Tribeca Film Festival Spotlight

For the past week and a half, the Tribeca Film Festival has been announcing its selections for this year's Spotlight and Midnight sections and the new Storyscapes section to take place from April 17 - April 28.

The Spotlight section will feature 33 films -- 23 of them making their world premieres at the Tribeca Film Festival (TFF). They are a mix of narrative films and documentaries that blur the lines of indie and mainstream filmmaking. According to Genna Terranova, Director of Programming, the features in the Spotlight section explore fresh takes on unconventional relationships. I'm sold. Given my penchant for writing about and studying relationships, I'm looking forward to quite a few of this years films at the Tribeca Film Festival's Spotlight section co-sponsored by Cadillac and JetBlue.

Here's the first batch of narrative films: 

Adult World:

Scott Coffey, director, Adult World
Photo credit: Blair Mastbuam

Adult World makes its world premiere at TFF this year. Amy (Emma Roberts) is naive and awkward and wants to get her poetry career off the ground. She pursues a mentorship with Rat Billings, a reclusive writer (John Cusack). In the meantime, she needs a day job, so she takes a job at Adult World, the local sex shop, and she learns you can find inspiration in the most improbable places. Yerp. I was in the poetry scene once. A local sex shop just seems like a normal setting to me for a movie about a naive, awkward young adult and it's common knowledge the inspiration that can be found all around.

Before Midnight: 

Ethan Hawke (Jesse), Julie Delpy (Celine) in Before Midnight

Photo Credit: Despina Spyrou

Nine years after Celine and Jesse spent the afternoon together in Paris, they met again, this time in Greece for the third chapter in their tale. Before Midnight, directed by Richard Linklater and written by Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke and Linklater, is the next leg in their twisting but passionate relationship. I can't wait for the dialogue and character-driven film. Smiling giddily as I watch the two come together again, loving their dynamic, wishing one didn't say what they said, and the subtle nuisances that Delpy and Hawke bring to the roles of Celine and Jesse.

Big Bad Wolves:

Mickey & Dror, Lior Ashkenazi & Rotem Keinan, Big Bad Wolves

Photo Credit: Giora Bejach

World premiere of this Israeli movie directed and written by Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado is a follow-up to Rabies (2011). What would you do if someone hurt the one you loved most? I know what I would do. Big Bad Wolves examines that horror when a vengeful father captures and interrogates the accused serial killer... of his daughter. If given the chance to exact revenge against the person who murdered a family member, I can't say that I'd say no, and I can't say how cruel I'd be. This promises to be an intense drama.

A Case of You:

Birdie (Evan Rachel Wood) & Sam (Justin Long) , A Case of You
Photo Credit: Jessica Miglio

Catfishing, anyone? A young writer (Justin Long, who also co-wrote the film) woos a barista (Evan Rachel Wood) with an embellished online profile. She falls for him and now he has to keep up the lie or lose her. Touted as a "winning romantic comedy for the social media age" this rings of a classic root for the underdog and the not-so-bad guy kind of film. A Case of You is directed by Kat Coiro and features cameo performers, Vince Vaughn, Sienna Miller and Peter Dinklage.

Gerard (Peter Dinklage) , A Case of You
Photo Credit: Jessica Miglio

Haute Cuisine:

Hortense Laborie(Catherine Frot) & Le President (Jean d'Ormesson)
Haute Cuisine
Photo Credit: Thibault Grabherr

I would jump on the opportunity to be plucked from obscurity to whip up classic French dishes for the most powerful man in France. I'm not a chef and I'm not currently living in France but such is the story of Chef Hortense Laborie (Catherine Frot). Haute Cuisine (French comedy) directed by Christian Vincent and written by Etienne Comar and Vincent, is based on the real-life story of the personal chef to the former French President François Mitterand. All I need is to sit next to Anthony Bourdain at the screening or interview him about his thoughts on the film and my life will be complete. 

Some Velvet Morning:

Velvet (Alice Eve) & Fred (Stanley Tucci)
Photo Credit: Rogier Stoffers

I have high hopes for this character-driven, love-triangle film. Fred (Stanley Tucci) shows up at Velvet's (Alice Eve) doorstep after finally leaving his wife to be with her. The hitch? Velvet is involved with Fred's son. The film/conversation is fraught with anger, passion, remorse and humor in Some Velvet Morning written and directed by Neil LaBute.

Fred (Stanley Tucci), Some Velvet Morning
Photo Credit: Rogier Stoffers

In the following days and weeks, I'll include more Tribeca Film Festival previews and coverage. What are you looking forward to at this year's TFF?

The Tribeca Film Festival is a Native Creative Concierge™ approved event.

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