Review: ‘EGG’ one of our Top 5 from Tribeca 2018 (hatches) in theaters today.

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.

Mariana Palka’s follow-up to last year’s Bitch, is just as powerful in delving into “the phases of a woman’s life”, to use a phrase directly from EGG. With an incredibly theatrical feel, as if it could play in an Off-Broadway theater with a unit set, EGG confronts art, politics, and the patriarchal structure that surround the idea of having a baby. The entire ensemble cast is phenomenal, each playing their role in a game of vapid versus broken. The writing is good, honest, and brave. There are no filters on these characters making them completely loathsome and fantastic all at once.

Egg
Feature Narrative
Country: USA
Director: Marianna Palka
Writer: Risa Mickenberg
Starring: Gbenga Akinnagbe, David Alan Basche, Alysia Reiner, Anna Camp, Christina Hendricks

Liz & Melissa’s Top 5 picks from the Tribeca Film Festival

The Party’s Just Beginning
Feature Narrative
Country: Scotland
Director: Karen Gillan
Writer: Karen Gillan
Starring: Rachel Jackson, Jamie Quinn, Siobhan Redmond, Paul Higgins, Matthew Beard, Lee Pace, Karen Gillan
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.

I absolutely loved this film. It’s whip-smart, poignant, and funny as hell. An incredible departure for Karen Gillan on all fronts. I was blown away by the maturity of her writing. Not only does she tackle some seriously dark issues, but she does so with humor and some brilliant editing choices. The film explores personal responsibility, human connection, and escapism through music, flashbacks, and sharp wit. The Party’s Just Beginning is a triumph. – Liz Whittemore


Egg
Feature Narrative
Country: USA
Director: Marianna Palka
Writer: Risa Mickenberg
Starring: Gbenga Akinnagbe, David Alan Basche, Alysia Reiner, Anna Camp, Christina Hendricks
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.

Mariana Palka’s follow-up to last year’s Bitch, is just as powerful in delving into “the phases of a woman’s life”, to use a phrase directly from EGG. With an incredibly theatrical feel, as if it could play in an Off-Broadway theater with a unit set, EGG confronts art, politics, and the patriarchal structure that surround the idea of having a baby. The entire ensemble cast is phenomenal, each playing their role in a game of vapid versus broken. The writing is good, honest, and brave. There are no filters on these characters making them completely loathsome and fantastic all at once. – Liz Whittemore

 


Mary Shelley
Feature Narrative
Country: Ireland, UK, Luxembourg, USA
Director: Haifaa Al Mansour
Writer: Emma Jensen
Starring: Maisie Williams, Tom Sturridge, Joanne Froggatt, Bel Powley, Douglas Booth, Elle Fanning
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.
In theaters: 05-25-2018, Distributed by: IFC

There was something refreshing about this young girl and her story. Told with no pity, and knowing she wrote the infamous Frankenstein, you’ll be amazed at how daring her choices were. I was on the edge of my seat, glued to the screen to see how it unfolded. – Melissa Hanson

 


Untogether
Feature Narrative
Country: USA
Director: Emma Forrest
Writer: Emma Forrest
Starring: Scott Caan, Jennifer Grey, Alice Eve, Billy Crystal, Ben Mendelsohn, Lola Kirke, Jemima Kirke, Jamie Dornan
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.

This much talent can ruin a movie if the script isn’t good enough. Fortunately, this one is complex, full of emotion and depth. From the opening scene, you’ll know you’re not in for typical tropes. – Melissa Hanson

 


Lemonade (Luna de Miere)
Feature Narrative
Country: Romania, Canada, Germany, Sweden
Director: Ioana Uricaru
Writer: Tatiana Ionașcu, Ioana Uricaru
Starring: Ruxandra Maniu, Milan Hurduc, Dylan Scott Smith, Steve Bacic, Mălina Manovici
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.

One of the very first films I saw at the fest and I still think about it. It’s not heartwarming but it is inspirational how this woman faces odds at every turn, yet she persists. – Melissa Hanson

Tribeca Film Festival: ‘Blowin’ Up’ the justice system

Blowin’ Up
Feature Documentary
Country: USA
Director: Stephanie Wang-Breal
Writer: Stephanie Wang-Breal
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.

No distribution as of posting.

I’m not sure which is more absurd: the hoops women have to go through after being charged or the fact that the hoops came to being in the first place. Either way, the women who help are the real heroes. Helping people is more personal as we see footage inside a Queens courtroom.

Tribeca Film Festival: ‘Untogether’ is a intertwining modern romance

Untogether
Feature Narrative
Country: USA
Director: Emma Forrest
Writer: Emma Forrest
Starring: Scott Caan, Jennifer Grey, Alice Eve, Billy Crystal, Ben Mendelsohn, Lola Kirke, Jemima Kirke, Jamie Dornan
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.

Shockingly, no distribution as of posting.

Full of flawed characters in complicated situations, you’ll be infuriated by their actions, but want to see what they do next. The sisters of Jemima and Lola Kirke play sisters and capitalize on that familiarity making for great scenes. The best part, however, was Ben Mendelson in a fantastic role of a good boyfriend. Finally, not a bad guy.

TFF Review: ‘Virgins (Vierges)’ of the sea

Virgins (Vierges)
Feature Narrative
Country: France, Israel, Belgium
Director: Keren Ben Rafael
Writer: Elise Benroubi, Keren Ben Rafael
Starring: Rami Heuberger, Manuel Elkaslassy Vardi, Michael Aloni, Evgenia Dodina, Joy Rieger
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.

The beach is incredibly calming and you can almost feel sun on your face with the wind blowing. However, the story is about a 16 years old girl who wants to lose her virginity and pursues and older man. When he finds out she’s 16, he pulls away, but goes back to her. I’m really over these stories. And the mermaid “plot” comes out of nowhere and really doesn’t lend anything interesting. Perhaps it’s lost in translation.

TFF Review: ‘Dead Women Walking’

Dead Women Walking
Feature Narrative
Country: USA
Director: Hagar Ben-Asher
Writer: Hagar Ben-Asher
Starring: Ashton Sanders, June Carryl, Colleen Camp, Lynn Collins, Dot Marie Jones, Dale Dickey

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.

Dead Women Walking is an all our emotional gut-punch. It forces you to confront the reality of humanity rather than the crime. From 14 days to mere minutes prior execution time, the vignettes capture moments of healing, despair, acceptance, and the regrets of these very different women. There is no doubt that this film is one hell of an ensemble piece. Each breathtaking and nuanced performance will touch your soul in an extraordinary way. Adding to the brilliant writing is the specific choice of song for each character. Dead Women Walking‘s structure walks the perfect line between pragmatic and poetic. You will be moved, no matter what your political views are,  no matter if you are the victim of a crime, or you think you have no interest in the subject matter. Dead Women Walking will take your preconceived notions of female death row inmates and destroy them.

Tribeca Film Festival announces jury award winners aka what you need to see asap!

The Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, announced the jury award winners for the 17th edition. The 2018 Tribeca Film Festival runs through April 29th.

This year first-time directors took home the top feature honors!

  • Kent Jones, first-time narrative director and writer, wins Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature and Best Screenplay in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film for Diane
  • Marios Piperides, first-time feature narrative director, wins Best International Narrative Feature for Smuggling Hendrix
  • Gabrielle Brady, first-time feature-length documentary director, wins Best Documentary Feature for Island of the Hungry Ghosts
  • Nia DaCosta, first-time feature director, wins The Nora Ephron Award for Little Woods
  • Dava Whisenant, first-time director, wins Albert Maysles New Documentary Director Award for Bathtubs Over Broadway
  • Shawn Snyder, first-time feature director, wins Best New Narrative Director for To Dust

17TH ANNUAL TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES JURIED AWARDS

  • Diane, Smuggling Hendrix and Island of the Hungry Ghosts Take Home Top Awards in
  • U.S. Narrative, International Narrative, and Documentary Competitions
  • Little Woods Writer/Director Nia DaCosta Wins 6th Annual Nora Ephron Award;
  • Hero Wins Storyscapes Award
  • To Dust and Bathtubs Over Broadway filmmakers awarded as best new filmmakers 
  • Jeffrey Wright and Alia Shawkat Win Best Actor and Actress for U.S. Narrative Competition;
  • Rasmus Bruun and Joy Rieger Win Best Actor and Actress for International Narrative Competition

The 17th annual Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, announced the winners of its competition categories at the awards ceremony this evening, sponsored by Chloe Wine Collection, at BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center. 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. Specific times and ticketing information are available at www.tribecafilm.com/festival.

The winners of the Audience Awards, powered by AT&T, which are determined by audience votes throughout the Festival via the Festival app, will be announced on April 28.

In addition to cash awards and in-kind services provided by sponsors including AT&T, CHANEL, Chloe Wine Collection, CNN Films, and Nutella, a number of the winners were presented with original pieces of art created by contemporary artists: Ghada Amer & Reza Farkhondeh, Meghan Boody, Nancy Dwyer, Eddie Kang, David Levinthal, John F. Simon Jr., Joan Snyder, and Julia Wachtel, as well as longtime Tribeca supporter Stephen Hannock.

The winners, awards, and comments from the jury who selected the recipients are as follows:

U.S. NARRATIVE COMPETITION CATEGORIES:

The jurors for the 2018 U.S. Narrative Competition were Justin Bartha, Alexander Dinelaris, Bilge Ebiri, Amy Hobby, Chris Messina, and Lakeith Stanfield.

Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature – Diane 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. The award was given by on behalf of the jury by Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal joined by Fiona Carter, AT&T, Chief Brand Officer.

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 isDiane.”

Best Actress in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film  Alia Shawkat in Duck Butter. The award was sponsored by Chloe Wine Collection. The award was given by Justin Bartha on behalf of the jury along with Eben Gillette, Vice President of Marketing for Chloe Wine Collection, where they have a website specially for marketing purposes and with and created by a specialized web design company online.

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 Film – Jeffrey Wright in O.G. The award was given by Justin Bartha on behalf of the jury.

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 The award was given by Bilge Ebiri on behalf of the jury.

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 Film – Diane written by Kent Jones. Winner receives $2,500, sponsored by Chloe Wine Collection. The award was given by Alexander Dinelaris on behalf of the jury along with Eben Gillette, Vice President of Marketing for 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:

The jurors for the 2018 International Narrative Competition were Florence Almozini, Martha Coolidge, Andre Holland, Haifaa Al Mansour, and Ray Liotta.

Best International Narrative Feature – Smuggling 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. The award was given by Ray Liotta on behalf of the jury.

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). The award was given by Ray Liotta on behalf of the jury.

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 Film – Rasmus Bruun in The Saint Bernard Syndicate (Denmark). The award was given by Ray Liotta on behalf of the jury.

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). The award was given by Haifaa Al Mansour on behalf of the jury.

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 Film – The Saint Bernard Syndicate written by Lærke Sanderhoff (Denmark). Winner receives $2,500. The award was given by Haifaa Al Mansour  on behalf of the jury.

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 Sanderhofffor The Saint Bernard Syndicate.”

DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION CATEGORIES:

The jurors for the 2018 Documentary Competition were Dan Cogan, Kirsten Johnson, and Brett Morgen.

Best Documentary Feature – Island of the Hungry Ghostsdirected by Gabrielle Brady (Germany, UK, Australia). Winner receives $20,000, and the art award “Tehran, Iran (June 6, 1989)” by Julia Wachtel. The award was given by Dan Cogan and Kirsten Johnson on behalf of the jury.

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. The award was given by Kirsten Johnson on behalf of the jury.

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. The award was given by Dan Cogan on behalf of the jury.

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:

The jurors for the 2018 Best New Narrative Director Competition were Josh Charles, Joshua Leonard, and Zosia Mamet.

Best New Narrative Director – Shawn Snyder, director of To Dust (USA). Winner receives $10,000, and the art award “Flash (To the tender flesh it went)” by Meghan Boody. The award was given by Josh Charles and Joshua Leonard on behalf of the jury.

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:

The jurors for the 2018 Albert Maysles New Documentary Director Award were Nelson George, Linda Goldstein Knowlton, Elvira Lind, Basil Tsiokos, and Derek Waters.

Albert Maysles New Documentary Director Award – Dava 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. The award was presented by Nelson George, Linda Goldstein Knowlton, Basil Tsiokos, and Derek Waters on behalf of the jury along with Jon Adler, Senior Director Development, CNN.

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:

The jurors for the 2018 Narrative Short Competition section were Steve Aoki, Amy Kaufman, Sheila Nevins, Alex Pettyfer, Norman Reedus, Alysia Reiner, and Ondi Timoner.

Best Narrative Short – Phone 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. The award was given by Alysia Reiner and Ondi Timoner on behalf of the jury.

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 toPhone Duty.”

Shorts Animation Award – Late Afternoon directed by Louise Bagnall (Ireland). Winner receives $5,000 sponsored by Nutella. The award was given by Alysia Reiner and Ondi Timoner on behalf of the jury.

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.”

The jurors for the 2018 Short Documentary and Student Visionary Competitions were Sapphire, Joe Daniels,  Amy L. Kaufman, Susan Lacy, and James Steyer.

Best Documentary Short – Notes 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. The award was given by Joe Daniels  on behalf of the jury.

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 Award – The Life of Esteban directed by Inès Eshun (Belgium). Winner receives $5,000 sponsored by Nutella. The award was given by Sapphire and Susan Lacy on behalf of the jury.

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

The 2018 Storyscapes Award, presented by AT&T, which recognizes groundbreaking approaches in storytelling and technology, jurors were Myriam Achard, Marcie Jastrow, and Nicholas Thompson.

Storyscapes Award – Hero 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. The award was given by Mark Wright, VP Media Services and Sponsorships on behalf of the jury.

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 2018 Nora Ephron Award, presented by CHANEL, jurors were Joanna Gleason, Rebecca Keegan, and Sasheer Zamata.

The Nora Ephron AwardNia 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. The award was given by Rebecca Keegan on behalf of the jury.

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

The 2018 Tribeca X Award, jurors were Bonin Bough, Zachary Heinzerling, and Brian Braiker.

Tribeca X AwardFor Every Kind of Dream series for Square. Directed by Mohammad Gorjestani for Even/Odd. The award was given by Brian Braiker on behalf of the jury.

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.”

For more information on all of the films in the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival, please visit tribecafilm.com/festival

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About the Tribeca Film Festival

The Tribeca Film Festival is the leading cultural event that brings visionaries and diverse audiences together to celebrate storytelling in all its forms, including film, TV, VR, gaming, music, and online work. With strong roots in independent film, Tribeca is a platform for creative expression and immersive entertainment. The Festival champions emerging and established voices; discovers award-winning filmmakers and creators; curates innovative experiences; and introduces new technology and ideas through premieres, exhibitions, talks, and live performances.

The Festival was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff in 2001 to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of lower Manhattan following the attacks on the World Trade Center. Now in its 17th year, the Festival has evolved into a destination for creativity that reimagines the cinematic experience and explores how art can unite communities.www.tribecafilm.com/festival

About the 2018 Partners

As Presenting Sponsor of the Tribeca Film Festival, AT&T is committed to supporting the Festival and the art of filmmaking through access and innovation, while expanding opportunities to diverse creators around the globe. AT&T helps millions connect to their passions – no matter where they are. This year, AT&T and Tribeca will once again collaborate to give the world access to stories from underrepresented filmmakers that deserve to be seen. AT&T Presents Untold Stories. An Inclusive Film Program in Collaboration with Tribeca, is a multi-year, multi-tier alliance between AT&T and Tribeca along with the year-round nonprofit Tribeca Film Institute.

The Tribeca Film Festival is pleased to announce its 2018 Signature Partners: Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Bai Beverages, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC Tribeca PAC), BVLGARI, CHANEL, Chloe Wine Collection, Diageo, ESPN, HEINEKEN, HSBC, IBM, IWC Schaffhausen, Kia, Montefiore, National CineMedia (NCM), Nespresso, New York Magazine, Nutella, NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, PwC, Spring Studios New York, and TUMI.

Tribeca Film Festival 2018 Review: ‘Slut in a Good Way’

Slut in a Good Way
Feature Narrative
Country: Canada
Director: Tribeca Film Festival 2018 Review: ‘Slut in a Good Way’
Writer: Catherine Léger
Starring: Vassili Schneider, Anthony Therrien, Alex Godbout, Romane Denis, Rose Adam, Marguerite Bouchard
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.

Slut in a Good way has a throwback John Hughes feel to it from the humor to the themes, tot the use of specific music choices. It examines the tumultuous nature of female relationships and how they can turn on a dime. The film features three archetypes, The Virgin, The Rebel Activist, and The Newly Sexually Independent Girl. Double standards and slut-shaming are rampant, but that’s what makes the script whip-smart and funny.

Tribeca Film Festival: ‘Cargo’ with Martin Freeman coming to Netflix May 26th

Cargo
Feature Narrative
Country: Australia
Director: Yolanda Ramke, Ben Howling
Writer: Yolanda Ramke
Starring: Martin Freeman
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.

Streaming: 05-18-2018, Distributed by: Netflix

My interest in zombie stories had reached its absolute low but I really enjoyed ‘Cargo.’ Not only is Martin Freeman excellent, but the story really keeps you engaged as you wonder what you would do in his situation.

TFF Review: ‘Lemonade (Luna de Miere)’

Lemonade (Luna de Miere)
Feature Narrative
Country: Romania, Canada, Germany, Sweden
Director: Ioana Uricaru
Writer: Tatiana Ionașcu, Ioana Uricaru
Starring: Ruxandra Maniu, Milan Hurduc, Dylan Scott Smith, Steve Bacic, Mălina Manovici
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.

Click for Tickets

After the movie ended, I heard a few murmurs. “Why is it called Lemonade?” was the one that made me shake my head the most. It’s the perfect title. Constantly making the best of a terrible situation, is the central theme.

This is not the sugar-coated version of the American dream. There are all kinds of barriers that come up that no one could even plan for. Yet, she persists. She believes in a better life for her and her child. It’s heart-breaking, it’s painfully real, and yet incredibly hopeful.

TFF Review: ‘Woman Walks Ahead’

Woman Walks Ahead
Feature Narrative
Country: USA
Director: Susanna White
Writer: Steven Knight
Starring: Bill Camp, Ciarán Hinds, Sam Rockwell, Chaske Spencer, Michael Greyeyes, Jessica Chastain
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.
Click for tickets
Toronto Film Festival 2017
In theaters: June 29th, 2018, Distributed by: DirecTV/A24

Although I thoroughly enjoyed Susanna White’s beautiful and building drama, it’s always good to point out that this is historical fiction. It’s based on a true story, so it didn’t entirely happen the way it’s shown on screen.

Some really bright spots are Sam Rockwell as a supposedly well-meaning officer andCiarán Hinds (Mance Raycer in Game of Thrones) as the sheriff. Jessica Chastain is as graceful and determined as you’d come to expect her to be. It’s got just enough originality to draw you into another world.

Tribeca triple threat – 11 films where the star is also the writer & director

All About Nina
Feature Narrative
Country: USA
Director: Eva Vives
Writer: Eva Vives
Starring: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Common (also starring in Blue Night), Chace Crawford, Clea DuVall, Kate del Castillo, Beau Bridges, Eva Vives
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
Click for tickets


Little Woods
Feature Narrative
Country: USA
Director: Nia DaCosta
Writer: Nia DaCosta
Starring: Tessa Thompson, Lily James, Luke Kirby, James Badge Dale, Lance Reddick, Nia DaCosta
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.
Click for tickets


The Party’s Just Beginning
Feature Narrative
Country: Scotland
Director: Karen Gillan
Writer: Karen Gillan
Starring: Rachel Jackson, Jamie Quinn, Siobhan Redmond, Paul Higgins, Matthew Beard, Lee Pace, Karen Gillan
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.
Click for tickets


M
Feature Narrative
Country: France
Director: Sara Forestier
Writer: Sara Forestier
Starring: Liv Andren, Jean-Pierre Léaud, Redouanne Harjane, Sara Forestier
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.
Click for tickets


Diane
Feature Narrative
Country: USA
Director: Kent Jones
Writer: Kent Jones
Starring: Mary Kay Place, Jake Lacy, Estelle Parsons, Andrea Martin, Deirdre O’Connell, Glynis O’Connor, Phyllis Somerville, Joyce Van Patten, Kent Jones
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.
Click for tickets


Duck Butter
Feature Narrative
Country: USA
Director: Miguel Arteta
Writer: Alia Shawkat, Miguel Arteta
Starring: Alia Shawkat, Laia Costa, Hong Chau, Kate Berlant, Kumail Nanjiani, Mark Duplass, Jay Duplass, Lindsay Burdge, Miguel Arteta
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.
Click for tickets

Distributed by: The Orchard


Ghostbox Cowboy
Feature Narrative
Country: USA, China
Director: John Maringouin
Writer: John Maringouin
Starring: David Zellner, Robert Longstreet, Johnny Robichaux, Vincent Xie, Carrie Gege Zhang, John Maringouin
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.
Click for tickets


Maine
Feature Narrative
Country: USA
Director: Matthew Brown
Writer: Matthew Brown
Starring: Laia Costa, Thomas Mann, Matthew Brown
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.
Click for tickets


Song of Back and Neck
Feature Narrative
Country: USA
Director: Paul Lieberstein
Writer: Paul Lieberstein
Starring: Paul Feig, Robert Pine, Brian d’Arcy James, Clark Duke, Rosemarie DeWitt, Paul Lieberstein
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).
Click for tickets


Surviving Theater 9
Short Narrative
Country: USA
Director: Tim McGrath
Writer: Tim McGrath
Starring: Stacey Oristano, Tim McGrath, Luke Columbero, Brittany Ishibashi, Chelsey Crisp, Corben Bernsen
After the mass shooting at a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colorado, filmmaker Tim McGrath and his fellow survivors offer an inside look in this intriguing and inspiring movie.
Click for tickets
The 716th
Short Narrative
Country: USA
Director: Andrew Bowen
Writer: Andrew Bowen
Starring: Taj Speights, Lauren McFall, John Asher, Andrew Bowen
Left to die at the hands of her enemies. When a small shuttle piloted by an unlikely hero arrives to save them, a poorly planned, at times comical rescue sends these outcasts on an unexpected adventure.
Click for tickets

20 films at the Tribeca Film Festival that already have distribution

No Greater Law
Feature Documentary
Country: UK, USA
Director: Tom Dumican
Writer: Jesse Lichtenstein, Tom Dumican
Distributed by: A&E
Festival tickets: Click for tickets

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.


Studio 54
Feature Documentary
Country: USA
Director: Matt Tyrnauer
Writer:
Starring: Myra Scheer, Karin Bacon, Norma Kamali, Nile Rodgers, Ian Schrager, Steve Rubell
Distributed by: A&E
Festival tickets: Click for tickets

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.


Disobedience
Feature Narrative
Country: UK
Director: Sebastian Lelio
Writer: Rebecca Lenkiewicz, Sebastián Lelio
Starring: Alessandro Nivola, Rachel McAdams, Rachel Weisz
Distributed by: Bleecker Street – Releasing 4/27/18
Festival tickets: Click for tickets

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.


McQueen
Feature Documentary
Country:
Director: Peter Ettedgui, Ian Bonhôte
Writer: Peter Ettedgui
Distributed by: Bleecker Street
Festival tickets: Click for tickets

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.


Woman Walks Ahead
Feature Narrative
Country: USA
Director: Susanna White
Writer: Steven Knight
Starring: Bill Camp, Ciarán Hinds, Sam Rockwell, Chaske Spencer, Michael Greyeyes, Jessica Chastain
Distributed by: DirecTV/A24
Festival tickets: Click for tickets

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.


Crossroads
Feature Documentary
Country: USA
Director: Ron Yassen
Writer:
Distributed by: ESPN Films
Festival tickets: Click for tickets

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.


Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland
Feature Documentary
Country: USA
Director: David Heilbroner, Kate Davis
Writer:
Distributed by: HBO
Festival tickets: Click for tickets

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.


Tiny Shoulders: Rethinking Barbie
Feature Documentary
Country: USA
Director: Andrea Nevins
Writer: Andrea Nevins
Starring: Peggy Orenstein, Roxane Gay, Gloria Steinem, Michelle Chidoni, Kim Culmone
Distributed by: hulu
Festival tickets: Click for tickets

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.


Mary Shelley
Feature Narrative
Country: Ireland, UK, Luxembourg, USA
Director: Haifaa Al Mansour
Writer: Emma Jensen
Starring: Maisie Williams, Tom Sturridge, Joanne Froggatt, Bel Powley, Douglas Booth, Elle Fanning
Distributed by: IFC
Festival tickets: Click for tickets

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.


Nico, 1988
Feature Narrative
Country: Italy, Belgium
Director: Susanna Nicchiarelli
Writer: Susanna Nicchiarelli
Starring: Calvin Demba, Karina Fernandez, Thomas Trabacchi, Sandor Funtek, Anamaria Marinca, John Gordon Sinclair, Trine Dyrholm
Distributed by: Magnolia
Festival tickets: Click for tickets

This whirlwind road movie follows the final months on tour of the singer-songwriter Nico, one-time Warhol superstar and Velvet Underground vocalist.


The Gospel According to André
Feature Documentary
Country: USA
Director: Kate Novack
Writer:
Starring: André Leon Talley
Distributed by: Magnolia – Releasing 5/25/18
Festival tickets: Click for tickets

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.


Into the Okavango
Feature Documentary
Country: USA
Director: Neil Gelinas
Writer: Brian Newell, Neil Gelinas
Distributed by: National Geographic
Festival tickets: Click for tickets

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.


The Rachel Divide
Feature Documentary
Country: USA
Director: Laura Brownson
Writer: Jeff Gilbert, Laura Brownson
Distributed by: Netflix – Releasing 4/27/18
Festival tickets: Click for tickets

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.


Sunday’s Illness (La Enfermedad del Domingo)
Feature Narrative
Country: Spain
Director: Ramón Salazar Hoogers
Writer: Ramón Salazar Hoogers
Starring: Susi Sanchez, Barbara Lennie
Distributed by: Netflix – Releasing 6/15/18
Festival tickets: Click for tickets

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.


The Bleeding Edge
Feature Documentary
Country: USA
Director: Kirby Dick, Amy Ziering
Writer:
Distributed by: Netflix
Festival tickets: Click for tickets

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?


Cargo
Feature Narrative
Country: Australia
Director: Yolanda Ramke, Ben Howling
Writer: Yolanda Ramke
Starring: Martin Freeman
Distributed by: Netflix – Releasing 5/18/18
Festival tickets: Click for tickets

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.


The Fourth Estate
Feature Documentary
Country: USA
Director: Liz Garbus
Writer:
Distributed by: Showtime
Festival tickets: Click for tickets

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


The Seagull
Feature Narrative
Country: USA
Director: Michael Mayer
Writer: Stephen Karam
Starring: Brian Dennehy, Billy Howle, Michael Zegen, Glenn Fleshler, Jon Tenney, Mare Winningham, Elisabeth Moss, Corey Stoll, Saoirse Ronan, Annette Bening
Distributed by: Sony Pictures Classics
Festival tickets: Click for tickets

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.


Duck Butter
Feature Narrative
Country: USA
Director: Miguel Arteta
Writer: Alia Shawkat, Miguel Arteta
Starring: Alia Shawkat, Laia Costa, Hong Chau, Kate Berlant, Kumail Nanjiani, Mark Duplass, Jay Duplass, Lindsay Burdge, Miguel Arteta
Distributed by: The Orchard – Releasing 4/27/18
Festival tickets: Click for tickets

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.


We the Animals
Feature Narrative
Country: USA
Director: Jeremiah Zagar
Writer: Dan Kitrosser
Starring: Josiah Gabriel, Isaiah Kristian, Evan Rosado, Sheila Vand, Raul Castillo
Distributed by: The Orchard
Festival tickets: Click for tickets

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.

10 Feature Narratives by Female Directors on Liz’s watchlist at the Tribeca Film Festival

This year’s festival demographic for female directors has gone up to 46%. That is huge. Here are 10 feature-length narratives by female directors that I am looking forward to catching. Bonus: Most of these films also focus on a female protagonist.

All About Nina
Feature Narrative
Country: USA
Director: Eva Vives
Writer: Eva Vives
Starring: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Common, Chace Crawford, Clea DuVall, Kate del Castillo, Beau Bridges, Eva Vives
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

Click for tickets


Daughter of Mine (Figlia mia)
Feature Narrative
Country: Italy, Germany, Switzerland
Director: Laura Bispuri
Writer: Laura Bispuri, Francesca Manieri
Starring: Michele Carboni, Udo Kier, Sara Casu, Alba Rohrwacher, Valeria Golino
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.

Click for tickets


Dead Women Walking
Feature Narrative
Country: USA
Director: Hagar Ben-Asher
Writer: Hagar Ben-Asher
Starring: and Ashton Sanders, June Carryl, Colleen Camp, Lynn Collins, Dot Marie Jones, Dale Dickey
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.

Click for tickets


Egg
Feature Narrative
Country: USA
Director: Marianna Palka
Writer: Risa Mickenberg
Starring: Gbenga Akinnagbe, David Alan Basche, Alysia Reiner, Anna Camp, Christina Hendricks
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. Click for tickets


Lemonade (Luna de Miere)
Feature Narrative
Country: Romania, Canada, Germany, Sweden
Director: Ioana Uricaru
Writer: Tatiana Ionașcu, Ioana Uricaru
Starring: Ruxandra Maniu, Milan Hurduc, Dylan Scott Smith, Steve Bacic, Mălina Manovici
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.

Click for tickets


Little Woods
Feature Narrative
Country: USA
Director: Nia DaCosta
Writer: Nia DaCosta
Starring: Tessa Thompson, Lily James, Luke Kirby, James Badge Dale, Lance Reddick, Nia DaCosta
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.

Click for tickets


Mapplethorpe
Feature Narrative
Country: USA
Director: Ondi Timoner
Writer: Ondi Timoner
Starring: Mark Moses, McKinley Belcher III, Brandon Sklenar, John Benjamin Hickey, Marianne Rendón, Matt Smith
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.

Click for tickets


O.G.
Feature Narrative
Country: USA
Director: Madeleine Sackler
Writer: Stephen Belber
Starring: David Patrick Kell, Boyd Holbrook, Mare Winningham, Theothus Carter, William Fichtner, Jeffrey Wright
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.

Click for tickets


Slut in a Good Way
Feature Narrative
Country: Canada
Director: Sophie Lorain
Writer: Catherine Léger
Starring: Vassili Schneider, Anthony Therrien, Alex Godbout, Romane Denis, Rose Adam, Marguerite Bouchard
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.

Click for tickets


Untogether
Feature Narrative
Country: USA
Director: Emma Forrest
Writer: Emma Forrest
Starring: Scott Caan, Jennifer Grey, Alice Eve, Billy Crystal, Ben Mendelsohn, Lola Kirke, Jemima Kirke, Jamie Dornan
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.

Click for tickets

10 Star-Studded Narratives on Melissa’s watchlist at the Tribeca Film Festival

A good movie does not have to have a big name, but if you’re a fan of the actor, it could make an ok movie, a great one. All of the films below feature actors whose work I tend to like.

Blue Night
Feature Narrative
Country: USA
Director: Fabien Constant
Writer: Laura Eason
Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Simon Baker, Common, Taylor Kinney, Waleed Zuaiter, with Jacqueline Bisset and Renée Zellweger
A devastating diagnosis sends a famous singer reeling through the streets of New York City in this French New Wave-inspired drama.
Click for tickets


Cargo
Feature Narrative
Country: Australia
Director: Yolanda Ramke, Ben Howling
Writer: Yolanda Ramke
Starring: Martin Freeman
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.
Click for tickets


Duck Butter
Feature Narrative
Country: USA
Director: Miguel Arteta
Writer: Alia Shawkat, Miguel Arteta
Starring: Alia Shawkat, Laia Costa, Hong Chau, Kate Berlant, Kumail Nanjiani, Mark Duplass, Jay Duplass, Lindsay Burdge, Miguel Arteta
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.
Click for tickets


Mary Shelley
Feature Narrative
Country: Ireland, UK, Luxembourg, USA
Director: Haifaa Al Mansour
Writer: Emma Jensen
Starring: Maisie Williams, Tom Sturridge, Joanne Froggatt, Bel Powley, Douglas Booth, Elle Fanning
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.
Click for tickets


State Like Sleep
Feature Narrative
Country: USA
Director: Meredith Danluck
Writer: Meredith Danluck
Starring: Mary Kay Place, Michiel Huisman, Luke Evans, Michael Shannon, Katherine Waterston
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.
Click for tickets


Stockholm
Feature Narrative
Country: Canada, Sweden, USA
Director: Robert Budreau
Writer: Robert Budreau
Starring: Thorbjorn Harr, Bea Santos, Christopher Heyerdahl, Mark Strong, Noomi Rapace, Ethan Hawke
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.
Click for tickets


The Miseducation of Cameron Post
Feature Narrative
Country: USA
Director: Desiree Akhavan
Writer: Cecilia Frugiuele, Desiree Akhavan
Starring: Jennifer Ehle, John Gallagher Jr., Forrest Goodluck, Sasha lane, Chloë Grace Moretz
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.
Click for tickets


The Seagull
Feature Narrative
Country: USA
Director: Michael Mayer
Writer: Stephen Karam
Starring: Brian Dennehy, Billy Howle, Michael Zegen, Glenn Fleshler, Jon Tenney, Mare Winningham, Elisabeth Moss, Corey Stoll, Saoirse Ronan, Annette Bening
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.
Click for tickets


Woman Walks Ahead
Feature Narrative
Country: USA
Director: Susanna White
Writer: Steven Knight
Starring: Bill Camp, Ciarán Hinds, Sam Rockwell, Chaske Spencer, Michael Greyeyes, Jessica Chastain
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.
Click for tickets