American Premiere. In this irresistibly charming social comedy, local officials, in a bid to lure a superstore chain to their quiet hamlet, set about producing a promotional video about their town—only to find themselves disrupted at every turn by two teens making their own rival film. With Fredrik Dahl, Yara Ebrahim, Zahraa Aldoujaili. Dry Martina, directed and written by Che Sandoval. Produced by Florencia Larrea, Gregorio González, Hernán Musaluppi, Natacha Cervi. (Chile, Argentina) – International Premiere. Passion and obsession mingle in this fresh comedy about an aging pop star who takes off to pursue a lover, and, while she’s at it, a better sense of self. With Antonella Costa, Patricio Contreras, Geraldine Neary, Pedro Campos, Héctor Morales. Lemonade (Luna de Miere), directed by Ioana Uricaru, written by Ioana Uricaru, Tatiana Ionașcu. Produced by Cristian Mungiu, Yanick Létourneau, Eike Goreczka, Christoph Kukula, Sean Wheelan, Anthony Muir. (Romania, Canada, Germany, Sweden) – International Premiere. Mara hopes to move her son from Romania to the U.S. and obtain a green card. But bureaucratic processes give way to authoritarian nightmares in this simmering social drama about American immigration and the institutional corruption of power. With Mălina Manovici, Steve Bacic, Dylan Scott Smith, Milan Hurduc, Ruxandra Maniu. The Night Eats the World (La nuit a dévoré le monde), directed and written by Dominique Rocher. (France) – North American Premiere. Following one hell of a party, Sam wakes up to the worst-ever morning after—blood-stained walls, an empty apartment building, and Parisian streets filled with the living dead. Even worse, he’s all alone. With Anders Danielsen Lie, Golshifteh Farahani, Denis Lavant. Obey, directed and written by Jamie Jones. Produced by Emily Jones, Ross Williams. (UK) – World Premiere. In the midst of the 2011 London riots, Leon grapples with the stark reality of his life and his relationship with his alcoholic mother while falling in love for the first time. With Marcus Rutherford, Sophie Kennedy Clark, Sam Gittens, T’Nia Miller, Jay Walker. The Party’s Just Beginning, directed and written by Karen Gillan. Produced by Mali Elfman, Andru R. Davies, Claire Mundell. (Scotland) – International Premiere. Lucy is a sharp-witted, foul-mouthed, heavy-drinking twenty-something who is still reeling from a recent loss. This surreal coming-of-age tale is a love letter to Gillan’s hometown in the Scottish Highlands. With Karen Gillan, Lee Pace, Matthew Beard, Paul Higgins, Siobhan Redmond, Jamie Quinn, Rachel Jackson. The Saint Bernard Syndicate, directed by Mads Brugger, written by Lærke Sanderhoff. Produced by Emilie Lebech Kaae, Jakob Kirstein Høgel. (Denmark) – World Premiere. Subversive satirist Mads Brugger’s latest is an odd-couple comedy about the pitfalls of striking out into the economic frontier; it charts two hapless Danes’ scheme to sell Saint Bernards to China’s middle class. Smuggling Hendrix, directed and written by Marios Piperides. Produced by Janine Teerling, Marios Piperides, Thanassis Karathanos, Martin Hampel, Costas Lambropoulos. (Cyprus) – World Premiere. Though caught between the mob and border patrol, washed-up musician Yiannis must put his plans to leave Cyprus on hold his when his beloved dog escapes across the wall to the island’s Turkish side. With Adam Bousdoukos, Fatih Al, Vicky Papadopoulou, Özgür Karadeniz. Sunday’s Illness (La Enfermedad del Domingo), directed by Ramón Salazar Hoogers, written by Ramón Salazar Hoogers. Produced by Francisco Ramos. (Spain) – North American Premiere. After Anabel hosts an opulent dinner, she is confronted by Chiara, the daughter she abandoned decades earlier. Chiara arrives with just one request: that she and her mother spend ten days together. With Barbara Lennie, Susi Sanchez. Virgins (Vierges), directed by Keren Ben Rafael, written by Keren Ben Rafael, Elise Benroubi. Produced by Caroline Bonmarchand. (France, Israel, Belgium) – World Premiere. Teenage Lana is languishing in her run-down hometown on Israel’s sun-soaked north coast—until an older, attractive writer arrives with tales of a mermaid sighting off the shore of the declining resort town. With Joy Rieger, Evgenia Dodina, Michael Aloni, Manuel Elkaslassy Vardi, Rami Heuberger.

    SPOTLIGHT NARRATIVE

    All These Small Moments, directed and written by Melissa Miller Costanzo. Produced by Lauren Avinoam, Jed Mellick, Katie Leary. (USA) – World Premiere. Howie Sheffield is at a turning point. As he watches his parents’ relationship crumbling, he becomes infatuated with Odessa, a woman he sees each day on the bus ride to school. With Brendan Meyer, Jemima Kirke, Molly Ringwald, Brian d’Arcy James, Sam McCarthy, Harley Quinn Smith. Back Roads, directed by Alex Pettyfer, written by Tawni O’Dell, Adrian Lyne. Produced by Craig Robinson, Michael Ohoven, Ashley Mansour, Alex Pettyfer, Jake Seal, Dan Spilo. (USA) – World Premiere. A young man cares for his sisters after their mother is imprisoned for murdering their abusive father. When he strikes up an affair with a married woman, long-dormant family secrets bubble to the surface in this noir thriller. With Alex Pettyfer, Jennifer Morrison, Nicola Peltz, June Carryl, Juliette Lewis. Blue Night, directed by Fabien Constant, written by Laura Eason. Produced by Andrea Iervolino, Monika Bacardi, Sarah Jessica Parker, Alison Benson. (USA) – World Premiere. A devastating diagnosis sends a famous singer reeling through the streets of New York City in this French New Wave-inspired drama. With Sarah Jessica Parker, Simon Baker, Jacqueline Bisset, Common, Taylor Kinney, Renée Zellweger, Waleed Zuaiter. Daughter of Mine (Figlia mia), directed by Laura Bispuri, written by Francesca Manieri, Laura Bispuri. Produced by Marta Donzelli, Gregorio Paonessa, Maurizio Totti, Alessandro Usai, Viola Fügen, Michael Weber, Dan Wechsler. (Italy, Germany, Switzerland) – North American Premiere. On the windswept coast of Sardinia, two women compete for the affections of 10-year old Vittoria: her troubled, alcoholic birth mother Angelica and her doting adoptive mother Tina. With Valeria Golino, Alba Rohrwacher, Sara Casu, Udo Kier, Michele Carboni. Disobedience, directed by Sebastian Lelio, written by Sebastián Lelio, Rebecca Lenkiewicz. Produced by Frida Torresblanco, Ed Guiney, Rachel Weisz. (UK) – U.S. Premiere. After the death of her estranged rabbi father, a New York photographer returns to the Orthodox Jewish community in North London where she grew up and, in doing so, reignites long-dormant passions and controversies. With Rachel Weisz, Rachel McAdams, Alessandro Nivola. A Bleecker Street release. Egg, directed by Marianna Palka, written by Risa Mickenberg. Produced by Michele Ganeless, Alysia Reiner, David Alan Basche. (USA) – World Premiere. In provocateur Marianna Palka’s sharp and unflinching satire, two couples and a surrogate lay bare the complications, contradictions, heartbreak, and absurdities implicit in how we think about motherhood. With Christina Hendricks, Anna Camp, Alysia Reiner, David Alan Basche, Gbenga Akinnagbe. In a Relationship, directed and written by Sam Boyd. Produced by Jorge Garcia Castro, David Hunter, Ross Putman. (USA) – World Premiere. Long-term couple Owen and Hallie are breaking up—or maybe not?—and just as their relationship reaches a turning point, Matt and Willa embark on a romance of their own. A funny and deeply felt chronicle of one summer in the lives of two couples in Los Angeles. With Emma Roberts, Michael Angarano, Dree Hemingway, Patrick Gibson, Jay Ellis, Melora Walters. Jonathan, directed by Bill Oliver, written by Peter Nickowitz, Bill Oliver, Gregory Davis. Produced by Randy Manis, Ricky Tollman. (USA) – World Premiere. Jonathan is a young man with a strange condition that only his brother understands. But when he begins to yearn for a different life, their unique bond becomes increasingly tested in this twisty sci-fi drama. With Ansel Elgort, Suki Waterhouse, Patricia Clarkson. Mary Shelley, directed by Haifaa Al Mansour, written by Emma Jensen. Produced by Amy Baer, Alan Moloney, Ruth Coady. (Ireland, UK, Luxembourg, USA) – U.S. Premiere. The story of Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin’s whirlwind romance with the tempestuous poet Percy Shelley, a romance that led to her creation of one of the most enduring works of gothic literature before the age of 20: Frankenstein. With Elle Fanning, Douglas Booth, Bel Powley, Joanne Froggatt, Tom Sturridge, Maisie Williams. An IFC release. The Miseducation of Cameron Post, directed by Desiree Akhavan, written by Desiree Akhavan, Cecilia Frugiuele. Produced by Michael B. Clark, Alex Turtlelaub, Cecilia Frugiuele, Jonathan Montepare. (USA) – New York Premiere. After Cameron is caught making out with another girl on prom night, her conservative guardians send her to gay conversion therapy. There, she forges an unlikely community with her fellow teens in this Sundance-winning coming of age story. With Chloë Grace Moretz, Sasha lane, Forrest Goodluck, John Gallagher Jr., Jennifer Ehle. Nico, 1988, directed and written by Susanna Nicchiarelli. Produced by Marta Donzelli, Gregorio Paonessa, Joseph Rouschop, and Valérie Bournonville. (Italy, Belgium) – North American Premiere. This whirlwind road movie follows the final months on tour of the singer-songwriter Nico, one-time Warhol superstar and Velvet Underground vocalist. With Trine Dyrholm, John Gordon Sinclair, Anamaria Marinca, Sandor Funtek, Thomas Trabacchi, Karina Fernandez, Calvin Demba. A Magnolia release. The Seagull, directed by Michael Mayer, written by Stephen Karam. Produced by Jay Franke, David Herro, Robert Salerno, Tom Hulce, Leslie Urdang. (USA) – World Premiere. A sumptuous adaptation of the classic Chekhov play transports the audience to a picturesque lakeside estate, where a love triangle unfolds between the legendary diva Irina, her lover Boris, and the ingénue Nina. With Annette Bening, Saoirse Ronan, Corey Stoll, Elisabeth Moss, Mare Winningham, Jon Tenney, Glenn Fleshler, Michael Zegen, Billy Howle, Brian Dennehy. A Sony Pictures Classic release. Stockholm, directed and written by Robert Budreau. Produced by Nicholas Tabarrok, Robert Budreau, Jonathan Bronfman. (Canada, Sweden, USA) – World Premiere. In 1973, an unhinged American outlaw walked into a bank in Sweden demanding millions in cash in exchange for his hostages. The events that followed would capture the attention of the world and ultimately give a name to a new psychological phenomenon: Stockholm syndrome. With Ethan Hawke, Noomi Rapace, Mark Strong, Christopher Heyerdahl, Bea Santos, Thorbjorn Harr. Untogether, directed and written by Emma Forrest. Produced by Scott LaStaiti, Luke Daniels, Brandon Hogan. (USA) – World Premiere. Former writing prodigy Andrea tries not to fall for her one-night stand, while her sister Lisa throws herself into a newfound religious zeal (and the arms of her charismatic rabbi) to avoid the truth about her current relationship in this multi-character romantic drama. With Jamie Dornan, Jemima Kirke, Lola Kirke, Ben Mendelsohn, Billy Crystal, Alice Eve, Jennifer Grey, Scott Caan.

    SPOTLIGHT DOCUMENTARY

    Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable, directed by Aaron Lieber, written by Aaron Lieber, Carol Martori. Produced by Penny Edmiston, Jane Kelly Kosek. (USA) – World Premiere. One of the most fearless and accomplished athletes of her generation, Bethany Hamilton became a surfing wunderkind when she returned to the sport following a devastating shark attack at age 13. As she continues to chase waves she also now tackles motherhood. Also playing as part of the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival. The Bleeding Edge, directed by Amy Ziering, Kirby Dick. Produced by Kirby Dick, Amy Ziering. (USA) – World Premiere. Each year in the United States, unparalleled innovations in medical diagnostics, treatment, and technology hit the market. But when the same devices designed to save patients end up harming them, who is accountable? A Netflix release. General Magic, directed by Matthew Maude, Sarah Kerruish, written by Matt Maude, Sarah Kerruish, Jonathan Keys. Produced by Matt Maude, Sarah Kerruish. (UK, USA) – World Premiere. A Silicon Valley startup built by the best and brightest minds of the 1980s tech world, General Magic shipped the first handheld wireless personal communicator in 1994. It was decades ahead of its time—and a complete failure. With Tony Fadell, Marc Porat, Andy Hertzfeld, Megan Smith, Joanna Hoffman, Kevin Lynch. House Two, directed and written by Michael Epstein. Produced by Michael Epstein, Tony Wood. (USA) – World Premiere. In 2005, a group of U.S. Marines killed 24 unarmed Iraqi men, women, and children in a matter of minutes, sparking the largest criminal investigation in Marine Corps history. House Two delves into that investigation and the ensuing court proceedings, all the way up to the case’s shocking conclusion. Howard, directed and written by Don Hahn. Produced by Don Hahn, Lori Korngiebel. (USA) – World Premiere. Howard Ashman, the once-in-a-generation songwriting talent, penned the lyrics for Little Shop of Horrors and revitalized Disney with his work on The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin. Howard is a tribute to the lyricist and to the power of musical storytelling. With Howard Ashman, Alan Menken, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Bill Lauch, Sarah Gillespie, Peter Schneider. Into the Okavango, directed by Neil Gelinas, written by Neil Gelinas, Brian Newell. Produced by Neil Gelinas. (USA) – World Premiere. Botswana’s Okavango Delta is one of the planet’s last remaining true wildernesses, but studies have shown it is shrinking. A group of intrepid scientists embark on a four-month, 1500-mile journey upriver to the Okavango’s source to investigate why. A National Geographic release McQueen, directed Ian Bonhôte, Peter Ettedgui, written by Peter Ettedgui. Produced by Ian Bonhôte, Andee Ryder, Nick Taussig, Paul Van Carter. Legendary couturier Alexander McQueen’s rags to riches story is vividly brought to life by his closest friends and family, and through his revolutionary body of work, as inspired, tortured, and visionary as the man himself. A Bleecker Street release Roll Red Roll, directed by Nancy Schwartzman. Produced by Nancy Schwartzman, Jessica Devaney, Steven Lake. (USA) – World Premiere. At a 2012 pre-season high-school football party in Steubenville, Ohio, a young woman was raped. The aftermath exposed an entire culture of complicity—and Roll Red Roll maps out the roles that peer pressure, denial, sports machismo, and social media each played in the tragedy. Also playing as part of the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival. Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda, directed and written by Stephen Nomura Schible. Produced by Eric Nyari, Yoshiko Hashimoto, Stephen Nomura Schible. (USA) – North American Premiere. Ryuichi Sakamoto has had a prolific career spanning over four decades, from techno-pop stardom to Oscar-winning film composer. Coda offers an intimate portrait of a legendary artist and a passionate activist. Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland, directed by Kate Davis, David Heilbroner. Produced by David Heilbroner, Kate Davis. (USA) – World Premiere. Sandra Bland was a bright, energetic activist whose life was cut short when a traffic stop resulted in a mysterious jail cell death just three days later. Say Her Name follows the two-year battle to uncover the truth. An HBO release. Serengeti Rules, directed and written by Nicolas Brown. Produced by David Allen. (UK) – World Premiere. A band of young scientists discover a radical new theory of the natural world—one that could help confront some of the biggest environmental challenges of our time. Songwriter, directed and written by Murray Cummings. Produced by Kimmie Kim. (UK) – North American Premiere. Songwriter is an intimate immersion into the intense and collaborative process that created Ed Sheeran’s chart-topping album, ÷. Studio 54, directed by Matt Tyrnauer. Produced by Matt Tyrnauer, Corey Reeser, John Battsek. (USA) – New York Premiere. In 1977, Studio 54 and its founders, Ian Schrager and Steve Rubell, epitomized New York hedonism. But by, 1979 the fantasy was over—and Studio 54 goes inside that meteoric rise and catastrophic fall. With Steve Rubell, Ian Schrager, Nile Rodgers, Norma Kamali, Karin Bacon, Myra Scheer. An A&E release. Time for Ilhan, directed by Norah Shapiro. Produced by Jennifer Steinman Sternin, Chris Newberry, Norah Shapiro. (USA) – World Premiere. In November 2016, Ilhan Omar made history as the first Somali Muslim woman to be elected for state office in America. Time for Ilhan offers an inspiring look at her campaign and the changing face of American politics. Tiny Shoulders: Rethinking Barbie, directed and written by Andrea Nevins. Produced by Cristan Crocker, Andrea Nevins. (USA) – World Premiere. Since her debut nearly 60 years ago, Barbie has been at turns a fashion idol and a cultural lightning rod. Tiny Shoulders steps behind the scenes as the icon undergoes her greatest reinvention yet. With Kim Culmone, Michelle Chidoni, Gloria Steinem, Roxane Gay, Peggy Orenstein. A Hulu release.

    VIEWPOINTS

    Charm City, directed by Marilyn Ness, written by Marilyn Ness, Don Bernier. Produced by Katy Chevigny. (USA) – World Premiere, Feature Documentary. Charm City takes viewers beyond the television headlines and over the front lines of violence in Baltimore; in doing so, it reveals the grit and compassion of the city’s citizens, police, and government officials trying to reclaim their future. Crossroads, directed by Ron Yassen. Produced by Lauren Griswold. (USA) – World Premiere, Feature Documentary. Despite never having played the game before, a group of underprivileged teens emerge as a talented lacrosse team under the tutelage of Coach Bobby Selkin in this inspiring documentary. An ESPN Films release. Also playing as part of the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival. Dead Women Walking, directed and written by Hagar Ben-Asher. Produced by Clara Levy, Lorne Hiltser, Michael M. McGuire. (USA) – World Premiere, Feature Narrative. Nine vignettes depict the stages leading to execution for women on death row in this emotional account of the human toll of the death penalty—on both the inmates and those they encounter in their final hours. With Dale Dickey, Dot Marie Jones, Lynn Collins, Colleen Camp, June Carryl, and Ashton Sanders. The Elephant and the Butterfly (Drôle de Père), directed and written by Amélie van Elmbt. Produced by Adrienne D’Anna, Delphine Tomson. (Belgium, France) – North American Premiere, Feature Narrative. When her babysitter doesn’t show, a single mother is forced to leave her precocious five-year-old daughter with the girl’s estranged father for a long weekend in this heartfelt drama executive produced by Martin Scorsese and the Dardenne Brothers. With Isabelle Barth, Thomas Blanchard, Judith Chemla, Alice de Lencquesaing, Lina Doillon. The Feeling of Being Watched, directed and written by Assia Boundaoui. Produced by Jessica Devaney, Assia Boundaoui. (USA) – World Premiere, Feature Documentary. Journalist Assia Bendaoui sets out to investigate long-brewing rumors that her quiet, predominantly Arab-American neighborhood was being monitored by the FBI—and in the process, she exposes a surveillance program on a scale no one could have imagined. The Great Pretender, directed by Nathan Silver, written by Jack Dunphy. Produced by Matt Grady, Danelle Eliav, Nathan Silver, Jack Dunphy, Jere B Ford. (USA) – World Premiere, Feature Narrative. The lives of a French theater director, her ex-boyfriend, and the two actors playing them intersect dramatically in this tangled and darkly funny roundelay set in the New York theater world. With Esther Garrel, Keith Poulson, Maelle Poesy, Linas Phillips. Home + Away, directed by Matt Ogens. Produced by Todd Makurath, Luke Ricci, Nathaniel Greene, Matt Ogens, Nina Chaudry. (USA) – World Premiere, Feature Documentary. For the mostly Mexican-American students of El Paso’s Bowie High School, sports can offer a path to a better life. Home + Away follows three students as they pursue that route in search of success. Also playing as part of the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival. Jellyfish, directed by James Gardner, written by James Gardner, Simon Lord. Produced by James Gardner, Nikolas Holttum. (UK) – World Premiere, Feature Narrative. Sarah Taylor’s hardscrabble life has turned her into a teenage terror. When her drama teacher helps her channel her ferocious wit into comedy, her life’s delicate balance is set on a collision course with her newfound passion. With Liv Hil, Sinéad Matthews, Cyril Nri, Angus Barnett. Kaiser: The Greatest Footballer Never To Play Football, directed by Louis Myles, written by Louis Myles, Ivor Baddiel. Produced by Louis Myles, Tom Markham. (UK, Brazil) – World Premiere, Feature Documentary. Soccer stars were at the center of the scene in the glamorous nightlife meccas of 1980s Brazil. But in their midst, one of the biggest sports celebrities of his generation harbored a secret: He had never played a single game. With Carlos Henrique Raposo, Carlos Alberto Torres, Zico, Bebeto, Renato Gaúcho, Ricardo Rocha. Also playing as part of the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival. M, directed and written by Sara Forestier. Produced by Hugo Selignac. (France) – North American Premiere, Feature Narrative. Written by, directed by, and starring César Award winner Sara Forestier, this steamy drama explores the passionate relationship between a girl with a crippling speech impediment and an undereducated drag racer. With Sara Forestier, Redouanne Harjane, Jean-Pierre Léaud, Liv Andren. Presented in partnership with Venice Days. The Proposal, directed by Jill Magid. Produced by Jarred Alterman, Laura Coxson, Charlotte Cook. (USA) – World Premiere, Feature Documentary. When artist-turned-filmmaker Jill Magid learns that the archives of Mexico’s most famous architect are being held in a private collection, she devises a radical plan to return his legacy to the public. Satan & Adam, directed by V. Scott Balcerek, written by V. Scott Balcerek, Ryan Suffern. Produced by Frank Marshall, Ryan Suffern. (USA) – World Premiere, Feature Documentary. One was a demon on guitar; the other was fresh out of school and no slouch on harmonica. Satan & Adam is a rousing celebration of the blues that comprises documentary footage shot over the course of two decades. With Sterling Magee, Adam Gussow, The Edge, Rev. Al Sharpton, Harry Shearer, Quint Davis. Slut in a Good Way, directed by Sophie Lorain, written by Catherine Léger. Produced by Martin Paul-Hus. (Canada) – International Premiere, Feature Narrative. Three 17-year-old girlfriends get a job at the Toy Depot for the holiday season and become smitten with the guys who work alongside them in this charming teen sex comedy. With Marguerite Bouchard, Rose Adam, Romane Denis, Alex Godbout, Anthony Therrien, Vassili Schneider. We the Animals, directed by Jeremiah Zagar, written by Dan Kitrosser. Produced by Jeremy Yaches, Christina D. King, Andrew Goldman, Paul Mezey. (USA) – New York Premiere, Feature Narrative. This lyrical coming-of-age tale, based on the acclaimed novel, weaves magic realism into an exquisite portrait of three brothers, their troubled parents, and the secret that the youngest of them holds. With Raul Castillo, Sheila Vand, Evan Rosado, Isaiah Kristian, Josiah Gabriel. A release from The Orchard. When She Runs, directed by Robert Machoian, Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck, written by Kirstin Anderson, Robert Machoian, Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck. Produced by Laura Heberton. (USA) – World Premiere, Feature Narrative. Kristin is a young mother struggling to get by in her small town. One all-consuming passion—the chance to train for Olympic gold with a world-renowned running coach—offers a possible escape. With Kirstin Anderson, Ivan Gehring, Jonah Graham. Also playing as part of the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival. White Tide: The Legend of Culebra, directed by Theo Love. Produced by Bryan Storkel, Theo Love. (USA) – World Premiere, Feature Documentary. After he’s wiped out by the Great Recession, Rodney hears a story that could be his ticket out of debt. A map, an island, and buried treasure: If you knew where $2 million worth of cocaine was buried, would you dig that shit up?

    MIDNIGHT

    7 Stages to Achieve Eternal Bliss By Passing Through the Gateway Chosen By the Holy Storsh, directed by Vivieno Caldinelli, written by Christopher Hewitson, Clayton Hewitson, Justin Jones. Produced by Patrick McErlean, Michael Moran, Daniel Noah, Josh C. Waller, Lisa Whalen, Elijah Wood. (USA) – World Premiere. Midwestern couple Claire and Paul are thrilled to find a great deal on an affordable Los Angeles apartment. But the rent is cheap for a reason: cult members keep breaking in at random to commit ritual suicide in their bathtub. With Kate Micucci, Sam Huntington, Dan Harmon, Taika Waititi, Mark McKinney. Braid, directed and written by Mitzi Peirone. Produced by Logan Steinhardt, Arielle Elwes. (USA) – World Premiere. Two drug dealers on the lam seek refuge inside their mentally unstable friend’s mansion. But in order to stay, they have to participate in her elaborate, and increasingly dangerous, game of permanent make-believe. With Madeline Brewer, Imogen Waterhouse, Sarah Hay, Scott Cohen. Cargo, directed by Ben Howling, Yolanda Ramke, written by Yolanda Ramke. Produced by Russell Akerman, Samantha Jennings, John Schoenfelder, Kristine Ceyton. (Australia) – World Premiere. An infected father navigates a zombie-riddled Australian Outback with his infant daughter. Fortunately, he’s found an Aboriginal community that may hold the disease’s cure. Unfortunately, he has only 48 hours to live. With Martin Freeman. A Netflix release. The Dark, directed and written by Justin P. Lange. Produced by Danny Krausz, Kurt Stocker, Laura Permutter, Andrew Nicholas McCann Smith. (Austria) – World Premiere. Undead and hating it, young flesh-eater Mina haunts the woods surrounding her childhood home. When she befriends a physically abused boy, she must figure out why, for once, she isn’t feeling homicidal. With Nadia Alexander, Toby Nichols, Karl Markovics. You Shall Not Sleep (No dormirás), directed by Gustavo Hernandez, written by Juma Fodde. Produced by Pablo Bossi, Pol Bossi, Agustin Bossi, Guido Rud, Juan Ignacio Cucucovich, Maria Luisa Gutierrez, Cristina Zumarraga, Juan Pablo Buscarini. (Argentina, Spain, Uruguay) – International Premiere. A young actress joins an experimental play set inside an abandoned asylum. The objective is clear: The actors must stay awake for as long as possible. The hospital’s former residents, however, have different plans. With Belen Rueda, Eva de Dominici, Natalia de Molina, German Palacios Eugenia, Tobal Juan Guilera.

    SPECIAL SCREENINGS

    The American Meme, directed and written by Bert Marcus. Produced by Bert Marcus, Cassandra Hamar. (USA) – World Premiere, Feature Documentary. Paris Hilton, the Fat Jew, Kirill Bichutsky, and Brittany Furlan have all used social media to achieve massive internet fame. But, is it worth it? With DJ Khaled, Emily Ratajkowski, Hailey Baldwin. After the movie: A conversation with director Bert Marcus, subjects Paris Hilton, Kirill Bichutsky, and Brittany Furlan. Bathtubs Over Broadway, directed by Dava Whisenant, written by Ozzy Inguanzo, Dava Whisenant. Produced by Amanda Spain, Dava Whisenant, Susan Littenberg. (USA) – World Premiere, Feature Documentary. Comedy writer Steve Young’s assignment to scour bargain-bin vinyl for a Late Night segment becomes an unexpected, decades-spanning obsession when he stumbles upon the strange and hilarious world of industrial musicals in this musical-comedy-documentary. With David Letterman, Chita Rivera, Martin Short, Susan Stroman, Sheldon Harnick, Jello Biafra. After the movie: A conversation with members of the cast and a special performance inspired by the film with surprise guests. Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes, directed and written by Sophie Huber. Produced by Sophie Huber, Chiemi Karasawa, Susanne Guggenberger, Hercli Bundi. (Switzerland, USA) – World Premiere, Feature Documentary. This is the history of Blue Note Records, the label that, since 1939, has recorded jazz giants ranging from Miles Davis to Robert Glasper—revolutionizing not only music, but also the world. With Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Robert Glasper, Don Was, Norah Jones. After the movie: A special guest performance by Blue Note artists Robert Glasper, Derrick Hodge, and Kendrick Scott. Every Act of Life, directed and written by Jeff Kaufman. Produced by Jeff Kaufman, Marcia Ross. (USA) – World Premiere, Feature Documentary. Every Act of Life presents a revealing portrait of four-time Tony-winning playwright Terrence McNally’s ground-breaking, six-decade career in the theater, fight for LGBTQ rights, and triumph over addiction. With Terrence McNally, Audra McDonald, Nathan Lane, Larry Kramer, Angela Lansbury, Christine Baranski. After the movie: A conversation with director Jeff Kaufman, playwright Terrence McNally, actor/director Joe Mantello, and actors F. Murray Abraham, Christine Baranski, and Chita Rivera. Moderated by New York Magazine writer-at-large Frank Rich. The Gospel According to André, directed by Kate Novack. Produced by Kate Novack, Andrew Rossi. (USA) – New York Premiere, Feature Documentary. From the segregated South to the fashion capitals of the world, The Gospel According to André recounts fashion editor André Leon Talley’s storied life and career through intimate conversations, rich archival, and testimonials from fashion luminaries including Anna Wintour, Tom Ford, and Marc Jacobs. With André Leon Talley. A Magnolia release. After the movie: A conversation with director Kate Novack and subject André Leon Talley, producer Andrew Rossi, executive producer Roger Ross Williams and producer Josh Braun. It’s a Hard Truth Ain’t It, directed by Madeleine Sackler. Produced by Stacey Reiss, Madeleine Sackler. (USA) – World Premiere, Feature Documentary. Given unprecedented access to a maximum security prison, filmmaker Madeleine Sackler worked with a group of inmates to tell their own stories, giving rise to this collaborative, intimate documentary project. It’s a Hard Truth Ain’t It is a companion piece to the Tribeca-premiering O.G. It is co-directed by thirteen men incarcerated at the Pendleton Correctional Facility in Pendleton, Indiana Netizens, directed, written, and produced by Cynthia Lowen. (USA) – World Premiere, Feature Documentary. In the midst of the #MeToo movement, three very different women whose lives were torn apart by online harassment devote themselves to fighting back against the internet’s Wild West of unpoliced misogyny, cyberstalking, and nonconsensual pornography. With Carrie Goldberg, Anita Sarkeesian, Tina Reine, Soraya Chemaly, Jamia Wilson, Mary Anne Franks. After the movie: A conversation with director Cynthia Lowen, subjects Tina Reine, Carrie Goldberg, and Anita Sarkeesian. Nigerian Prince, directed by Faraday Okoro, written by Faraday Okoro & Andrew Long. Produced by Oscar Hernandez, Bose Oshin, Faraday Okoro. (USA, Nigeria) – World Premiere, Feature Narrative. A troubled American teenager, sent away to his mother’s native Nigeria, finds himself entangled in a dangerous web of scams and corruption with a con-artist cousin as his guide. With Antonio J. Bell, Chinaza Uche, Tina Mba, Bimbo Manuel, Toyin Oshinaike, Craig Stott. To Dust, directed by Shawn Snyder, written by Shawn Snyder, Jason Duran. Produced by Emily Mortimer, Alessandro Nivola, Ron Perlman, Josh Crook, Scott Lochmus. (USA) – World Premiere, Feature Narrative. Traumatized by the death of his wife, a Hasidic cantor obsesses over how her body will decay. He seeks answers from a local biology professor in this, unlikeliest of buddy comedies. With Geza Rohrig, Matthew Broderick. After the movie: Tribeca Film Institute will host a conversation with writer/director Shawn Snyder, producers Emily Mortimer, Alessandro Nivola and Ron Perelman, cast members Geza Rohrig and Matthew Broderick, and biologist Dawnie Steadman. Hosted by Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Unbanned: The Legend of AJ1, directed and written by Dexton Deboree. Produced by Dexton Deboree, Stefanie Fink. (USA) – World Premiere, Feature Documentary. Through interviews with Michael Jordan, Spike Lee, and more, this vibrant documentary tells the origin story of the Air Jordan, and the impact it had on sports, hip-hop, and the birth of sneaker culture. With Spike Lee, Anthony Anderson, Chuck D, DJ Khaled, Michael Jordan, Michael B Jordan, Jason Sudeikis, Lena Waithe, Russell Westbrook. After the movie: A musical tribute to the film and the Air Jordan from Kid Ink, Gizzle, and more. Woman Walks Ahead, directed by Susanna White, written by Steven Knight. Produced by Edward Zwick, Marshall Herskovitz, Erika Olde, Richard Solomon, Andrea Calderwood. (USA) – U.S. Premiere, Feature Narrative. Based on a true story, 19th-century Brooklyn artist Catherine Weldon journeys west on a mission to paint a portrait of the legendary chief Sitting Bull, only to find a very different world—and man—than she was expecting. With Jessica Chastain, Michael Greyeyes, Chaske Spencer, Sam Rockwell, Ciarán Hinds, Bill Camp. A DirecTV/A24 release. After the movie: A conversation with director Susanna White, actor Sam Rockwell, and more.

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