The Tribeca Film Festival, which takes place April 21 to May 2, has announced both the competition and non-competition films for its ninth edition. Among the 85 feature-length and 47 short films on the schedule, the fest has programmed 12 documentaries in the World Documentary Competition, two works-in-progress, six docs in the Encounters section, seven in the Discovery section and one in the Spotlight section.
In addition, the recently announced Tribeca Film Tribeca Film initiative, a comprehensive distribution and marketing platform for independent film, will release seven titles, including two documentaries, for day-and-date VOD during the festival, then expanding to theatrical, home entertainment, airline, hotel, subscription and advertising-supported digital platforms. Tribeca Enterprises has formed partnerships with leading cable, satellite and telecom providers, including Comcast, Cablevision and Verizon FiOS to reach more than 40 million households. The titles will be available on a Tribeca-branded menu for a minimum of 60 days.
And for those of you who can't make that trek to Gotham, Tribeca Film Festival Virtual Tribeca Film Festival Virtual will run online April 23 to 30 and a limited number of premium pass-buyers will be able to watch a selection of full-length 2010 TFF features, which will screen day-and-date with each film's Festival premiere. Pass-holders will also be able to view exclusive original content and 2010 TFF short films, as well as interact in real time with filmmakers, industry leaders and fellow film enthusiasts.
So, without further ado, here come the docs!
World Documentary Feature Competition
American Mystic, directed by Alex Mar. (USA)--World Premiere. Set against a vivid backdrop of American rural landscapes, Alex Mar's meditative documentary artfully weaves together the stories of three young Americans exploring alternative religion: a Wiccan in California mining country, a New Ager in upstate New York, and a Native American father and sundancer in South Dakota, all yearning for fulfilling spirituality in disparate but often strikingly similar ways.
The Arbor, directed by Clio Barnard. (UK)--World Premiere. Brilliantly blending the borders of narrative and documentary filmmaking, artist-cum-director Clio Barnard beautifully reconstructs the fascinating true story of troubled British playwright Andrea Dunbar and her tumultuous relationship with her daughter. Working from two years of audio interviews, Bernard uses classic documentary techniques, actors, theatrical performance, and Dunbar's own neighborhood to generate a unique cinematic feast while unraveling the truths of a dark family past.
Budrus, directed by Julia Bacha. (USA, Palestine, Israel)--North American Premiere. In one of the most conflicted parts of the world, a Palestinian family man unites rival parties Fatah and Hamas, Western activists, and even groups of progressive Israelis in a nonviolent crusade to save his village from being destroyed. Award-winning documentarian Julia Bacha (Encounter Point, TFF '06) captures with rawness and galvanizing intensity the power of ordinary people to peaceably fight for extraordinary changes.
Earth Made of Glass, directed by Deborah Scranton. (USA) --World Premiere. This powerful investigative documentary by the Oscar-nominated director of The War Tapes (best doc, TFF '06) skillfully weaves interviews with President Kagame of Rwanda and Jean-Pierre Sagahutu, a survivor of the horrific 1994 genocide. When a president and a citizen--bound together by a profound love of country and an unquenchable desire to see the truth revealed--fight to expose the truth behind a murder and France's hidden role in the Rwandan genocide, their stories will inspire and uplift.
Feathered Cocaine, directed by Thorkell Hardarsson and Örn Marino Arnarson. (Iceland) --World Premiere. Behind drugs, people and weapons, falcon smuggling has become the world's most mysterious and profitable illegal trade. Held in highest esteem by the wealthy elite throughout the Persian Gulf, the sporting birds have earned the label "feathered cocaine" as thieves race to ransack them from all parts of the world. This bold investigative documentary unspools the surprising links between the falcon trade and royal dynasties, the CIA and KGB, the oil industry and Al Qaeda....
Freetime Machos, directed by Mika Ronkainen. (Finland, Germany)--North American and TFF Virtual Premiere. Matti and Mikko play for Finland's worst amateur rugby team. Overworked and domesticated, the two men long for a space to revel in their masculinity and bond with other men. Following the two friends and their teammates on a quest to end the season with just a single win, award-winning writer/director Mika Ronkainen (Screaming Men) crafts a genuine and disarmingly funny love story of modern male friendship. Part of the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival.
Into Eternity, directed by Michael Madsen. (Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Italy) --International Premiere. Three miles below the earth, the people of Finland are constructing an enormous tomb to lay to rest their share of humans' 300,000 tons of nuclear waste. To avoid disaster, it must remain untouched for at least 100,000 years. In this poetic, hauntingly beautiful, and thought-provoking doc, Danish filmmaker Michael Madsen ponders how to warn future civilizations that the buried treasure of our nuclear era--unlike the pyramids and great tombs of pharaohs--must never, ever be discovered.
Monica & David, directed by Alexandra Codina. (USA)--North American Premiere. Monica and David are in love. Truly, blissfully in love. They also happen to have Down syndrome. Alexandra Codina's affectionate and heartwarming documentary is an intimate, year-in-the-life portrait of two child-like spirits with adult desires. Supported (and, for more than 30 years, sheltered) by endlessly devoted mothers, Monica and David prepare for their fairy-tale wedding and face the realities of married life afterward.
Sons of Perdition, directed by Jennilyn Merten, Tyler Measom. (USA)--World Premiere. In the polygamist community cultivated by the notorious (and now incarcerated) "prophet" Warren Jeffs, women are a commodity, children are reared to be ignorant, and free thought is surrendered. For a group of teenage boys, the desire for autonomy means banishment from their homes and families. This fascinating documentary explores the heartbreaking losses and hopeful determination of these exiles as they struggle to make new lives in mainstream America.
Thieves by Law (Ganavim ba Hok), directed by Alexander Gentelev. (Israel, Germany, Spain)--World Premiere. In an unprecedented insider first look, Thieves by Law is a front-row invitation into the living rooms and offices of some of the most controversial and elite head honchos in the Russian mafia. Rising through the criminal ranks, the balance of what's legitimate versus what's illegal, and the meaning behind those tattoos made so famous by Viggo Mortensen in Eastern Promises... it's all out on the table.
The Two Escobars, directed by Jeff Zimbalist, Michael Zimbalist. (USA, Colombia) - World Premiere. Born in the same city in Colombia but not related, Andrés Escobar and Pablo Escobar shared a fanatical love of soccer. Andrés grew up to become one of Colombia's most beloved players, while Pablo became the most notorious drug baron of all time. While adeptly investigating the secret marriage of crime and sports, Michael Zimbalist and Jeff Zimbalist (Favela Rising, TFF '05) reveal the surprising connections between the murders of Andrés and Pablo. Part of the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival.
The Woodmans, directed by C. Scott Willis. (USA, Italy, China)--World Premiere. The Woodmans are a family united in their belief that art-making is the highest form of expression and an essential way of life, but it's only photographer daughter Francesca who achieves worldwide acclaim--after a tragedy that would forever scar the family. With unrestricted access to all of Francesca's works and diaries, The Woodmans paints an incisive portrait of a family broken and then healed by its art. In English, Italian with English subtitles.
Works-in-Progress
Untitled Eliot Spitzer Film, directed by Alex Gibney (USA) --Work-in-Progress screening. Academy Award winner Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side, TFF '07) takes an in-depth look at New York governor and "Sheriff of Wall Street" Eliot Spitzer, who many believed was on his way to becoming president. Then, shockingly, Spitzer's meteoric rise turned into a precipitous fall when he was caught seeing prostitutes. And as the Sheriff fell, so did the financial markets. With unique access to friends and enemies of the ex-governor, this documentary explores the hidden contours of this tale of hubris, sex and power.
The Western Front, directed and written by Zachary Iscol. (USA)--Work-in-Progress screening. In 2004, writer/director Zachary Iscol fought as a US Marine in Al Anbar, Iraq's most violent province. Five years later, Anbar has been transformed into one of the safest, but not because the insurgency was defeated. When Zach returns, he begins to confront the awful dilemmas he faced fighting an enemy that hid among civilians. Profoundly honest, this documentary explores these dilemmas from all sides to reveal a simple but surprising truth about the nature of war and peace.
Encounters
Climate of Change, directed by Brian Hill. (USA/UK)--North American Premiere. A group of 13-year-olds in India rally against the use of plastics. A renaissance man in Africa teaches villagers to harness solar power. Self-described "hillbillies" in Appalachia battle the big business behind strip-mining. Tilda Swinton beautifully narrates this rich and inspiring documentary--from the producers of An Inconvenient Truth--about a world of regular people taking action in the fight to save our environment. Executive produced by Participant Media and the Alliance for Climate Protection. A Tribeca Film release.
Last Play at Shea, directed by Paul Crowder and Jon Small (concert footage). (USA) -- World Premiere. The intersecting histories of a stadium, a team and a music legend are examined in a documentary that charts the ups and downs of the New York Mets and the life and career of Long Island native Billy Joel, the last performer to play Shea Stadium. Set to the soundtrack of Joel's final Shea concerts, Last Play interweaves personal Joel interviews with exclusive concert footage--featuring guests like Tony Bennett and Roger Daltrey. Part of the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival.
My Trip to Al-Qaeda, directed by Alex Gibney. (USA)--World Premiere. Academy Award winner Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side, TFF '07) collaborates with Lawrence Wright to bring Wright's titular one-man play to the screen. With equal parts Spalding Gray and An Inconvenient Truth, My Trip to Al Qaeda chronicles fundamentalist Islam's rise to power and explores Wright's struggle to maintain his objectivity as a journalist writing about Islamic terror.
RUSH: Beyond the Lighted Stage, directed by Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn. (Canada) --World Premiere. For fans and newcomers to the legendary Canadian band Rush, this is the music documentary to experience. Directors Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn embark on a comprehensive exploration of this extraordinary power trio, from their early days in Toronto through each of their landmark albums to the present day. Sit back and revel in the words, music, and wonder of Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart.
Vidal Sassoon The Movie, directed by Craig Teper. (USA)--World Premiere. With the geometric, Bauhaus-inspired hairstyles he pioneered in the '60s and his "wash and wear" philosophy that liberated generations of women from the tyranny of the salon, Vidal Sassoon revolutionized the art of hairdressing. This fun, fast-paced documentary traces with visual gusto the life of a self-made man whose passion and perseverance took him from a Jewish orphanage in London to the absolute pinnacle of his craft.
Visionaries, directed by Chuck Workman. (USA)--World Premiere. Oscar-winning filmmaker Chuck Workman brings alive the vibrant history of the avant-garde cinema. Through interviews with filmmakers and critics including Jonas Mekas, Kenneth Anger, Su Friedrich and Amy Taubin, he reveals how this artistic movement highlights subjective vision, sensory experience and dreams over plot and storyline. Workman couples these conversations with a dazzling array of diverse extracts from experimental films that illuminate for the general audience a qualitatively different kind of moviegoing experience.
Discovery
Arias with a Twist: The Docufantasy, directed by Bobby Sheehan. (USA)--North American Premiere. A joyously uplifting celebration of the creative process and the inventive, outrageous downtown art scene of New York of the past 30 years, Arias with a Twist focuses its lens on the inspired collaboration between cabaret and drag artist Joey Arias and master puppeteer Basil Twist, whose groundbreaking 2008 show brought them some of the biggest success of their careers. Featuring never-before-seen footage of Andy Warhol, Jim Henson, Keith Haring, Grace Jones and Divine.
Gerrymandering, directed by Jeff Reichert. (USA)--World Premiere. This wake-up-call doc exposes the hidden history of our country's redistricting wars, mapping battles that take place out of public scrutiny but shape the electoral landscape of American politics for decades at time, posing a threat not just to Democrats and Republicans, but democracy as a whole. Featuring stories from nine states, Gerrymandering takes a hard look at the framework of our democracy and how it provides our politicians a perfectly legal way to control electoral outcomes.
Into the Cold, directed by Sebastian Copeland. (USA) - World and TFF Virtual Premiere. The absolute top of the earth is a place few try to reach on foot. Even fewer succeed. With the vast Arctic ice vanishing rapidly, photographer, extreme adventurer and environmental advocate Sebastian Copeland sets out to reach the North Pole on the centennial of Admiral Peary's reach in 1909. This inspiring documentary follows Copeland and his crew on their tumultuous two-month trek--not just through piercing cold and merciless terrain, but straight into the depths of the soul.
Just Like Us, directed by Ahmed Ahmed. (USA)--World Premiere. First-time director Ahmed Ahmed takes us on a hilarious tour from Dubai to Beirut, Riyadh to New York with a gaggle of other stand-up talent, including Maz Jobrani, Tom Papa, Ted Alexandro, Tommy Davidson and Omid Djalili (The Infidel). Along the way, taboos of culture and geopolitics are exploded, and a younger generation of both comedy talents and audiences is born.
Keep Surfing, directed by Björn Richie Lob. (Germany)--International Premiere. This kinetic and fast-paced documentary will put you right on the Eisbach in the heart of Munich, where river-surfing was invented 35 years ago. Stunningly shot with cameras literally on the surfboards, you can sense the exhilaration as they take to the water. With cameos by surfing legends like Nick Carroll and Kelly Slater, Keep Surfing will make you want to hit the waves!
No Woman, No Cry, directed by Christy Turlington Burns. (USA)--World Premiere. More than half a million women each year die from preventable complications during pregnancy or childbirth. In her gripping directorial debut, Christy Turlington Burns shares the powerful stories of pregnant women in four parts of the world, including a remote Maasai tribe in East Africa, a slum of Bangladesh, a post-abortion care ward in Guatemala, and a prenatal clinic in the United States.
The Other City, directed by Susan Koch. (USA)--World Premiere. There's a part of Washington, DC never seen by the tourists and ignored by the mass media. At least three percent of DC is HIV positive, a staggering rate higher than parts of Africa, but the city is also full of encouraging stories of grassroots movements to extend education, combat stigmas, and spread hope. TFF alum Susan Koch's (Kicking It, TFF '08) eye-opening documentary tells the unheard stories behind the growing epidemic in our nation's capital.
Spotlight
Joan Rivers--A Piece of Work, directed by Ricki Stern, Annie Sundberg. (USA) - New York Premiere. Joan Rivers is the undisputed queen of American comedy, and at 76 years old, with a career spanning five decades, she shows no sign of slowing down. Following Rivers over the course of a year, A Piece of Work reveals the fascinating combination of vulnerability and irreverence behind the public figure in this endlessly entertaining, quintessential profile of a New York icon.