It’s April in New York City and that means it’s time for independent film makers to flood lower Manhattan for this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. This year Tribeca celebrates it’s 15th Year with more local and international films and shorts, exciting street fairs, and also virtual reality as they will explore storytelling with a unique immersive experiences with Storyscapes and Virtual Arcade, where “stories are not passively watched but they are actually experienced—you are the participant.”
Here are a few of the movies and special events MoviefiedNYC recommends at this year’s Tribeca Film Festial.
Strike a Pose (Premiers April 15)
Directed and written by Ester Gould and Reijer Zwaan. (Netherlands, Belgium). What does it take to express yourself? The surprising and moving story of Madonna’s most famous troupe of dancers. Strike a Pose is a dramatic tale about overcoming shame and finding the courage to be who you are.
Equals (April 18)
Directed by Drake Doremus and written by Nathan Parker. (USA). Kristen Stewart (Twilight) and Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max, About a Boy) star in the ambitious new film from director Drake Doremus (Like Crazy), about a utopian future society where crime and violence have been eradicated through the genetic elimination of human emotion.
After Spring (Opens April 14)
Directed by Ellen Martinez, Steph Ching (USA). After Spring follows the struggles and triumphs of two Syrian families living in a Jordanian refugee camp as they contemplate an uncertain future. This is a hopeful film, showing the resilience of the Syrian people.
My Scientology Movie (Premiers April 17)
Not your typical exposé. BBC doc-maker and journalist Louis Theroux teams up with director John Dower and double Academy Award winning producer Simon Chinn (Searching for Sugar, Man On Wire) to explore the self-mythologizing Church of Scientology.
High Rise (Opens April 20)
Directed by Ben Wheatley, written by Amy Jump, Ben Wheatley. (UK). Tom Hiddleston and Jeremy Irons star in the new film by cult British director Ben Wheatley (Kill List, A Field in England), an ambitious adaptation of the J.G. Ballard novel about a London apartment tower that becomes a battlefield in a literal class war.
Obit (Opens April 17)
World Premiere Directed by Vanessa Gould. How do you capture a life in 500 words? Ask the New York Times obituary writers. Each day, under relentless deadlines, they shine a literary light on unusual lives. A first-ever look into the rituals, joys and existential angst of chronicling life after death on the frontlines of history.
Storyscapes (April 14 – 17)
Storyscapes projects at the 2016 Festival, open April 14-17, feature both installations and VR. The program includes projects that grapple with issues of racism, violence and harm inflicted on our planet, combining the excitement of these new immersive mediums tempered with the urgency of a world on fire. It is in turns thrilling, upsetting, shocking and wonderful, much like the world we live in.
“This year’s Storyscapes offerings are a reflection of today’s world. We live in a very charged period—from the political landscape to unprecedented violence—and the Storyscapes installations are compelling and engaging experiences that balance some of the sobering issues facing society, as well as inspiring and wonderful ones,” said Ingrid Kopp, Storyscapes curator.
Virtual Arcade (April 18-23)
Virtual Arcade debuts at the 2016 Festival, helping to expand the immersive entertainment slate with thirteen additional VR experiences from some of the leading creators and emerging voices in this new medium.
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