Tribeca Film Festival

Sold out premieres, compelling Tribeca Talks on the topic of podcasts, watching animated shorts curated by Whoopi Goldberg, and celebrating Puerto Rican Day with Rita Moreno are just some of the programming for Day 5 of Tribeca Festival. Here are some of the highlights:

Musician and cultural icon A$AP Rocky attended the premiere of his film STOCKHOLM SYNDROME at The Battery, along with producers Matthew Perniciaro and Michael Sherman and executive producers Tim Lee, Mimi Rode and Osita Onugha. Also seen on the carpet was A$AP Twelvvy, Kelsey Oluk, and Kathryn Robson. A$AP Ferg was also in attendance for the premiere screening. Stockholm Syndrome explores A$AP Rocky’s life and career while fighting for his freedom after being arrested in Stockholm, Sweden and placed in solitary confinement.

For the Animated Shorts program curated by Whoopi Goldberg, Tribeca Festival’s co-founder Jane Rosenthal introduced Whoopi and thanked her for being with the festival from the start and shared a photo of them from their first festival together. Whoopi said, “these films gave us all what we needed. They gave us hope, humor, love and understanding. Pardon my French if there are little kids out here in the audience, but shit happens. And it happened. And these films captured that.” Director, writer, producer, Tyler Riggs shared a heartfelt story for the introduction of his short film, GOD’S WAITING ROOM,  that 12 years ago today he and his wife had their first date at the Empire State Building and they went back today, he looked back on the city and was amazed by its rebirth - this film is about the will to rise out of pain like we have been doing this year. 

With/In Vol. 1, a collection of short films capturing quarantine life in 2020, world premiered at Brookfield Place. Bart Freundlich, director and writer of the short film “Intersection,” walked the red carpet with his wife, Julianne Moore, and cast member Talia Balsam. Rebecca Hall, star of “Mother,” also walked the carpet with director and star Morgan Spector, as did Griffin Dunne and Zonia Pelensky, the directors/writers/stars of “One Night Stand,” Chris Cooper, the director and star of “Nuts,” Marianne Leone, the film’s writer and star, With/In producer Celine Rattray and executive producer Margaret Nagle, and post-screening Q&A moderator, journalist Alina Cho. Also in attendance was Sanaa Lathan, director and star of “Leap.”

Also at Brookfield Place, director Lauren Hadaway and cast members Isabelle Fuhrman, Amy Forsyth, Dilone, Eve Kanyo, and Jonathan Cherry were in attendance for the world premiere of The Novice, alongside producers Ryan Hawkins, Zack Zucker and Kari Hollend, cinematographer Todd Martin, and musician HXLT, who contributed a song to the film. In the film, which is screening in the US Narrative Competition section, Fuhrman plays a queer college freshman who joins her university's rowing team and undertakes an obsessive physical and psychological journey to make it to the top varsity boat, no matter the cost.

Over in the Bronx, Rita Moreno attended the Puerto Rican Day parade celebration as well as the mobile screening of her film RITA MORENO: JUST A GIRL WHO DECIDED TO GO FOR IT at the Soundview.

On the rooftop at Spring Studios, RadioLab co-host Jad Abumrad was joined by filmmaker Jason Reitman for their Tribeca Talks on podcasts. Jad shared several anecdotes including the time he had an event at the Apple Store while there was a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert happening on the floor below at the same time. He saw crowds of about 200 people assuming they were there for the concert, but to his surprise they were actually there for him. Another anecdote was the time he sat down with Dolly Parton.  Growing up in Tennessee, he was always surrounded by Dolly. The first interview he ever did with her was a “complete disaster” because he forgot all his questions and she was just telling stories and it completely “railroaded” him. When asked by Reitman when it comes to podcasts “is it the story? Or how you want to tell it?” Jad replied with “it was how I wanted to tell it and then it became a story.” Jad then advised the audience how to bring in new podcast listeners: word of mouth and people recommending podcasts, rather than press and marketing hits, is key to pushing and reaching different audiences.  

Also on the rooftop at Spring Studios was the Tribeca Talks with Jason Hirschorn, the Chief Executive Officer of the REDEF Group, to talk about the future of podcasting. Joining Hirschorn in the conversation were Rachel Ghiazza, formerly at Audible and Spotify, Los Angeles-based podcast creator James Kim, Conal Byrne, CEO of iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group, and writer/director Heather Taylor. 

And finally, Golden Globe and Emmy award nominee Shira Haas (“Orthodox”) along with actress Ali Wentworth (“In Living Color”) took to the stage at Spring Studios’ rooftop for today’s Storytellers Tribeca Talks.

There was a beautiful sunset over the Hudson at the sold out screening of WILD MEN at Pier 76 where Director Thomas Daneskov, Producer Lina Flint, and star Zaki Youssef attended their world premiere. 

After the screening, Thomas, Linda and Zaki took the stage to answer audience questions about the international film. 

The sold out NOW showcase took place at the Brooklyn Commons at MetroTech where John Slattery, Talia Balsam and Mare Winningham were seen at the screening, and actors Catherine Curtin, Steve Zahn and musician Gary Clark Jr. attended in support of their respective projects. Films included in the showcase are IF I'M ALIVE NEXT WEEK…, AN UNCANDID PORTRAIT, VIRAL, and IN THE CARDS

Producers Sameh Awad and Mohammend Hefzy took photos together for the premiere of their film SOUAD in the International Narrative competition. 

Co-directors Maya Cueva and Leah Galant appeared for the sold out screening of their film ON THE DIVIDE at Brooklyn Commons at MetroTech. Their seven year project was met with a standing ovation by the audience that included three of the film's subjects visiting from Texas. 

Spotlight Documentary feature, THE LOST LEONARDO had its world premiere at The Battery with director Andreas Koefoed, co-producers Christoph Jorg and Andreas Dalsgaard taking photos on the carpet. In addition, cast members Diana Modestini, Robert Simon, Evan Beard, Doug Patterson and Alexandra Bregman made red carpet appearances for the premiere screening along with Sony Pictures Classics co-president Michael Barker. 

At the CATCH THE FAIR ONE premiere, the film’s star Kali Reis spoke of the importance of indigenous women being portrayed on screen. Also in attendance from the film are cast Tiffany Chu, Michael Drayer, Kimberly Guerrero and Shelly Vincent, producers Mollye Asher, Kimberly Parker, Derrick Nguyen, Darren Aronofsky, Sam Bisbee, Chris Triana, Claude Amadeo, Cat Hobbs, Michael D’Alto, Kristie Lutz, editors Benjamin Rodriguez, Jr. Music: Nathan Halpern, and director/writer: Jospef Kubota Wladyka

Director Marité Ugás and producer Mariana Rondón attended the premiere of their film CONTACTADO at the Empire Outlets, and participated in the Q&A after the screening. 

Director Suzanne Joe Kai was joined at the photocall for the premiere of her film LIKE A ROLLING STONE:THE LIFE & TIMES OF BEN FONG-TORRES with the film’s subject Ben Fong-Torres and executive producers Bryn Mooser and Andy Hsieh.

Co-writer and directors Jennifer Tiexiera and Michael Seligman of the documentary feature P.S. BURN THIS LETTER PLEASE discussed their film along with subjects Henry “Adrian” Arango, George “Rita George” Roth, producer Craig Olsen, and moderator Martine Joelle.

Director Angelo Madsen Minax and Felix Endara attended the premiere of their film NORTH BY CURRENT at Hudson Yards.

PHOTO Charlotte Sather