The second half of the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival slate was announced today (see the first, including competition selections, here), and things are looking up. Or at least kind of up: There are some promising world premieres from folks including Murderball co-director Dana Adam Shapiro, another new one from Alex Gibney (his second film in the fest), the Andy Serkis-as-Ian Dury biopic sex & drugs & rock & roll, documentaries about subjects ranging from Rush to the New York Mets, and a midnight movie called Ticked-Off Trannies With Knives. And then there's The Killer Inside Me, making its New York debut as the crowd-tweaking, Alba-destroying festival sensation of the spring.
And so much more. The new announcements follow the jump; the fest gets underway April 21.
ENCOUNTERS
· The Chameleon (Le Cameleon), directed by Jean-Paul Salomé, written by Jean-Paul Salomé and Natalie Carter. (France, USA) - World Premiere, Narrative. When teenager Nicholas Barclay (Marc-André Grondin, C.R.A.Z.Y.) mysteriously resurfaces after he went missing three years ago, his sister (Emilie De Ravin, Lost) and mother (Ellen Barkin) welcome him back with open arms, but a no-nonsense FBI agent (Famke Janssen) is out to prove he's an impostor. Working from a true story, director Jean-Paul Salomé (Female Agents) delivers an unsettling psychological thriller--featuring an unforgettable performance by Barkin--that will keep you guessing. In English.
· Climate of Change, directed by Brian Hill. (USA/UK) - North American Premiere, Documentary. A group of 13-year-olds in India rally against the use of plastics. A renaissance man in Africa teaches villagers to harness solar power. Self-described "hillbillies" in Appalachia battle the big business behind strip mining. Tilda Swinton beautifully narrates this rich and inspiring documentary--from the producers of An Inconvenient Truth--about a world of regular people taking action in the fight to save our environment. Executive produced by Participant Media and the Alliance for Climate Protection. A Tribeca Film release.
· Every Day, directed and written by Richard Levine. (USA) - World Premiere, Narrative. Meet Ned: his live-in father-in-law is putting serious strains on Ned's marriage. He's having a hard time adjusting to raising an independent teenager. His job as a TV writer is unfulfilling, and late nights with a sexy coworker are only complicating matters... Liev Schreiber, Helen Hunt, Brian Dennehy, Carla Gugino, Eddie Izzard, and Ezra Miller star in this eloquent and honest look at an everyday family dealing with life's little curveballs.
· Last Play at Shea, directed by Paul Crowder and Jon Small (concert footage). (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. The intersecting histories of a stadium, a team, and a music legend are examined in a documentary that charts the ups and downs of the New York Mets and the life and career of Long Island native Billy Joel, the last performer to play Shea Stadium. Set to the soundtrack of Joel's final Shea concerts, Last Play interweaves personal Joel interviews with exclusive concert footage--featuring guests like Tony Bennett and Roger Daltrey. Part of the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival.
· Meet Monica Velour, directed and written by Keith Bearden. (USA) - World Premiere, Narrative. In this quirky comedy, Tobe (Dustin Ingram, perfectly cast), an awkward teenage aficionado of 1980s soft-core, sets off in his grandfather's (Brian Dennehy) used Weinermobile to see his sexual idol perform at the Gentlemen's Club in Indiana. After defending her honor against ruffians who taunt the aging erotic starlet (Kim Cattrall) off the stage, he negotiates his unripe romantic impulses with the reality of her anything-but-glamorous life as a trailer-park single mother.
· Monogamy, directed by Dana Adam Shapiro, written by Dana Adam Shapiro and Evan Weiner. (USA) - World Premiere, Narrative. Exhibitionism, voyeurism, jealousy, lust. Brooklyn wedding photographer Theo's (Chris Messina) side business taking surveillance-style photos of clients on the sly takes an unexpected turn--and creates a rift with his fiancée (Rashida Jones)--when he's hired by a provocative mystery woman. The first narrative feature from Oscar®-nominated director Dana Adam Shapiro (Murderball), Monogamy effectively fuses an absorbing mystery-thriller and a taut relationship drama.
· My Trip to Al-Qaeda, directed by Alex Gibney, Documentary. (USA) - World Premiere. Academy Award® winner Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side, TFF '07) collaborates with Lawrence Wright to bring Wright's titular one-man play to the screen. With equal parts Spalding Gray and An Inconvenient Truth, My Trip to Al Qaeda chronicles fundamentalist Islam's rise to power and explores Wright's struggle to maintain his objectivity as a journalist writing about Islamic terror.
· Nice Guy Johnny, directed and written by Edward Burns. (USA) - World and TFF Virtual Premiere, Narrative. A master of the modern relationship dramedy, Edward Burns crafts a summery gem centered on baby-faced 24-year-old Johnny Rizzo, who's about to trade his dream job in talk radio for some snoozeville gig that'll pay enough to please his fiancée. Enter Uncle Terry (Burns), a rascally womanizer set on turning a day in the Hamptons into an eye-opening fling for his nephew. Nice guy Johnny's not interested, of course, but then he meets Brooke....
· RUSH: Beyond the Lighted Stage, directed by Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn. (Canada) - World Premiere, Documentary. For fans and newcomers to the legendary Canadian band Rush, this is the music documentary to experience. Directors Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn embark on a comprehensive exploration of this extraordinary power trio, from their early days in Toronto through each of their landmark albums to the present day. Sit back and revel in the words, music, and wonder of Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart.
· sex & drugs & rock & roll, directed by Mat Whitecross, written by Paul Viragh. (UK) - North American Premiere, Narrative. Mat Whitecross (codirector of The Road to Guantanamo) paints a stylized, ripsnorting portrait of mercurial British punk rock pioneer Ian Dury (flawlessly portrayed by BAFTA nominee Andy Serkis). From a troubled childhood and a battle with debilitating polio to the effects of fame on relationships and fatherhood, here are the highs and lows of a life lived sneeringly, unapologetically out loud. With Olivia Williams, Ray Winstone, and Naomie Harris. A Tribeca Film release.
· The Space Between, directed and written by Travis Fine. (USA) - World Premiere, Narrative. Lonely flight attendant Montine McLeod (Academy Award® nominee Melissa Leo) becomes responsible for a 10-year-old Pakistani-American boy traveling solo when news of the 9/11 attacks grounds their flight in Texas. After learning the boy's father works in the World Trade Center, McLeod musters the compassion she could never afford her own family, and the two embark on a heartrending road trip to meet an uncertain future in New York City.
· Tetsuo The Bullet Man, directed by Shinya Tsukamoto, written by Shinya Tsukamoto and Hisakatsu Kuroki. (Japan) - North American Premiere, Narrative. More than 20 years after he used 16mm to prove himself worthy of a cult following with Tetsuo, The Iron Man, Shinya Tsukamoto is back with another frenetic, hyperbolic experience. This slick, modernized third installation of the Tetsuo series--shown here in the final director's cut for the first time--continues to challenge ideas of man and machine... and the trouble that ensues when the two become one.
· Vidal Sassoon The Movie, directed by Craig Teper. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. With the geometric, Bauhaus-inspired hairstyles he pioneered in the '60s and his "wash and wear" philosophy that liberated generations of women from the tyranny of the salon, Vidal Sassoon revolutionized the art of hairdressing. This fun, fast-paced documentary traces with visual gusto the life of a self-made man whose passion and perseverance took him from a Jewish orphanage in London to the absolute pinnacle of his craft.
· Visionaries, directed by Chuck Workman. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. Oscar®-winning filmmaker Chuck Workman brings alive the vibrant history of the avant-garde cinema. Through interviews with filmmakers and critics including Jonas Mekas, Kenneth Anger, Su Friedrich, and Amy Taubin, he reveals how this artistic movement highlights subjective vision, sensory experience, and dreams over plot and storyline. Workman couples these conversations with a dazzling array of diverse extracts from experimental films that illuminate for the general audience a qualitatively different kind of moviegoing experience.
DISCOVERY
· Arias With a Twist: The Docufantasy, directed by Bobby Sheehan. (USA) - North American Premiere, Documentary. A joyously uplifting celebration of the creative process and the inventive, outrageous downtown art scene of New York of the past 30 years, Arias with a Twist focuses its lens on the inspired collaboration between cabaret and drag artist Joey Arias and master puppeteer Basil Twist, whose groundbreaking 2008 show brought them some of the biggest success of their careers. Featuring never-before-seen footage of Andy Warhol, Jim Henson, Keith Haring, Grace Jones, and Divine.
· Beware the Gonzo, directed and written by Bryan Goluboff. (USA) - World Premiere, Narrative. Eddie "Gonzo" Gilman is starting a revolution. When the wild-eyed rebel journalist is ousted from his prep school's newspaper by its über-popular editor, Eddie fronts an underground movement to give a voice to all the misfits, outcasts, and nerds. Soon the power of the press is in Eddie's hands... but will he use it wisely? Ezra Miller, Jesse McCartney, Zoë Kravitz, Campbell Scott, and Amy Sedaris star in this pitch-perfect teen comedy.
· brilliantlove, directed by Ashley Horner, written by Sean Conway. (UK) - World Premiere, Narrative. Love and lust entangle over a sweltering summer as a novice photographer, Manchester, documents his sweaty affair with his taxidermist girlfriend, Noon. But when a wealthy art-world pornography collector "discovers" Manchester as a genius, the trappings of the art world are unleashed upon the unsuspecting couple, shattering Noon's trust and heart. Director Ashley Horner captures the yearning and desire that can simultaneously strengthen and burn romance.
· Elvis & Madona (Elvis e Madona), directed and written by Marcelo Laffitte. (Brazil) - North American and TFF Virtual Premiere, Narrative. The lives of a beautiful biker babe and a tall blonde trannie intertwine in this vibrant Rio-set romantic comedy. Elvis is an aspiring young photographer delivering pizzas to make ends meet. Madona's plans for a spectacular drag show have just been dashed when her rotten sometime lover steals all her money. When they meet by chance, Elvis and Madona's unlikely love will help them chase their dreams and deal with the obstacles that arise along the way. In Portuguese with English subtitles.
· Gerrymandering, directed by Jeff Reichert. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. This wake-up-call doc exposes the hidden history of our country's redistricting wars, mapping battles that take place out of public scrutiny but shape the electoral landscape of American politics for decades at time, posing a threat not just to Democrats and Republicans, but democracy as a whole. Featuring stories from nine states, Gerrymandering takes a hard look at the framework of our democracy and how it provides our politicians a perfectly legal way to control electoral outcomes.
· The Infidel, directed by Josh Appignanesi, written by David Baddiel. (UK) - International Premiere, Narrative. Mahmud Nasir (comedian Omid Djalili) may not be the most observant Muslim, but deep down he is a true believer. His life is turned upside down when he learns he was adopted--but most scandalous is that his birth mother was Jewish! And his given name was Solly Shimshillewitz! As Mahmud tumbles into a full-scale identity crisis, a true comedy of religious errors unfolds. With Richard Schiff and Matt Lucas. A Tribeca Film release.
· Into the Cold, directed by Sebastian Copeland. (USA) - World and TFF Virtual Premiere, Documentary. The absolute top of the earth is a place few try to reach on foot. Even fewer succeed. With the vast arctic ice vanishing rapidly, photographer, extreme adventurer, and environmental advocate Sebastian Copeland sets out to reach the North Pole on the centennial of Admiral Peary's reach in 1909. This inspiring documentary follows their tumultuous two-month trek--not just through piercing cold and merciless terrain, but straight into the depths of the soul.
· Just Like Us, directed by Ahmed Ahmed. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. First-time director Ahmed Ahmed takes us on a hilarious tour from Dubai to Beirut, Riyadh to New York with a gaggle of other stand-up talent, including Maz Jobrani, Tom Papa, Ted Alexandro, Tommy Davidson, and Omid Djalili (The Infidel). Along the way, taboos of culture and geopolitics are exploded, and a younger generation of both comedy talents and audiences is born.
· Keep Surfing, directed by Björn Richie Lob. (Germany) - International Premiere, Documentary. This kinetic and fast-paced documentary will put you right on the Eisbach in the heart of Munich, where river-surfing was invented 35 years ago. Stunningly shot with cameras literally on the surfboards, you can sense the exhilaration as they take to the water. With cameos by surfing legends like Nick Carroll and Kelly Slater, Keep Surfing will make you want to hit the waves! In English, German with English subtitles.
· Legacy, directed and written by Thomas Ikimi. (UK/Nigeria) - International Premiere, Narrative. British-Nigerian director Thomas Ikimi builds a thrilling psychological drama around an all-consuming central performance by Idris Elba (The Wire). Black ops operative Malcolm Gray is returning home after a botched mission in Eastern Europe. Holed up in a rundown Brooklyn motel room, he is torn between retribution and personal salvation as he mentally unravels. When the walls close in, his story may be all he can leave behind....
· Meskada, directed and written by Josh Sternfeld. (USA) - World Premiere, Narrative. In Josh Sternfeld's (Winter Solstice, TFF '03) meticulously crafted murder mystery, a Catskills police detective (Nick Stahl, In the Bedroom) charged with investigating a juvenile homicide in an affluent suburb finds he must return to his struggling hometown of Caswell to find the killers. As his investigation picks up intensity, the grieving mother begins a battle of will and vengeance with members of Caswell, igniting a class war between two vastly different towns in rural America.
· No Woman, No Cry, directed by Christy Turlington Burns. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. More than half a million women each year die from preventable complications during pregnancy or childbirth. In her gripping directorial debut, Christy Turlington Burns shares the powerful stories of pregnant women in four parts of the world, including a remote Maasai tribe in East Africa, a slum of Bangladesh, a post-abortion care ward in Guatemala, and a prenatal clinic in the United States.
· The Other City, directed by Susan Koch. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. There's a part of Washington, DC never seen by the tourists and ignored by the mass media. At least three percent of DC is HIV positive, a staggering rate higher than parts of Africa, but the city is also full of encouraging stories of grassroots movements to extend education, combat stigmas, and spread hope. TFF alum Susan Koch's (Kicking It, TFF '08) eye-opening documentary tells the unheard stories behind the growing epidemic in our nation's capital.
· The Sentimental Engine Slayer, directed and written by Omar Rodriguez Lopez. (USA, Mexico) - North American and TFF Virtual Premiere, Narrative. Reality and fantasy entangle in the semi-autobiographical tale of a twentysomething misfit's loopy trip through manhood in the dusty US-Mexico border town of El Paso, Texas. While director/writer/star Omar Rodriguez Lopez's psychedelic sonic sensibilities are most well-known for fueling the Grammy-winning rockers The Mars Volta, it is piercingly clear that he is also a riveting and rare voice for independent American cinema. In English, Spanish with English subtitles.
· Snowmen, directed and written by Robert Kirbyson. (USA) - World Premiere, Narrative. This fun, warmhearted film for the whole family follows the adventures of Billy, a 10-year-old boy convinced he has only weeks to live, and his misfit friends. Along their journey of self-discovery, the boys conquer neighborhood bullies, unite a community, and discover that the only lasting legacy is friendship. With Bobby Coleman, Josh Flitter, Ray Liotta, and Christopher Lloyd.
· The Travelogues, directed and written by Dustin Thompson. (USA) - World Premiere, Narrative. Experimental filmmakers Dustin Thompson and Kathryn Ramey (Yanqui Walker and the Optical Revolution, screening with The Travelogues) explore, in richly textured and multilayered fashion, journeys of adventure and conquest. The Travelogues views the natural and manmade landscape through the lens of the filmmaker's imagination, and Yanqui Walker portrays real-life American William Walker's ascent to the presidency of Nicaragua in 1856, raising compelling questions about perception and the construction of history.
· The Trotksy, directed and written by Jacob Tierney. (Canada) - US Premiere, Narrative. Like most high schoolers, Leon Bronstein (Jay Baruchel, Tropic Thunder) is having an identity crisis. What differentiates Leon, however, is that he believes he is the reincarnation of Soviet thinker Leon Trotksy and predestined to follow the same path as his namesake. Tackling issues from students' rights to semi-formal dances, this "revolutionary" comedy will have you united in laughter. A Tribeca Film release.
CINEMANIA
· Clash (Bay Rong), directed by Le Thanh Son, written by Johnny Tri Nguyen, Le Thanh Son, Ho Quang Hung. (Vietnam) - International Premiere, Narrative. With lightning-fast martial arts, hyperbolic shootouts, an epic soundtrack, and the archetypes you love and love to hate, this cinematic indulgence follows a badass group of outcasts as they try to take down a fat-cat Vietnamese crime lord. The highest grossing Vietnamese film of the past year, Clash is a crowd-pleasing combination of all your favorite action film scenarios. In Vietnamese, French with English subtitles.
· Dream Home, directed by Pang Ho-Cheung, written by Pang Ho-Cheung, Kwok Cheung Tsang, and Chi-Man Wan. (Hong Kong) - North American Premiere, Narrative. Cheng Lai-sheung is a young, upwardly mobile professional finally ready to invest in her first home. But when the deal falls through, she is forced to keep her dream alive--even if it means keeping her would-be neighbors dead. Pang Ho-Cheung's disturbingly imaginative violence unfolds against a backdrop of lifestyle fetishization and the housing market crisis in this metropolitan spin on Guignol horror. In Cantonese with English subtitles.
· Possessed (Bulshinjiok), directed and written by Lee Yong-ju. (South Korea) - North American and TFF Virtual Premiere, Narrative. In this eminently creepy horror show, college student Hee-jin returns home in the wake of her younger sister's disappearance, only to find her mother a fanatical religious convert and the family's neighbors offing themselves in increasingly bizarre and grotesque ways. Together with detective Tae-hwan, Hee-jin must unravel the tangled web of connections between the victims that will lead back to the missing girl. In Korean with English subtitles.
· Spork, directed and written by J.B. Ghuman, Jr. (USA) - World and TFF Virtual Premiere, Narrative. Junior high isn't easy for anyone--especially if you're a frizzy-haired, pink-cheeked hermaphrodite like Spork. But when the talent show shines a chance for Spork to show up Betsy Byotch's mean girls gang, her recently best-friended trailer-park neighbor, Tootsie Roll, steps it up to coach her in booty-poppin' moves. This '80s-inspired dance send-up is littered with colorful dialogue from a tween cast with mouths beyond their years.
· Ticked-Off Trannies With Knives, directed and written by Israel Luna. (USA) -World Premiere, Narrative. When a group of transgendered women are violently beaten and left for dead, the violated vixens turn deadly divas in this hilariously campy homage to the exploitation films of the '70s and '80s ("Transploitation," anyone?). Loaded with bodacious bods and extreme violence, this revenge fantasy proves that it takes more than balls to get even.
· Zonad, directed and written by John Carney and Kieran Carney. (Ireland) - International Premiere, Narrative. In this cheeky comedy from brothers Kieran and John Carney (director of Oscar® winner Once), the Cassidy family lives cheerfully in a small Irish town where the 1950s, it seems, never ended. Then one night a portly brute dressed sorta like an alien arrives at their house. His name is Zonad and he's from outer space--or so he claims--and soon his cynical, 21st-century attitude begins disrupting this seemingly idyllic little hamlet.
SPOTLIGHT
· Cairo Time, directed and written by Ruba Nadda. (Canada, Ireland, Egypt) - US Premiere, Narrative. In this graceful cross-cultural love story, a happily married woman (Patricia Clarkson) is separated from her husband in the overwhelming city of Cairo. While waiting for his return, she experiences the unique beauty of Egypt with his friend (Alexander Siddig). As their tender friendship blossoms, a series of small yet profound moments changes both of their worlds forever. An IFC Films release.
· The Disappearance of Alice Creed, directed and written by J Blakeson. (UK) - US Premiere, Narrative. Two men fortify and soundproof an abandoned apartment, kidnapping and imprisoning the daughter of a millionaire for ransom. Her kidnappers, the coldly efficient Vic and his younger accomplice Danny, have worked out a meticulous plan, but Alice is not going to play the perfect victim... This taut, emotionally intense thriller eschews genre conventions, generating tension from the sexual and psychological ties that bind captive to captors. An Anchor Bay Films release.
· Get Low, directed by Aaron Schneider, written by Chris Provenzano and C. Gaby Mitchell. (USA) - New York Premiere, Narrative. In 1930s Tennessee, backwoods recluse Felix Bush (Robert Duvall) is feared and shunned by the local townsfolk. Then Felix decides to plan a living funeral to lay his own legend to rest. But behind this surreal plan lies a devastating secret that must get out... Academy Award® winner Aaron Schneider makes a confident feature debut with this engrossing and slyly funny folk tale of forgiveness and redemption. With Bill Murray, Sissy Spacek, and Lucas Black. A Sony Pictures Classics release.
· Joan Rivers - A Piece of Work, directed by Ricki Stern, Annie Sundberg. (USA) - New York Premiere, Documentary. Joan Rivers is the undisputed queen of American comedy, and at 76 years old, with a career spanning five decades, she shows no sign of slowing down. Following Rivers over the course of a year, A Piece of Work reveals the fascinating combination of vulnerability and irreverence behind the public figure in this endlessly entertaining, quintessential profile of a New York icon. An IFC Films release.
· The Killer Inside Me, directed by Michael Winterbottom, written by John Curran. (USA) - New York Premiere, Narrative. Casey Affleck is Lou Ford, a deputy sheriff whose continuous inner monologue reveals a savage sociopath hidden behind his accommodating Texan smile. When his escalating entanglements with a local prostitute and his prying fiancée back him into a corner, his urges will erupt in shocking violence. Michael Winterbottom's subversive film noir is adapted from cult pulp author Jim Thompson's novel. With Kate Hudson, Jessica Alba, Bill Pullman, and Elias Koteas. An IFC Films release.
· Micmacs (Micmacs aÌ tire-larigot), directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, written by Anne Wermelinger. (France) - New York Premiere, Narrative. Bazil (Dany Boon, Joyeux Noël) is a gentle-natured but unlucky man with a bullet lodged in his brain. Together with a motley crew of wacky new friends, he exacts an intricate revenge plot against the giant weapons manufacturers responsible for his lowly lot in life. From the inimitable and hyper-imaginative director of Delicatessen and Amélie comes a wild and whimsical underdog story, a David and Goliath tale by way of Buster Keaton. In French with English subtitles. A Sony Pictures Classics release.
· Ondine, directed and written by Neil Jordan. (Ireland, USA) - US Premiere, Narrative. Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Neil Jordan (The Crying Game) weaves a visually arresting tale of a lone fisherman (Colin Farrell) who pulls in the sweetest catch of his life--a mermaid-like beauty. But as their passion grows, their dark pasts come to light, and the real world begins to threaten their fairy tale romance. This stunning film will challenge your senses and imagination as fantasy and reality clash on the big screen. A Magnolia Pictures release.
· Please Give, directed and written by Nicole Holofcener. (USA) - New York Premiere, Narrative. Death, materialism, liberal guilt, adultery, midlife malaise... writer/director Nicole Holofcener (Friends with Money, Lovely & Amazing) makes such topics sing with earnest emotion and devastating humor. Catherine Keener and Oliver Platt star as well-to-do Manhattanites waiting out the death of their crotchety neighbor so they can take over her apartment. Things get messy when they try to make nice with the old lady and her granddaughters (Amanda Peet and Rebecca Hall). A Sony Pictures Classics release.
· Soul Kitchen, directed by Fatih Akin, written by Fatih Akin and Adam Bousdoukos. (Germany) - US Premiere, Narrative. Acclaimed director Fatih Akin's (The Edge of Heaven, Head-On) latest is a lively and delicious romp centered on hapless young restaurant owner Zinos, who's juggling a working-class clientele alienated by his new gourmet chef, a larcenous brother, tax inspectors, health officers, and real estate sharks... but his biggest concern, aside from pleasing palates, is mending the broken heart he was left with when his girlfriend moved to Shanghai. An IFC Films release.