Tribeca 2006: Comp Selections

Tribeca is only 5 years old but it’s definitely getting bigger and better
every year. At this rate it will soon outgrow its local (and not so local)
competition. In 2002, the year the festival was founded to revive Tribeca, a
sector of New York City severely impacted economically by the collapse of the
World Trade Center, they received about one thousand film submissions. Already
in 2004, a mere 2 years later, they received 3,300 films submissions. The
festival’s rapid growth was confirmed once again this year as for its fifth
anniversary the festival received a whooping 4,000 film submissions, including
some 2,000 feature films.

Somehow the festival’s programmers managed the arduous task of selecting only
the best films and from the 2,000 features submitted, 169 were selected and
included in the various sections of the festival. For the most part, these films
are premieres in America. Since 2004, the number of international or world
premiere at the festival almost doubled and is now at one hundred! Most of the
remaining films are either national, North American, or New York City premieres.

The festival started to unveil gradually its selection as of today. All the
films in the various competitive sections of the festival have been announced
and a second press release regarding the non-competitive sections of the
festival will be made shortly.

While going through the 11-page long press release(!!), one can’t help but
notice that many of the directors are virtually unknown in the ‘mainstream
festival scene’. This is a steep contrast with The Festival of New Cinema (here in Montreal) which
had many (if not all) the major brand names of the so-called international film
festival circuit (Michael Haneke, the Dardenne brothers, Lars Von Trier, Takeshi
Kitano, Hou Hsio-Hsien, Terry Gillian, …). However, New York doesn’t really need
another festival to feature those films.

Of course, Tribeca has glamorous red carpets every other day and many
blockbuster films are launched at the festival, but since its beginning the
festival has put a lot of effort in promoting independent cinema, emerging
filmmakers and lesser known international directors. Only few festivals can be
said to promote such films to such an extent to an audience that usually watch
commercial films. Part of this strategy to reach a broader
non-film-geek-audience is a recent deal made with AMC Loews Theaters in New
York. Due to an overwhelmingly increasing demand for tickets, and due to the
limited number venues in Tribeca, the festival will expend to 3 AMC Loews
theaters north of Tribeca. I can see this coming :

1PM : Film at the AMC Loews Lincoln Square 12 – Broadway at 68th Street
3PM : Film at the AMC Loews 34th Street at 8th Avenue
5PM : Film at the AMC Loews Village 7 – 3rd Avenue at East 11th Street
7PM : Red carpet at the TPAC theater near canal street.

Oh Well … it better not be raining! “We will now be able to screen more films
and increase the number of times we can screen them – doubling last year’s
screening capacity” said Tribeca Film Festival co-founder, Craig Hatkoff. “We
also intend to utilize these additional venues throughout the city to draw
attention to screenings and events that will continue to take place in Lower
Manhattan. We hope that this increased awareness will attract new patrons
downtown – which remains the festival’s heart and soul”.

The “heart and soul” of the festival also because two of the competitive
sections of the festival are dedicated to films made in/about NYC. The “NY, NY
Narrative Features” and “NY, NY Documentary Features” competitions feature 26
films (13 films each), all of which are World Premieres. Since the early days of
the festival, the “NY, NY” competitions quickly became an impressive launch pad
for emerging or first time filmmakers with New York roots and for films from the
New York City area. A definite must for all the NYC lovers out there …

In addition to these NYC films, the festival also has two international
competitions. Again, these sections are primarily populated by debuting
directors, with the exception of a few films by established film directors.

A fifth anniversary, more movies, more screenings, more venues … Tribeca is
definately going to be big this year. This is our inaugural year covering
Tribeca; Ioncinema.com will intensively cover the festival with reviews,
interviews and exclusive red carpet pictures. Stay tuned.

[ This is part one of our continuing Tribeca Coverage. You can
read about the non-competitive sections of the festival in
part two. ]

* * *

International Narrative Feature Competition
The Architect, directed and written by Matt Tauber (USA)
Backstage, directed by Emmanuelle Bercot (France)
Blessed By Fire (Iluminados por el Fuego) directed by Tristán Bauer
(Argentina/Spain)
Brasilia 18%, directed and written by Nelson Pereira dos Santos (Brazil)
Choking Man, directed and written by Steve Barron (USA)
Colour Me Kubrick, directed by Brian Cook (UK, France)
The Free Will (Der Freie Wille), directed by Matthias Glasner (Germany)
Holiday Makers (Ucastnici Zajezdu), directed by Jiri Vejdelek (Czech Republic)
Land of the Blind, directed and written by Robert Edwards (U.K.)
Love for Share (Berbagi Suami), directed and written by Nia Dinata (Indonesia)

Men at Work (Kargaran Mashgoul-e Karand), directed and written by Mani Haghighi
(Iran)
The Mist in the Palm Trees (La Niebla en las Palmeras), directed by Carlos
Molinero and Lola Salvador (Spain)
A Perfect Day, directed and written by Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige
(France, Lebanon, Germany)
Shoot the Messenger, directed by Ngozi Onwurah (UK)
The TV Set, directed and written by Jake Kasdan (USA)
Two Players from the Bench (Dva Igrača S Klupe), directed and written by Dejan
Šorak (Croatia)
The Yacoubian Building (Omaret Yacoubian), directed by Marwan Hamed (Egypt)

International Documentary Feature Competition
37 Uses for a Dead Sheep, directed by Ben Hopkins (UK)
The Blood of My Brother: A Story of Death in Iraq, directed by Andrew Berends
(USA, Iraq)
Blue Blood, directed by Stevan Riley (UK)
The Bridge, directed by Eric Steel (USA)
Dear Father, Quiet, We’re Shooting… (Avi Hayakar, Sheket yorim…), Directed
by David Benchetrit and written by Benchetrit and Senyora Bar David (Israel)
The Dignity of the Nobodies (La Dignidad de los Nadies), directed by Fernando E.
Solanas
East of Paradise, directed by Lech Kowalski (France, USA)
From Dust, directed by Dhruv Dhawan (Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates)
Jesus Camp, directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (USA)
Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple, directed by Stanley Nelson,
written by Marcia Smith (USA, Mexico)
MAQUILAPOLIS: City of factories, directed by Vicky Funari and Sergio De La Torre
(USA, Mexico)
The Play (Oyun), directed by Pelin Esmer (Turkey)
Shadow of Afghanistan, directed by Suzanne Bauman and Jim Burroughs (USA)
Sounds of Silence (Sot-e Sokut), directed by Amir Hamz and Mark Lazarz (Iran,
U.K., Germany)
The War Tapes, directed by Deborah Scranton (USA)
Voices of Bam, directed by Aliona van der Horst and Maasja Ooms (Netherlands)

NY, NY Narrative Feature Competition
Brother’s Shadow, directed by Todd S. Yellin
East Broadway, directed by Fay Ann Lee
Fifty Pills, directed by Theo Avgerinos
H.C.E., directed and written by Richard Sylvarnes
Just Like the Son, directed and written by Morgan J. Freeman
Kettle of Fish, directed and written by Claudia Meyers
Kiss Me Again, directed by William Tyler Smith
“Marvelous”, directed and written by Siofra Campbell
Metro, directed and written by Adolfo Doring
New York Waiting, directed and written by Joachim Hedén (Sweden)
The Treatment, directed by Oren Rudavsky
A Very Serious Person, directed by Charles Busch
Windows, directed and written by Shoja Y. Azari
 

NY, NY Documentary Feature Competition
American Cannibal: The Road to Reality, directed by Perry Grebin and Michael
Nigro
The Cats of Mirikitani, directed by Linda Hattendorf
Dorothy Day: Don’t Call Me A Saint, directed by Claudia Larson
Follow My Voice: With the Music of Hedwig, directed by Katherine Linton
Golden Venture, directed and written by Peter Cohn
Jack Smith & the Destruction of Atlantis, directed and written by Mary Jordan

Lockdown, USA, directed by Michael Skolnik and Rebecca Chaiklin
The One Percent, directed by Jamie Johnson
Saint of 9/11, directed by Glenn Holstein
A Stadium Story: The Battle for New York’s Last Frontier, directed by Jevon
Roush and Benjamin Rosen (U.S.A.)
Tell Me Do You Miss Me, directed by Matthew Buzzell (U.S.A.)
Toots, directed by Kristi Jacobson (U.S.A.)
When I Came Home, directed by Dan Lohaus (U.S.A.)
 

* * *

The 2006 Festival, presented by American Express, will take place from April 25
– May 7, 2006. Reflecting the festival’s continued growth, it will expand this
year to more neighborhoods throughout Manhattan and feature screenings, special
events, concerts, a family street fair, and panel discussions. For more
information, visit
www.tribecafilmfestival.org 

New for this year is the Daytimer Pass. See all the screenings you want
before 5 p.m. on weekdays for only $150.

Individual Tickets:
General Screening Ticket: $12.00
Panel Discussion Ticket: $20.00
Gala Screening Ticket: $25.00
Breakfast Panel Discussion Ticket: $30.00