2009 TRIBECA ENCOUNTERS, MIDNIGHT SESSIONS
April 16th 2009 14:31
In this year's Encounters section of the 11 films, 10 are world premieres, feature instantly-recognizable names both on the screen and behind the camera, including Eric Bana, Emily Mortimer, Meg Ryan, Thomas Haden Church, Melissa Leo and baseball legend Luis Tiant.
courtesy tribeca film festival
"One of the interesting aspects about Encounters this year is the actors and directors who are trying new things. There are actors directing for the first time, as well as directors working in new genres. I think people will be surprised with what they've accomplished and enjoy what they see," said David Kwok, Director of Programming. "Those seeking thrills or wicked comedy will find it in our Midnight section."
The complete list of films selected follows below:
ENCOUNTERS
This collection of engaging and entertaining narrative features and documentaries, a mixture of dark comedies and lighter fare, offers work from returning filmmakers, established talent, and popular subjects, and includes 10 World Premieres.
Blank City, directed by Celine Danhier. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. Celine Danhier's kinetic doc mirrors the urgent, anything-goes energy of her subject: the DIY independent film movement that emerged in tandem with punk rock in late '70s downtown New York. New interviews with a impressive array of artists including Amos Poe, Bette Gordon, Debbie Harry, Eric Mitchell, Jim Jarmusch, Lydia Lunch, Steve Buscemi, John Lurie, and Nick Zedd flow into clips from landmark No Wave films, and the still-thrilling music of the era floods the soundtrack.
City Island, directed and written by Raymond De Felitta. (USA) - World Premiere, Narrative. Vinnie's been secretly taking acting classes, his daughter's moonlighting as a stripper, his son's got a weighty fetish, and mom's eye is wandering... the Rizzos might get along a lot better if they weren't keeping so many secrets. Andy Garcia, Julianna Margulies, Emily Mortimer, and Alan Arkin star in this smart and poignant dysfunctional-family comedy, set in unassuming City Island.
Don McKay, directed and written by Jake Goldberger. (USA) - World Premiere, Narrative. Don McKay (Thomas Haden Church) should have followed the old cliché, "You can't go home again." After 25 years, he returns for the first time to his hometown at the out-of-the-blue bidding of his cancer-stricken ex-girlfriend (Elisabeth Shue). But a lot of time has passed, and an old secret crashes into new ones in this pitch-black comedy, also featuring Melissa Leo.
An Englishman in New York, directed by Richard Laxton, written by Brian Fillis. (UK) - North American Premiere, Narrative. John Hurt astounds as he revisits the role that made him a star (in 1975's The Naked Civil Servant): real-life writer, actor, and gay icon Quentin Crisp. This smart, sensitive drama, marked by Hurt's bravura handling of Crisp's razor-tongued wit, focuses on the flamboyant 72-year-old star's move to New York in 1981, and the fallout from a reckless comment about the burgeoning AIDS epidemic. Features Cynthia Nixon, Jonathan Tucker, and Swoosie Kurtz. Executive Producers are Joey Attawia, Susie Field and James Burstall. A Leopardrama Film for ITV1.
The Good Guy, directed and written by Julio DePietro. (US) - World Premiere, Narrative. Tommy Fielding (Scott Porter) is a rising young star on Wall Street who has it all: good looks, good friends, and a budding romance that could finally be the real thing. But when a seemingly hapless co-worker (Bryan Greenberg) befriends his new girlfriend (Alexis Bledel), Tommy becomes the unwitting agent of his own downfall-or so it seems. Set in modern, ultra-hip New York City, "The Good Guy" is a fun, fresh take on love and trust, friendship and betrayal.
Lost Son of Havana, directed and written by Jonathan Hock. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. Cuban pitcher Luis Tiant never anticipated spending a half-century in exile. Torn between his career and his homeland, he went on to become one of baseball's best, heating up the mound for (among others) the Red Sox and Yankees. Director Jonathan Hock follows Tiant on his return to Cuba for the first time, capturing an inspiring and profound portrait of one of the game's greatest heroes. Part of the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival.
Eric Bana
Serious Moonlight, directed by Cheryl Hines, written by Adrienne Shelly. (USA) - World Premiere, Narrative. High-powered attorney Louise (Meg Ryan) arrives at her country nest for a little R and R only to discover that her husband (Timothy Hutton) has been cheating on her with the hotter and younger Sarah (Kristen Bell). Enraged, she sets out to derail their plan to go to Paris. Cheryl Hines (Curb Your Enthusiasm) skillfully directs Adrienne Shelly's (Waitress) wry and often hilarious script.
Soundtrack for a Revolution, directed and written by Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. A timeless film about the American civil rights movement told through the soul-stirring music that birthed and fortified the fight from picket lines and mass meetings to paddy wagons and jail cells. This powerful doc, crafted by Oscar® winner Guttentag and Sturman (Nanking), pairs modern renditions of freedom songs by Wyclef Jean, John Legend, Joss Stone, The Roots, and others with a retelling of this important moment in history.
Tell Tale, directed by Michael Cuesta, written by Dave Callaham. (UK, USA) - World Premiere, Narrative. Inspired by the classic Edgar Allan Poe horror story, Michael Cuesta's (L.I.E., Twelve and Holding) chilling tale follows Terry (Josh Lucas), a single father whose recently transplanted heart leads him on a frantic search to find the donor's killer before he meets a similar fate. This unsettling psychological thriller features Lena Headey, Brian Cox and Dallas Roberts.
Wonderful World, directed and written by Josh Goldin. (USA) - World Premiere, Narrative. Matthew Broderick is Ben Singer, the world's most negative man. When his roommate, Ibou, falls ill, Ben is forced to host his Senegalese sister, Khadi (Sanaa Lathan). What starts as an awkward living arrangement soon turns into something more, and Ben's usual self-destructive nature gives way as he begins to find inspiration in the most unlikely of places.
MIDNIGHT
Exciting and eclectic films that push the boundaries of creativity and genre, the seven films in the Midnight section are all world premieres and although frightful and eerie, theses films are always crowd pleasers.
Cropsey, directed by Joshua Zeman and Barbara Brancaccio, written by Zeman. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. Urban legends-we either dismiss them or accept that they have some grain of truth. Directors Zeman and Brancaccio attempt to uncover one such urban myth as they investigate five missing children and the real-life boogeyman linked to their disappearance in Staten Island during their youth. Will this terrifying journey resolve what has haunted them since childhood?
The House of the Devil, directed and written by Ti West. (USA) - World Premiere, Narrative. Set in the early '80s on the night of a lunar eclipse (and all the more shocking for being "based on true unexplained events"), this simmering retro suspense thriller centers on a cash-strapped college girl who answers a babysitting ad only to gradually unravel the horrifying secret behind why she was truly hired. Featuring Jocelin Donahue, Tom Noonan, Mary Woronov, and Greta Gerwig.
Hysterical Psycho, directed and written by Dan Fogler. (USA) - World Premiere, Narrative. In this side-splitting horror send-up, a theater troupe takes a trip to a country cabin, but its nearby lake is full of lunar radiation, and one of the troupe members is straight-up crazy. Put them together and you get one psycho thespian! Full of bloody, fun-filled kills, a deaf-mute chick, and some big boobs, Hysterical Psycho is a helluva trip.
Midgets vs. Mascots, directed by Ron Carlson, co-written by Kevin Andourian. (USA) - World Premiere, Narrative. Two teams risk life, limb, and maybe jail time while pushing the boundaries of decency to score the fortune of a deceased little person, a former mascot turned porn mogul. Outrageous outcasts and out-of-control antics abound in this bawdy Jackass-meets-Road Rules mockumentary, featuring a cautionary tale in which milk does not do a body good and the long-awaited big-screen comeback of Gary Coleman.
Newsmakers (Goryachie novosti), directed by Anders Banke, written by Sam Klebanov and Aleksandr Lungin. (Russia, Sweden) - World Premiere, Narrative. In this fast-paced remake of Johnnie To's Breaking News, the public confidence of the police force is compromised after they botch catching a gang of robbers and it gets captured on camera. In retaliation, the police chief and PR director decide to create a live reality show with a search-and-destroy operation against the gang they let get away. This crime thriller is loaded with loud gunfights and action that takes the term "media war" to a whole new level. In Russian with English subtitles.
Paintball, directed by Daniel Benmayor, written by Mario Schoendorff. (Spain) - World Premiere, Narrative. Eight strangers convene in a remote forest for an expensive experts-only paintball retreat. They enter the game at full throttle, but already something's not right. The rules have changed and more is at stake than they expected. This frenetic thriller is akin to a live-action videogame, but getting to Level 10 doesn't seem to guarantee anything. In English.
The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia, directed by Julien Nitzberg. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. Shoot-outs, robberies, gas-huffing, drug dealing, pill popping, murders, and tap dancing - what do these all have in common? The White Family. From executive producers Johnny Knoxville and Jeff Tremaine comes a shocking portrait of Boone County, West Virginia's most notorious and surly family. Nitzberg spends a year with multiple generations of the White family in this outlandish doc featuring the family's dancing muse, Jesco White (star of the cult classic documentary Dancing Outlaw). Also with Hank Williams III.
Films in the Encounters, Midnight, Showcase, and Spotlight sections are eligible for the Heineken Audience Award.
Tickets for the Festival will be $15.00 for evening and weekend screenings and $8.00 for daytime weekday and late night screenings
www.tribecafilm.com/festival .
For North American audiences you can access the film guide online from your mobile device on www.tffmobile.com . Film information can also be accessed on your mobile device by texting* a film's information code to TRBCA (87222). Information codes can be found in the box next to each film and special event listing. (*standard text messaging rates apply).
Source: PR TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL
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