Two siblings’ underlying resentment for one another is put to the test by a new love interest in My Blind Brother, a rom-com that often feels like it’s cutting with a blunt edge. In a clever bit of character building, the film opens with Robbie (Adam Scott) effortlessly running through the end of a marathon while his brother, an able-sighted Bill (Nick Kroll) sweats the last leg out trailing behind on Robbie’s guide rope. Here both the plot and joke remains purely on the surface; Bill’s life and accomplishments are performed in his blind brother’s shadow. Often, the unsatisfying aspect to Sophie Goodhart’s directorial debut is in its inability to mine its premise further.

The brothers become increasingly petty to one another over Robbie’s new girlfriend Francie (Jenny Slate), a woman in crisis after her ex-boyfriend gets blindsided by a bus. Slate and Kroll have worked together previously and share a dynamic chemistry on-screen as a romantic pair. Her presence elicits a warmer, more verbally unhinged side to his character—the only version of him in My Blind Brother with charisma. She also has moments of unexpected vulgarity spoken with her delightful, squeaky tone. This movie and everyone in it knows that Francie is dating the wrong brother; however, in the frustrating tradition of romantic comedies, the tension is left to linger everyone cowers away from confrontation.

Considering the level of comedic talent involved, one of the most surprising elements to My Blind Brother is its saccharine quality. Robbie is treated as an unrepentant dick throughout the movie, only to be given a tearful confession at the movie’s end. The character’s disability provides a few solid gags but is handled with a level of naturalism. Kroll, Scott and Slate are all charming presences in their roles—as is a totally magnetic and slightly underserved Zoe Kazan as Slate’s roommate—but knowing each of those actors’ penchants for hilarity, My Blind Brother feels lean on humor.

My Blind Brother is mostly amusing and its performances are strong, however, the tone remains unwavering until the film’s ending: lightly comedic, but unrelentingly self-serious. With so little actively happening in the plot the movie grows dull between stretches of more consistent humor. Sophie Goodhart’s My Blind Brother is thinly plotted and familiar, but this mostly pleasant comedy has a winning romance at its center which elevates the film beyond standard fare.

The sinister potential of New Age practices gets explored yet again in Karl Mueller’s Rebirth, a psychological thriller continuing the somewhat recent trend of films about cults like Faults, The Invitation, and Martha Marcy May Marlene. This time, rather than taking inspiration from the likes of the Manson family or Jonestown, Rebirth bases its eponymous enlightenment group off of the Church of Scientology, and anyone vaguely familiar with L. Ron Hubbard’s creepy “religion” will pick up on the influence within minutes. And while Mueller provides enough intrigue to keep viewers guessing, he has a hard time coming up with a proper conclusion for his small-scale mind games.

Kyle (Fran Kranz) is a typical upper-middle-class office drone, living in a big suburban home with his wife and daughter and spending his days working at a bank in the city. An opening montage establishes the happy monotony of Kyle’s life, which soon gets interrupted when his old college friend Zack (Adam Goldberg) shows up at his work. Zack asks Kyle to cancel all his weekend plans and participate with him in something called Rebirth, which he only describes as “an experience.” Kyle bristles at the boldness of his old friend’s proposal, but he decides to go for it after succumbing to his nostalgic feelings.

Things get weird in a short amount of time, as the hotel Kyle checks himself into for the weekend getaway turns out to be a ruse. A series of clues leads him to a bus filled with dozens of other men, all of whom have to hand over their cell phones and wear blindfolds for the entire ride while they’re taken to Rebirth’s real location. Upon arriving, Kyle and the other bus passengers get taken to a room where a man (Steve Agee) explains Rebirth’s anti-establishment philosophies, making it sound like some sort of college bro’s attempt at copying Chuck Palahniuk. From there, several strange events draw Kyle away from the main group and off into a sort of hellish funhouse, exploring a derelict building where each room offers a different, stranger facet of what Rebirth has to offer.

This section of the film turns out to be its strongest, even though its structure and influences are plain as day. Kyle bounces from room to room, and every door he opens functions as an excuse for Mueller to come up with a bizarre situation to throw his protagonist into. An early highlight involves Kyle stumbling into some kind of support group whose leader (Andrew J. West) torments people both physically and psychologically. It’s a gripping sequence, but it’s a borderline remake of the classroom scenes in Whiplash. Plenty of other influences pop up throughout Rebirth, including David Fincher’s The Game and Charlie Brooker’s TV series Black Mirror, but these comparisons aren’t complimentary; it just shows that Mueller is a competent copycat.

On the other hand, Mueller’s focus is squarely on creating an entertaining game of figuring out what’s real or part of Rebirth, and Kranz and the committed ensemble (including Harry Hamlin and Pat Healy, who take full advantage of their small roles) make the film’s transparent qualities easier to forgive. It’s in the final act, when the group starts exerting its influence on Kyle’s personal life, that the screenplay starts to break down. By breaking away from Rebirth’s controlled environment and into the real world, the plausibility of the whole scenario gets extremely thin, but not as thin as whatever message Mueller tries to tack on in the closing minutes. After an abrupt ending, the film switches over to one of Rebirth’s promotional videos while the credits roll. The video, a deliberate attempt to mimic Scientology’s promos (including the infamous Tom Cruise video), makes the whole film feel like the set-up for a corny punchline. A brief section of the video, where Rebirth promotes its branded product line, suggests a bit of a sly commentary on New Age ideas getting swallowed up by capitalist interests, but it’s drowned out by the parodic, wink-nudge nature of the clip.

In one of the biggest, baddest episodes of the Way Too Indiecast yet, we welcome two of the best directors in the game as we hear from Richard Linklater about his ’80s college hangout movie Everybody Wants Some!! and are joined by Jeff Nichols, whose sci-fi thriller Midnight Special hits theaters this weekend as well.

WTI’s very own Ananda Dillon chats with Bernard about what she saw of AMC’s new Preacher series at WonderCon this past weekend, and if that wasn’t enough, the Dastardly Dissenter himself, CJ Prince, chimes in to talk about the recent controversy surrounding the Tribeca Film Festival and share his Indie Pick of the Week. Whew! What are you waiting for? Dive into the deep end of this week’s pool of ooey gooey Indiecast goodness!

And if that last sentence grosses you out…um…just hit play and enjoy.

Topics

• Indie Picks (5:18)
• Richard Linklater (18:42)
• Preacher Preview (32:17)
• Tribeca Vaxxed Controversy (51:13)
• Jeff Nichols (1:06:32)

Articles Referenced

• City of Gold Interview
• Fireworks Wednesday Review
• Everybody Wants Some!! Interview
• Midnight Special Interview
• Preacher Preview

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The 39 jurors of varying background and qualifications in charge of dolling out the awards for the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival have been revealed. Overseeing the competitions for Best New Narrative, World Narrative Competition and six other categories, the Tribeca Jurors will award this year’s winners with $150,000 in cash and prizes, as well as a $25,000 prize for the Nora Ephron Prize that will be given to a female writer or director. This year’s TFF Awards Night will be held at Spring Studios on Thursday, April 23rd.

Among this year’s jury are actors Dylan McDermott, Cobie Smulders & Steve Buscemi, filmmakers Mark Boal, Don Hertzfeldt & David Gelb, and other professionals including film critic Joshua Rothkopf, feminist activist Gloria Steinem, and The View‘s Whoopi Goldberg.

Check out the complete list of 2015 Tribeca Film Festival jurors below:

World Competition Categories

The jurors for the 2015 World Narrative Competition, sponsored by AKA, are:

Paul Attanasio: Paul Attanasio is an Oscar-nominated screenwriter and producer whose credits include Quiz Show, Donnie Brasco, The Good German, and House: MD.
Sophie Barthes: Sophie Barthes is a French-American director and screenwriter best known for her directorial feature film debut Cold Souls.
Whoopi Goldberg: One of an elite group of artists who have won an Academy, Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Awards. Film and television credits include The Color Purple, Ghost, Sister Act, Boys on the Side, The Lion King, For Colored Girls, and The View on ABC. She made her directorial debut with the 2013 TFF selection Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley.
Dylan McDermott: Golden Globe winner and Emmy nominee, Dylan McDermott currently stars in the CBS drama Stalker. Other projects he has starred in were American Horror Story, and the films Olympus Has Fallen and The Campaign.
Burr Steers: Burr Steers is a filmmaker best known for his writing and/or directing Igby Goes Down, 17 Again and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

The jurors for the 2015 World Documentary Competition, sponsored by Santander Bank, N.A., are:

Diego Bunuel: Diego Buñuel, the grandson of the legendary Spanish film director Luis Buñuel, is a Franco-American filmmaker and the new Head of Documentaries on Canal Plus since October 2014.
Tine Fischer: Tine Fischer is the founder and CEO of one of the leading international documentary film festivals CPH:DOX as well as the director and founder of CPH:LAB and CPH:FORUM.
David Gelb: David Gelb has directed a variety of both fiction and non-fiction projects, most notable the critically acclaimed documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi.
Joshua Rothkopf: Joshua Rothkopf, film critic who is currently the Film Editor at Time Out New York.
Gloria Steinem: Gloria Steinem is a writer, lecturer, editor, feminist activist, and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She is the frequent media spokeswoman on issues of equality.

Emerging Competition Categories

The jurors for the 2015 Best New Narrative Director are:

Mark Boal: Mark Boal is a two-time Oscar winner for producing and writing Best Picture winner The Hurt Locker, and a two-time Oscar-nominee for producing and writing Best Picture nominee Zero Dark Thirty.
Minnie Driver: Minnie Driver is an accomplished recording artist and Academy Award, Screen Actors Guild Award and Emmy Award nominee who currently stars on NBC’s comedy, About a Boy.
Don Hertzfeldt: Don Hertzfeldt is an Oscar-nominated American independent filmmaker whose animated films include It’s Such a Beautiful Day, The Meaning of Life, Rejected, and World of Tomorrow.
Cobie Smulders: Cobie is a Canadian actress better known for her roles as Robin Sherbatzky in How I Met Your Mother and Agent Maria Hill in the Avenger Series.
Joana Vicente: Joana Vicente is an award winning producer who has collaborated with filmmakers such as Jim Jarmush, Todd Solondz, Alex Gibney & Brian De Palma.

The jurors for the 2015 Best New Documentary Director are:

Rachel Boynton: Rachel Boynton is an award winning producer and director best known for the documentaries Our Brand is Crisis and Big Men.
Lola Kirke: Lola Kirke is a British-American actress known for her roles in Gone Girl, Mistress America, Free the Nipple, to name a few and soon to be seen in Fallen.
Will Patton: Will Patton is an American actor starring in over 60 feature films and best known for his roles in Remember the Titans, Armageddon, The Mothman Prophecies, and No Way Out.
Alison Pill: Alison Pill is a critically acclaimed film and stage actress who most recently starred in the Joon-ho Bong directed, Snowpiercer.
Michael Rapaport: Native New Yorker Michael Rapaport is an actor and director who has appeared in over 50 feature films including True Romance, Beautiful Girls, Mighty Aphrodite, and Higher Learning.

Short Film Competition Categories

The jurors for the 2015 Narrative Short Film Competition are:

Hank Azaria: Hank Azaria, a New York Native, best known for the voices of Moe Szyslak, Apu, Chief Wiggins and many others on The Simpsons. He won a SAG Award for his break out role in The Birdcage.
Mamie Gummer: A Native New Yorker, Mamie Gummer is a film, television and stage actress featured in Evening, John Adams, Off the Map, and many more.
André Holland: André Holland stars in the hit Cinemax series, THE KNICK, and was most recently seen in theaters in the Oscar and Golden Globe nominated feature, SELMA.
Arian Moayed: Arian Moayed is a Tony nominated actor, Artistic Director of Waterwell, and a writer/director for film.
Sheila Nevins: Since 2004, Sheila Nevins has been president of HBO Documentary Films, responsible for overseeing the development and production of all documentaries for HBO, HBO2 and Cinemax.
Dan Silver: Dan Silver is the Senior Director of Development for ESPN FILMS and an Emmy winning producer of series such as 30 for 30 Shorts.

The jurors for the 2015 Documentary and Student Visionary Competitions are:

Steve Buscemi: Steve Buscemi is an American actor and director best known for his role in Boardwalk Empire, which garnered him a Golden Globe Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and two Emmy nominations as well as directing many TV credits including The Sopranos and 30 Rock.
Debi Mazar: Debi Mazar, actress and native New Yorker made her film debut in Scorsese’s Goodfellas and is better known for her role as the hard charging publicist “Shauna” on HBO’s Entourage.
Katherine Oliver: Katherine Oliver is currently a principal at Bloomberg Associates; prior to this role she served as Commissioner of NYC’s Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment from 2002-2013.
Theo Rossi: Theo Rossi is an actor, producer, and philanthropist best known for his portrayal of Juan Carlos “Juice” Ortiz on the FX series Sons of Anarchy.
Vanessa Williams: Having sold over 25 million records worldwide, Vanessa is one of just a few artists to score #1 and Top 10 hits on various Billboard Album and Singles charts and her work in film, television, recordings, and the Broadway stage has been recognized by every major industry award.

Storyscapes presented in collaboration with BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® Gin
The jurors for the 2015 The BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® Storyscapes Award are:

Andrew Golis: Andrew Golis, previously the Director of Digital and Senior Editor at FRONTLINE, is the founder & CEO of This.
Shari Frilot: Shari Frilot is the curator of New Frontier at Sundance and senior programmer for the Sundance Film Festival, focusing on American and World Cinema dramatic features, as well as films that push the boundaries of conventional storytelling
Charlie Phillips: Charlie Phillips is the Head of Documentaries at The Guardian.

Nora Ephron Prize

The jurors for the 2015 Nora Ephron Prize are:

Rachael Harris: Rachael Harris is a comedic actress hailing from The Groundlings. She has starred in many films, including Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Night at the Museum 3 and the independent film Natural Selection, for which she received a Breakthrough Performance award.
Kevin Corrigan: Kevin Corrigan has been a prolific New York based actor in film and television dating back to when he was first cast in Goodfellas. In addition to his massive credits, Kevin has been a favorite of established and cutting-edged directors for over 25 years.
Katja Blichfeld: Katja Blichfeld is a Brooklyn-based filmmaker, WGA award-winning writer, and Emmy award-winning casting director known for the critically acclaimed series, High Maintenance, which has gained recognition as one of the best new series on the web.
Christine Lahti: Christine Lahti is a multiple-award-winning actress of film, television, and theater.
Talya Lavie: Talya Lavie is an Israeli director and screenwriter whose feature film Zero Motivation received the Nora Ephron Prize at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival as well as the Best Narrative Award.

Following the unveiling of half of its feature films slate on Tuesday, the Tribeca Film Festival has revealed the remaining movies set to screen while the festival runs from April 15th to the 26th. The new batch of films covers the festival’s Spotlight selections, the Midnight features and some Special Screenings including showings accompanied by performances and some Works in Progress.

Oscar-winning The Departed screenwriter William Monahan‘s 2nd feature film will have its World Premiere at the festival, as will new films from actors Jessica Biel, Zosia Mamet, Jason Sudeikis, Anton Yelchin, Mickey Rourke and many more stars.

Among the notable special screenings, the World Premiere of the documentary Mary J. Blige – The London Sessions will be accompanied by a live performance from Blige at The Beacon Theater.

Single ticket sales for the Tribeca Film Festival begin Tuesday, March 31 for American Express Card Members, Sunday, April 5 for downtown residents, and Monday, April 6 for the general public.

Spotlight Screenings

Aferim!
Directed and written by Radu Jude, co-written by Florin Lazarescu . (Romania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic) – North American Premiere, Narrative. A police officer and his son travel across Wallachia in 1835, hunting down a runaway gypsy slave. In their journey across the countryside they encounter people of different religions and nationalities, each with their own prejudices and opinions on the state of the country. Shot in black-and-white, Radu Jude’s Aferim! is a gripping look into the political and religious landscape of 19th century Romania. In Romanian with subtitles.

Aloft
Directed and written by Claudia Llosa. (Canada, France, Spain) – New York Premiere, Narrative.
In parallel narratives, single-mother Nana (Jennifer Connelly) has a mysterious experience at the hands of a traveling healer, years later her troubled son Ivan (Cillian Murphy) sets out in search of his now absent mother. Academy Award®–nominee Claudia Llosa’s (The Milk of Sorrow) decade-spanning family drama is a dreamlike rumination on faith, forgiveness, and family, set against an otherworldly frozen landscape. A Sony Pictures Classics Release.

Among the Believers
Co-directed by Hemal Trivedi and Mohammed Ali Naqvi, written by Jonathan Goodman Levitt. (Pakistan) – World Premiere. An unsettling and eye opening exploration into the spread of the radical Islamic school Red Mosque, which trains legions of children to devote their lives to jihad, or holy war, from a very young age. With incredible access and chilling footage, Among the Believers is a timely and relevant look into the causes that have led to the growth of radical Islam in Pakistan and around the world. In Urdu with subtitles.

Anesthesia
Directed and written by Tim Blake Nelson. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. On a snowy night in New York City, a Columbia professor is brutally mugged on the doorsteps of an apartment building. Director Tim Blake Nelson’s haunting meditation of city life traces the chain of events that precipitate the attack, examining the inextricable and unforeseen forces that bring a group of disparate individuals together. Featuring a star-studded ensemble including Sam Waterston, Kristen Stewart, Glenn Close, and Cory Stoll.

Angry Sky
Directed by Jeff Tremaine. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. In the 1960s, truck-driver Nick Piantanida discovered skydiving, and set out to break the world record for highest parachute jump by taking a helium balloon to the edge of space. Over the course of a year, his dream to launch the first civilian space program drove him to obsession. An ESPN Films release.

The Armor of Light
Directed by Abigail Disney. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. This inspiring documentary digs into the deep affinity between the evangelical Christian movement and our country’s gun culture — and how one top minister and anti-abortion activist undergoes a change of consciousness to challenge prevailing attitudes toward firearms among his fellow Christians.

As I AM: the Life and Times of DJ AM
Directed and written by Kevin Kerslake. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. Adam Goldstein, better known as DJ AM, was a man with deep passions and aggressive demons. As I AM is an insider’s look into the life of the late, famed mash-up pioneer: his professional successes that made him the first million-dollar deejay in the United States and his incredibly complex personal life that was lived under the specter of drug addiction.

Ashby
Directed and written by Tony McNamara. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. Awkward Ed Wallis (Nat Wolff) needs help fitting in and turns to his neighbor Ashby Holt (Mickey Rourke) for help. Ashby’s unforgiving brand of tough love soon tests their friendship, and it hardly helps when Ed learns that Ashby is a former CIA assassin. Peppered with upbeat music and standout performances, Ashby is a spirited, self-referential update on Harold and Maude for a John Wick generation. With Emma Roberts and Sarah Silverman.

Backtrack
Directed and written by Michael Petroni. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. In this spine-tingling supernatural thriller, troubled psychotherapist Peter Bowers (Adrien Brody) is suffering from nightmares and eerie visions. When he uncovers a horrifying secret that all of his patients share, he is put on a course that takes him back to the small hometown he fled years ago. There he confronts his demons and unravels a mystery 20 years in the making.

Bleeding Heart
Directed and written by Diane Bell. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. Reserved yoga instructor May’s (Jessica Biel) peaceful, clean-living life is thrown out of balance by the arrival of her long-lost sister Shiva (Zosia Mamet), a street-smart yet naive young woman trapped in an abusive relationship. May feels compelled to rescue the hapless Shiva, but she finds herself increasingly drawn out of her sedate world and deeper into Shiva’s chaotic one. With Edi Gathegi, Joe Anderson, Kate Burton, and Harry Hamlin.

Cartel Land
Directed by Matthew Heineman. (USA, Mexico) – New York Premiere, Documentary. A portrait of two men, both leaders of small paramilitary groups that police different sides of the Mexican drug war. With unprecedented access, this film brings forward deep questions about the breakdown of order and entanglement of modern-day vigilante movements at a time when the government cannot provide basic security for its people. In Spanish and English with subtitles. A release by The Orchard.

The Cut
Directed and written by Fatih Akin, co-written by Mardik Martin. (Germany) – North American Premiere, Narrative. Fatih Akin’s historic epic follows one man’s journey through the Ottoman Empire after surviving the 1915 Armenian genocide. Deported from his home in Mardin, Nazareth (Tahar Rahim) moves onwards as a forced laborer. When he learns that his daughters may still be alive, his hope is revived and he travels to America to find them. In Arabic, Armenian, and Spanish with subtitles.

Dirty Weekend
Directed and written by Neil LaBute. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. Neil LaBute returns to Tribeca with this sharp-edged comedy treat about the ripple effects of desire, whether it’s followed or left unredeemed. Matthew Broderick and Alice Eve are wonderful together as colleagues with secrets who come to depend on each other for understanding as they go to find a spark of excitement in Albuquerque, after dark.

Down in the Valley
Directed by Jason Hehir. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. How far would you go to save your hometown team? For many Sacramento residents, faced with the nearly certain relocation of their beloved Kings, no boardroom was too distant. One native son proved it. Follow former NBA superstar turned Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson as he battles owners and executives to keep the Kings at home, in this a roaring testament to the passion and power of the small-market fan. An ESPN Films release.

The Driftless Area
Directed and written by Zachary Sluser. (Canada, USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. Pierre Hunter (Anton Yelchin), a bartender with unyielding optimism, returns to his tiny hometown after his parents’ death. When he falls for the enigmatic Stella (Zooey Deschanel), Pierre is unknowingly pulled into a cat-and-mouse game that involves a duffel bag full of cash, a haphazard yet determined criminal (John Hawkes), and a mystery that will determine all of their fates. With Alia Shawkat, Frank Langella, Aubrey Plaza, and Ciarán Hinds.

DRUNK STONED BRILLIANT DEAD: The Story of the National Lampoon
Directed and written by Douglas Tirola, co-written by Mark Monroe. (USA) – New York Premiere, Documentary. Using rare, never-before-seen archival footage and in-depth interviews with fans and founders, Douglas Tirola traces National Lampoon’s evolution from underground countercultural movement to mainstream household brand. Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead is a riotous and revealing chronicle of a trailblazing comedic institution and a celebration of creative expression at its radical, envelope-pushing finest.

The Emperor’s New Clothes
Made by Michael Winterbottom & Russell Brand (UK) – International Premiere. Cinema’s prolific writer/director Michael Winterbottom and comedian/provocateur Russell Brand join forces in this polemical expose about inequality and the financial crisis. From London to New York the film combines documentary style, archive footage and comedy to explore how the crisis has gravely affected the 99% and only benefited the 1%.

Far From Men (Loin des Hommes)
Directed and written by David Oelhoffen. (France) – U.S. Premiere, Narrative. During the height of the Algerian War, an unlikely bond forms between a reserved French teacher (Viggo Mortensen) and the elusive dissident (Reda Kateb) he must turn over to the authorities. Based on a short story by Albert Camus, David Oelhoffen’s classically conceived period Western is a tense and timely study of war’s political and personal sacrifices. In French with subtitles. A Tribeca Film release.

Fastball
Directed and written by Jonathan Hock. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. Since 1912, baseball has been a game obsessed with statistics and speed. Thrown at upwards of 100 miles per hour, a fastball moves too quickly for human cognition and accelerates into the realm of intuition. Fastball is a look at how the game at its highest levels of achievement transcends logic and even skill, becoming the primal struggle for man to control the uncontrollable.

A Faster Horse
Directed by David Gelb, and written by Mark Monroe. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. As the fiftieth anniversary of the Mustang approaches, Ford is launching a redesign, placing the jobs and expectations of thousands squarely on the shoulders of Chief Program Engineer Dave Pericak. Masterfully crafted by TFF alumnus David Gelb (Jiro Dreams of Sushi), A Faster Horse moves beyond a car lover’s documentary to a resonant examination of American ingenuity, workmanship, and resilience.

Good Kill
Directed and written by Andrew Niccol. (USA) – U.S. Premiere, Narrative. Major Tommy Egan (Ethan Hawke) is fighting a war from the safety of a Nevada trailer, but commitment to the mission comes at a price. Gattaca director Andrew Niccol reunites with Ethan Hawke for this timely drama about the human costs of advanced war technology. Co-starring January Jones and Zoe Kravitz. An IFC Films Release

Grandma
Directed and written by Paul Weitz. (USA) – New York Premiere, Narrative. Reeling from a recent breakup and still mourning the loss of her longtime partner, once-famous poet Elle Reid (Lily Tomlin) is surprised to find her teenage granddaughter on her doorstep in need of $600 and a ride. The two embark on an all-day road trip that ends up rattling skeletons and digging up secrets all over town. Co-starring Julia Garner, Marcia Gay Harden, Judy Greer, Laverne Cox, and Sam Elliott. A Sony Pictures Classics release.

Hungry Hearts
Directed by Saverio Costanzo. (Italy) – U.S. Premiere, Narrative. After a chance meeting and a whirlwind romance in New York City, Jude (Adam Driver) and Mina (Alba Rohrwacher) become pregnant. Convinced their child will be harmed by the pollutions in the outside world, Mina becomes consumed by protecting her baby, forcing Jude to recognize a terrible truth about why his son’s life could be in danger. A Sundance Selects Release

Jimmy’s Hall
Directed by Ken Loach, written by Paul Laverty. (UK, Ireland, France) – North American Premiere, Narrative. James Gralton returns from exile and reopens a public dancehall, bravely pushing back against the sharply drawn religious and political margins of his time. Ken Loach (Winner, Palme-d’or 2006, The Wind that Shakes the Barley) paints a romantic drama about a leftist leader, and a 1930s Ireland that celebrates free speech and thought in the face of oppressive dogma. A Sony Pictures Classics Release.

Maggie, directed by Henry Hobson, written by John Scott 3. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. There’s a deadly zombie epidemic threatening humanity, but Wade (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a small-town farmer and family man, refuses to accept defeat even when his daughter Maggie (Abigail Breslin) becomes infected. As Maggie’s condition worsens and the authorities seek to eradicate those with the virus, Wade is pushed to the limits in an effort to protect her. Joely Richardson co-stars in this post-apocalyptic thriller. Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions release.

Mojave
Directed by and written by William Monahan. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. William Monahan’s second feature, starring Oscar Isaac and Garrett Hedlund, is a delirious trip from the fringes of the desert to the center of the film industry. Armed with little more than a knife and two handles of vodka, an on-edge Hollywood director sets out to the Mojave Desert, where he finds a drifter brandishing a rifle and claiming to be the Devil.

Our Fathers, the Nazis
Directed by David Evans, written by Philippe Sands (UK) – World Premiere, Documentary. Can you imagine what it means to grow up as the child of a mass murderer? While studying the Nuremberg trials, a lawyer becomes fascinated with two men: both sons of famous Nazi Generals, and both with polar opposite views of their fathers’ hand in the war. A forthright dive into individual perception, Our Fathers, the Nazis adds new meaning to the ties that bind us.

The Overnight
Directed and written by Patrick Brice. (USA) – New York Premiere, Narrative. Alex and Emily have just moved to LA with their young son. Eager to make new friends, they accept an invitation to a party from the father of their son’s playground mate. After the kids fall asleep, the “playdate” takes a bizarre turn in this racy and hilarious romp. Featuring Judith Godrèche, Taylor Schilling, Jason Schwartzman, and Adam Scott. A release by The Orchard.

Peggy Guggenheim – Art Addict
Directed by Lisa Immordino Vreeland, written by Bernadine Colish, Lisa Immordino Vreeland, and John Northrup. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. Bouncing between Europe and the US as often as she would between lovers, Peggy Guggenheim’s life story was as swirling as the design of her uncle’s museum, and reads more like fiction than any reality imaginable. Art Addict is a picture into Guggenheim’s world: abstract, colorful, and as salacious as the artwork she revered.

Prescription Thugs
Directed by Christopher Bell, written by Josh Alexander. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. Americans consume 80% of the world’s prescription drugs. After losing his own brother to the growing epidemic of prescription drug abuse, documentarian Chris Bell (Bigger, Stronger, Faster) sets out to demystify this insidious addiction. While the war has raged against illegal drugs, Bell attempts to break the hardened correlation that legal means safe.

Requiem for the American Dream
Directed and written by Peter Hutchison, Kelly Nyks and Jared P. Scott. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. Anchored by a series of interviews with Noam Chomsky, this definitive documentary of the “Two Americas” is an unvarnished account of how policies have helped concentrate wealth in the hands of a few at expense of everyone else. This is an eye-opening, revised vision of the American Dream, in the wake of a dying middle class.

Roseanne for President!
Directed by Eric Weinrib. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. Comedian Roseanne Barr always went against the odds, first as an assertive housewife struggling to pay the bills on her sitcom. Now she tests the limits of the two-party system, vying for candidacy on the 2012 ballot. Roseanne for President! follows her impassioned campaign journey.

Sleeping With Other People
Directed and written by Leslye Headland. (USA) – New York Premiere, Narrative. Jason Sudeikis and Alison Brie star as two romantic failures whose years of serial infidelity and self-sabotage have led them to swear that their relationship will remain strictly platonic. But can love still bloom while you’re sleeping with other people? Writer/director Leslye Headland’s (Bachelorette) sexy romantic comedy co-stars Amanda Peet, Adam Scott, and Natasha Lyonne. An IFC Films Release

Slow West
Directed by John Maclean. (UK, New Zealand) – New York Premiere, Narrative. At the end of the nineteenth century, 16-year-old Jay Cavendish (Kodi Smit-McPhee) journeys across the American frontier in search of the woman he loves. He is joined by Silas (Michael Fassbender), a mysterious traveler, and hotly pursued by an outlaw (Ben Mendelsohn) along the way. Sundance 2015 World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic. An A24/DIRECTV release.

Steak (R)evolution
Directed and written by Franck Ribière, co-written by Vérane Frédiani (France) – International Premiere, Documentary. Grass fed, grain finished, intricately marbled, and dry aged — the concept of what makes the best steak varies greatly, and it continues to evolve as we move toward more sustainable farming practices. In this gourmet, across-the-world road trip, chefs, farmers, butchers, journalists and other experts weigh in on the various factors at play to help us understand the (r)evolution taking place right now and the challenges ahead. In English, French with subtitles. A Kino Lorber release.

Thought Crimes
Directed by Erin Lee Carr. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. Convicted yet then acquitted of conspiring to kidnap, rape, kill, and eat several women, NYPD officer Gilberto Valle quickly rose to infamy as New York’s own “Cannibal Cop”. With exclusive access to Valle, Erin Lee Carr’s unflinching documentary asks a fundamental question that challenges our beliefs about the criminal justice system, and even the very nature of right and wrong: can you be guilty of a crime you only thought about committing? An HBO Documentary Film.

Tumbledown
Directed and written by Sean Mewshaw, co-written by Desi Van Til. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. Years after the accidental death of her folk-singer husband, Hannah (Rebecca Hall) has yet to fully accept her small-town life without him. Then she is approached by a charming New York writer (Jason Sudeikis) intent on penning a biography of her late husband’s life, and Hannah finds herself opening up again. Also featuring performances by Dianna Agron, Blythe Danner, Griffin Dunne, Joe Manganiello, and Richard Masur

The Wannabe
Directed and written by Nick Sandow. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. Gotti-obsessed and hopelessly in love, Tommy (Boardwalk Empire’s Vincent Piazza) and Rose (Academy Award®–winner Patricia Arquette) are New York nobodies who get their moment in the sun when they begin robbing New York’s mafia elite in this real-life crime story of mob culture and amour fou. Based on true events surrounding the 1992 trial of John Gotti. From writer-director Nick Sandow (“Orange is the New Black”) and executive producer Martin Scorsese.

When I Live My Life Over Again
Directed and written by Robert Edwards. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. Jude (Amber Heard) is a would-be singer-songwriter still struggling to make her mark. Cash-strapped and homeless, she begrudgingly returns to the Hamptons home of her father (Christopher Walken), an over-the-hill crooner desperately charting his musical comeback, in this spunky, soulful dramedy about the personal costs of artistic ambition and the bonds that carry us through.

Wondrous Boccaccio (Maraviglioso Boccaccio)
Directed and written by Paolo Taviani and Vittorio Taviani. (Italy) – International Premiere, Narrative. Set against the backdrop of a black plague-stricken Florence, ten young men and women escape to a country estate where they spend their days telling different stories of love, fate, and resurrection. From legendary Italian directors Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, Wondrous Boccaccio is a tribute to the stories that emerged from one of the darkest periods in Italian history, and the imaginations that quietly fueled them. In Italian with subtitles.

Midnight

Bodyslam: The Revenge of the Banana!
Directed and written by Ryan Harvie and John Paul Horstmann. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. Ronald McFondle, Eddie Van Glam, and other social outcasts made up the Seattle Semi-Pro (SSP) Wrestlers, an off-kilter family of cabaret fighters that spoofed the pros. When a newcomer Paul, The Banana, fell on the wrong end of the joke, he ran to the government to disband the SSP. Bodyslam: The Revenge of the Banana! captures the wrestlers’ fight to keep the theatrics alive.

Emelie
Directed by Michael Thelin, written by Richard Raymond Harry Herbeck. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. After their regular babysitter Maggie can’t make it, the Thompson family turns to her friend Anna to supervise their children while the parents go out to celebrate their anniversary. At first Anna seems like a dream come true to the kids, allowing them to eat extra cookies and play with things that are usually off-limits, but as her behavior becomes increasingly odd, the kids soon find out that her intentions are dark and twisted, and she is not who she seems to be.

Hyena
Directed and written by Gerard Johnson. (UK) – U.S. Premiere, Narrative. Michael Logan (Peter Ferdinando) may be a corrupt, coke-addled cop, but he’s a bad lieutenant with a conscience. After years of dodging the same laws he was assigned to uphold, Michael suddenly finds himself trying to change while safeguarding a young Albanian woman from the sex trade. Equal parts grit and neon, Hyena blurs the line between cop and criminal and exposes the illicit underworld inhabited by London’s most ruthless policemen. A Tribeca Film release.

Scherzo Diabolico
Directed and written by Adrián García Bogliano. (Mexico, USA) – World Premiere, Narrative.Armed with a fine-tuned chokehold and penchant for piano sonatas, a wearied accountant breaks his mild-mannered routine when he kidnaps a young woman. What starts as a carefully calculated plan soon crescendos into his worst nightmare. A delightfully twisted black comedy, Scherzo Diaboloco is the latest opus from director Adrián García Bogliano. In Spanish with subtitles

Stung
Directed by Benni Diez, written by Adam Aresty. (Germany, USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. For catering staffers Paul and Julia, Mrs. Perch’s fancy garden party at her remote country villa is nothing out of the ordinary. A mishap with toxic plant fertilizer leads to the most unwelcome of dinner guests: giant killer wasps. Director Benni Diez takes audiences on a thrilling, gory rollercoaster ride from campy to creepy, in this delightful and dreadful creature-feature.

SPECIAL SCREENINGS

A Ballerina’s Tale
Directed and written by Nelson George. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. Join us for a world premiere screening of Nelson George’s much-anticipated, behind-the-curtain documentary about the daily routine of Misty Copeland, the first African-American female soloist at New York’s American Ballet Theatre® in two decades.

Followed by a Q&A with Misty Copeland and a special ballet performance by her mentees Erica Lall (American Ballet Theatre’s Studio Company) and Naazir Muhammad (ABT’s JKO School) sponsored by Under Armour.

Mary J. Blige – The London Sessions
Directed by Sam Wrench. (U.K., USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. Join Mary J. Blige in London, where over ten days she will record her 13th studio album. Featuring a behind-the-scenes look at her work sessions with some of Britain’s hottest recording artists, including Sam Smith, Disclosure, Emeli Sandé, Naughty Boy, and Sam Romans.

A performance from Mary J. Blige will follow the screening.

Rifftrax Live: The Room
(USA) – World Premiere. The brainchild of Mystery Science Theater 3000 alumnus Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy (aka Tom Servo), and Bill Corbett (aka Crow T. Robot), Rifftrax skewers cult classic films with hilarious live commentary.

For their first-ever New York performance the Rifftrax gang will unleash their signature comedic chops on Tommy Wiseau’s modern masterpiece, The Room, for a one-night-only live cinema event.

Speedy
Directed by Ted Wilde. (USA) – Newly restored print from the Criterion Collection, Narrative.

Silent comedy legend Harold Lloyd stars as a die-hard Yankees fan who can’t keep a job, but is determined to save the last horse-drawn trolley in New York. This lighthearted slapstick classic features visits to Coney Island and Yankee Stadium, an incredible cameo by Babe Ruth, and hair-raising cab rides through the city streets.

For one-night only, the legendary dj and producer DJ Z-Trip lends his amazing musical talent to create an all new soundtrack for this silent film classic, showcasing his eclectic style and considerable live turntable skills.

Work In Progress

LoveTrue
Directed by Alma Har’el, (USA) – Work in Progress, Documentary. Director Alma Har’el returns to TFF with a work-in-progress presentation. LoveTrue weaves three challenging relationships, while examining non-fiction performance as a documentation of truth and a purveyor of memory.

Join Har’el and Executive Producer, Shia LaBeouf for an exclusive preview of scenes from the film and an intimate conversation about True Love.

All Work, All Play
Directed by Patrick Creadon. (USA) – Work in Progress, Documentary. There’s something happening in the world of video games. Thousands are flocking to arenas to watch tournaments unfold. Tens of millions are watching online. One percent of the world population is playing the most popular competitive game. In All Work All Play, go behind the scenes and follow the ascent of eSports, and watch as the best pro gamers in the world fight for the Intel Extreme Masters championship.

The 2015 Tribeca Film Festival presented the first half of its lineup this morning, announcing its world narrative and documentary competition selections. It also included its viewpoints titles, which recognizes new artists in international and American independent cinema.

Notable among the 51 named films are James Franco’s The Adderall Diaries,  Andrew Renzi’s Franny starring Richard Gere and Dakota Fanning, and Meadowland, starring Olivia Wilde, Luke Wilson, Elizabeth Moss and Juno Temple.

The lineup includes feature films from 31 countries, including 64 world premieres. Thirty feature film directors of this year’s lineup are women — the highest percentage in the fest’s history. As previously announced, it will open with the Saturday Night Live documentary Live From New York!

The festival will run April 15 to 26 and plans to release more titles this Thursday March 5. Below is the lineup we have so far.

World Narrative Feature Competition

The Adderall Diaries
Directed and written by Pamela Romanowsky. (USA) – World Premiere. Elliott (James Franco), a once-successful novelist inflicted with writer’s block and an Adderall addiction strives to escape his problems by delving into the world of a high-profile murder case. Amber Heard, Ed Harris, and Cynthia Nixon co-star in this adaptation of Elliott’s best-selling memoir.

Bridgend
Directed by Jeppe Rønde, co-written by Jeppe Rønde, Torben Bech, and Peter Asmussen. (Denmark) – North American Premiere. Sara (Hannah Murray) and her dad arrive in a town haunted by a spate of teenage suicides. When she falls in love with Jamie (Josh O’Connor), she becomes prey to the depression that threatens to engulf them all. Jeppe Rønde’s debut is based on the real-life Welsh county borough of Bridgend, which has recorded at least 79 suicides since 2007.

Dixieland
Directed and written by Hank Bedford. (USA) – World Premiere.In the hot lazy days of a Mississippi summer two star-crossed lovers, a recently released ex-con (Chris Zylka) and an aspiring stripper (Riley Keough), become trapped in a downward spiral of crime and obsessive love, as they try to ditch their small town lives. Featuring an impressive performance by Faith Hill.

Franny
Directed and written by Andrew Renzi. (USA) – World Premiere. Richard Gere delivers a bravura performance as the title character, a rich eccentric who worms his way into the lives of a deceased friend’s young daughter (Dakota Fanning) and her new husband (Theo James). The narrative feature debut of writer-director Andrew Renzi, Franny is a warm and winsome drama about the pangs of the past, and the families we choose.

Meadowland
Directed by Reed Morano, written by Chris Rossi. (USA) – World Premiere. Sarah and Phil’s son goes missing, shattering their life together and forcing each to find their own way to cope. Cinematographer-turned-director Reed Morano presents a masterfully crafted contemplation on a relationship strained to the breaking point. Olivia Wilde and Luke Wilson capture the unraveling emotions with remarkable power, alongside Kevin Corrigan, John Leguizamo, Elizabeth Moss, Giovanni Ribisi, Juno Temple, and Merritt Wever.

Men Go to Battle
Directed and written by Zachary Treitz, co-written by Kate Lyn Sheil. (USA) – World Premiere. Kentucky, 1861. Francis and Henry Mellon depend on each other to keep their unkempt estate afloat as winter encroaches. After Francis takes a casual fight too far, Henry ventures off in the night, leaving each of them to struggle through the wartime on their own.

Necktie Youth
Directed and written by Sibs Shongwe-La Mer. (Netherlands, South Africa) – North American Premiere. Jabz and September are two twenty-something suburbanites drifting through a day of drugs, sex, and philosophizing in their privileged Johannesburg neighborhood, ill-equipped to handle a tragedy that has interrupted the hollowness of their daily lives. Using rich black and white photography, Sibs Shongwe-La Mer paints a raw, unique portrait of self-obsessed youth facing adulthood in an increasingly divided city. In Afrikaans, English, isiZulu with subtitles.

The Survivalist
Directed and written by Stephen Fingleton. (Northern Ireland, UK) – World Premiere. Self-preservation takes on a new level of meaning in this organic post-apocalyptic drama, where the only way to get food is to farm it. A man is threatened when two starving women stumble across his cabin and demand to stay. Each new mouth to feed strains the limits of what the farm can produce and diminishes their chance for survival.

Sworn Virgin (Vergine Giurata) 
Directed and written by Laura Bispuri, co-written by Francesca Manieri. (Albania, Germany, Italy, Kosovo, Switzerland) – North American Premiere. As a young woman living within the confines of a Northern Albanian village, Hana longs to escape the shackles of womanhood, and live her life as a man. To do so she must take an oath to eternally remain a virgin. Years later, as Mark, she leaves home for the first time to confront a new set of circumstances, leading her to contemplate the possibility of undoing her vow. In Albanian, Italian with subtitles.

Viaje
Directed and written by Paz Fábrega. (Costa Rica) –World Premiere. After meeting at a party, Luciana and Pedro spark up a spontaneous rendezvous when Luciana accompanies Pedro to a national forest on a work trip. Eschewing the fraudulent nature of traditional relationships, the pair explores the beauty in the nature that surrounds them as they indulge in the passions of their encounter and navigate the various meanings of commitment. In Spanish with subtitles.

Virgin Mountain
Directed and written by Dagur Kári. (Iceland, Denmark) – North American Premiere. Fúsi is a mammoth of a man who at 43-years-old is still living at home with his mother. Shy and awkward, he hasn’t quite learned how to socialize with others, leaving him as an untouchable inexperienced virgin. That is until his family pushes him to join a dance class, where he meets the equally innocent but playful Sjöfn. In Icelandic with subtitles.

Wednesday 04:45(Tetari 04:45) 
Directed and written by Alexis Alexiou. (Germany, Greece, Israel) – World Premiere. A life’s work becomes a prison for jazz club owner Stelios when a shady Romanian gangster calls in his debts. This gripping, underworld drama is a parable on the perils of accumulated debt, and a depiction of the descent of a mostly decent man. Director Alexis Alexiou perfectly balances the complex emotions that drive a man to take the most drastic measures available. In Greek with subtitles.

World Documentary Feature Competition

Autism in Love
Directed by Matt Fuller. (USA) – World Premiere. What does it mean to love and be loved? With remarkable compassion, director Matt Fuller examines the reality of autistic adulthood and shows how the members of this often-misunderstood community cope with the challenge of keeping romance alive. Autism in Love is a celebration of accepting the differences in others, and in ourselves.

The Birth of Saké
Directed by Erik Shirai. (USA) – World Premiere. Traditional and labor-intensive, the production of Saké has changed very little over the centuries. Erik Shirai’s love song to the artisans who have dedicated their lives to carrying on this increasingly rare artform follows the round-the-clock process for six straight months, offering a rare glimpse into a family-run brewery that’s been operating for over 100 years. In Japanese with subtitles.

Democrats
Directed and written by Camilla Nielsson. (Denmark). – North American Premiere. In the wake of Robert Mugabe’s highly criticized 2008 presidential win, Zimbabwe’s first constitutional committee was created in an effort to transition the country away from its authoritarian leadership. With unprecedented access to the two political rivals overseeing the committee, this riveting, firsthand account of a country’s fraught first steps towards democracy plays at once like an intimate political thriller and unlikely buddy film. In English, Shona with subtitles.

Havana Motor Club
Directed and written by Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt. (Cuba, USA) – World Premiere. Reforms have offered opportunity in Cuba but the children of the Revolution are unsure of the best route forward. For a half-dozen drag racers, this means last-minute changes to their beloved American muscle cars, as they prepare for the first sanctioned race in Cuba since 1960. Punctuated by a lively Cuban soundtrack, Havana Motor Club offers a fascinating glimpse at the resilience and ingenuity of the competitive spirit. In Spanish with subtitles.

In My Father’s House
Directed by Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg, co-written by Ricki Stern, Annie Sundberg, and Pax Wassermann. (USA) – World Premiere. After moving into his childhood home on Chicago’s South Side, Grammy Award–winning rapper Che “Rhymefest” Smith hesitantly sets out to reconnect with his estranged father, the man who abandoned him over twenty years ago. In My Father’s House is a stirring, multigenerational chronicle of Che’s sincere but often-fraught journey to build a future for his own family by reconnecting with his traumatic past.

In Transit
Co-directed by Albert Maysles, Nelson Walker, Lynn True, David Usui, and Ben Wu. (USA) – World Premiere. The Empire Builder is America’s busiest long-distance train route, running from Chicago to Seattle. Throughout these corridors sit runaways, adventurers, and loners – a myriad of passengers waiting to see what their journey holds. A touching and honest observation, co-directed by the iconic documentarian Albert Maysles, In Transit breathes life into the long commute, and contemplates the unknowns that lie at our final destination.

Indian Point
Directed and written by Ivy Meeropol. (USA) – World Premiere. Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant looms just 35 miles from Times Square. With over 50 million people living in close proximity to the aging facility, its continued operation has generated controversy for the surrounding community. In the brewing fight for clean energy and the catastrophic possibilities of complacency, director Ivy Meeropol weaves a startling portrait of our uncertain nuclear future.

Palio
Directed by Cosima Spender, written by John Hunt. (UK, Italy) – World Premiere. In the world’s oldest horse race, the Palio, taking bribes and fixing races threatens to extinguish the passion for the sport itself. Giovanni, unversed in corruption, challenges his former mentor, who dominates the game. What ensues is a thrilling battle, filled with the intoxicating drama that is at the center of Italian tradition. In Italian with subtitles.

Song of Lahore
Directed by Andy Schocken and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. (USA, Pakistan) – World Premiere. Until the late 1970s, the Pakistani city of Lahore was world-renowned for its music. Following the ban of music under Sharia law, many artists were forced to abandon their life’s work. Song of Lahore turns the spotlight on a stalwart group of lifelong musicians who continue to play despite their circumstances. They end up attracting listeners from all over the world. In English, Punjabi, and Urdu with subtitles.

Thank You for Playing
Co-directed and co-written by David Osit and Malika Zouhali-Worrall. (USA) – World Premiere. For the past four years, Ryan and Amy Greene have been working on That Dragon, Cancer, a videogame about their son Joel’s fight against that disease. Following the family through the creation of the game and the day-to-day realities of Joel’s treatment, David Osit and Malika Zouhali-Worrall create a moving testament to the joy and heartbreak of raising a terminally ill child.

Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle
Directed and written by Nick Berardini. (USA) – World Premiere. Do you blame the technology or the person wielding it? With damaging reports of taser-related deaths at the hands of police officers, this conundrum spurs a carefully constructed argument that tasers are in fact lethal, discrediting claims by Taser International that stun guns save lives. Yet more than 17,000 police departments in the United States continue to use the electric rifle.

Very Semi-Serious
Directed by Leah Wolchok. (USA) – World Premiere. The New Yorker is the benchmark for the single-panel cartoon. This light-hearted and sometimes poignant look at the art and humor of the iconic drawings shows why they have inspired and even baffled us for decades. Very Semi-Serious is a window into the minds of cartooning legends and hopefuls, including editor Bob Mankoff, shedding light onto their how their humor evolves.

Viewpoints

All Eyes and Ears
Directed and written by Vanessa Hope. (China, USA) – New York Premiere, Documentary. When former Utah governor Jon Huntsman was appointed United States Ambassador to China, the charming career politician arrived at his new post with his entire family—including his adopted Chinese daughter, Gracie. Huntsman’s diplomatic struggles and triumphs are explored in the broader context of China’s relationship with the rest of the world, and intersected with Gracie’s personal experience living in China as a Chinese-American. In Mandarin, Cantonese, English, with subtitles.

Applesauce
Directed and written by Onur Tukel. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. TFF alumnus Onur Tukel plays a husband who innocently reveals on talk radio the worst thing he’s ever done. Though his gaffe never makes it on air, it sets off a chain of hilariously uncontrollable events that draw his wife and another couple into an uneasy mixture of infidelities, confessions, and severed body parts.

Bad Hurt
Directed and written by Mark Kemble, co-written by Jamieson Stern. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. Life for the Kendalls has been burdened by grief and claustrophobia. Faced with caring for one child with special needs and another with PTSD, the family struggles for a sense of stability at home in their Staten Island hamlet. When a secret from the past is revealed, it threatens to tear them apart.

Bare
Directed and written by Natalia Leite. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. Sarah’s (Dianna Agron) mundane life in a Nevada desert town is turned upside down with the arrival of Pepper (Paz de la Huerta), a mysterious female drifter, who leads her into a life of seedy strip clubs and illicit drugs. Their passion inspires Sarah to break free of her past and seek out a new life of her own.

Being 14 (À14 ans)
Directed and written by Hélène Zimmer. (France). – International Premiere, Narrative. Adopting an observational style, Being 14 captures all the secrets, trials, and anguish of adolescence, as experienced by best friends Sarah, Louise, and Jade in their final year of middle school. The narrative plays like a documentary in each true-to-life scene; the camera is witness to their lives unfolding, as it unobtrusively records the moments of a year, after which everything will change. In French with subtitles

Come Down Molly
Directed and written by Gregory Kohn. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. In this expressionist odyssey exploring the lonely side of entering adulthood, struggling new mother Molly (Eléonore Hendricks) joins her old high school group of guy friends at a secluded mountain home. Amidst tears, laughter, and mushrooms, they connect with nature, one another, and themselves.

A Courtship
Directed by Amy Kohn. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. Amy Kohn’s fascinating documentary offers a peek into the practice of Christian courtship, wherein a woman hands over the responsibility of finding a husband to her parents and the will of God. Such is Kelly’s path, enlisting her adopted spiritual family to find her Mr. Right.

Crocodile Gennadiy
Directed and written by Steve Hoover. (USA)– World Premiere, Documentary. Crocodile Gennadiy, a real-life, self-appointed savior, who works tirelessly to rescue homeless, drug-addicted youth from the streets of Mariupol, Ukraine. At the same time, he challenges dealers and abusers. Despite criticism, Gennadiy is determined to continue his work. Sundance Award-winning director Steve Hoover’s second feature is a bold portrait of a man on a mission. In English, Russian with subtitles.

Cronies
Directed and written by Michael Larnell. (USA) – New York Premiere, Narrative. Louis begins to question his lifelong friendship with Jack, after a simple errand to buy his daughter a birthday gift turns into a visit to a drug dealer. Director Michael Larnell combines an earnestly realistic narrative with documentary-style interviews in which the characters muse on their futures, their impact on those they love, and the nature of friendship.

dream/killer
Directed by Andrew Jenks. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. In the fall of 2005, 20-year-old Ryan Ferguson received a 40-year prison sentence for a murder that he did not commit. Over the next ten years, his father Bill engages in a tireless crusade to prove Ryan’s innocence. Interspersed with footage from the Ferguson family archive, Andrew Jenks’ film looks at the personal consequences of a wrongful conviction.

El Cinco (El 5 de Talleres)
Directed and written by Adrián Biniez. (Argentina) – North American Premiere, Narrative.Patón, with his fiery temper and aggressive play, is the veteran star of his city’s soccer team. When his transgressions land him a lengthy suspension, he considers retirement, while discovering a world that consists of more than just feet and fists. This coming-of-middle-age tale reveals the predicament of leaving the arena where you most feel at home. In Spanish with subtitles.

GORED
Directed and written by Ido Mizrahy, co-written by Geoffrey Gray. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. Gored centers on Spanish bullfighter Antonio Barrera, holder of the dubious title of “Most Gored Bullfighter in History,” as he grapples with the end of his career. Captivating footage of past and present bullfights reveal Barrera’s tremendous passion for the sport, as well as his seemingly irresistible urge to confront death at every opportunity. In Spanish with subtitles.

Jackrabbit
Directed and written by Carleton Ranney, co-written by Destin Douglas. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. When a friend’s suicide leaves behind a mysterious computer drive, a fringe hacker and accomplished computer technician come together to decipher the message left in his wake. First-time filmmaker Carleton Ranney effortlessly combines a low-fi aesthetic with an intensely ambitious sci-fi story, creating a work that manages to satisfy as both a retro throwback and a forward-thinking indie drama.

King Jack
Directed and written by Felix Thompson. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. Growing up in a rural town filled with violent delinquents, Jack has learned to do what it takes to survive, despite having an oblivious mother and no father. After his aunt falls ill and a younger cousin comes to stay with him, the hardened 15-year-old discovers the importance of friendship, family, and looking for happiness even in the most desolate of circumstances.

Lucifer
Directed and written by Gust Van den Berghe. (Belgium, Mexico) – United States Premiere, Narrative. An angel falling from heaven to hell unexpectedly lands in a Mexican village where his presence affects the villagers in surprising ways. Inspired by the biblical story, Lucifer is a mesmerizing, moving, and unique exercise in form, presented in the director’s own format, Tondoscope. In Spanish with subtitles.

Orion: The Man Who Would Be King
Directed and written by Jeanie Finlay. (UK) – World Premiere, Documentary. Millions of Americans clung to the hope that Elvis Presley faked his death. For the executives at Sun Records that fantasy became an opportunity in the form of Orion, a mysterious masked performer with the voice of The King. But who was the man behind the mask? In this stranger-than-fiction true story, Jeanie Finlay explores a life led in service to those who couldn’t let Elvis go.

Shut Up and Drive
Directed and written by Melanie Shaw. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. Uptight and insecure Jane breaks down when her live-in boyfriend must move from Los Angeles to New Orleans for an acting gig. Jane’s anxiety worsens upon the arrival of Laura, Austin’s wild childhood friend. Unable to deal with each other without Austin, the two women embark on a road trip to see him, forming an unexpected friendship along the way.

Slow Learners
Co-directed by Sheena Joyce and Don Argott, written by Matt Serword. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. High school teachers Jeff and Anne (Adam Pally and Sarah Burns) are work BFFs all too familiar with the woes of romance. Desperate to turn their luck around they take on new personas and embark, with gusto, on an adventurous summer of uncharacteristic encounters. Slow Learners is a charming, comedic crash course in discovering who you really are.

Stranded in Canton (Nakangami na Guangzhou)
Directed by Måns Månsson, co-written by Måns Månsson, Li Hongqi, and George Cragg. (Sweden, Denmark, China)– North American Premiere, Narrative. Lebrun is an entrepreneur from The Democratic Republic of Congo who goes to China intent on making a fortune selling political T-shirts. When things don’t go as planned Lebrun spends more time in karaoke bars and falling in love than he does on business. Somewhere between documentary and fiction, this fascinating story explores new trade routes and their impact in two separate continents. In Cantonese, English, French, Lingala, Mandarin with subtitles.

Sunrise (Arunoday)
Directed and written by Partho Sen-Gupta. (India, France) – North American Premiere, Narrative. Social Service officer Lakshman Joshi is led on a chase through the dark gutters and rain-soaked back alleys of Mumbai by a shadowy figure. His pursuit leads him to Paradise, a seedy nightclub seemingly at the center of the kidnapping ring he is investigating. Joshi’s hunt brings back memories of his own kidnapped daughter, as his past and current reality converge. In Marathi with subtitles.

Tenured
Directed and written by Christopher Modoono, co-written by Gil Zabarsky. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. In Chris Modoono’s hilarious directorial debut, a broody and foul-mouthed elementary school teacher, Ethan Collins, finds his life turned upside down when his wife leaves him. Stuck with a group of precocious fifth graders, and fraught with fizzling writing aspirations, Ethan uses the school play as a last-ditch effort to fix his marriage. Will this be his greatest accomplishment or his most misguided lesson to date?

(T)ERROR
Directed by Lyric R. Cabral and David Felix Sutcliffe. (USA) – New York Premiere, Documentary. A rare, insider’s view of an FBI undercover investigation in progress, (T)ERROR follows a 63-year-old informant in his attempt to befriend a suspected Taliban sympathizer, and build a fraudulent case against him. Lyric R. Cabral and David Felix Sutcliffe’s startling and timely exposé questions the sacrifices that are being made to prevent terror in the United States.

Toto and His Sisters(Toto Si Surorile Lui)
Directed and written by Alexander Nanau. (Romania) – North American Premiere, Documentary. Shot over a period of 15 months, this hands-off documentary follows siblings living in a Bucharest slum. With their mother in jail, Toto and his two sisters, Ana and Andreea, live in what appears to be a communal drug den. As Ana drifts away with frequent drug use, Toto and Andreea must stick together in an orphanage, awaiting their mother’s return. In Romanian with subtitles.

TransFatty Lives
Directed by Patrick O’Brien, co-written by Patrick O’Brien, Scott Crowningshield, Lasse Jarvi, Doug Pray. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. Director Patrick O’Brien is TransFatty, the onetime NYC deejay and Internet meme-making superstar. In 2005, O’Brien began to document his life after being diagnosed with ALS and given only two to five years to live. TransFatty Lives is a brazen and illustrative account of what it’s like to live when you find out you are going to die.

Uncertain
Co-directed and co-written by Ewan McNicol and Anna Sandilands. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. An aquatic weed threatens the lake of the small American border town of Uncertain, Texas, and consequently the livelihoods of those who live there. As some of the men in town attempt to figure out their future, they confront a past that haunts them.

We Are Young. We Are Strong. (Wir Sind Jung. Wir Sind Stark.)
Directed by Burhan Qurbani, co-written by Martin Behnke and Burhan Qurbani. (Germany) – North American Premiere, Narrative. A group of disillusioned teenagers wander about in the restless hours leading up to an anti-immigrant riot that took place in Rostock, Germany, in August of 1992. The impending incident is seen through the experiences of three individuals: a Vietnamese factory worker, a local politician, and the politician’s teenage son, Stefan. In German, Vietnamese with subtitles.

The Wolfpack
Directed by Crystal Moselle. (USA) – New York Premiere, Documentary. Everything the Angulo brothers know about the outside world they learned from obsessively watching movies. Shut away from bustling New York City by their overprotective father, they cope with their isolation by diligently re-enacting their favorite films. When one of the brothers escapes, the world as they know it will be transformed. A Magnolia Release.

The 2015 Tribeca Film Festival announced today that Live From New York! will kick off the festival’s 14th year on Wednesday, April 15th. The documentary Live From New York! investigates the early years of Saturday Night Live, with commentary from SNL icons, journalists, past hosts, crew members, and more. The world premiere of the documentary coincides with Saturday Night Live‘s 40th Anniversary.

“The selection of Live from New York! to open the 14th Tribeca Film Festival is personally gratifying to me on several levels,” said Tribeca Film Festival co-founder Robert De Niro through press release. “Having hosted SNL three times, and guested on several occasions, I speak from a first-hand experience about SNL’s rightful place in our culture as well as a welcome addition to our festival.”

The 14th Tribeca Film Festival runs from April 15th to April 26th. Tickets for the 2015 Opening Night Gala go on sale March 23rd. The full offering of films for Tribeca 2015 will be revealed in the first week of March.

Starz Digital Media, the digital distribution subsidiary of Starz, has picked up the rights to two Tribeca standouts: Tom Berninger’s Mistaken For Strangers, a docu-comedy based on Americana rock group The National, and Trust Me, a comedy helmed by and starring Clark Gregg (The Avengers).

In Mistaken For Strangers,we follow Berninger, a slacker, aspiring horror director, heavy metal enthusiast, and younger brother of Matt Berninger, lead singer of The National (the film’s title is taken from one of the band’s songs). When Matt invites Tom to travel with the band on tour as a roadie, Tom decides to capture his on-road experience on camera. He becomes so wrapped up in documenting the trip that he neglects his roadie duties, consequently ticking off his brother and causing a rift between them.

The film should be a treat for fans of the band (they have droves), and its meta nature has garnered it a healthy amount of buzz, most notably from Michael Moore, who said it is “one of the best documentaries about a band that I’ve ever seen.” The National have recently been nominated for a Grammy for their excellent 2013 release, Trouble Will Find Me. Starz has set the theatrical and on-demand release date for March 28th.

ABOVE: Matt and Tom Berninger in Mistaken For Strangers

In Trust Me, director Clark Gregg, who’s been seen in several Marvel Studios productions, most recently the ABC series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., also stars in the film as a struggling agent for child actors who finds a potential star in a 13-year-old boy.

Though Gregg’s first directorial effort, the Chuck Palahniuk adaptation Choke, wasn’t met with much critical or commercial success, he’s proven himself a formidable talent in his roles as Agent Caulson in the the Marvel movies, and as Leonato in Joss Whedon’s mini-budget Shakespeare retelling, Much Ado About Nothing. Starz Digital will release Trust Me in May, one month prior to its theatrical release.