The organisers say: Sure to spark conversation during the festival and beyond, this assortment of 11 narrative and ten documentary films offers high-profile talent and notable subject matters, featuring performances by veteran actors Frank Langella, William H. Macy, Sissy Spacek, and Danny Glover; new work from venerable New York filmmakers Melvin Van Peebles and Bill Plympton; profiles of political and spiritual figures John F. Kennedy, the Dalai Lama, and Che Guevara; and portraits of artists Celia Cruz and Diego Rivera. Here's what the organisers
say about the films.
Browse the films by section. World Narrative Competition and Documentary Competition Films, Spotlight, Discovery, Midnight, Showcase, Restored/Rediscovered and Shorts.
Bart
Got A Room (US; Director: Brian Heckler; writer: Ed Hart)
It's ticktock, ticktock for Danny as the prom approaches, and
he still doesn't have a date. With the help of his plain-Jane
best friend and likeable but wacky parents (Cheryl Hines and
William H Macy), his hopes for that "special" night may come
true in this colorful and quirky comedy. World Premiere. Capsule Review
The Caller (USA; Director: Richard
Ledes; Writers: Alain Didier-Weill and Ledes)
Frank Langella gives a tour-de-force performance as an energy
executive who tries to expose his corporation's corrupt practices
in this quiet yet chilling neo-noir thriller. He hires a private
investigator (Elliott Gould) to forward his efforts, but who
is investigating whom? World Premiere.
Celia the Queen (US; Director:
Joe Cardona and Mario De Varona; Writer: Joe Cardona)
The voice of Celia Cruz, arguably the most influential woman
in Cuban music, symbolised the soul of a nation and forced down
barriers of racism and sexism. She radiates on screen as her
legacy is revisited in this intimate and inspiring documentary.
Featuring interviews with Quincy Jones, Andy Garcia, and Wyclef
Jean. World Premiere.
Chevolution (US; Director: Trisha
Ziff and Luis Lopez; Writers: Sylvia Stevens and Trisha Ziff)
How did the iconic image of Che Guevara end up on beer bottles
and bikinis? This documentary inquiry into the ethics and aesthetics
of appropriation investigates how the enduring symbol of Cuba’s
Communist Revolution skyrocketed to fame and was ultimately
devoured by its own worst enemy: capitalism. World Premiere.
The Chicken, The Fish and The King
Crab (El pollo, el pez y el cangrejo real) (Spain; Director:
Eytan Fox; Writer: Gal Uchovsky, Eytan Fox)
Famed Spanish chef Jesús Almagro permits cameras to follow
his preparations for the “Bocuse d’Or” cooking
contest, pitting him against 23 international contenders for
the title of “World’s Best Chef.” Thrilling,
captivating. . . and mouthwatering. North American Premiere.
Confessionsofa
Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha (US; Director: Melvin Van Peebles;
Writer: Melvin Van Peebles)
Melvin Van Peebles, still our most playfully inventive filmmaker
after nearly 50 years, returns with a boisterous adventure that
ranges from Harlem to the high seas, following the exploits
of an unforgettable character (MVP, natch) who’s always
on the move - but keeps ending up back in New York. World
Premiere. Capsule
Review, Meeting
Melvin Van Peebles
The Dalai Lama: Peace and Prosperity
(US; Director: Mark Bauman)
An amazing experience for those unable to attend the 2008 live
event, this film is a visual record of His Holiness the Dalai
Lama's visit and presentation to a sold-out Radio City Music
Hall. Photographic montages by Richard Gere and music by Tom
Waits and Philip Glass weave their way throughout the film.
World Premiere.
Days in Sintra (Diorio de Sintra)
(Brazil; Director and writer: Paula Gaitán)
Deftly interspersing home movies with contemporary images, director
Paula Gaitán creates a compelling voyage of discovery in her
return to Sintra, Portugal, on a search for memories of her
late husband (the Brazilian filmmaker Glauber Rocha). North
American Premiere.
Everywhere At Once (France;
Director: Peter Lindbergh and Holly Fisher; Writer: Kimiko Hahn)
Renowned photographer Peter Lindbergh and experimental filmmaker
Holly Fisher, with actress Jeanne Moreau, weave a tapestry of
images shaping one woman's deepest sense of selfhood. World
Premiere.
Hotel Gramercy Park (US; Director:
Douglas Keeve)
Keeve explores the family drama of the longtime owners of this
infamous hotel - once a haven for the likes of Bowie and Blondie
- as they prepare to turn it over to high-end hotelier Ian Schrager.
Is the transformation a redefinition of cool or the demise of
a New York icon? World Premiere.
I
Am Because We Are (UK; Director Nathan Rissman)
Madonna uses the power of documentary film to expose the tragic
stories of the millions of Malawi children orphaned by AIDS,
offering both a call to action and a revelatory personal journey.
Featuring interviews with Bill Clinton and Desmond Tutu, the
film is a testament to survival, change, and hope. World
York Premiere.
Idiots
And Angels (US; Director and writer: Bill Plympton)
Oscar-nominated animator Bill Plympton sketches a Lynchian
dark comedy about a morally bankrupt man scrabbling to hide
the good in himself - which manifests itself in a pair of
angel wings that just won't go away. World Premiere. Capsule Review
Lake City (US; Director and
writer: Perry Moore and Hunter Hill)
When her family is threatened by violent criminals, a mother
and son must reconcile the past in order to save their home.
Powerful performances by Sissy Spacek and Troy Garity highlight
this potent drama, also featuring Dave Matthews and Rebecca
Romijn. World Premiere.
Life In Flight (US; Director
and writer: Tracey Hecht)
Patrick Wilson (Little Children) and Amy Smart (Just Friends)
star in first-timer Hecht's drama of a New York architect
who begins to question the perfect life he has built for his
family. World Premiere.
The Objective (US; Director:
Daniel Myrick; Writer: Mark Patton, Wes Clark Jr, and Daniel
Myrick)
The director of The Blair Witch Project brings his singular
brand of suspense to an exhilarating integration of war and
mystery, revolving around a precarious CIA mission in Afghanistan. World
Premiere.
A Portrait Of Diego: The Revolutionary
Gaze (Un retrato de Diego: La revolucion de la mirada)
(Mexico; Director: Gabriel Figueroa Flores and Diego Lopez)
Fifty years ago, a trio of Mexico's greatest artists - Diego Rivera, Gabriel Figueroa and Manuel Alvarez Bravo - collaborated on a documentary film about the painter, but it was never finished until now, after Figueroa's son and Rivera's grandson decided to show how these three great artists shared a vision. International Premiere.
A President
To Remember (US; Director and writer: Robert Drew)
Tales of maddening infatuationa surprising love triangle, an
Culled from "direct cinema" pioneer Robert Drew's unparalleled behind-the-scenes footage of JFK at work in the Oval Office, and the events that brought him there, this remarkable film proves a timely update of the Kennedy mythos and an eerily intimate portrait of the now-legendary man himself. World Premiere.
Terra
(US; Director: Aristomenis Tsirbas; Writers: Evan Spiliotopoulos
and Aristomenis Tsirbas)
A dazzling sci-fi animation about an alien girl on the idyllic planet Terra. When the last remaining humans exhaust Earth's resources, she must fight against the Earthlings who want to inhabit her planet. Featuring an all-star cast of voices, including Evan Rachel Wood, Brian Cox, James Garner, Danny Glover, Amanda Peet, David Cross, and Luke Wilson. US Premiere. Capsule Review
Three Kingdoms: Resurrection Of The Dragon (China, South Korea; Director: Daniel Lee; Writers: Lau Ho Leung and Daniel Lee)
A conscript into the faceless war among China's ancient kingdoms, Zhao (Andy Lau, House Of Flying Daggers) earns his stripes in this epic's thrillingly stylish battle sequences. Decades later, he meets his match in Cao (Maggie Q, Mission: Impossible III). North American Premiere.
Whatever Lola Wants
(France, Morocco; Director: Nabil Ayouch; Writers: Jane Hawksley, Nathalie Saugeon and Nabil Ayouch)
Perky blonde Lola is an aspiring dancer in New York, and she's so smitten by a hunky Egyptian that when he unexpectedly heads home, she follows him. In Cairo, she discovers an even bigger passion for belly dancing - and vows to master the art. North American Premiere.
The Zen of Bobby V (US; Director:
Jonah Quickmire Pettigrew and Andrew Jenks)
Former New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine took his baseball expertise to Japan in 2004. This film follows a season in the life of an American who has become an admired icon and a primary reason that baseball remains Japan's most popular sport. Part of the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival World Premiere.
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