Movie Reviews and News

Murder on the Orient Express (2017) - Review

2018-09-09T12:20:00.000+01:00

Now that I'm getting back to movie reviewing, since this is the last trailer I posted, I guess I might as well start with Murder on the Orient Express. (I'm planning on trying to do a reasonable number of reviews, but in order to do so will keep them relatively short.)

Anyway this is a story that's been done many times... but there are a couple of new ideas in Michael Green's screenplay, and I think overall it felt fresh enough while obviously having a rather familiar air to it. I have to admit that I was never truly convinced by Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot, though he wasn't bad - the accent slipped every now and then the ridiculously over-sized mustache was a constant distraction! He was also Director and did a good job with that - pacing, suspense and action were all handled effectively.

The ensemble cast including Michelle Pfeiffer, Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, Jason Bateman and Daisy Ridley and Derek Jacobi all did an admirable job, with no-one giving a particularly stand-out performance. Music, cinematography and photography were all generally good.

Overall my impression of this film was that it was capably done in all respects, without any aspect of coming across as exceptional. Given that I approached it with little enthusiasm to begin with I'm quite glad that I watched it, but I'm highly unlikely to ever want to see it again.

Time to start writing movie reviews again

2018-04-18T14:19:00.004+01:00

It's been quite a while... far too long, really. But I'm finally starting to feel an impulse to write movie reviews again. So watch this space, there will be some coming soon (will probably keep them fairly shortish).

Movie Reviews and News

Murder on the Orient Express (2017) - Trailer

2017-06-01T17:00:00.000+01:00

Just how many times has this been made into a movie?!

Movie Reviews and News

"Wind River" - Trailer

2017-05-28T14:51:00.001+01:00

A homicide investigation in an extremely remote place - looks pretty intense!

Movie Reviews and News

Tribeca Wrap: Tribeca Film Festival attendance and video highlights

2017-05-02T14:00:00.000+01:00

New York, NY [May 1, 2017] – After 12 days filled with world premiere film and television screenings, cutting-edge virtual reality experiences, the inaugural Tribeca Games Festival, momentous talks, and once-in-a-lifetime concerts and reunions, the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, today announced an estimated attendance of more than 153,000 people to 531 screenings and talks, the virtual arcade, and games with an additional 3,800,000 people participating in 15 talks and post-film conversations from afar via Facebook Live. [Note: This is record-setting from recent years and surpasses last year’s attendance, even though in 2016 there were 556 screenings and one of the main theaters being used in 2017 had its seats reconfigured to enhance the audience’s movie-going experience, which resulted in 25% less total seating capacity.]

From April 19 – April 30, the Festival presented 97 features, 57 short films, 31 immersive storytelling projects, 15 television shows, and 16 N.O.W. (New Online Work) projects from 42 countries over the course of the 12 days.

“With film always at our core, the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival continued to break boundaries – this year with television, virtual reality, online work, and gaming – to stay ahead of the convergence of storytelling mediums,” said Jane Rosenthal, Co-Founder of the Tribeca Film Festival and Executive Chair of Tribeca Enterprises. “Bringing great stories and great storytellers to our growing audience, no matter what screen or platform, is why we continue to do what we do each year.”

Below are highlights and clip handout of conversations, concerts, interviews, and select moments from the Festival:

FILM SALES:

As the Festival wraps up, 11 of the films available for acquisition have announced distribution deals, with additional offers on the table and deals to be announced soon.

Apple Music jumped into the film festival marketplace for the first time and bought two films.

The Orchard locked deals for three narratives, all of which have some dark undertones to them.

● Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: The Bad Boy Story (World premiere) bought by Apple Music - All rights

● Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of our Lives (World premiere) bought by Apple Music - All rights

● ELIÁN (World premiere) bought by Gravitas Ventures - U.S. theatrical, digital and video rights

● The Endless (World premiere) bought by Well Go USA Entertainment - North American rights

● Flower (World premiere) bought by The Orchard - North American rights

● From the Ashes (World premiere) bought by National Geographic Global Networks - Worldwide rights

● November (International premiere) bought by Oscilloscope Laboratories - North American rights

● The Reagan Show (World premiere) bought by Gravitas Ventures/CNN Films - North American theatrical and streaming rights and CNN Films has acquired North American broadcast rights

● Super Dark Times (North American premiere) bought by The Orchard - Worldwide rights

● Take Me (World premiere) bought by The Orchard - Worldwide theatrical, digital rental and sales, cable/satellite VOD, airline, DVD and soundtrack rights. [Netflix will release the film on its worldwide streaming platform later this year.]

● Tom of Finland (North American premiere) bought by Kino Lorber - North American rights

FILM

With 97 feature films presented this year, the festival offered narrative and documentary selections covering an immense array of stories and perspectives.

While debuting 77 new feature films the Festival also paid respect to the past with the 25th anniversary of Aladdin, the 25th anniversary of Reservoir Dogs, followed by a conversation with director Quentin Tarantino and the full cast, the 15th anniversary of Bowling for Columbine with director Michael Moore, and The Godfather 45^th anniversary.

Reservoir Dogs video highlights:

● [Video: Reservoir Dogs Casting]

● [Video: Harvey Keitel on rehearsals]

● [Video: Cast dinner at Harvey’s and the Happiest Moment]

Bowling for Columbine video highlights:

● [Video: Moore - Ignorance leads to fear]

● [Why don't women shoot other human beings? Gender & shootings]

● [Student loans: "You are going to be at age 22, put into a debtors' prison"]

Here is video from post screening Q&A’s from a few films:

● Buster’s Mal Heart: http://bit.ly/BustersMalHeartQandA

● Dabka: http://bit.ly/DabkaQandA

● Love After Love: http://bit.ly/LoveAfterLoveQandA

● Mike and the Mad Dog: http://bit.ly/MikeandTheMadDogQandA

Among this year’s films, the spotlight shone on the award winners:

● Audience Awards - The Divine Order (Die göttliche Ordnung), directed and written by Petra Volpe, was chosen to receive the Narrative award and Hondros, directed by Greg Campbell, was chosen for the Documentary award

● Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature - Keep the Change, written and directed by Rachel Israel

● Best International Narrative Feature - Son of Sofia (O Gios tis Sofias) written and directed by Elina Psykou

● Best Documentary Feature – Bobbi Jene, directed by Elvira Lind

● Best New Narrative Director – Rachel Israel, director of Keep the Change

● Albert Maysles New Documentary Director Award – Sarita Khurana and Smriti Mundhra for A Suitable Girl

● The Nora Ephron Prize: Petra Volpe, writer/director of The Divine Order

MUSIC

Tribeca continued to take the movie experience beyond the screen by turning special performances into cultural moments. Here are highlights as well as footage ICYMI.

● Opening Night at Radio City Music Hall was a stellar evening for the world premiere of Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of our Lives. Following the documentary, the sold out crowd was treated to a once in a lifetime concert with legendary musicians Jennifer Hudson, Barry Manilow, Earth, Wind & Fire, Kenny G, Dionne Warwick, and Aretha Franklin.

o Concert footage: http://bit.ly/OpeningFilmCliveDavisConcert

● Sean “Diddy” Combs aka Puff Daddy held court on the red carpet and on stage for the world premiere of Can't Stop Won't Stop: The Bad Boy Story at the Beacon Theatre. The hip hop doc was followed by a celebratory reunion concert with Bad Boy originals Faith Evans, Lil’ Kim and Mase.

○ Concert footage: http://bit.ly/CantStopWontStopconcert

● Musician and actor Common performed a lively and soulful concert, including the debut of a new song, following his Tribeca Talks: Storytellers conversation with director/screenwriter Nelson George, and the screening of a never-before-seen extended version of Letter to the Free (Directed by Bradford Young).

○ Concert and talk clips: http://bit.ly/CommonAtTribeca

● The inaugural Tribeca Games Festival kicked off with a performance by British electronic music producer and multi-instrumentalist Mura Masa who had the crowd on their feet.

○ Concert broll: http://bit.ly/MuraMasabroll

● Early 80s punk and new wave music was reinvigorated at the world premiere screening of Dare to be Different, which chronicles the Long Island, New York radio station WLIR that introduced the music to the U.S. The post-screening concert included members of A Flock of Seagulls, The Alarm, and Dave Wakeling of The English Beat.

● Legendary blues artist Taj Mahal teamed up with environmental artist Wyland and the Wyland Blues Planet Band to perform a concert at the Festival Hub following the premiere of Wyland’s short film Blues Planet: Triptych, which explores the Gulf oil spill disaster and its aftermath.

TRIBECA TV

● As the television landscape continues to evolve in cinematic directions, Tribeca offered a special treat for TV fans, blowing up the small screen to theatrical proportions and bringing it to life with in-person talks from the dynamic storytellers on both sides of the camera. The second annual Tribeca TV Festival featured 15 shows with five series premieres including The Handmaid’s Tale [Video of talk with cast and creators]and Genius [Video of talk with cast and creators], four season premieres including Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Episodes, [Video of talk with cast and creators] and Another Period [Video of talk with cast and creators] three independent pilots, one feature documentary, and one very special sneak peek. Audiences responded with packed theaters… because TV is better shared.

● The Sinner director Antonio Campos on premiering at Tribeca: “Film festivals all over the world are recognizing what television is doing, and I think it’s really appropriate that Tribeca is showing TV shows, and I’m really honored to show it here in my hometown.” While Paul Reiser of There’s… Johnny!’ said about the Tribeca Film Festival: “What’s cooler than being here in New York City?”

● Tribeca’s Jane Rosenthal presented legendary documentarian Ken Burns with the Citizens Filmmaker Award, and then the audience was treated to a special one-hour sneak peek of his upcoming 18-hour PBS documentary, The Vietnam War. [Video of Ken Burns receiving award]

TRIBECA GAMES

● The inaugural Tribeca Games Festival premiered to sold-out enthusiastic crowds. The Festival kicked off with the New York premiere of Telltale Games’ first-ever crowd play of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale series, Episode 1 and a concert with British electronic producer and multi-instrumentalist Mura Masa, which brought down the house. Saturday featured a captivated crowd for keynotes withsome of the top game creators, including legendary creator Hideo Kojima, who flew in from Japan, Ken Levine, and Sam Lake – each of whom has transformed the industry with their unique and visionary storytelling.

● Why a Games Festival? Tribeca Co-Founder Jane Rosenthal said to the crowd, “At the end of the day, good storytelling is good storytelling, no matter the medium.”

IMMERSIVE

Tribeca’s Immersive program continued to push the boundaries of storytelling through technology and creativity with 31 virtual reality (VR) and innovative experiences and installations from top creators and emerging artists, including 22 world premieres. Top creators in attendance included Chris Milk and Aaron Koblin of Within, Félix Lajeunesse and Paul Raphaël of Felix & Paul Studios, Gabo Arora, Maureen Fan and Eric Darnell of Baobab Studios, Eugene Chung and Jimmy Maidens of Penrose Studios, Imraan Ismail, Saschka Unseld of Oculus Story Studios, Marshmallow Laser Feast, and more.

[Broll video of the Virtual Arcade: http://bit.ly/BrollofVirtualArcade]

Director Kathryn Bigelow and co-creator Imraan Ismail were joined on stage by surprise panelist Hillary Rodham Clinton during the Tribeca Talks: Virtual Reality, to discuss the world premiere of the virtual reality documentary short The Protectors: Walk in the Ranger's Shoes, which follows the rangers fighting to save the African elephant from poachers. Also on the panel were Andrea Heydlauf with African Parks, and Rachel Webber from National Geographic.

● [CLIP - FB, Instagram] Clinton

Acclaimed director Alejandro González Iñárritu declared “VR is everything cinema is not” during his Tribeca Talk with Marina Abramović.

● [CLIP - FB, Twitter] Iñárritu - “VR is everything cinema is not.”

● [STILL - Twitter] Iñárritu with creator Chris Milk

TRIBECA TALKS

Over 20 Tribeca Talks took place over the 12 day festival with remarkable pairings that only happen at Tribeca. Highlights from the program include:

The Storytellers Series, which celebrates those who have pioneered their own forms of storytelling across multiple mediums, included conversations with:

● Barbra Streisand with Robert Rodriguez

○ [CLIP] Streisand on sexism

○ [CLIP] Streisand - “People would say 'how do you hold the notes so long?' and I said 'Because I want to.'"

○ [CLIP] Streisand - on fear. “Fear is like an engine to create.”

● Bruce Springsteen with Tom Hanks

● Lena Dunham & Jenni Konner with America Ferrera

○ [Full Facebook livestream]

○ [CLIP - Twitter] Konner & Dunham on an interview question that triggered a "rage-spiral blackout"

○ [CLIP - FB, Twitter] Konner & Dunham reveal that they want Ferrera to run for office

● Kobe Bryant & Glen Keane with Michael Strahan

○ [Full Facebook livestream]

○ [CLIP - FB, Twitter] Bryant: "The best way to inspire the next generation of athletes is through story."

● Common with Nelson George

○ [CLIP - Twitter] Common on director Ava DuVernay

○ [BROLL] - Concert and talk clips. Video credit: Tribeca Film Festival; Still image credit: Carolyn Amuaro for Street Dreams

The Directors Series brought together some of today's most groundbreaking filmmakers to discuss their careers and highlights including:

● Director Alejandro González Iñárritu with Marina Abramović

○ [CLIP - Twitter] Iñárritu - "Filmmaking is an art that is not just born by one moment of inspiration."

○ [CLIP - Twitter] Iñárritu on what he’s learned from working with actors

● Director Noah Baumbach with Dustin Hoffman

○ [CLIP - Twitter] Hoffman on the improvisational backstory for his iconic Midnight Cowboy line.

● Director Jon Favreau with Scarlett Johansson

● Director Paul Feig with Michael Che

Tribeca Talks: Master Class returned this year to give attendees of the free event series an inside look at the filmmaking process with conversations focusing on cinematography, production design, sound design, and digital distribution.

● Academy Award®-nominated cinematographer Ellen Kuras took the audience behind the camera, from choosing the right lenses to crafting a specific vision.

● Production designers Anne Ross & Scott Dougan spoke about creating the overall look and feel of different worlds and times.

● During the Dolby: Image and Sound Master Class, composer/sound designer Imogen Heap and co-directors Limbert Fabian and Brandon Oldenburg discussed the audio techniques used to tell the compelling story of their new animated short, Escape.

● The Future of Independent Film Distribution Master Class brought Amazon Video Direct's Matthew Norman and Dan Truong and Kino Lorber’s Richard Lorber together for a conversation about how digital technologies have impacted the way filmgoers consume movies and the new challenges and opportunities for the business of releasing them.

Tribeca Talks: Podcasts - Live from The Tribeca Film Festival

● Acclaimed comedian and actor Gilbert Gottfried and co-host Frank Santopadre were joined by Oscar-winning director Barry Levinson (Rain Man) for a live recording of their hilarious and informative podcast Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast!

● Slate’s Trumpcast explored the first 100 days of the Trump administration with host Jacob Weisberg and guests Slate Chief Political Correspondent Jamelle Bouie and author Virginia Heffernan.

● Franchesca Ramsey joined host Aisha Harris for Slate’s Represent podcast, which explores culture created by women, people of color, and those in the LGBTQ community.

N.O.W. (New Online Work)

Tribeca N.O.W. is a program that discovers, highlights, and celebrates New Online Work from independent storytellers creating and sharing their work in the online space.

N.O.W. Special Screenings, featuring high profile content from the industry’s leading online networks and talent.

● On Earth Day, Tribeca premiered Awake, A Dream From Standing Rock, a documentary that captures the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s peaceful resistance against the Dakota Access pipeline. An illuminating and moving panel followed with the filmmakers, Floris White Bull and moderator Doug Good Feather. The doc was then made available to stream for free immediately after the credits rolled on the film’s website

● Crypt TV’s Monster Madness, a series of several character shorts from the digital brand's scaremakers debuted. Eli Roth joined the Crypt TV team and filmmakers for a conversation after the screening on the future of genre filmmaking and opportunities for up and coming horror creators.

○ [Full Facebook livestream] Eli Roth, Crypt TV Chief Content Officer, Kate Krantz, and Crypt TV filmmakers, moderator Crypt TV CEO & Co-Founder, Jack Davis.

● Out of This World: Female Filmmakers in Genre brought fresh voices into the genre sphere with the premiere of diverse works from three trailblazing female filmmakers

Tribeca N.O.W. Showcase brought the latest work from 10 independent online creators to the big screen as official Tribeca selections. The curated group of creators, which included Bonnie Wright (Harry Potter), were also invited to showcase a piece of their past work on www.tribecafilm.com during the Festival.

TRIBECA X AWARD

The second annual Tribeca X Award went to Chris Fonseca: Keep It Moving, directed by Zachary Heinzerling for Smirnoff Ice by 72andSunny. The Tribeca X Award highlights excellence in creative, original and authentic storytelling that is sponsored or underwritten by a brand. Tribeca and The Atlantic – through its in-house content studio, Atlantic Re:think – announced the winner during the Festival at a special screening event. The short film was one of ten finalists selected from a field of 600 entries that represented the best in storytelling at the intersection of advertising and entertainment from the past year.

ICYMI: FACEBOOK LIVESTREAMS

FILM

45th anniversary of The Godfather with Francis Ford Coppola

https://www.facebook.com/Tribeca/videos/vl.711800555690147/10155341025099758/?type=1&theater

15th anniversary of Bowling for Columbine with Michael Moore

https://www.facebook.com/Tribeca/videos/vl.711800555690147/10155320484144758/?type=1&theater

Copwatch with director Camilla Hall and subjects

https://www.facebook.com/Tribeca/videos/vb.10854154757/10155328600259758/?type=2&theater

The Clapper with director Dito Montiel and cast including Ed Helms and Tracey Morgan

https://www.facebook.com/Tribeca/videos/vb.10854154757/10155329775264758/?type=2&theater

Dumb: The Story of Big Brother Magazine with director Patrick O'Dell, subjects Bam Margera, Steve-O, and more

https://www.facebook.com/Tribeca/videos/vl.711800555690147/10155341213294758/?type=1&theater

World premiere of House of Z with director Sandy Chronopoulos and Zac Posen interviewed by André Leon Talley

https://www.facebook.com/Tribeca/videos/vl.711800555690147/10155325921989758/?type=1&theater

Take Me with director Pat Healy and cast

https://www.facebook.com/Tribeca/videos/vb.10854154757/10155335623534758/?type=2&theater

TRIBECA TV

World premiere of Genius with Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson, and more cast and creators

https://www.facebook.com/Tribeca/videos/vl.711800555690147/10155319648234758/?type=1&theater

World premiere of The Handmaid’s Tale with cast and creators

https://www.facebook.com/Tribeca/videos/vl.711800555690147/10155322818189758/?type=1&theater

World premiere of new season of Another Period

https://www.facebook.com/Tribeca/videos/vl.711800555690147/10155337694094758/?type=1&theater

Season premiere of Episodes with creators and Matt LeBlanc

https://www.facebook.com/Tribeca/videos/vb.10854154757/10155349857539758/?type=2&theater

TRIBECA TALKS

Tribeca Talks: Storytellers - Lena Dunham & Jenni Konner with America Ferrera

https://www.facebook.com/Tribeca/videos/vl.711800555690147/10155335040999758/?type=1&theater

Tribeca Talks: Storytellers - Kobe Bryant & Glen Keane with Michael Strahan

https://www.facebook.com/Tribeca/videos/vl.711800555690147/10155328886974758/?type=1&theater

N.O.W. (NEW ONLINE WORK)

Conversation with Eli Roth following a Crypt TV program

https://www.facebook.com/Tribeca/videos/vl.711800555690147/10155335126699758/?type=1&theater

Conversation after premiere of AWAKE, A Dream From Standing Rock Q&A with Digital Smoke Signals and Josh Fox

https://www.facebook.com/PeopleForBernie/videos/vb.1645816202305254/1981211898765681/?type=2&theater

Movie Reviews and News

Tribeca Film Festival Audience Award Winners

2017-05-02T12:42:00.003+01:00

NEW YORK, NY– April 29, 2017 –The 2017 Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, tonight announced the winners of the two Audience Awards, sponsored by AT&T. Two awards – one for narrative and one for documentary – were given to the audience choices for the best films. The Divine Order (Die göttliche Ordnung), directed and written by Petra Volpe was chosen to receive the Narrative award and Hondros, directed by Greg Campbell, written by Greg Campbell, Jenny Golden, was chosen for the Documentary award. Each award comes with a cash prize of $10,000. Additionally, as part of the Tribeca Film Festival Artists Awards program, Divine Order receives R.H. Quaytman: Delphi Landscape, 2017, and Hondros receives Urs Fischer boomboomboom, 2016, The Transit of Venus (Melanie). The winners were announced at the celebration of the 45^th anniversary of The Godfather at Radio City Music Hall, which closed out the Festival’s 16^th edition.

“It is always exited to see what resonates most with the audience, and this year both the narrative and documentary winners represent smart filmmaking and impactful storytelling,” said Tribeca Film Festival’s Paula Weinstein. “On behalf of the Tribeca team, we congratulate The Divine Order and Hondros as the 2017 Audience Award winners, and hope moviegoers worldwide get to experience these powerful films.”

The runners-up were Saturday Church, directed and written by Damon Cardasis, for the narrative audience award and Shadowman, directed and written by Oren Jacoby, for the documentary audience award. Throughout the Festival, which kicked off on April 19, audience members voted by using the official Tribeca Film Festival app on their mobile devices and rating the film they just experienced on a scale of 1-5 stars. Films in the U.S. Narrative Competition, International Narrative Competition, World Documentary Competition, Viewpoints, Spotlight, Specials, and Midnight sections were eligible.

Audience award winners and runners-up will screen Sunday April 30 at Cinépolis Cinema Chelsea along with the winners selected by the Tribeca Film Festival Jury, which were announced on April 27.

· Hondros: 12pm & 4pm

· Divine Order: 6:15pm & 9pm

· Shadowman: 6:30pm

· Saturday Church: 4:00pm

ABOUT THE AUDIENCE AWARD WINNING FILMS AND RUNNERS-UP:

WINNERS

The Divine Order (Die göttliche Ordnung), directed and written by Petra Volpe. (Switzerland) - International Premiere. Political leaders in Switzerland cited ‘Divine Order’ as the reason why women still did not have the right to vote as late as 1970. Director Petra Volpe explores this surprising history through the story of Nora, a quiet housewife from a quaint village searching for the fierce suffragette leader inside her. With Marie Leuenberger, Max Simonischek, Rachel Braunschweig, Sibylle Brunner, Marta Zoffoli, Bettina Stucky. In Swiss-German with subtitles.

· The film played in the International Narrative Competition section.

Hondros, directed by Greg Campbell, written by Greg Campbell, Jenny Golden. (USA) - World Premiere. Beginning with the war in Kosovo in 1999, award-winning photographer Chris Hondros served as a witness to conflict for over a decade before being killed in Libya in 2011. In Hondros, director and childhood friend Greg Campbell creates a portrait of a man with not only great depth and sensitivity, but a passion for his craft, and an unending talent for creating breathtaking imagery. Executive produced by Jake Gyllenhaal. In Arabic, English with subtitles.

· The film played in the Spotlight Documentary section.

RUNNERS UP

Saturday Church, directed and written by Damon Cardasis. (USA) - World Premiere. 14-year-old Ulysses is a shy and effeminate teen being raised in the Bronx by his strict Aunt Rose. He finds escape in a rich fantasy life of music and dance, and soon with a vibrant transgender youth community called Saturday Church. Damon Cardasis’ directorial debut is a rousing celebration of one boy’s search for his identity. With Luka Kain, Margot Bingham, Regina Taylor, Marquis Rodriguez, MJ Rodriguez, Indya Moore, Alexia Garcia.

· The film played in the U.S. Narrative Competition section.

Shadowman, directed and written by Oren Jacoby. (USA) - World Premiere. In the early 1980s, Richard Hambleton was New York City’s precursor to Banksy, a rogue street artist whose silhouette paintings haunted the sides of Manhattan buildings. Like so many other geniuses of his time, he fell victim to drug addiction, even as his work continued to rise in both demand and value. Shadowman doubles as both a time capsule of a forgotten New York City era, and a redemption story.

· The film played in the Documentary Competition section.

About the Tribeca Film Festival

The Tribeca Film Festival is a cultural event for the new age of storytelling that brings together visionaries across industries and diverse audiences. It celebrates the power of storytelling in a variety of forms – from film to TV, VR to online work, and music to gaming. As a platform for creative expression, independent filmmaking, and immersive entertainment, Tribeca champions emerging and established voices, discovers award-winning filmmakers and creators, curates innovative experiences, and introduces new technology and ideas through premieres, exhibitions, talks, and live performances.

The Festival was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff in 2001 to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of lower Manhattan following the attacks on the World Trade Center. With strong roots in independent film, the annual event has evolved into a destination for creativity, reimagines the cinematic experience, and explores how art can unite communities.

Movie Reviews and News

CAST REUNION OF THE GODFATHER AND THE GODFATHER PART II LIVE FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR HOME

2017-05-01T19:07:00.002+01:00

New York, NY [April 28, 2017] – The Tribeca Film Festival will bring the excitement of its sold-out closing night celebration directly to you with an exclusive, real time Facebook Live event on Saturday, April 29 at 8:10 PM EDT. A once-in-a-lifetime panel discussion about The Godfather saga with Academy Award^®-winning director Francis Ford Coppola and actors Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, and Robert De Niro, will be livestreamed from Radio City Music Hall to mark the 45^th anniversary of the iconic film. The 2017 Tribeca Film Festival and the discussion’s livestream are presented by AT&T.

The livestream is available exclusively via Facebook Live on the Tribeca Film Festival Facebook page at Facebook.com/Tribeca.

Saturday, April 29

8:10 PM: Closing Night The Godfather and The Godfather Part II Discussion

Join Tribeca live from famed Radio City Music Hall for a sold out discussion for the 45^th anniversary of The Godfather with Academy Award^®-winning director Francis Ford Coppola and actors Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, and Robert De Niro, moderated by director Taylor Hackford. The talk follows an epic back-to-back 45^th anniversary screenings of The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II.

Movie Reviews and News

Tribeca Film Festival announces winners of juried competition

2017-04-28T15:50:00.000+01:00

New York, NY [April 27, 2017] – The 16^th Tribeca Film Festival announced the winners of its competition categories at the awards ceremony tonight at BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center. Top awards went to Keep the Change for Best U.S. Narrative, Son of Sofia for Best International Narrative, and Bobbi Jene for Best Documentary. The Festival, presented by AT&T, runs through April 30, 2017.

Awards were distributed in the following feature film competition categories: U.S. Narrative, International Narrative, Documentary, New Narrative Director, The Albert Maysles New Documentary Director, and the Nora Ephron Prize, honoring a woman writer or director. Awards were also given in the short film categories: Narrative, Documentary, Student Visionary and Animation.

For the fifth year, Tribeca awarded innovation in storytelling through its Storyscapes Award for immersive storytelling, which went to TREEHUGGER: WAWONA.

“It is more important than ever to celebrate artists both in front of and behind the camera who have the unique ability to share different viewpoints to inspire, challenge and entertain us,” said Jane Rosenthal, Executive Chair and Co-Founder, Tribeca Film Festival. “The winning creators from across the Festival program shared stories that did exactly that, and we are honored to recognize them tonight. And how wonderful is it that the top awards in all five feature film categories were directed by women.”

This year’s Festival included 97 feature length films, 57 short films, and 30 immersive storytelling projects from 41 countries.

The Festival’s competition categories continue to incorporate storytelling in all its forms with two awards that were given out earlier in the week, the Tribeca X Award, a juried section recognizing the intersection of advertising and entertainment, and the first Tribeca Snapchat Short Award, a new official category.

Screenings of the award–winning films will take place throughout the final day of the Festival: Sunday, April 30, at various venues. Specific times and ticketing information are available at www.tribecafilm.com/festival

The winners of the Audience Awards, powered by AT&T, which are determined by audience votes throughout the Festival via the Festival app, will be announced on April 29.

In addition to cash awards and in-kind services provided by sponsors including AT&T, CHANEL, CNN Films, Netflix, and Nutella, the Festival presented the winners with original pieces of art created by contemporary artists: Urs Fischer, Walton Ford, John Giorno, Ella Kruglyanskaya, Jorge Pardo, R.H. Quaytman, Sterling Ruby, Aurel Schmidt, Ryan Sullivan, as well as longtime supporter Stephen Hannock.

Movie Reviews and News

Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar's Revenge

2017-04-28T09:55:00.000+01:00

Still haven't seen the 4th film yet... tbh I thought after seeing the 3rd one that it was starting to look rather tired. However I still want to see On Stranger Tides so I guess that counts for something. As for this one, from the trailer it seems that the dialogue is going to be good, and it looks like we're guaranteed a rollicking ride.

Er... so anyway, here's the trailer:

Movie Reviews and News

The Last Word - Trailer

2017-04-28T09:45:00.001+01:00

Well... I dunno, looks like it could be fun.

Movie Reviews and News

The Circle - Trailer

2017-04-27T22:07:00.002+01:00

Tom Hanks as the bad guy? Could it be?!

Movie Reviews and News

Table 19 - Trailer

2017-04-27T22:00:00.002+01:00

Came upon this one purely by chance and... you know, it looks like it might just be endearingly oddball enough to work. Maybe.

Movie Reviews and News

David Hasselhoff stars as The Hoffbot in hyper-surreal short-film about A.I - IT'S NO GAME

2017-04-27T21:42:00.000+01:00

David Hasselhoff’s larger than life character will be appearing as The Hoffbot, in BAFTA-winning director Oscar Sharp’s latest short film, IT’S NO GAME. The film sees the former Baywatch and Knight Rider star being controlled by an A.I, named Benjamin, an algorithm specifically designed to write movies.

Eerily verging on the surreal truth, the critically acclaimed director used the afore-mentioned creative algorithm, Benjamin, to write the film. Benjamin was also pivotal in the creation of Sharp’s previous critically acclaimed short film, Sunspring, alongside AI Researcher, Ross Goodwin.

The lines of reality and fiction become blurred in It’s No Game, as the notion of an algorithm writing films quickly hits home, considering the film was in fact, written by an algorithm. With creative thinking supposedly being one of the defining traits of humanity, how soon before these definitions are broken down and we are no longer able to tell the difference between AI and human thinking?

It's No Game was made as part of the 48 Hour Film Challenge at the Sci-Fi London Film Festival – Running from from 27 April – 6 May https://sci-fi-london.com/

(Calling this "weird" doesn't even begin to explain it!)

Movie Reviews and News

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Official Teaser

2017-04-14T19:03:00.002+01:00

Movie Reviews and News

OCCUPANTS | SCI-FI-LONDON 17 | TRAILER

2017-04-08T21:58:00.003+01:00

More about the SCI-FI-LONDON FILM FESTIVAL 2017

Movie Reviews and News

THE END OF THE LONELY ISLAND | SCI-FI-LONDON 17 | Trailer

2017-04-08T21:53:00.001+01:00

More about the SCI-FI-LONDON FILM FESTIVAL 2017

Movie Reviews and News

THE LAST SCOUT | SCI-FI-LONDON 17 | Trailer

2017-04-08T21:47:00.001+01:00

More about the SCI-FI-LONDON FILM FESTIVAL 2017

Movie Reviews and News

VIRTUAL REVOLUTION | SCI FI LONDON 17 | TRAILER

2017-04-07T23:55:00.004+01:00

More about the SCI-FI-LONDON FILM FESTIVAL 2017

Movie Reviews and News

YESTERDAY LAST YEAR | SCI FI LONDON 17 | TRAILER

2017-04-07T23:52:00.000+01:00

More about the SCI-FI-LONDON FILM FESTIVAL 2017

Movie Reviews and News

CAUGHT | SCI FI LONDON 17 | TEASER CLIP

2017-04-07T23:48:00.003+01:00

More about the SCI-FI-LONDON FILM FESTIVAL 2017

Movie Reviews and News

GAMESHOW | SCI FI LONDON INTERACTIVE CINEMA | trailer

2017-04-07T23:46:00.001+01:00

More about the SCI-FI-LONDON FILM FESTIVAL 2017

Movie Reviews and News

SCI-FI-LONDON Film Festival 2017 Launches its Landing in London on 27th APRIL - 6th MAY

2017-04-07T15:20:00.000+01:00

UK: London, Thursday 6^th April 2017 – Today the SCI-FI-LONDON FILM FESTIVAL 2017 launches its astronomical 17^th annual programme which will run from the 27^th April until the 6^th May 2017 across London with ten days of amazing film, live music, immersive experiences and more. It will showcase a fantastic lineup with 6 world film premieres, 13 UK film premieres, 11 world short premieres and 13 UK short premieres. It will host 25 features, 51 shorts and 4 VR shorts alongside its regular classic cult events such as the 48 HOUR FILM CHALLENGE and SCI-FIDO, the world’s only cosplay for dogs!

Opening this year’s festival on the 27^th April at the Rich Mix is the UK Premiere of CAUGHT– a film that returns us to the great days of British Science fiction, directed by Jamie Patterson (Fractured), written and produced by Alex Francis (Moon) and starring April Pearson, Mickey Sumner and Cian Berry. It’s the story of a ‘work-from-home’ journalist couple who invite a man and woman, called Mr & Mrs Blair, into their idyllic village home. But what begins with an informal interview descends into a nightmarish fight for survival.

The festival’s Closing Night on the 6^th May at Stratford Picturehouse is the World Premiere of THE RIZEN directed by Matt Mitchell and Taliesyn Mitchell and starring Lee Latchford-Evans, Laura Swift, Tom Goodman-Hill, Adrian Edmondson and Sally Phillips. The year is 1955. NATO and the Allied Forces have been conducting secret, occult experiments in a bid to win the Arms Race. Now, they have finally succeeded but what the Army has unleashed threatens to tear our world apart. One woman must lead the only survivors past horrors that the military has no way to control - and fight to close what should never have been opened.

This year we’ve teamed up with the Science Museum and their fantastic blockbuster Robots exhibition, to present a movie double-bill focusing on the world of artificial intelligence with A.I. AND EX MACHINA.

Special events don’t stop there. Screenwriter Darren Rapier and SCI-FI-LONDON’s Louis Savy will be hosting a Sci-fi SCREENWRITING WORKSHOP: ROBOTS & ROCKETS at the BFI on Sunday 30^th April 10.30am. It will take you through the process of creating a low-budget sci-fi screenplay, and provide a practical guide on how to choose the best ideas, then work them into a pitch, synopsis and script.

The festival will host electronic live music event from the future with KRAUTWERK at London’s Moth Club and Ramsgate Music Hall on the 5^th and 6^th May. SCI-FI-LONDON in association with PsychFI, Bad Vibrations and Snap Crackle & Pop are delighted to bring together one of the most exciting music collaborations in recent years. For the first time, Eberhard Kranemann (Piss Off, Kraftwerk, Neu) and Harald Grosskopf (Synthesist, Ash Ra Tempel, Klaus Shulze) will transmit live their cosmic sonic visions of TODAY, TOMORROW & BEYOND.

SCI-FIDO – THE WORLD’S ONLY COSPLAY FOR DOGS EVENT returns again this year on Sat 29th April at Juju’s Bar, The Old Truman Brewery in association with ALL DOGS MATTER for the Crufts of Science fiction! Do you have a four-legged friend who likes to dress up as a sci-fi character? Or a pooch that looks like Princess Leia? Bring them along to our ‘dressed-up dog’ photo session!

R.I.S.E – A DYSTOPIAN VR EXPERIENCE will play out on Mon 1st May catering for our trumpocalyptic and brexited, post post-modern lives. Maybe the robots should rule?! But what if the malaise gets to them too? Who wants to work to survive when we have such wonderful technology at our fingertips? SCI-FI-LONDON and PsychFI have produced an immersive experience in VR to give you a taste of how our robot friends cope with their utopia. Developed by leading VR house, beLoudest, the experience will be available on IoS and Android for all good smartphones and will work in your lovely Google Cardboard or headset of choice.

Augmented, virtual, enhanced, trans or multimedia – it’s ‘mixed up’. A few brands have led the way - adding a VR thing here, an AR thing there – but does it really make any difference and does this usual corporate approach get to the audience in a way that makes them care? #HACKSTOCK: BEYOND 2017 on the 5^th and 6^th May at The Trampery in Old St is our answer – bringing creators, makers, disrupters, artists, musicians, hackers, developers and you together in one place to talk it, think it, do it and play with it. And it’s Free! We have every flavour of headset - from cardboard to HoloLens and a myriad of other toys to play with. Our discussions are around the Talkaoke table. It’s informal, organic and not as arsey as this sounds! Like looking at the ocean, you think you know all about it... but underneath the surface there is a whole ecosystem we have hardly explored.

Other major Film Premiere Galas this year include the UK Premiere of BLUE WORLD ORDER directed by Ché Baker and Dallas Bland, starring Billy Zane, Stephen Hunter, Bruce Spence, Jack Thompson. The film is set in a post-apocalyptic world in which civilisation has crumbled. A massive electromagnetic pulse has killed all children on the planet, with the exception of Molly (Billie Rutherford), the daughter of Jake Slater (Jake Ryan). Mad Max meets Star Wars? With a car chase in the desert by 7 DeLoreans this will hopefully be a reference for other films of the future.

Celebrating its World Premiere, FLORA is a brilliant début for director Sasha Louis Vukovic, whose excellent cast deliver a refreshing take on the ‘monster-in-the-woods’ canon. Set in the spring of 1929 near the end of a golden age of exploration, an expedition of Ivy League University Botanists enter an uncharted forest on the North American frontier. Tasked to study the native flora, the students unearth a deadly organism and are soon in a fight with nature itself.

NEIL STRYKER AND THE TYRANT OF TIME Directed by Rob Taylor and starring David Ogden Stiers, Rob Taylor and Walter Koenig, this is a cult film in the making. Set in a future time, Neil Stryker is a hardened Elite Forces agent famous for hunting and capturing his former mentor and villainous time-traveller, ‘The Mad Scientist’. Following a magnificent escape, the Mad Scientist rains down chaos on the city in a quest for revenge. Stryker must now race through time and do battle with goblins, robots, and ten-foot killer penguins in order to save the world and rescue his son from the clutches of his infamous former mentor. This sci-fi/comedy feature is a 1980s throwback where every set, every effect, every puppet was crafted by dedicated artists, some of whom might get time off for good behaviour!

Other World Premieres include YESTERDAY LAST YEAR directed by Jeff Hanley and written by Adam Bradley, this is a brilliant debut on time travel with lots of loopholes and paradoxes. SUBLIMATE, directed by Roger Armstrong and John Hickman, is based on a short film made for the SFL 48hr Challenge and is a beautiful, raw, unflinching, nihilistic satire on twenty first century life – a tale of idiocy, delusion and obsession. LOVE AND SAUCERS, directed by Brad Abrahams, is a documentary exploring issues of time, space and fractured identity.

UNSPEAKABLE HORRORS: THE PLAN 9 CONSPIRACY, directed by Jose Prendes, is a docu-film focussed on Ed Wood who unleashed PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE in 1959 to an audience not yet ready to look beyond the limitations of budget to what was really being said in the film. The film received a remarkable amount of backlash that, not only ruined many a career (including Eddie's), but gained the film the unwanted prize of 'Worst Movie Ever Made'. This film attempts to set the record straight by highlighting the unspeakable horrors that Ed Wood was trying to shed a light on with the help of some of the genre's best and brightest inducing: Joe Dante, Mick Garris, Fred Olen Ray, Brian Yuzna, and Larry Kraszewski and Scott Alexander (who wrote Tim Burton's ED WOOD), among many others. “Remember, my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future” Criswell.

Other UK Premieres include: SPACE DETECTIVE directed by Antonio Llapur featuring galactic gangsters, interstellar visuals and an out of this world soundtrack and dry wit in vast amounts - this is not to be missed! DOMAIN about a deadly virus directed by Nathaniel Atcheson also celebrates its UK Premiere as well as THE FITZROY, directed by Andrew Harmer. The Fitzroy Hotel, set in a post-apocalyptic 1950s, is a derelict submarine beached just off Margate, and the last place for a traditional summer holiday. A joyous black comedy, think Basil Fawlty running the Crimson Tide.

THE END OF THE LONELY ISLAND directed by Ren Chao Wang from China is set against the backdrop of a deadly plague spreading across the Earth, the ‘Bi’an’ (“another shore”) project is humanity’s first interstellar exploration. The ‘Shenzhou 20’ starship has set off toward the Centaurus planetary system but now this scientific journey has become the last hope for human civilization. China is becoming known for producing effects-heavy action movies for the international market, but a few independent filmmakers are making superb high-concept science fiction, which is why we are excited to bring Ren Chao Wang’s début feature to the UK.

We are used to cameras everywhere, recording everything we do – what if they capture things our eyes cannot see? OCCUPANTS, directed by Russ Emanuel and starring Robert Picardo and Briana White has been a worldwide film festival hit. It’s a cutting edge and brilliantly performed thriller that puts a new twist on ‘found-footage’.

THE IMMIGRATION GAME, directed by Krystof Zlatnik is set in a Europe that has closed its borders to millions of refugees. Only Germany continues to offer citizenship if you compete and survive a new TV show called “Immigration Game". The show is a manhunt through Berlin where every citizen can become a Hunter to track down refugees and stop them from winning their priceless German citizenship. In 2017 we are talking about immigration, wall-building and travel bans and the far-right being is called ‘populist’! The premise of this film could never happen right… Right?

Snowden, Assange, and even the Russians have ‘allegedly’ been putting leaked information online for a while now. When KAOS, a group of anonymous activists find some footage in a Snowden file that reveals the events surrounding the disappearance of four teenagers, they put it out there to try and get some answers. THE KAOS BRIEF, directed by JP Mandarino also celebrates its UK Premiere.

THE LAST SCOUT, directed by Simon Phillips, is ambitious and will appeal to old-school Sci-fi enthusiasts. It is also set in 2065 when Earth is rendered uninhabitable by war and humanity’s remaining survivors send a fleet of ships to different points in the galaxy in the hope of finding a new world.

DIVERGE, by US director James Morrison, follows the aftermath of a global pandemic when a survivor searches for ways to cure his wife of a deadly virus. In movie shorthand, you could use TWELVE MONKEYS meets PRIMER as a reference, as it deals with similar ideas and is brilliantly constructed on its modest budget, however it packs a feisty punch in the time-travel genre. Winner of the Siren Award for Best International Feature at the 2016 Lund Fantastic Film Festival.

MAGELLAN, directed by Rob York, follows seasoned astronaut Roger Nelson who is picked to pilot a mission that will challenge his skills and test the life he leaves behind. After NASA picks up a trio of mysterious signals from within our solar system, Nelson is dispatched on a multi-year trip aboard the Magellan spacecraft to investigate the sources. What he discovers will change our understanding of science and our place in the universe. Magellan delivers a credible high-concept science fiction. If they asked you, would you go?

For the full line up visit the website: sci-fi-london.com #SFL17

Movie Reviews and News

TVPlayer expands to games consoles, starting off with Xbox

2017-04-07T12:01:00.001+01:00

London – April 7th, 2017 - TVPlayer, the UK-based streaming service, announced today that it is now available to download on Xbox One and Xbox One S games consoles.

Xbox users now have access to 100+ TV channels, on demand and live - with no contract and on any device within the TVPlayer app. The TVPlayer Plus service will also be available to users for just £5.99 a month, offering an additional 25+ premium channels including Discovery Channel, TLC, Eurosport 1 and History, as well as a 7-day catch-up service.

Xbox users, with an Xbox One or an Xbox One S, who wish to download TVPlayer simply go to the app store and download the app for free in order to start enjoying the content. TVPlayer is the first TV viewing app available to Xbox gamers in the UK with 100+ broadcast channels.

Since being founded in 2014, TVPlayer can boast over 1 million active users and over 3 million app downloads in the UK. The TV viewing platform is already available across a range of devices, including desktop, iOS, Android, Windows 10, Amazon Fire Stick, Apple TV and Samsung TV.

Rob Hodgkinson, Chief Operating Officer of TVPlayer, said: “We are pleased to announce that our fast-growing audience will now be able to enjoy our premium content on the Xbox. Games consoles, which generate over a third of all video views, represent a key pillar in our platform strategy. Xbox is the first games console to launch with TVPlayer and we anticipate further launches over the coming months.”

Movie Reviews and News

Snapchat Shorts - Finalists announced

2017-04-06T22:54:00.003+01:00

The 2017 Tribeca Snapchat Shorts five finalists through submissions include:

Live Colorfully, directed by Brannen Haderle, Alex Berry, Stanley Kalu.

A young father steps out of the comfort zone of his mundane lifestyle to further connect with his son.

Bios: Brannen Haderle: Born and raised in Los Angeles, USC Sophomore and an avid Snapchat enthusiast. Alex Berry: Brooklynite before it was trendy, USC Sophomore. Favorite movie: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Stanley Kalu: Born in Nigeria and raised all over Africa. USC Sophomore.

Snapchat: bhaddzzz

Magic Show, directed by Annie Hubbard.

The only attendee to Peter's traditional magic show is preoccupied with her phone, and he must discover a way to get her attention.

Bio: Annie Hubbard is a director and editor currently working as a production coordinator with Notable Pictures.

Snapchat: anne-droid

The Notebook Snapstory, directed by Jeff Ayars.

A young woman spends a lazy Sunday with Ryan Gosling.

Bio: Jeff Ayars is one-half of the comedy duo Cannibal Milkshake, and he produces, directs and acts in projects around NYC.

Snapchat: JEFFAYARS

Puppy Love, directed by Doug Larlham, Sarah Albonesi.

From within his LA apartment, a precocious dog fears he is losing the affections of his owner to her new flame.

Bios: Doug and Sarah are longtime friends who only just decided to start creating stories together, and this is their first project as a team. Look forward to more to come from them.

Snapchat: dougcomedy

Owen Wilson Dates Himself, directed by Anna Roisman.

In this quaint romantic art film, Owen Wilson explores life with his one true love. But does that make them a perfect match?

Bio: Anna Roisman is a comedian/actress/creator in Brooklyn whose work has been featured on MTV, Just For Laughs, Funny Or Die, Elite Daily, Huffington Post, People, LA Times.

Snapchat: annaroserois

The 2017 Tribeca Snapchat Shorts from alumni filmmakers are:

The Future is Female, directed by Matt Wolf.

When online archivist Kelly Rakowski found a 1975 photograph of a woman wearing a t-shirt that says, “The Future is Female,” she shared it with her friend Rachel Berks, whose store Otherwild remade the shirt. The feminist slogan went viral and now twenty-five percent of the profits for the t-shirt goes to Planned Parenthood.

Bio: Matt Wolf’s feature docs include WILD COMBINATION about the avant-garde cellist and disco producer Arthur Russell, and TEENAGE about the birth of youth culture. His most recent short BAYARD & ME, about the civil rights leader Bayard Rustin premiered at Sundance.

Good Things Happen, directed by Boman Modine.

Sometimes there's a delay on karma.

Bio: Boman Modine is a director and producer living in Los Angeles who has a new appreciation for Snapchat.

New Look, directed by Dasha Battelle,Ani Acopian.

In a doodle-filled world, a stylist struggles to meet the needs of her difficult client.

Bio: Dasha and Ani both went to Wesleyan, but not at the same time. They have both worked at Snapchat, but not together. Dasha likes to doodle and Ani likes to make films. Sometimes they do this at the same time, and together.

READY, directed by Parker Hill.

A girl struggles to decide what to wear for the big night.

Bio: Parker Hill is a New York based writer and director. 2017 marks her third consecutive year of having a short film at Tribeca Film Festival. Parker is currently an artist of choice with the Kevin Spacey Foundation for her upcoming short film Homing In.

Strangers, directed by Natalia Leite.

A study on first impressions.

Bio: Natalia Leite is a Brazilian-born writer, director, and actor most-known for her debut feature BARE, starring Dianna Agron, her latest feature M.F.A., and her series BE HERE NOWISH.

Discovering and supporting emerging artists is at the heart of the Tribeca Film Festival’s mission to bring great stories to audiences across any screen. Tribeca is a leader in utilizing new platforms to showcase the next generation of storytellers who are pushing the boundaries of creativity through mobile.

Since Snapchat's launch in 2011, the app has consistently been one of the top apps on iOS and Android. Our community uses Snapchat every day to Snap with and watch Stories from family and friends, experience events from around the world and explore expertly-curated content from leading publishers.

Movie Reviews and News

TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL AND THE ATLANTIC ANNOUNCE FINALISTS FOR TRIBECA X AWARD

2017-04-04T18:16:00.001+01:00

New York, NY (April 3, 2017) – The Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, and The Atlantic -- through its in-house content studio, Atlantic Re:think -- today announced the finalists for the second annual Tribeca X Award. Ten finalists, 9 short films and 1 Virtual Reality project, were selected from a field of 600 entries that represent the best in storytelling at the intersection of advertising and entertainment from the past year. The award highlights excellence in creative, original and authentic storytelling that is sponsored or underwritten by a brand.

The selected projects were created by acclaimed filmmakers in partnership with a wide-ranging array of brands, including Apple, Beefeater, BMW, CHANEL, Diageo North America, Kenzo, Red Bull, Square, Visit Seattle, and YETI Coolers. The finalists include a futuristic short film with an A-list cast and action-packed driving stunts, a VR experience of an immersive play by “La Despensa” that follows the journey of Ulysses, a short film about a deaf choreographer who experiences and shares music and dance through waves of sound, and a short film that follows a bold woman’s climb to the tops of the Seven Summits. The selected projects can be viewed in a special section on TheAtlantic.com, created by Atlantic Re:think [theatlantic.com/sponsored/tribecax]. The winner will be announced during the Festival at a celebration and screening of the work on Monday, April 24, followed by a dinner supported by WHOSAY.

“Over the past year, branded content has grown leaps and bounds with an explosion of projects and collaborations. These finalists represent the best artist-brand pairings of the past year and demonstrate how authentic, original and creative storytelling truly rises above the rest,” said Andrew Essex, CEO of Tribeca Enterprises.

“Having partnered with some of the world’s most creative brands, Atlantic Re:think is an established arbiter of standout branded content,” said Hayley Romer, SVP and Publisher of The Atlantic. “It’s exciting to now have the opportunity to celebrate the best of the best across the industry – and bring this work to our audience, which has long embraced and engaged with brand storytelling.”

Eligible projects included scripted and documentary work for film, TV, digital, social, and virtual reality and/or augmented reality, in both feature and short length. The winner will be chosen by a jury that includes Joanna Coles, CCO at Hearst; Jae Goodman, CCO and Co-Head of Marketing of CAA; Tim & Eric (Comedy Duo) and Directors at PRETTYBIRD, Founders of Abso Lutely; Jenna Lyons, President and Creative Director of J.Crew; Eli Pariser, CEO of Upworthy; and a proprietary A.I. solution developed by Celtra, providing quantitative creative analysis based on performance data and insights from hundreds-of-thousands of video advertising campaigns powered by Celtra’s creative management platform.

The 10 finalists for the Tribeca X Award are:

BeefeaterXO

Brand: Beefeater

Directed by Jesús Hernandez

BeefeaterXO is an interactive experience inside the creative mind of the 3-Michelin-starred chef Dabiz Muñoz, where the viewer travels through 4 different cities in order to find the secrets behind the most avant-garde cocktails ever made.

Chris Fonseca: Keep It Moving

Brand: Diageo North America

Directed by Zachary Heinzerling

Deaf people are anything but disabled, and this film featuring the real story of deaf dancer Chris Fonseca proves it. Born profoundly deaf, Chris challenges the perceptions of disability as a social barrier by teaching his deaf students how to express themselves on the dance floor, inspiring self-confidence within them and pure awe in all of us.

The Escape

Brand: BMW

Directed by Neill Blomkamp

BMW Films were a groundbreaking series of eight short, online films released in 2001, starring Clive Owen as an enigmatic driver for hire who used a BMW for his thrilling exploits. To celebrate the film’s 15th anniversary, “The Escape” is a modern homage to the originals, with Clive Owen reprising his role as the driver and also starring Jon Bernthal and Dakota Fanning.

Five by Five

Brand: Visit Seattle

Directed by Terence Nance, Martha Stephens, Clea DuVall, Drew Christie and Ian Cheney

Five films by Five Filmmakers each exploring and celebrating Seattle through the lens of one of the five senses. Each film was conceived and directed by a celebrated independent filmmaker. The films cross genres including documentary, experimental, animation and scripted.

For Every Kind of Dream: Yassin Falafel

Brand: Square

Directed by Mohammad Gorjestani

Yassin Terou fled Syria with a suitcase and a few hundred dollars. He knew no one in Knoxville, Tennessee, and he spoke no English, but he went there to rebuild his life and pursue his dream of perfect falafel anyway. Every business starts with a dream, and Square exists to serve them—every kind of dream. “Yassin Falafel” is Square's first short film chronicling their remarkable sellers and their tireless pursuit of their dreams.

JellyWolf

Brand: CHANEL

Directed by Alma Har'el

JellyWolf is a feminine-spiritual coming of age story told through notes of scent. CHANEL N°5 L’Eau speaks to a new woman, who are often portrayed as beautiful creatures whose only desire is to be desired. This film is to inspire young women to remember their voice and to see each other.

Mavens: Jocelyn Cooper

Brand: Red Bull

Directed by Salima Koroma

Jocelyn Cooper left the top of music industry to start a movement. She is a partner in AFROPUNK, a festival that unifies people through music, film, skate, and art. She inspires perseverance and empowers an underserved population, and that's what makes her of a true maven.

The Realest Real

Brand: Kenzo

Directed by Carrie Brownstein

With social media ever more present in our lives, blurring the barriers between ordinary and instafamous, Kenzo invited writer and Director Carrie Brownstein to take a look at the invisible digital walls that separate us from our favorite stars, and the curious conceit of a dream come true.

Wasfia

Brand: Apple

Directed by Sean Kusanagi

As the first Bangladeshi to scale the Seven Summits, Wasfia Nazreen doesn't just climb for the thrill; she climbs for the women of her country. Lyrical and poetic, this short documentary explores what it means to pursue the unknown.

Yeti Presents

Brand: YETI Coolers

John Shocklee: A Fairy Tale

Directed by Ryan Heffernan and Grayson Schaffer

Refusing to act his age has worked out well for John Shocklee. The 52 year old has devoted his life to doing what he loves. Powered by old school hip hop and fresh powder, Shocklee makes turns down untamed slopes with the freedom of a man half his age.

Soul of a City

Directed by Berndt Mader

Austin, TX has a rich artistic history sometimes not seen in a sea of new residents. Neon artist Evan Voyles represents the inventive spirit that makes Austin a creative haven, and his work continues to light up landmarks across our capital city.

Movie Reviews and News