Hello friends! Welcome to the It List Tribeca Festival guide, where I share my picks for the best festival films. Catch the weekly It List here for the latest releases we can’t wait to watch, stream, listen, read and binge.
Tribeca Festival hosts hundreds of screenings in New York City each year. It often features independent films that haven’t yet been distributed, so they’re not currently in theaters or on streaming services — but attending is a great way to get an idea of ​​what films will be on your radar in the coming year.
I captured about 40 films this year, but I’ve awarded superlatives to seven of my favorites. I’ll walk you through it.
Probably to charm your socks off: Griffin in summer
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What to know: Very serious 14-year-old playwright Griffin Nafly is spending his summer vacation staging his latest work when the handyman working on his parents’ house catches his attention.
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Newcomer Everett Blunck stars as Griffin. Melanie Lynskey plays his mother, Owen Teague is the handyman and Kathryn Newton is the handyman’s girlfriend.
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The film won the award for best American narrative feature at the festival, and also picked up accolades for its screenplay and director.
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Why I liked it: It’s a coming-of-age story about theater, crushes and dealing with parental drama that feels both incredibly relatable and completely crazy. Did I mention that the handyman is also a failed performance artist?
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How to watch: Distribution plans have not yet been announced.
Most quietly terrifying: How I Faked My Life With AI
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What to know: Filmmaker Kyle Vorbach used advanced artificial intelligence to create a digital personality that fulfills his wildest dreams while raising questions about the ethics of technology.
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It’s a documentary, not a horror film, but the way Vorbach combines fiction and reality for his viewers and friends is existentially terrifying.
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It was fascinating to see this in the festival line-up, along with short films created using text-to-video AI technology.
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Why I liked it: Just when I thought I had figured out Vorbach’s tricks, he pulled the rug out from under me again.
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How to watch: Distribution plans have not yet been announced.
Least likely to be able to breathe normally for the entire duration: The knife
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What to know: A black family chasing the American dream has their lives turned upside down by an intruder in their home.
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The story unfolds over the course of one night. Nnamdi Asomugha and Aja Naomi King play the parents of three young children, and Melissa Leo plays a detective determined to find out what really happened.
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Asomugha, a former NFL player, co-wrote and starred in the film. He also directed the film and took home the Tribeca Award for Best New Narrative Director for his work.
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Why I liked it: My jaw clenched for 82 minutes, in part because of the film’s poignant social commentary. It is a work of fiction, but the themes are very real.
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When you can watch: Distribution plans have not yet been announced.
Longest title: The superficial story of a writer who decided to write about a serial killer
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What to know: Honestly, the whole premise is in the title.
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Steve Buscemi plays a convincing serial killer. You may recognize the other stars of the film – Britt Lower Disconnection and John Magaro of Past lives.
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Why I liked it: I have a thing for absurdity and annoying characters, but I know this won’t apply to everyone.
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When you can watch: Distribution plans have not yet been announced.
Most unexpectedly emotional: Shelf life
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What to know: The documentary explores the making and celebration of cheese around the world, drawing parallels between the aging process of the food and the journey of human life.
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There are no big names involved – no revelations or appearances. Just a group of people, from cheese farmers to microbiologists, who are really passionate about cheese.
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Why I liked it: A documentary about cheese made me tear up. Serious. That’s something special.
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When you can watch: Distribution plans have not yet been announced.
Strangest couple: Between the temples
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What to know: While struggling to cope with the grief of losing his wife, a cantor (Jason Schwartzman) finds new life, thanks to his elementary school music teacher and current adult bat mitzvah student (Carol Kane).
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The film confronts Jewish stereotypes with humor, zigging when you would expect it to zigzag.
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Why I liked it: It’s weird. Characters interrupt each other often and the plot goes to uncomfortable places. However, that’s the spirit of film festival films: chaos reigns.
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When you can watch: Between the temples will hit theaters on August 23.
Most memorable: Sacramento
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What to know: An expectant father (Michael Cera) goes on a road trip with his childhood best friend (Michael Angarano) to – you guessed it – Sacramento.
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I don’t want to spoil the plot, but Kristen Stewart (Angarano’s real-life ex-girlfriend) and Maya Erskine (Angarano’s real-life wife) also star.
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Why I liked it: It is a meaningful reflection on the transition to parenthood. It’s funny, but the quiet poignancy of the message is what I keep thinking about.
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When you can watch: The release is scheduled for later this year, but the date has not yet been announced.
Want more recommendations? Check out our guides to the best summer entertainment.
Is there anything else you’re excited about? Let us know in the comments below.
