Related Posts
Source: Variety
In the world of film festivals, there’s never a true end, but rather a continuous transition from one event to another. The Cannes Film Festival, for example, may have come and gone, but now many are turning their attention towards the next few film festivals set to take place within the coming weeks, perhaps most notably the Tribeca Film Festival. Held mainly within the boundaries of New York City, the Tribeca Film Festival, founded by Jane Rosenthal and Robert de Niro and entering its twenty-third year with its most recent occurrence (its founding largely being a response to the September 11th attacks that took place in 2001), may appear to be a more local event compared to the prestige of Cannes, Venice, and other international film festivals, but that doesn’t make any of the films exhibited any less worthy of one’s attention and respect. In fact, when choosing many of the cinematic works that they considered strong enough for a festival screening, a thematic pattern seemed to emerge among those selected; the pattern is perhaps not intentional, but it does nonetheless speak to where society in general may be at this point in time. “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,” Rosenthal claims while discussing the line-up of the upcoming festival.. “This year, there’s a mental health narrative. I don’t know if that’s a post-COVID thing”. Whether this pattern was intentionally taken into consideration or a mere coincidence, one cannot deny that there are still plenty of fascinating films that one can look forward to seeing at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, which begins June 5th and is set to end on the 16th. Choosing highlights out of all those that are expected to be screened during the twelve day period is rarely an easy feat, but there are fortunately a small handful that have proven able to stand out just a little bit more than some of the others:
Antidote – it was sadly not too long ago that Alexei Navalny, the subject of the Academy Award winning documentary “Navalny”, had his life cut short by forces of the Russian government that he had been so vocally opposed to. Such an alarming incident, however, isn’t enough to keep filmmakers from speaking out against the regime, with this James Jones-directed feature being the latest to openly comment on the injustices committed by Russia’s highest authority figures. Focusing primarily on three people who likewise went out of their way to expose the atrocities for which Russian president Vladimir Putin and his associates are allegedly responsible for, this was a risky film to create, which makes it all the more deserving of existence.
Brats – to most people growing up in the 1980s, the group of actors collectively referred to as the Brat Pack features a decent number of names that one may still find somewhat familiar, those that range from the likes of Emilio Estevez and Demi Moore to Jon Cryer and Lea Thompson. One of these former Brat Packers, Andrew McCarthy, has taken on a directorial position as he gathers many of the other individuals associated with this group to look back at their lives and careers and consider all that’s taken place in the time since the peak of their popularity. Much attention is drawn to a New Yorker magazine article that branded these actors with this specific title, one that may have had major effects on all of these actors in the long run.
Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge – interviews with the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Hillary Clinton are quite abundant within this documentary, but there’s no denying that this is meant to be about the titular fashion icon above all others. Von Furstenberg herself gets plenty of time to share her history and personal struggles with directors Sharmin Obaid-Chinoy and Trish Dalton, both of whom use their film to look back at the designer who first created the wrap dress and many other groundbreaking innovations within the world of fashion. Though not without its distressing moments, this film is otherwise a celebration of Von Furstenberg’s influence and a reminder of what the industry could be like if not for her various accomplishments.
Jazzy – losing the Academy Award for Best Actress has surprisingly done very little to diminish the spirits of actor Lily Gladstone, who seems to have received more and more opportunities to show off her exceptional talents in the time since. This Morrisa Maltz-directed drama does not appear to be any different; an insight into the childhood of a South Dakota-born Oglala Lakota girl, this film makes for a genuine emotional roller coaster as it explores the impact of family and grief on one’s coming-of-age. The reunion of Gladstone and Maltz, who previously collaborated on “The Unknown Country”, more or less guarantees that this film will strike a very personal chord with many and be incredibly moving for many others as well.
Sacramento – while perhaps best known for his acting roles in films like “Oppenheimer” and television series like “Will & Grace”, Michael Agarano is no stranger to the director’s chair, having previously helmed the 2017 feature “Avenues” and attracted a decent amount of attention with his surprisingly cinematic skills. This long-awaited follow-up feature hopes to prove that the quality of Agarano’s directorial debut was no fluke, and its buddy comedy premise does hold a great deal of potential. Also featuring actors Michael Cera and Kristen Stewart among others, this story of two friends contending with the responsibilities of adulthood will prove relatable to anyone who’s entered their thirties yet still doesn’t feel like their lives are fully figured out yet.
Winter Spring Summer of Fall – there’s nothing quite as compelling as a romance between two people who couldn’t be more different in terms of personality. With this film, director Tiffany Paulsen brings actors Jenna Ortega and Percy Hynes White together for an upbeat rom-com storyline about an overachieving musical genius and an underachiever who enjoys music but isn’t nearly as committed to making it. Against all odds, a summer romance blossoms, one that is threatened by the possibility of their respective paths taking them in separate directions, although if one is familiar with this genre, then they might be at least a little confident in love being able to triumph no matter how much stands in its way.
