tribeca festival
The Music Lounge series at this year’s Tribeca Festival will present a typically eclectic group of performers taking the stage at Brooklyn’s Baby’s All Right next month. The series will kick off on June 6 with a show by British electronic act Actress (Darren Cunningham) playing selections from his recent LXXXVIII album, along with a set from New York native ,multi-instrumentalist/Onyx Collective founder Isaiah Barr performing his audiovisual project The Red Zone.
Night two (June 7) will spotlight a collaboration between Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Linda Perry and Stella Rose (daughter of Depeche Mode singer Dave Gahan), tied to the world premiere of the documentary Linda Perry: Let It Die Here; Rose and the Dead Language were the winners of the Tribeca Music Lounge’s Battle of the Bands in 2022.
“This year’s music films showcase a wide variety of artists and genres, and we sought to bring diversity to our Music Lounge through unique events,” Vincent Cassous, Tribeca Curator of Music Programming, said in a statement. “There is something for every music fan on our lineup, from pop to experimental.”
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The line-up for the third night (June 8) will feature a tribute to late Psychic TV frontperson Genesis P-Orridge in conjunction with the world premiere of S/He Is Still Her/e – The Official Genesis P-Orridge Doc. Among the acts slated to perform in honor of the pioneering electronic artists are: CHRISTEENE, Bauhaus’ David J and members of Psychic TV (Alice Genese, Jeff Berner, Douglas Rushkoff and Randy Schrager), plus special guests and a PTV-acid house DJ set from Paul McCartney DJ Chris Holmes.
The series will wind up on June 9 with an intimate performance from Irish language hip-hop duo Kneecap in conjunction with the New York premiere of their self-titled musical film, described as a look at a “post-Troubles Belfast when the rap trio erupted as a defiant champion of the Irish language and potent symbol of Ireland’s disenfranchised youth.”
This year’s festival will also feature docs about Avicii, Liza Minnelli, the Montreaux Jazz Festival, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Carl Craig, Harry Belafonte, “Little” Steven Van Zandt and Ani DiFranco, among others.
In addition, the Storytellers series will feature R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe and Jon Batiste in conversation discussing Nat King Cole and a 40th anniversary celebration of landmark hip-hop film Beat Street with an introduction by Nas. This year’s festival, which runs from June 5-16, will also present the first-ever North American screening of the remastered 4K edition of the animated musical inspired by Daft Punk’s Discovery album, Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem.
The 2024 Tribeca Festival is just around the corner and this year’s selections feature a number of anticipated documentaries about musical luminaries from the rock, pop, country and EDM worlds.
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The festivities will kick-off on June 5 with the world premiere of Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge, a profile of the life of the fashion designer and cultural icon directed by Tribeca alum Trish Dalton and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.
Over the course of nearly two weeks (June 5-16) the fest will feature screenings of a number of important music docs, including They All Came Out to Montreux, a look at the half century-old annual jazz festival in Switzerland featuring Prince, Carlos Santana, Sting, Aretha Franklin and the Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards.
Attendees will also be able to check out Linda Perry: Let It Die Here, a look at the mega-successful former 4 Non Blondes singer-turned-songwriter-producer featuring Dolly Parton, Brandi Carlile and Christina Aguilera, as well as a film about late EDM superstar Avicci, Avicii – I’m Tim, featuring Coldplay’s Chris Martin and David Guetta. In addition to screening the doc Satisfied about actress/singer Renée Elise Goldsberry (Hamilton, Girls5eva), Goldsberry (and Perry) will perform after the world premieres of their respective films.
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Other music films will look at the careers of techno producer Carl Craig (Desire: The Carl Craig Story), civil rights activist/singer Harry Belafonte (Following Harry), Bruce Springsteen guitarist and actor “Little” Steven Van Zandt (Stevie Van Zandt: Disciple), performance artist/singer Genesis P-Orridge (S/He Is Still Her/e – The Official Genesis P-Orridge Doc) and 1990s alternative goddess Ani DiFranco (1-800-ON-HER-OWN), as well as a doc about the the new crop of country insurgents, Rebel Country, featuring Blanco Brown, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson and BRELAND.
“Each year, the Tribeca Festival reflects our culture, capturing the essence of the present moment. We’re thrilled to showcase our 23rd edition, delving into captivating explorations of artificial intelligence with Demis Hassabis, thought-provoking discussions on the future of democracy, and so much more,” said Tribeca CEO/co-founder Jane Rosenthal in a statement. “Storytelling possesses a remarkable ability to bring us together, offering hope in these challenging times. We eagerly anticipate engaging with audiences on difficult yet timely subjects.”
Among the features on tap this year are a film about a young woman growing up on the Oglala Lakota reservation in South Dakota, Jazzy (Lily Gladstone), Daddio (Dakota Johnson, Sean Penn), the Brat Pack doc Brats (directed by Andrew McCarthy and featuring Demi Moore, Ally Sheedy, Rob Lowe, Molly Ringwald and Lea Thompson), Sacramento (Michael Cera, Kristen Stewart, Maya Erskine) and Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story featuring archival footage of Liza Minnelli.
Other films on tap include Group Therapy (Neil Patrick Harris, Mike Birbiglia, Tig Notaro), All That We Love (Margaret Cho, Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and a deep dive into the world of queer stand-up, Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution (Lily Tomlin, Wanda Sykes, Rosie O’Donnell, Hannah Gadsby and Joel Kim Booster).
According to a release, this year’s films “speak to today’s political moment and inform voters ahead of the upcoming election,” including the screening of Hacking Hate, a Simon Klose film that “questions the role of social media in amplifying hate speech and extremism.” Among the other politically charged films are McVeigh, an exploration of chilling modern implications of right-wing extremism directed by Mike Ott and America’s Burning, in which Michael Douglas narrates director David Smick’s look at the roots of hate and division.
The Cranes Call is a profile of war crimes investigators for the Clooney Foundation For Justice in which director Laura Warner gives a look at the brave staffers for the organization founded by George and Amal Clooney as they risk their lives traversing war-torn Ukraine to gather evidence for cases against Russian soldiers and commanders. There will also be a look into Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s deadly, repressive regime (Antidote) and a doc about the daring rescue of animals trapped behind enemy lines in Ukraine, Checkpoint Zoo.
This year’s sprawling program will include 103 features from 114 filmmakers from 48 countries — out of a record 13,016 submissions — including 86 world premieres, two international premieres, six North American premieres and eight New York premieres; in addition, half of the films in competition were directed by women and 35% (36) were directed by BIPOC filmmakers.
Check out a 2024 Tribeca sizzle reel below.
The 2023 Tribeca Festival announced the star-studded lineup for its gala events and the opening, closing and centerpiece selections on Thursday (April 27). This year’s fest will kick off on June 7 with the North American premiere of Kiss the Future, a documentary following a group of underground musicians and creatives during the nearly four-year siege of Sarajevo and the 1997 U2 concert celebrating the liberation of the Bosnian capital.
The doc, produced by Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Sarah Anthony — and featuring U2’s Bono, The Edge and Adam Clayton — will officially open the 12-day event’s theme of artists-activists.
“We know U2’s marquee is helpful in getting the lives of these local heroes to a wider audience, but even at my most puffed up I couldn’t have imagined our tiny role being given so much care, attention, and screen time by Nenad Cicin-Sain,” U2 singer Bono said in a statement. “If defiance is the essence of romance, then the people of Sarajevo are the most romantic figures. Viva Sarajevo!”
Damon added that he and childhood friend and producer/writing partner Affleck are proud that Kiss the Future was selected to open this year’s festival. “We are grateful to the people of Sarajevo and to U2 for giving us the opportunity to help tell this special story,” he said in a statement. “Though this event happened almost 30 years ago, we feel it has strong relevance to today’s world, serving as a powerful reminder that human creativity can provide a powerful antidote to even the most horrific of situations.”
The Centerpiece Gala will spotlight the NY premiere of Disney/Pixar’s Elemental, as well as musical documentaries about Carlos Santana (Carlos), Cyndi Lauper (Let the Canary Sing) and French Montana (For Khadija), with each artist performing after the screenings. Megan Thee Stallion will also be on hand for a Storyteller’s conversation on June 14.
“Music is an instrumental form of storytelling, and the Tribeca Festival is thrilled to weave dynamic performances into our Gala events. Our lineup features the best of soul, rock & roll, pop, and hip-hop,” Tribeca Festival Director and VP of Programming Cara Cusuamno said in a statement. “We hope our audiences are inspired by activism in art and riled up by the electrifying acts paired with the screenings.”
This year’s festival will take place from June 7-18 in New York and feature 109 films, including documentaries about Alicia Keys, Gogol Bordello, Milli Vanilli, Gloria Gaynor, Biz Markie, the Indigo Girls and Tierra Whack.
This year’s Tribeca Festival is packed with musical stories, from biopics and documentaries to hard-hitting investigative films and docuseries that seek to inspire and shine a light on the sounds of the Latino diaspora.
Among the highlights of the NOW portion of the fest are Exposing Parchman, an investigative doc that explores the efforts to reform the Mississippi correctional system led by attorneys on behalf of the inmates of Parchman Prison. In addition to telling the inside stories of these inmates and their families, the movie zeroes in on the work of a team of Roc Nation attorneys and features Roc founder Jay-Z.
The screening will be followed by a conversation with the legal team, some of the film’s subjects and Roc Nation executives.
The fest will also feature the debut of the docuseries De La Calle, a journey into the Latino musical diaspora with special guests Fat Joe and Juelz Santana that a festival description says explores, “the evolution of Urbano music and cultures that ignited the musical revolution of Rap, Reggaeton, Bachata, Latin trap, Cumbia and other sounds that are influencing music and culture worldwide.”
Additionally, Choir will seek to lift up the spirits via the Disney+ film based on the Detroit Youth Choir, who went from rehearsing in a church basement with a handful of kids to taking the stage on one of the biggest reality platforms in the country as finalists on America’s Got Talent. The movie follows the new faces in the choir as they are put through their paces in auditions, asking the question, “can the DYC stay relevant in their hometown and on the national stage?”
The screening will be followed by a conversation with DYC artistic director Anthony White, director Rudy Valdez and executive producer Sara Bernstein, as well as members of the choir and a performance by the DYC.
This year’s event will also feature films about Alicia Keys, Gogol Bordello, Milli Vanilli, Gloria Gaynor, Biz Markie, The Indigo Girls, Tierra Whack and legendary Marvel comic book writer Stan Lee. Click here to see the full 2023 lineup of films.
The 2023 Tribeca Festival announced its lineup for this year’s event on Tuesday (April 18) and among the 109 feature films from 127 directors from 36 countries are a number of documentaries about some of the most beloved, scandalous and intriguing musicians of the modern era.
The Festival, which takes place from June 7-18, will spotlight 93 world premieres and a diverse roster featuring 43 first-time directors with 41% of all feature films directed by women and, in a first, more than half of competition films directed by women (68%), as well as 36% of feature films directed by BIPOC filmmakers.
Among the notable music-related movies are:
Uncharted — (world premiere) Director Beth Aala goes behind the scenes of Alicia Keys’ “She Is the Music” songwriting camp, with a performance from She Is the Music artists afterwards curated by Keys.
Scream of My Blood: A Gogol Bordello Story — (world premiere) After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, GB leader Eugene Hütz breaks down the influence of Ukrainian and Roma culture on his punk band’s music, followed by a performance by the band.
Milli Vanilli — (world premiere) Director Luke Korem’s deep dive into the origin and precipitous downfall of the “Girl You Know It’s True” duo featuring a rare interview with surviving member Fabrice Morvan. (This writer was interviewed for the film.)
Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive — (world premiere) A documentary chronicling the “I Will Survive” singer’s comeback with a new gospel album, touching on her struggles with ageism and financial ruin, followed by a live performance.
All Up in the Biz — (world premiere) Director Sacha Jenkins collages celebrity interviews, rare film, reenactments and animation to describe how late rap icon Biz Markie left his mark on the music world.
It’s Only Life After All — (New York premiere) A look at the beloved folk duo, with a songwriting masterclass to follow.
Songs About F–king — (world premiere) Musician Marc Rebillet goes on one of the first live music tours after the COVID-19 lockdown, with musical Q&A with Rebillet afterwards.
Waitress, the Musical – Live on Broadway! — (world premiere) A movie treatment of the Broadway musical about a small-town pie baker with big dreams featuring lyricist Sara Bareilles, who will perform live after the screening.
Cypher — (world premiere) Director Chris Mourkabel “captures the weird and sinister side of fame” in a pseudo-documentary about rapper Tierra Whack.
Bad Like Brooklyn Dancehall — (world premiere) Doc about the city’s role in the evolution of dancehall, featuring Shaggy and Sean Paul, followed by performance from dancehall legends.
Maestra — (world premiere) Director Maggie Contreras follows women from different backgrounds as they compete in the first all-women competition for conducting.
In addition to those music features, the festival will host the “Escape From Tribeca” series featuring films such as Enter the Clones of Bruce, a doc looking at the Bruce Lee exploitation craze, director Sav Rodgers’ Chasing Chasing Amy about the filmmaker’s journey of self-discovery while making a doc on the development of Kevin Smith’s controversial LGBTQ+ film Chasing Amy and Taylor Mac’s 24-Decade History of Popular Music, a concert film that dives into New York theater legends Mac’s “ostentatiously queer 24-hour musical performance.”
There will also be a world premiere of the life of late Marvel Comics genius Stan Lee, a profile of legendary MLB promoter and owner Bill Veeck (The Saint of Second Chances) touching on his famous 1979 “Disco Demolition” stunt at Chicago’s Comiskey Park, a profile of New York concert promoter Ron Delsener (Ron Delsener Presents) and the world premiere of Anthem, in which DJ Dahi and composer Kris Bowers set off on a road trip across the country to find out what it sounds like to have a national anthem that actually reflects America.
For a full list of this year’s films click here.
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