[Ed’s note: Over 3500 pics taken, over 30 capsule reviews and a couple of interviews on the slate – Pierre Alexandre delivered way beyond expectations.]
It’s already over! Well, it was about time. 13 days for a film festival is totally intense – in addition to the 3 weeks of press screenings prior to the beginning of the festival. So, I ended up seeing about 55 films, which is very little for this festival that had almost 200 features length films. Most of the films were good; unfortunately, as in every festival, there were some very crappy ones. It’s hard to understand how in a festival that receives some 2,000 features submissions there still bad films are making their way in the selection. Even the publicist hired by one of the film to promote it said to someone it was a “very bad film” – he didn’t say that to the journalists, of course!
Despite those few dissappointments, Tribeca 2006 was totally worth it. In doing my top 10 of some festivals I sometimes have a hard time coming up with a top 10 … there are often less than 10 films that would truly qualify. Coming up with this year’s Tribeca Top 10 was hard too … but because there were so many good movies. Most of them were in the documentary section – it was really strong this year.
Tribeca’s organization was almost flawless this year. There weren’t too many technical/logistical problems, which is amazing considering Tribeca’s humongous proportions this year. The repartition of the theater all over town was quite problematic at times, but on the other hand, it probably allowed more people to see the films. At the AMC The Village, on a Friday night for a Spanish experimental film by two relatively unknown filmmakers (THE MIST IN THE PALM TREE), the theater was packed-400 people. How unlikely!
Now I have to get used to the sun again, and I have to cure my coffee and Altoids addiction – there was free Starbucks coffee and Altoids boxes in the press lounge!! For those who can’t get enough of foreign and indie films, the Tribeca Film Club will be launched soon … check it out. If you don’t live in NY, you’ll still have a chance to catch some of the films as many programmers from major international festivals were present at Tribeca’s fifth edition!
Of course coming up with a top 10 after having seen only 25% of the film or so is by no means a representation of what the best films were since I missed so many, but here is nonetheless my top 10 picks.
1. BLESSED BY FIRE
2. THE DIGNITY OF THE NOBODIES
3. THE MIST IN THE PALM TREE
4. WHEN I CAME HOME
5. CIVIC DUTY
6. SNOW CAKE
7. WAH WAH
8. 37 USES FOR A DEAD SHEEP
9. JOURNEY TO THE END OF THE NIGHT
10. A FLOCK OF DODOS : THE EVOLUTION-INTELLIGENT DESIGN CIRCUS
Honorable mention for:
THE PLAY
CHOKING MAN
THE BRIDGE
Festival Summaries
Tribeca 2006 Preview!
Grinning Cat
Tribeca 2006 winners!
Interviews
Interview: Richard E. Grant
Interview: Steve Barron
All pictures © of Pierre-Alexandre Despatis 2006.
Opening Press Conference Pics
United 93 Premiere
Vanity Fair Party
Premiere: One Last Time…
Premiere: Civic Duty
Premiere: The Architect
Premiere: 5 Fingers
Premiere: Local Color
Premiere: Color me Kubrick
Premiere: Land of the Blind
Premiere: Lonely Hearts
Premiere: Pittsburgh
Premiere: Journey to the End of the Night
Premiere: The TV Set
Premiere: Tropfest@Tribeca
CAPSULE REVIEWS:
A FLOCK OF DODOS : THE EVOLUTION-INTELLIGENT DESIGN CIRCUS
AL FRANKEN: GOD SPOKE
ANOTHER GAY MOVIE
BLESSED BY FIRE
THE BLOOD OF MY BROTHER
BOY CULTURE
THE BRIDGE
CHOKING MAN
CIVIC DUTY
EAST OF PARADISE
ENCOUNTER POINT
FAREWELL BENDER
FOLLOW MY VOICE: WITH THE MUSIC OF HEDWIG
FREEDOM’S FURY
JESUS CAMP
JOURNEY TO THE END OF THE NIGHT
LOCKDOWN, USA
MEE SHEE: THE WATER GIANT
MIST IN THE PALM TREE
THE PLAY
ROCK THE BELLS
SAM’S LAKE
THE SCI FI BOYS
THE SHUKTA BOOK OF RECORDS
SNOW CAKE
THE TV SET
WAH-WAH
THE WAR TAPES
WATERBUSTER
WHEN I CAME HOME
When the Road Bends…tales of a Gypsy Caravan
WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR?
WINDOWS
