TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL ROUNDUP

 

This time of the year always touts several film festivals that ultimately are the first glimpse audiences have at future Academy Award nominees and winners.  Here are some highlights from 2014 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL and a report from Deadline Hollywood’s Pete Hammond on COLCOA, the biggest film festival in North America and considered a pre-cursor to the Cannes Film Festival in France next month.

2014 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL

This year the choices of screening fluctuate between 61 documentaries, 7 Sci-Fi films, 6 films exploring technology, 10 LGBTQ films, 39 films with female directors, 11 horror flicks, 5 Transmedia projects, 9 romantic comedies, 27 movies about New York, 10 Supernatural Romances, 4 films about food, 12 Thrillers, 10 films about friendship, 1 film about zombie beavers, 10 crime movies, 35 comedies and 14 sports films.  Needless to say this blog would never end if I described all of these films.  I would still be typing as you read this.  So, I will just give you a few highlights and for more in-depth information, please feel free to go to http://www.tribecafilm.com for more info.

WE COULD BE KING – This 74 minute documentary chronicles the MLK High School Cougars’ most recent football season, which started with little to no hope and strife as a budget crisis forced Germantown High to merge with their longtime hated rival, MLK High. A two-year losing streak and teammates who didn’t particularly like each other fell on the shoulders of 27-year-old first time heard coach Ed Dunn.

Needless to say, thins get off to a rocky start, star players deal with setback that threaten their college aspirations, but Coach Dunn remains determined to get his team on the right track to victory.

KEEP ON KEEPIN’ –     A documentary directed by Alan Hicks and Executive Produced by Grammy Winner Quincy Jones chronicles jazz trumpeter Clark Terry’s mentoring of Justin Kaulflin, a blind piano prodigy.

INTRAMURAL – Take the heart of Rocky, the training montage of Dodgeball, the offbeat characters of the college classic PCU, and the camera work of Any Given Sunday, and you’ve got Intramural, which pays homage to one of cinema’s most beloved genres – the inspirational sports movie.  Directed by Andrew Disney, the uproarious comedy stars Jake Lacy, Nikki Reed, Jay Pharaoh and SNL’s Kate McKinnon (who was plucked for SNL right out the CBS Diversity showcase).

SUPER DUPER ALICE COOPER – Before Marilyn Manson, there was Super Duper Rocker Alice Cooper.  Like many rockers of the 70’s his onstage antics proved to be disturbing, shocking and downright unbelievable.  Super Duper Alice Cooper is the twisted tale of a teenage Dr Jekyll whose rock n roll Mr Hyde almost kills him. Vincent Furnier, preacher’s son, struck fear into the hearts of parents as Alice Cooper, the ultimate rock star of the bizarre. The is the first ever ‘doc opera’ – a dizzying blend of documentary archive footage, animation and rock opera that will cement forever the legend of Alice Cooper.

ICE POISON – Burmese-Taiwanese filmmaker Midi Z ‘s fourth feature, follows a poor, young farmer who pawns his cow for a moped to start a new profession as a taxi driver. His first fare is a young woman returning home for her grandfather’s funeral.  As the two grow closer, the woman reveals that she is fleeing her unhappy, arranged marriage and wants to start life anew with her daughter. Out of options, the two decide to become drug couriers to earn enough money for a fresh start. Of course, nothing is every that easy.

ZOMBEAVERS – The trailer for Zombeavers garnered 2 million views in its first two weeks alone, thanks to a big push by some prominent Twitter users like Jonathan Ross, Judd Apatow and Dane Cook.  The B-movie creature feature throwback, Zombeavers, celebrated its world premiere at TFF last weekend, delighting festival audiences with its special effects, humor, and gore, gore, gore!

BEGIN AGAIN – The latest film from writer-director John Carney (Once), Begin Again is a soul-stirring comedy about what happens when lost souls meet and make beautiful music together. Gretta (Keira Knightley) and her long-time boyfriend Dave (Adam Levine) are college sweethearts and songwriting partners who decamp for New York when he lands a deal with a major label. But the trappings of his new-found fame soon tempt Dave to stray, and a reeling, lovelorn Gretta is left on her own. Her world takes a turn for the better when Dan (Mark Ruffalo), a disgraced record-label exec, stumbles upon her performing on an East Village stage and is immediately captivated by her raw talent. From this chance encounter emerges an enchanting portrait of a mutually transformative collaboration, set to the soundtrack of a summer in New York City. Begin Again is produced and financed by Exclusive Media and produced by Anthony Bregman, Tobin Armbrust and Judd Apatow. The film will be released by The Weinstein Company in July.

This year’s Festival is over TODAY, but there are a few films that would like to come home with you. Check out these films now on VOD and digital platforms: 

Beneath the Harvest Sky

The Bachelor Weekend

Bright Days Ahead 

Colcoa: Oscar Winner Claude LeLouch Opens Biggest French Film Festival Outside Of Cannes – Deadline.com http://www.deadline.com/2014/04/colcoa-oscar-winner-claude-lelouch-opens-biggest-french-film-festival-outside-of-cannes/ via @deadline