The Ultimate Tribeca Film Festival Cheat Sheet:
It’s one of the best times of the year in New York City: Tribeca Film Festival Week! Some of the best new, and classic, films from across the world are coming to NYC for what is sure to be another incredible 12 days of screenings, talks and events throughout Lower Manhattan. Here’s our cheat sheet to everything you should know about the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival
The Films
The films begin screening on Wednesday, April 16 and continue through Sunday, April 27. This year, there are nearly 200 films being featured at the festival, broken up into four different groups: Narratives, Documentaries, Features and Shorts. These films encompass 27 different genres and come from 45 different countries.
For a full list of films, with descriptions and screening times, check out the official 2014 Film Guide.
Innovation Week
This year, from April 21-26, the Tribeca Film Festival is hosting Innovation Week, “A place for gamers, coders, hackers, screenwriters, futurists, directors, financiers, and anyone who has a story to tell.” Aaron Sorkin will kick off the week’s activities with a talk about the future of film. Throughout the wee you can expect more Future of Film discussions, the largest gaming event in NYC, Tribeca Hacks, Innovation Awards and more!
Check out all of the Tribeca Innovation Week activities on their website.
Sports Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival is working in conjunction with ESPN to host nine films dedicated to “celebrating competition, passion and teamwork through a variety of captivating sport-themed, films, events, and panel discussions with both established and first-time filmmakers.”
There will be a conversation about creating authentic sports stories with Peter Berg and Connor Schell on April 26, and nine highly anticipated sports themed films. I personally am most excited for Champs, which will be followed by a Tribeca Talk with Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, as well as boxing promoter Lou DiBella and director Bert Marcus.
Tribeca Talks
One of the things that makes the Tribeca Film Festival so great are the Tribeca Talks. Many of the films premiering at this year’s festival will be followed by talks with the directors, cast, producers and more. There are also several very exciting standalone panel discussions including
- A talk about sports and film with Peter Berg,
- A talk about morality and film with Aaron Sorkin,
- The Directors Series featuring Lee Daniels with Robin Roberts and Ron Howard with Brian Williams
- The Industry Series featuring talks about sound, editing, cinematography, and short content
- Many, many more talks all festival long!
Schedule and Tickets
Each of these films will be screened in one of six venues throughout Lower Manhattan: AMC Loews Village 7, BMCC Tribeca PAC, Bow Tie Cinemas Chelsea, SVA Theater, Tribeca Cinemas, or the Tribeca Drive-In at the World Financial Center.
Tickets are currently on sale for all.
- Single tickets
- Matinee & Late Night: $9
- Evening and Weekend: $17
- Tribeca Talks: $30
- Hudson Pass (Full access to all events, screenings, talks and the filmmaker lounge): $1,200
- Awards Day Pass (Access to all award winners, popular demand screenings on April 27): $40
- Innovation Week Pass: $400-$700
- More ticket options available on the official festival website.
Rush Tickets
If a screening or talk is sold out, don’t worry, rush tickets are still available. For each screening, 45 minutes prior a line will begin to form for people trying to get into the show without tickets. 15 minutes before the film begins, they will sell tickets on a first come, first served basis to anyone in the rush line dependent upon how much room is available.
Recommendations
Begin Again, Directed by John Carney
Begin Again is one of the more star studded films of the festival, starring Keira Knightley and Adam Levine as college sweethearts and songwriting partners making the move to New York City. Carney’s film will make its world premiere at the BMCC Tribeca PAC on Saturday 4/26 to close out the festival.
Champs, Directed by Bert Marcus
photo via bert marcus films
This provocative documentary follows some of the biggest names in boxing, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Bernard Hopkins, and their struggles overcoming a poor upbringing by using boxing as an outlet. Following the Saturday 4/19 screening is a conversation with Heavyweight Champions Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield.
Compared to What: The Improbable Journey of Barney Frank, Directed by Sheila Canavan and Michael Chandler
photo via politico
On the verge of retirement, this documentary gives and inside look at the first openly gay Congressman, Barney Frank, and his journey through politics over the past 40 years. Following the Sunday 4/27 screening is a conversation with Barney Frank and Alec Baldwin
Five Star, Directed by Keith Miller
via facebook / five star the movie
Up for awards in the narrative competition, Five Star follows the story of a member of the Bloods in Brooklyn as he navigate life and make some very tough decisions about family and gang culture. This film has four screenings, so you have no excuse to miss it.
Night Moves, Directed by Kelly Reichardt
via Night Moves
Jesse Eisenberg, Dakota Fanning and Peter Saragaard are environmental extremists plotting to blow up Oregon’s Green Peter Dam. I’m very interested to see where Reichardt take this “drama about outsiders searching for a meaningful place on the edges of the system.”
Time is Illmatic, Directed by One9
TIME IS ILLMATIC PROMOTIONAL TRAILER from ILLA FILMS on Vimeo.
The documentary tracing Nas’ steps through the hip hop world beginning with his debut album, Illmatic, in 1994 is sure to be one of the best films of the entire festival. Time is Illmatic opens the festival at the Beacon Theater on Wednesday night.
New York Sightseeing 