Rock Documentary, Brad Pitt-Produced Look at Oil Industry Openers at 2013 Tribeca Film Festival

The Tribeca slate includes films from 30 countries, including 53 world premieres, 7 International premieres, 15 North American premieres, 6 U.S. premieres and 8 New York premieres,

Forty-six of the 89 feature-length films slated for the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival were announced on Tuesday, including the world premieres for the documentary, narrative and viewpoints selections. 

The festival, founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff after 9/11 to help revitalize the lower Manhattan neighborhood, runs April 17 to 28.

As previously announced, the documentary "Mistaken for Strangers" will make its world premiere on opening night. The film follows the Brooklyn-based band the National on tour and is directed by Tom Berninger, brother of lead singer Matt Berninger. The opening screening will be followed by a performance by the National.

“Big Men,” the Brad Pitt-produced African oil industry documentary written and directed by Rachel Boynton, opens the world documentary section. The narrative selection competition kicks off with “Bluebird” (pictured below right) starring Amy Morton, which director Lance Edmands gives a small Maine logging town the butterfly-effect treatment.

And “Flex Is Kings,” directed Deidre Schoo and Michael Nichols, opens the viewpoints section with a film about the Brooklyn street dance performance called "flexing."

All three films will premiere on April 18.

In all, the 2013 slate includes feature films from 30 different countries, including 53 world premieres, 7 International premieres, 15 North American premieres, 6 U.S. premieres and 8 New York premieres, festival organizers said in a statement.

A total of 113 directors will present feature works at the festival, with 35 of these filmmakers marking their feature directorial debuts. Among those directors, 26 are women. The 2013 film slate was chosen from a total of 6005 submissions.

Following are the films announced on Tuesday; the remainder of the festival's films will be announced Wednesday.

WORLD NARRATIVE AND DOCUMENTARY COMPETITIONS, AND VIEWPOINTS

World Narrative Feature Competition

Alì Blue Eyes: Directed by Claudio Giovannesi, written by Filippo Gravino and Giovannesi; Italy. A coming-of-age story about an Muslim immigrant who will stop at nothing to fit in.

Before Snowfall: Directed by Hisham Zaman, written by Kjell Ola Dahl and Zaman; Norway, Germany, Iraqi Kurdistan Region. Zaman brings the moral crisis of honor killing front and center in this international drama.

Bluebird: Directed and written by Lance Edmands; U.S. On a freezing January evening, the seemingly inconsequential actions of a school bus driver forever changes life in a small Maine logging town.

The Broken Circle Breakdown: Directed by Felix van Groeningen, written by Carl Joos and van Groeningen; Belgium. A couple from different worlds (he plays in a bluegrass band, she runs a tattoo shop) fight to save their marriage after their daughter is born.

Hide Your Smiling Faces: Directed and written by Daniel Patrick Carbone; U.S. During a hot summer in rural America, two brothers are confronted with devastation as death forces its way into their young lives.

Just a Sigh: Directed and written by Jérôme Bonnell; France. In the short break between performances, a stage actress makes a quick trip to Paris and meets a mysterious English stranger.

Lily: Directed by Matt Creed, written by Amy Grantham and Creed; U.S. Nearing the end of her treatment for breast cancer, a woman focuses on life with newfound clarity, reevaluating her relationship with an older man and her feelings about her long-absent father.

The Rocket: Directed and written by Kim Mordaunt; Australia. Set against the lush backdrop of rural Laos, this drama tells the story of scrappy ten-year-old who yearns to break free from his ill-fated destiny.

Six Acts: Directed by Jonathan Gurfinkel, written by Rona Segal; Israel. North A naïve teen is determined to improve her social status by hooking up with her new school’s coolest guy. 

Stand Clear of the Closing Doors: Directed by Sam Fleischner, written by Rose Lichter-Marck and Micah Bloomberg; U.S. When an autistic teen is scolded for skipping class, he escapes into the subway for a days-long odyssey among the subway’s disparate denizens. 

Sunlight Jr.: Directed and written by Laurie Collyer; U.S..  – A Quickie-mart employee and her paraplegic boyfriend are blissfully in love until she gets pregnant and their happy life comes crashes down. Stars Naomi Watts and Matt Dillon.

Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?: Directed and written by Arvin Chen; Taiwan. Strait-laced optometrist is finding the typical married life difficult until he bumps into an old flame, setting off an unexpected array of dormant emotions.

World Documentary Feature Competition

Aatsinki: The Story of Arctic Cowboys: Directed and written by Jessica Oreck; Finland. In the forests of Finnish Lapland, two brothers carry on the generations-old tradition of reindeer herding.

Alias Ruby Blade: A Story of Love and Revolution: Directed by Alex Meillier, written by Tanya Ager Meillier and Meillier; U.S. Kirsty Sword Gusmão went to Timor-Leste to document injustice and struggle for independence in an area closed to Western journalists.

Big Men(directed, written by Rachel Boynton; U.S. Director Rachel Boynton gains unprecedented access to Africa's oil companies.

The Genius of Marian: Directed by Banker White and Anna Fitch; U.S. Weaving past into present, filmmakers immerse the audience in the daily life of a mother suffering with Alzheimer’s.

The Kill Team: Directed by Dan Krauss, written by Lawrence Lerew, Linda Davis and Krauss; U.S. In 2010, the media branded a platoon of U.S. Army infantry soldiers “The Kill Team” following reports of its killing for sport in Afghanistan.

Let the Fire Burn: Directed by Jason Osder; U.S. Documentary of the incidents leading up to and during the 1985 standoff between the extremist African-American organization MOVE and Philadelphia authorities.

Michael H. Profession: Director: Directed and written by Yves Montmayeur; Austria, France. A career-spanning documentary about director Michael Haneke’s work, offering insight into his creative process through on-set footage and interviews.

Oxyana: Directed by Sean Dunne; U.S. Oceana, West Virginia — known as “Oxyana” after its residents’ epidemic abuse of OxyContin — is a tragically real example of the insidious spread of drug dependency throughout the country.

Powerless: Directed by Fahad Mustafa, Deepti Kakkar, written by Mustafa; India.Film sheds light on the people of Kanpur, India, who put themselves in harm’s way to get electrical power is all too common.

Raw Herring: Directed by Leonard Retel Helmrich and Hetty Naaijkens-Retel Helmrich; Netherlands. Raw Herring celebrates the cultural legacy maintained by Holland’s last great herring fishers even as new trends and foreign competition threaten their way of life. 

Red Obsession: Directed and written by David Roach and Warwick Ross; Australia. – Documentary about France’s Bordeaux region as it struggles with and courts the spike in demand, sending prices skyrocketing.

Teenage: Directed by Matt Wolf, written by Jon Savage and Wolf; U.S. Documentary repositions the historical origin of teenagers and shows why those years are more than just a stepping-stone to adulthood.

Viewpoints

A Birder's Guide to Everything: Directed by Rob Meyer, written by Luke Matheny and Meyer; U.S. On the eve of a widowed father’s second wedding, 15-year-old son leads members of his local Young Birders Society on rollicking, interstate search for an extremely rare duck.

Bending Steel: Directed by Dave Carroll, written by Ryan Scafuro and Carroll; U.S. Follows Chris Schoeck as he parlays his extraordinary strength into the pursuit of his lifelong dream — becoming the Coney Island Strongman.

BIG JOY: The Adventures of James Broughton: Directed by Stephen Silha, Eric Slade, and Dawn Logsdon; U.S. Follows poet-filmmaker James Broughton's deeply intertwined creative and personal lives.

Bridegroom: Directed and written by Linda Bloodworth Thomason; U.S. Gives an intensely personal edge to the ongoing debate over the legal rights of same-sex couples.

Cutie and the Boxer: Directed by Zachary Heinzerling, written by Ada Bligaard Soby; U.S. Once a rising if unruly star in the ’70s art scene, eighty-year-old “boxing” painter Ushio Shinohara now struggles to establish his artistic legacy.

Dancing in Jaffa: Directed by Hilla Medalia, written by Philip Shane and Medalia; U.S.. Renowned ballroom dancer Pierre Dulain stars in this charming documentary that offers a unique perspective on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Deep Powder: Directed by Mo Ogrodnik; U.S. A boarding school senior makes a cocaine run to Ecuador. 

Farah Goes Bang: Directed by Meera Menon, written by Laura Goode and Menon; U.S. Coming-of-age tale about a girl who hits the road with her buddies to stump for John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election, hoping the trip will be her opportunity to finally shed her unwanted virginity.

Flex Is Kings: Directed by Deidre Schoo and Michael Nichols; U.S. Journey to the edge of Brooklyn and of street performance itself in this sparkling portrait of the freeing power of art.

Floating Skyscrapers: Directed and written by Tomasz Wasilewski; Poland. Two young men meet at an art opening and sparks fly in this story of finding love.

Harmony Lessons: Directed and written by Emir Baigazin; Kazakhstan, Germany, France. Symbolism and striking cinematography help us navigate the complicated landscape of a teenager’s mind in this insightful Kazakh film about violence among children.

Jîn: Directed and written by Reha Erdem; Turkey. Erdem relays in radiant detail the effects of the decades-long Turkish-Kurdish conflict.

Kiss the Water: Directed by Eric Steel; U.S., U.K. Travel to Scotland’s far northern highlands and explore the life and remarkable influence of Megan Boyd, fishing fly-maker extraordinaire.

Lenny Cooke: Directed by Benny Safdie and Joshua Safdie; U.S.. – World Premiere, Documentary follows Lenny Cooke, the most hyped high school basketball player in the country, ranked above future greats LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony in 2001. A decade later, he has never played a minute in the NBA.

The Moment: Directed by Jane Weinstock, written by Jane Gloria Norris and Weinstock; U.S. Narrative film about the mysterious disappearance of an artist.

Northwest: Directed by Michael Noer, written by Rasmus Heisterberg and Noer; Denmark. Territory, power and pride are the seismic forces in this adrenaline-fueled narative crime thriller.

Odayaka: Directed and written by Nobuteru Uchida; Japan. North American Premiere, Narrative film about the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011.

The Patience Stone: Directed by Atiq Rahimi, written by Jean-Claude Carrère and Atiq Rahimi; Afghanistan, France, Germany. Narrative. A woman tends to her comatose husband, an injured rebel fighter in an unnamed, war-torn village, only whispering of her fear for their two young daughters' lives.

Run and Jump: Directed by Steph Green, written by Ailbhe Keogan; Ireland, Germany. Narrative. After a stroke leaves her husband disabled and fundamentally changed, a spirited Irish wife struggles to keep her family members together.

Taboor: Directed and written by Vahid Vakilifar; Iran. Narrative. A lone motorcyclist travels the empty streets of Tehran at night.

Wadjda: Directed and written by Haifaa  Al-Mansour; Saudi Arabia, Germany. Narrative. Meet Wadjda (Waad Mohammed., a feisty, funny and wholly unconventional ten-year-old girl determined to scrounge up enough money to buy a bicycle, despite the societal repercussions sure to follow.

What Richard Did: Directed by Lenny Abrahamson, written by Malcolm Campbell; Ireland. Narrative. Charismatic Richard leads a group of devoted friends through the rituals of their final summer break together: partying on the beach, hazing younger students, hooking up. But the good times will not last forever.

 

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