Must See Films From a Memorable Tribeca Film Festival
By Christine Connallon
The 2023 Tribeca Film Festival celebrated 22 years of bringing the best programming to audiences that inspired, educated and entertained. Each year, this amazing event features 600 exciting events attended by 150,000 participants, setting the standard for film festivals with an incredible array of world premieres, directorial debuts and so much more. Here are some of our favorite films from this year’s stellar slate:
Apolonia, Apolonia
Filmmaker Lea Glob gives us a gorgeous, in depth profile of her friend and French painter Apolonia Sokol. This unflinching, inside view of what it takes to be a struggling artist and creative force, under scrutiny from art critics and pressure from all sides, is a raw and powerful journey covering 13 years.
Breaking the News
Named after the Nineteenth Amendment, The 10th became the first nonprofit, nonpartisan news agency in the United States, with a mission to focus on the impact of national politics and policy on women. Struggling with the obstacle of the pandemic on their plans, co-founders soldiered on in their work, driven by women and LGBTQ+ journalists, as they struggled to launch the agency and gain traction. This gem was directed by Healther Courtney, Princess A. Hairston and Chelsea Hernandez.
One Night With Adela
Director Hugo Ruiz’s first foray into features is one that you will never forget. This dark film is a wild ride with Adela, a troubled street sweeper at the wheel. Expect drugs, sex and lots of revenge as Adela unleashes her fury onto a cast of characters who she deems deserving of her rage. We can’t wait to see what his next project will bring as One Night With Adela is memorable.
Cinnamon
With a blaxploitation vibe and powerful performances by Hailey Kilgore, Damon Wayans and Pam Grier, director Bryian Keith Montgomery Jr. delivers an edge of your seat film that pits an aspiring singer against the shady owner of a gas station where she works. Part love story, part crime thriller and full of twists you’ll never anticipate, this is a must-see adventure.
All Up in the Biz
Director Sacha Jenkins uses rare archival footage, powerful celebrity interviews and even puppets to reenact key scenes and remember Biz Markie, the hip-hop icon. His legacy continues on strongly even after his death in 2021 and is footprint is everywhere that his creative legacy touched from the world of music to his appearances in film and television. This beautiful film captures his spirit with style.
Scream of My Blood: A Gogol Bordello Story
Directed by Nate Pommer and Eric Weinrib, this film eloquently and perfectly showcases the energy of this gypsy punk band, both off-stage and while performing. Taking us on a journey from the last days of the Soviet Union to pre-9/11 New York and up to the invasion of Ukraine, we better understand the band and it’s Ukranian-born lead singer Eugene Hütz. Community is everything and has shaped the band, their passions and their impact on the world around them.
Every Body
Director Julie Cohen (RBG) shares the story of three intersex people. This engaging film delves into a topic that isn’t necessarily talked about often, as it covers the range of people who are born with reproductive anatomy that doesn’t fit into the categories of male or female. The honesty of the subjects is refreshing and the film adeptly showcases science, history and the politics of the movement against unnecessary surgery for intersex kids.
We can hardly wait to see what gems the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival will bring us!
Photos courtesy of the Tribeca Film Festival
Additional contributions by Mike Perciaccante