10 Movies We’re Excited to See at Tribeca Festival
Tribeca Festival co-founder Jane Rosenthal doesn’t follow a North Star as she and her team sift through tens of thousands of submissions each year. But as they whittle down those applicants to the 100 or so films comprising the final lineup, themes tend to emerge.
“It’s not like we set out to say, ‘This is what we want to do.’ As an activist film festival, we always look for [political] films,” says Rosenthal, who created Tribeca Festival with Robert De Niro in the wake of 9/11. “This year, there’s a mental health narrative. I don’t know if that’s a post-COVID thing.”
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Tribeca, now in its 23rd year, will take place from June 5-16 and highlight films led by Kristen Stewart, Lily Gladstone and Jenna Ortega. “Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge,” a look at the fashion icon and entrepreneur, will open the festival, with anticipated documentaries about Prince, Liza Minnelli and Dolly Parton to follow. There are also buzzy talks and reunions with Steven Spielberg as “The Sugarland Express” turns 50, Kevin Bacon with “Footloose” celebrating its 40th anniversary, and David Chase and “Sopranos” cast members Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli and Jamie-Lynn Sigler as the acclaimed TV show turns 25.
And forget Comic-Con. This summer’s hottest convention will be the inaugural De Niro Con. The celebration, tied to the actor’s 80th birthday, will showcase 14 of his best-known performances, alongside conversations with collaborators Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese and Billy Crystal, themed trivia — even a sandwich-making competition.
He doesn’t oppose the fanfare, but De Niro insists he wanted nothing to do with planning the event that bears his name. “It was Jane’s idea,” he says. “I stayed out of it. [Otherwise], it looks like I’m doing it for myself. It’s a weird thing.”
Since the pandemic, Tribeca has experimented with hosting premieres in all five boroughs of New York City. But don’t expect the festival’s branding to stray from the lower Manhattan neighborhood that started it all.
“What are we going to call it,” cracks Rosenthal. “Hoboken?”
Here are 10 movies we’ll be seeing without having to cross into Jersey.
Antidote
DIRECTOR James Jones
WHY IT’S ON OUR RADAR The early 2024 death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny — whose earlier assassination attempt was detailed in the Oscar-winning doc “Navalny” — gives new relevance to the brutal price of being Putin’s adversary. “Antidote” follows three individuals who, like Navalny, put their life on the line to expose and disrupt Putin’s deadly regime. In “Navalny,” the whistleblower tells his supporters: “If they decide to kill me, it means that we are incredibly strong.” “Antidote” provides a compelling case that Navalny’s death was not in vain.
Bad Actor: A Hollywood Ponzi Scheme
DIRECTOR Joslyn Jensen
WHY IT’S ON OUR RADAR Zachary Horwitz took the adage “Fake it till you make it” a little too much to heart. The aspiring movie star and producer was Hollywood’s version of Bernie Madoff, defrauding investors to the tune of $227 million so he could enjoy the high life. His reward: Some forgettable film credits and a 20-year prison sentence.
Brats
DIRECTOR Andrew McCarthy
WHY IT’S ON OUR RADAR They went to the coolest parties, got the best-looking girls and were on the top of every Hollywood casting director’s list. For a moment, McCarthy and a generation of 20-something stars who came of age in the mid-’80s were the hottest thing in movies. But after an unflattering New York Magazine story branded this hard-partying band of brothers and sisters “the Brat Pack,” it became impossible to outlive the moniker. In “Brats,” McCarthy reconnects fellow “members” like Emilio Estevez and Rob Lowe to reflect on how that article reshaped — and sometimes overshadowed — their lives and careers.
Champions of the Golden Valley
DIRECTOR Ben Sturgulewski
WHY IT’S ON OUR RADAR It’s the ultimate underdog story. “Champions” documents a former Olympic hopeful’s efforts to bring competitive skiing to a remote mountain village in Afghanistan. However, when the country falls to the Taliban, many of the athletes who took to the sport are displaced across the globe as refugees and confronted with an uncertain future. Sturgulewski snaps an inspiring portrait of people who remain resilient and joyful as they navigate profound political and social transition.
Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge
DIRECTORS Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Trish Dalton
WHY IT’S ON OUR RADAR The fashion designer opens up about her personal struggles and professional triumphs in this moving and surprisingly candid look at the barrier-breaker who introduced the wrap dress. Not only does the film benefit from access to von Furstenberg and her husband, Barry Diller, it also boasts interviews with friends and admirers like Oprah Winfrey, Marc Jacobs and Hillary Clinton.
Griffin in Summer
DIRECTOR Nicholas Colia
CAST Everett Blunck, Melanie Lynskey, Owen Teague, Kathryn Newton, Abby Ryder Fortson
WHY IT’S ON OUR RADAR This coming-of-age story about a 14-year-old playwright who strikes up a bond with a handyman is drawing comparisons to “Little Miss Sunshine.” Watch for Blunck, who plays the title character, to break out in a big way.
Jazzy
DIRECTOR Morrisa Maltz
CAST Jasmine Bearkiller Shangreaux, Syriah Foohead Means, Raymond Lee, Lily Gladstone
WHY IT’S ON OUR RADAR “The Unknown Country,” Maltz and Gladstone’s previous collaboration, impressed critics with its lyrical examination of grief and family. “Jazzy” tackles childhood, in all its beauty and intensity, following a young Oglala Lakota girl as she grows up in South Dakota.
The Knife
DIRECTOR Nnamdi Asomugha
CAST Nnamdi Asomugha, Melissa Leo, Aja Naomi King, Manny Jacinto
WHY IT’S ON OUR RADAR The former NFL star turned actor does it all in this stylish thriller — Asomugha not only has the lead role but co-wrote the script, produced it and makes his directorial debut. “The Knife” follows a Black family whose lives are upended by the appearance of a mysterious stranger at their door. Indie auteur Mark Duplass collaborated on the screenplay and co-produced the film with his brother, Jay, which sharpens our interest.
Sacramento
DIRECTOR Michael Angarano
CAST Michael Angarano, Michael Cera, Kristen Stewart, Maya Erskine
WHY IT’S ON OUR RADAR The buddy comedy follows two friends as they move grudgingly into a new phase of adulthood, the one that comes with children and added responsibilities. Angarano, best known for his work on “Will & Grace” and “Oppenheimer,” made an accomplished directorial debut with 2017’s “Avenues.” We’re curious to see his follow-up.
Winter Spring Summer or Fall
DIRECTOR Tiffany Paulsen
CAST Jenna Ortega, Percy Hynes White, Marisol Nichols
WHY IT’S ON OUR RADAR A rom-com for the Gen Z set. Ortega plays a teen prodigy who falls for a music-loving underachiever (Hynes White), proving once again, that opposites attract (at least in movies). A summer of young love ensues, but the good times may end once Ortega’s character prepares to leave her hometown for Harvard. Trust us, Jenna, those Cambridge boys have nothing on a hunky slacker.
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