The schedule for the narratives and documentary films have been released for the Tribeca Film Festival, which starts this coming Sunday. The list of films features award-winning directors and star-studded casts, as well as experiential movies featuring accompanying live performances. There are 23 narrative films and 17 documentaries to be screened across the Midnight, Special, and Spotlight categories, featuring a host of stories ranging from radical Islamic schools to zombie apocalypse flicks to a rejuvenated silent film.
The Tribeca Film Festival (TFF) will run from March 15-26. It will feature the work of several interesting directors, from the Italian Taviani Brothers (Caesar Must Die) to William Monahan (writer of The Departed) to Nelson George (Finding the Funk), and will feature – in the narratives category – a host of Hollywood stars, including but not limited to Arnold Schwarzenegger, Abigail Breslin, Patricia Arquette, Jessica Biel, Jason Sudeikis, Mickey Rourke, Christopher Walken, Kristen Stewart, Sam Waterston, Glenn Close, Emma Roberts, Sarah Silverman, and Cory Stoll.
The Midnight selections feature 5 genre films ranging from the survival of pro-wrestling to the struggles of a coke-addicted cop. Also featured alongside the 40 documentaries and narratives are special screenings, including Mary J. Blige – The London Sessions, a documentary about Blige followed by a performance by the artist herself, as well as A Ballerina’s Tale, a documentary about ballerina Misty Copeland, also followed by a performance by her and her ballerinas.
The following is a list of the 40 films to be screened:
Aferim!: narrative about a father and son hunting down a Romanian gypsy slave and coming across a world of prejudices.
Aloft: following a spiritual experience with a faith healer, a mother disappears and her son tracks her down in this narrative about family and spirituality.
Among the Believers: documentary about the radical Islamic militant school, the Red Mosque.
Anesthesia: narrative about a New York mugging, the events that lead to it, and city life altogether.
Angry Sky: documentary from ESPN about truck-driver Nick Piantanida who sets out to break the sky-diving world record from a helium balloon on the edge of space.
The Armor of Light: documentary of an in-depth look at the evangelical Christian movement.
As I AM: the Life and Times of DJ AM: documentary about DJ AM, Adam Goldstein.
Ashby: narrative about an awkward young man turning to his neighbor for help, only to discover that he is a retired CIA assassin. Starring Nat Wolfe and Mickey Rourke.
Backtrack: narrative about a trouble psychotherapist who beings to believe the ramblings of his patients and dives into the supernatural. Starring Adrien Brody.
Bleeding Heart: narrative about a yoga instructor who sets out to rescue her sister from an abusive relationship. Starring Jessica Biel.
Cartel Land: documentary about the Mexican drug cartel landscape from two sides of the same war.
The Cut: narrative about a man’s survival and ultimate journey to America following the fall of the Ottoman Empire.
Dirty Weekend: narrative about two characters, played by Matthew Broderick and Alice Eve, who find their way to each other secretively, painting a picture about desire and its effects.
Down in the Valley: documentary about the Sacramento Kings and their devoted fans following the team’s relocation.
The Driftless Area: narrative about a man who returns home after the death of his parents only to be pulled into a small-town conspiracy.
Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon: documentary following the origins and evolution of National Lampoon.
The Emperor’s New Clothes: expose about the financial gap between the haves and the have-nots, from London to New York.
Far From Men (Loin des Hommes): narrative based on a story from Albert Camus about a teacher and the dissident he must turn over to the authorities at the height of the Algerian War.
Fastball: documentary about baseball and the parts of the game that transcends logic.
A Faster Horse: documentary about Ford and American ingenuity as the fiftieth anniversary of the Mustang approaches.
Good Kill: narrative about a man fighting the war from his trailer in Nevada, exploring the effects on humans wrought by the technologies of war.
Grandma: narrative about a grandmother and granddaughter’s road trip and the secrets and skeletons that are revealed during it.
Hungry Hearts: narrative about a whirlwind romance and the paranoia that can consume us when we need to protect our children.
Jimmy’s Hall: narrative about 1930s Ireland and the oppressive dogma that prevents free speech and sometimes, free thought.
Maggie: narrative and post-apocalyptic thriller featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Abigail Breslin as he fights to protect her after she becomes infected by the zombie virus.
Mojave: narrative about a trip into the desert, wherein a Hollywood director claims to be the Devil.
Our Fathers, the Nazis: documentary about one man’s discoveries during his study of the Nuremberg Trials.
The Overnight: narrative about a play date that becomes something far more racy in this comedy.
Peggy Guggenheim – Art Addict: documentary about the life and art of Peggy Guggenheim that spans two continents.
Prescription Thugs: documentary about addiction to prescription drugs.
Roseanne for President!: documentary about comedian Roseanne Barr.
Sleeping With Other People: narrative about two people who, over the years, have sabotaged their relationship so much there surely can’t be any hope of a rekindling–or can there? Starring Jason Sudeikis and Alison Brie.
Slow West: narrative about a man seeking his love across the American West frontier, chased by lawmen along the way.
Steak (R)evolution: documentary about what makes steak great and the strain forced on the environment as humans seek out the very best meat.
Thought Crimes: documentary about New York’s “Cannibal Cop” convicted (then acquitted) of a conspiracy to kidnap, rape, kill, then eat several women, opens up the question on the nature of crime and the possibility and justice of being convicted for thinking.
Tumbledown: narrative about a woman’s struggles of small-town life after the accidental death of her folk singer husband.
The Wannabe: narrative based on the true events of the 1992 Gotti trial featuring two New York “nobodies” who set out for fame by stealing from the mob.
When I Live My Life Over Again: narrative about a singer-songwriter seeking her own fame.
Wondrous Boccaccio: narrative set during the Black Plague in Italy, featuring 10 men and women who hide out in a Florence country estate and tell stories to pass the time, playing out this dark period of Italy’s history.
For more information on the Tribeca Film Festival, check out their official website here.
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