The last Tribeca Film Festival finished on a high note as Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese screened “King of Comedy” marking the thirtieth anniversary of the film’s release. With its knife-sharp commentary on celebrity and the vagaries of fandom "King of Comedy" not only still holds up thirty years later but is just as relevant today as it was then. In “King” stage-door autograph ... more >
FESTIVALS | TRIBECA
The women filmmakers of Tribeca
Several noted directors in program this year
The twelfth edition of the almost-venerable Tribeca Film Festival wrapped up last week, leaving the impression that women filmmakers had made a stronger mark than ever. Did it signal a paradigm shift? Contrary to what many believe, women have stood peering into a viewfinder ever since silent-film era actress/director Mabel Normand yelled “action” to Charlie Chaplin on the Keystone lot ... more >
Short on Time
Highlights from this year's shorts program
Most people believe Tribeca is all about the big pictures. However what makes it fun and different is what I believe are the backbone of most film festivals, as they are both the stepping stone for filmmakers and the quicker way to see more entertainment in a minimal amount of time; the short films. There were several this year that not only had more production and entertainment value then the ... more >
Oxyana
An unblinking look at a town's drug-fueled ravages
Directed by Sean Dunne
Documentary
Sean Dunne's new documentary “Oxyana” was awarded a Special Jury Prize at the last Tribeca Film Festival, and it's easy to see why. Capitalizing on the current rage over oddball slice-of-life docs (see “The Queen of Versailles,”etc.), Dunne's straightforward portrait of a desolate West Virginia mining town ravaged by prescription drug abuse (Oceana, West Virginia, nicknamed “Oxyana” ... more >
Tribeca and Vine
Really, really short short films also featured this year
During the 2013 edition of the Tribeca Film Festival which closed yesterday event organizers ran a competition on its website which everyone could participate in: a Vine contest, featuring videos made in the now-famous six-second format. This is a great innovation for this festival created in 2002 by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff which focuses short films, documentaries, ... more >
The Pretty One
Keep an eye out for Jenee LaMarque
If "charming" were a category at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, “The Pretty One” would be at the top of that list. The fact that the film could attain that term after overcoming an early, tragic event vital to the film's plot is a testament to the performances within. Any one genre is difficult to explore but “The Pretty One” manages to incorporate several. According to the film’s ... more >
Sharon Badal | SHORT FILM AT TRIBECA
Short Film programmer gives a few rules of thumb
I recently caught up with Sharon Badal, Short Film Programmer of the Tribeca Festival, and what I learned in thirty minutes could land dozens of books on “How to Make Short Films” in the recycle bin. Sharon's information about this underrated and experimental format, which has long been a filmmaker’s stepping stone, both confirmed some festival dos and donts and disproved some long-held ... more >
