Tribeca Film Festival Announces Lineup for World Narrative, Documentary, Viewpoint Series for 12th Annual Fest

The 12th Annual Tribeca FIlm Festival, which runs from April 17-28, has announced the lineup for their World Narrative, Documentary, and out-of-competition Viewpoints series, revealing 46 of this year’s 89 feature-length films.

Each category of the festival will have its own opening night film, with each premiering on April 18. Writer-director Rachel Boynton’s “Big Men,” documenting the current state of Africa’s oil companies and exec-produced by Brad Pitt, will open the Documentary competition while Lance Edmands’ “Bluebird” will open the World Narrative competition. Meanwhile, the Viewpoints series, which focuses on “unique, personal stories and diverse filmmakers in international and independent cinema,” will open with the documentary “Flex is Kings,” directed by Deidre Schoo and Michael Nichols.

As previously mentioned, Tom Beringer’s The National documentary “Mistaken for Strangers” will open this year’s festival on April 17.

“Our competition selections embody the quality and diversity of contemporary cinema from across the globe,” said Artistic Director of the festival, Frédéric Boyer. “The cinematic proficiency that harnesses this lineup is remarkable and we’re looking forward to sharing these new perspectives, powerful performance, and multifaceted stories.”

53 world premieres, 7 international premieres, 15 North American premieres, and 6 U.S. premieres will make up this year’s lineup, with 113 directors presenting features at the festival. Stay tuned for the remaining 43 feature entries, as well as the short film entries, to be released tomorrow, March 6, and for more information visit the festivals website here.

Take a look at the full initial lineup below:

World Narrative Feature Competition

• Alì Blue Eyes (Alì ha gli occhi azzurri), directed
  by Claudio Giovannesi, written by Filippo Gravino and Giovannesi.
  (Italy) – International Premiere. Claudio Giovannesi’s award-winning
  second dramatic feature captures one week in the life of
  sixteen-year-old troublemaker Nader, who, despite his mother’s threats
  and family’s insistence that he respect his Muslim roots, fights, steals
  and pursues an Italian girlfriend. A stunning example of contemporary
  Italian neo-realism, Alì Blue Eyes is an engrossing coming-of-age story about an immigrant who will stop at nothing to fit in. In Italian with subtitles.

• Before Snowfall (Før snøen faller),
  directed by Hisham Zaman, written by Kjell Ola Dahl and Zaman. (Norway,
  Germany, Iraqi Kurdistan Region) – International Premiere. Director
  Hisham Zaman brings the moral crisis of honor killing front and center
  in this dazzling, international drama. When his older sister Nermin
  flees an arranged marriage, Siyar must atone for the slight. He tracks
  her from Kurdistan to Istanbul, where a fateful encounter with a street
  girl creates cracks in his resolve. Then Nermin escapes into Europe, and
  Siyar must continue a search that will forever change his notions of
  loyalty, dignity, honor and love. In Kurdish with subtitles.
  

• Bluebird,
  directed and written by Lance Edmands. (USA)  – World Premiere. On a
  freezing January evening, school bus driver Lesley (Amy Morton)
  completes her route, but her final inspection abruptly ends when a
  bluebird comes into view. What happens next shakes her small Maine
  logging town, proving that even the slightest actions have enormous
  consequences. Co-starring Adam Driver, Margo Martindale, John Slattery,
  Louisa Krause and Emily Meade, Lance Edmands’s absorbing feature debut
  is a perfect encapsulation of the interconnectedness of life.

• The Broken Circle Breakdown,
  directed by Felix van Groeningen, written by Carl Joos and van
  Groeningen. (Belgium, Netherlands) – North American Premiere. Elise runs
  a tattoo shop. Didier plays in a bluegrass band. When their daughter
  Maybelle is born, their happiness is complete, until a tangle of
  complications forces these two very different lovers to fight to save
  their marriage. Belgian director Felix van Groeningen follows his
  acclaimed Cannes entry The Misfortunates with this powerhouse melodrama
  of star-crossed lovers laced with emotional bluegrass performances. In Dutch with subtitles.

• Hide Your Smiling Faces,
  directed and written by Daniel Patrick Carbone. (USA) – North American
  Premiere. During a hot summer in rural America, brothers Tommy (Ryan
  Jones) and Eric (Nathan Varnson) are confronted with devastation as
  death forces its way into their young lives. This stunning debut feature
  explores the nature of the relationship between boys, as both violence
  and support is encapsulated in quiet storytelling and breathtaking
  photography. With incredibly sensitive performances by its two leads, Hide Your Smiling Faces packs a subtle but powerful punch.

• Just a Sigh (Le temps de l’aventure),
  directed and written by Jérôme Bonnell. (France) – International
  Premiere. In the short break between performances in Calais, stage
  actress Alix (the stunning Emmanuelle Devos) makes a quick escape to
  Paris. On the train she meets a mysterious English stranger (Gabriel
  Byrne) and, for the most fleeting of afternoons, imagines what the
  future could hold down a different road. With masterful performances by
  its two acclaimed stars, Just a Sigh is an imaginative, lushly filmed Parisian romance from young and versatile director Jérôme Bonnell. In English, French with subtitles.

• Lily,
  directed by Matt Creed, written by Amy Grantham and Creed. (USA) –
  World Premiere. Nearing the end of her treatment for breast cancer, Lily
  focuses on life with newfound clarity, reevaluating her relationship
  with an older man and her feelings about her long-absent father. In
  wandering through atmospheric New York City streets and lingering in
  intimate, charged moments with Lily during this vulnerable period,
  first-time director Matt Creed and actress Amy Grantham create a mature,
  stylish character piece reminiscent of classic French New Wave.

• The Rocket,
  directed and written by Kim Mordaunt. (Australia) – North American
  Premiere. Set against the lush backdrop of rural Laos, this spirited
  drama tells the story of scrappy ten-year-old Ahlo, who yearns to break
  free from his ill-fated destiny. After his village is displaced to make
  way for a massive dam, Ahlo escapes with his father and grandmother
  through the Laotian outback in search of a new home. Along the way, they
  come across a rocket festival that offers Ahlo a lucrative but
  dangerous chance to prove his worth. In Lao with subtitles.

• Six Acts (Shesh Peamim),
  directed by Jonathan Gurfinkel, written by Rona Segal. (Israel) – North
  American Premiere. Naïve teen Gili is determined to improve her social
  status by hooking up with her new school’s coolest guy. Afterwards, he
  passes her off to his friend. Happy at first for the attention, Gili
  soon finds her situation deteriorating, as this average girl is
  increasingly consumed by a culture of oversexed teenhood. Director
  Jonathan Gurfinkel questions conventional ideas of consent, exploitation
  and complicity in this edgy and perceptive feature debut. In Hebrew with subtitles.

• Stand Clear of the Closing Doors,
  directed by Sam Fleischner, written by Rose Lichter-Marck and Micah
  Bloomber. (USA) – World Premiere. When autistic teen Ricky is scolded
  for skipping class, he escapes into the subway for a days-long odyssey
  among the subway’s disparate denizens. Meanwhile, his mother wages an
  escalating search effort above ground. Based on a true story and set in
  Far Rockaway, Queens, in the days leading up to Hurricane Sandy, these
  parallel stories of mother and son take the viewer on a touching journey
  of community and connection in and below New York City.

• Sunlight Jr.,
  directed and written by Laurie Collyer. (USA)  – World Premiere.
  Quickie-mart employee Melissa (Naomi Watts) and paraplegic Richie (Matt
  Dillon) are very much in love. Supported only by Melissa’s small hourly
  wage, they are nevertheless thrilled to learn that Melissa is pregnant.
  Then their situation deteriorates, and their tenuous financial situation
  threatens to bring their happy life crashing down. Norman Reedus also
  stars in this a moving romantic drama from Laurie Collyer, director of
  the Golden Globe-nominated Sherrybaby.

• Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?,
  directed and written by Arvin Chen. (Taiwan R.O.C.) – North American
  Premiere. Straitlaced optometrist Weichung is finding the typical
  married life difficult. Then he bumps into an old flame, setting off an
  unexpected array of dormant emotions. Meanwhile, his sister Mandy flees
  her sad sack fiancé, coping via food and the fantastical appearance of a
  daytime soaps star on her couch. Arvin Chen’s sophomore feature is a
  fresh and playful comedy about the odd realities of desire in a
  traditional society and what happens when you seek a big change. In Korean, Mandarin with subtitles.

World Documentary Feature Competition

• Aatsinki: The Story of Arctic Cowboys,
  directed and written by Jessica Oreck. (Finland)  – World Premiere. In
  the forests of Finnish Lapland, brothers Aarne and Lasse Aatsinki carry
  on the generations-old tradition of reindeer herding. These modern
  cowboys maintain an intricate bond with the environment that has allowed
  them to preserve their lifestyle in one of the harshest climates
  imaginable. Jessica Oreck’s intimate, gorgeously lensed documentary
  follows the brothers for a year, sharing in the hard work, daily rituals
  and small joys that make up life above the Arctic Circle. In Finnish with subtitles.

• Alias Ruby Blade: A Story of Love and Revolution,
  directed by Alex Meillier, written by Tanya Ager Meillier and Meillier.
  (USA) – North American Premiere. Kirsty Sword Gusmão went to
  Timor-Leste to document injustice in an area closed to Western
  journalists. Over the next decade, she became the lynchpin that
  sustained the nation’s harrowing struggle for independence and met the
  man who would redefine the cause for which she was fighting. Using
  astonishing footage of the years-long resistance, director Alex Meillier
  presents a highly personal account of the courage needed to create a
  new democracy in modern times.

• Big Men,
  directed by Rachel Boynton, written by Rachel Boynton. (USA) – World
  Premiere. For her latest industrial exposé, Rachel Boynton (Our Brand Is Crisis)
  gained unprecedented access to Africa’s oil companies. The result is a
  gripping account of the costly personal tolls levied when American
  corporate interests pursue oil in places like Ghana and the Niger River
  Delta. Executive produced by Steven Shainberg and Brad Pitt, Big Men
  investigates the caustic blend of ambition, corruption and greed that
  threatens to exacerbate Africa’s resource curse. In English, Other, Twi with subtitles.

•  The Genius of Marian, directed by Banker White and Anna Fitch. (USA) – World Premiere. Weaving past into present, filmmakers Banker White (Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars)
  and Anna Fitch immerse the audience in the daily life of White’s
  mother, Pam. Her Alzheimer’s threatens to wipe out the memory of her own
  mother, Marian, a celebrated artist who died of the same disease.
  Beautifully edited, The Genius of Marian retraces both women’s lives to paint a complex and powerful contemporary portrait of motherhood, chronic illness and legacy.

• The Kill Team,
  directed by Dan Krauss, written by Lawrence Lerew, Linda Davis and
  Krauss. (USA) – World Premiere. 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. Now, one of the accused must fight the
  government he defended on the battlefield, while grappling with his own
  role in the alleged murders. Dan Krauss’s absorbing documentary
  examines the stories of four men implicated in heinous war crimes in a
  stark reminder that, in war, innocence may be relative to the insanity
  around you.

• Let the Fire Burn,
  directed by Jason Osder. (USA) – World Premiere. Jason Osder makes an
  impressive feature film debut through his unbiased and thorough account
  of the incidents leading up to and during the 1985 standoff between the
  extremist African-American organization MOVE and Philadelphia
  authorities. The dramatic clash claimed eleven lives and literally and
  figuratively devastated an entire community. Let the Fire Burn is a real-life Wild West story absent the luxury of identifying its heroes by the color of their hats.

• Michael H. Profession: Director,
  directed and written by Yves Montmayeur. (Austria, France) – World
  Premiere. Over the past twenty-five years, director Michael Haneke has
  established himself as a towering figure in modern cinema whose rigorous
  focus on the craft of filmmaking has produced works of profound
  artistry. This career-spanning documentary (gives unprecedented access
  and) covers the body of Haneke’s work, offering insight into his
  creative process through on-set footage and interviews with the man
  himself and collaborators including Emmanuelle Riva, Isabelle Huppert
  and Juliette Binoche. In French, German with subtitles.

• Oxyana,
  directed by Sean Dunne. (USA) – World Premiere. 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. Set against an abandoned coal mining
  landscape to the melodies of Deer Tick’s haunting score, this
  unflinchingly intimate documentary probes the lives of Oceana’s
  afflicted and exposes the day-to-day experience of a town living in the
  harsh grip of addiction.

• Powerless (Katiyabaaz),
  directed by Fahad Mustafa, Deepti Kakkar, written by Mustafa. (India) –
  North American Premiere. Would you risk your life to flip a switch? In
  Kanpur, India, putting oneself in harm’s way to deliver electrical power
  is all too common. Powerless sheds light on the opposing corners of
  this political ring, from an electrical Robin Hood tapping wires for
  neighbors to the myopic utility company whose failure to understand
  economics forces it deeper into financial disarray. This vibrant exposé
  gives a whole new meaning to the words “power struggle.” In English, Hindi with subtitles.

• Raw Herring (Hollandse Nieuwe),
  directed by Leonard Retel Helmrich and Hetty Naaijkens-Retel Helmrich.
  (Netherlands) – World Premiere. Every year millions of people look
  forward to the first preparation of Hollandse Nieuwe, the popular snack
  of raw herring from the North Sea’s spring catch. But how do you find
  glory in the grueling pursuit of a once-iconic fish that even the queen
  no longer accepts as definitively Dutch? 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. In Dutch with subtitles.

• Red Obsession,
  directed and written by David Roach and Warwick Ross. (Australia) –
  North American Premiere. France’s Bordeaux region has long commanded
  respect for its coveted wine, but shifts in the global marketplace mean
  that a new, voracious consumer base in China is buying up this finite
  product. Bordeaux both struggles with and courts the spike in demand,
  sending prices skyrocketing. Narrated by Russell Crowe, Red Obsession is
  a fascinating look at our changing international economy and how an
  obsession in Shanghai affects the most illustrious vineyards in France. In English, Mandarin with subtitles.

• Teenage,
  directed by Matt Wolf, written by Jon Savage and Wolf. (USA) – World
  Premiere. Teenagers did not exist before the 20th century. Not until the
  early 1950s did the term gain widespread recognition, but with Teenage,
  Matt Wolf offers compelling evidence that “teenagers” had a tumultuous
  effect on the previous half-decade. Narrated by actors Jena Malone, Ben
  Whishaw, Julia Hummer and Jesse Usher, this fascinating documentary
  repositions the historical origin of teenagers and shows why those years
  are more than just a stepping-stone to adulthood. In English, German with subtitles.

Viewpoints

Now
in its third year, Tribeca’s Viewpoints section is a panorama of the
freshest voices in independent film and contemporary documentary from
around the world, this year presenting 14 narrative features and 8
documentaries.  Featuring an exciting range of stories, the films of
this year’s Viewpoints section demonstrate a particular interest in
telling stories from distinctly male and female perspectives.  Films
like Wadjda, Patience Stone, and Run and Jump immerse the viewer in the emotional journeys of strong central women, while The Moment and Farah Goes Bang
imbue their female stories with a genre bent, one a thrilling mystery
and the other a comic road trip.   The men of this year’s Viewpoints
section find themselves the center of crime thrillers What Richard Did and Northwest, or more subdued stories like that of one-time basketball prodigy Lenny Cooke and aspiring strongman Chris “Wonder” Schoeck of Bending Steel, both with something to prove.

• A Birder’s Guide to Everything,
  directed by Rob Meyer, written by Luke Matheny and Meyer. (USA) – World
  Premiere, Narrative. On the eve of his widowed father’s second wedding,
  fifteen-year-old David Portnoy (Kodi Smit-McPhee) leads the stalwart
  members of his local Young Birders Society on rollicking, interstate
  search for an extremely rare duck. Marvelous supporting performances by
  Ben Kingsley and James LeGros color Rob Meyer’s feature film debut, a
  poignant, funny and ultimately winning look at the moments that change
  even the most intensely focused lives.

• Bending Steel,
  directed by Dave Carroll, written by Ryan Scafuro and Carroll. (USA) –
  World Premiere, Documentary. The Cyclone, The Freakshow, The Mermaid
  Parade: all Coney Island icons. But Chris “Wonder” Schoeck has always
  preferred the Coney Island Strongman. Bending Steel follows the
  sweet, unassuming Schoeck as he parlays his extraordinary strength into
  the pursuit of his lifelong dream. Training with an elite group of men
  whose hands bend, drag, twist and shred metal, he tackles an enormous
  physical and mental challenge, taking a surprisingly emotional journey
  as a result.

• BIG JOY: The Adventures of James Broughton,
  directed by Stephen Silha, Eric Slade, and Dawn Logsdon. (USA) – New
  York Premiere, Documentary. A charismatic and visionary poet and
  filmmaker who emerged in the artistic renaissance of post-WWII San
  Francisco, James Broughton led a completely unconventional existence in
  his lifelong quest for creative artistry, sexual and spiritual love and
  an evolved state of happiness. BIG JOY is a celebratory mosaic of
  Broughton¹s deeply intertwined creative and personal lives, vividly
  depicted through his involvement with a wide array of artists, activists
  and spiritual guides.

• Bridegroom,
  directed and written by Linda Bloodworth Thomason. (USA) – World
  Premiere, Documentary. Bridegroom gives an intensely personal edge to
  the ongoing debate over the legal rights of same-sex couples.
  Interviews, photos and video footage all testify to the uncommon
  connection that drew together Shane and Tom. For six years they remained
  united despite extreme challenges from both family and society, until a
  tragic accident tears apart their dreams. Now one must fight to be
  recognized as his soulmate’s legitimate counterpart.

• Cutie and the Boxer,
  directed by Zachary Heinzerling, written by Ada Bligaard Søby. (USA) –
  New York Premiere, Documentary. 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. His wife Noriko is now
  widely renowned for her “Cutie” drawings, depicting their chaotic,
  forty-year marriage. Under Zachary Heinzerling’s guidance, this candid
  New York story about troubled lives united by a dedication to art
  becomes a touching portrait on the eternal themes of love, sacrifice,
  disappointment and aging. A RADiUS release.

• Dancing in Jaffa,
  directed by Hilla Medalia, written by Philip Shane and Medalia.
  (Israel, USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. Renowned ballroom dancer
  Pierre Dulain stars in this charming documentary that offers a unique
  perspective on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Three diverse
  Jaffa-based schools host Dulain’s Dancing Classrooms program. Ballroom
  basics are taught to an ethnically mixed group of children, the most
  passionate members of which are trained for a citywide competition. What
  results is a sweet and incredibly moving tale filled with moments of
  truth, poignancy and hope. In Arabic, English, Hebrew with subtitles.

• Deep Powder,
  directed by Mo Ogrodnik. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. Natasha is a
  reckless boarding school senior tabbed by her exclusive club to make
  its yearly cocaine run to Ecuador. Coming along for the ride is Danny, a
  twenty-year-old aspiring hockey player from the other side of the
  tracks, who may just discover that he has fallen for the wrong girl.
  Starring up-and-comers Haley Bennett and Shiloh Fernandez, this ’80s-set
  love story based on true events is a sexy, fast-paced and intense
  drama.
  

• Farah Goes Bang,
  directed by Meera Menon, written by Laura Goode and Menon. (USA) –
  World Premiere, Narrative. Farah 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. She soon
  finds her efforts on both political and sexual fronts continuously
  thwarted. Comically balancing that moment’s climate of intolerance with a
  universal coming-of-age tale, Farah Goes Bang paints a comic portrait of the overdue growing pains of a group of girlfriends and the country itself.

• Flex Is Kings,
  directed by Deidre Schoo and Michael Nichols. (USA) – World Premiere,
  Documentary. Journey to the edge of Brooklyn and of street performance
  itself in this sparkling portrait of the freeing power of art. Reem is
  the savvy promoter, Flizzo the undefeated local legend, Jay Don the
  innovator with the talent to carry him far away from home. Uniting them
  is a competitive dance form of dramatic contortions, simulated violence,
  flowing footsteps and the occasional humorous touch. Welcome to the
  world of Flex.

• Floating Skyscrapers (Płynące wieżowce),
  directed and written by Tomasz Wasilewski. (Poland) – World Premiere,
  Narrative. Kuba attends an art opening with his girlfriend of two years
  and bumps into Mikal. The connection between these two young men is
  instantaneous and intoxicating, and despite opposition from all sides,
  he allows Mikal into his life. The results go beyond anything he could
  have imagined. This intimate and bold second feature from Polish
  director Tomasz Wasilewski captures the often-complicated consequences
  of finding love where others do not want it. In Polish with subtitles.
  

• Harmony Lessons (Uroki Garmonii),
  directed and written by Emir Baigazin. (Kazakhstan, Germany, France) –
  North American Premiere, Narrative. Symbolism and striking
  cinematography help us navigate the complicated landscape of a
  teenager’s mind in this insightful Kazakh film about violence among
  children. After enduring frequent humiliation at the hands of the class
  bully, thirteen-year old Aslan snaps, triggering an intense
  psychological reaction. Emir Baigazin artfully explores the strength of
  the survival instinct when public life pushes us beyond our limits. In Kazakh with subtitles.

• Jîn,
  directed and written by Reha Erdem. (Turkey) – North American Premiere,
  Narrative. Reha Erdem relays in radiant detail the effects of the
  decades-long Turkish-Kurdish conflict. Seventeen-year-old freedom
  fighter Jîn abandons her post and crosses between the opposing forces,
  navigating a beautiful mountain range made brutal by gunfire and random
  bombings. Her courage is repeatedly tested, until she finds comfort
  among unexpected allies. Erdem creates a soul-stirring odyssey that
  reflects on the permanent damage to humanity and the natural world
  caused by unremitting war. In Turkish with subtitles.
  

• Kiss The Water,
  directed by Eric Steel (USA, U.K.) – World Premiere, Documentary.
  Travel to Scotland’s far northern highlands and explore the life and
  remarkable influence of Megan Boyd, fishing fly-maker extraordinaire.
  Self-taught in this enigmatic, artful craft, Boyd became an
  internationally renowned artisan and supplier to, among others, Prince
  Charles. Interviews, animations and images of the stunning Scottish
  countryside define Eric Steel’s lyrical tale of solitary celebrity and
  the joy of making your mark, even when it was the last thing you planned
  to do.

• Lenny Cooke,
  directed by Benny Safdie and Joshua Safdie. (USA) – World Premiere,
  Documentary. In 2001, Lenny Cooke was the most hyped high school
  basketball player in the country, ranked above future greats LeBron
  James, Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony. A decade later, Lenny has
  never played a minute in the NBA. In this quintessentially American
  documentary, filmmaking brothers Joshua and Benny Safdie track the
  unfulfilled destiny of a man for whom superstardom was only just out of
  reach.

• The Moment,
  directed by Jane Weinstock, written by Jane Gloria Norris and
  Weinstock. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. After a tumultuous affair
  between international photojournalist Lee (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and
  troubled artist John (Martin Henderson) ends in John’s disappearance,
  Lee lands in a mental hospital to recuperate. She strikes up a
  friendship with a fellow patient bearing an uncanny resemblance to her
  missing lover. The pair works to uncover the truth behind the
  disappearance, but Lee’s precarious sanity comes under threat when the
  clues lead to the last place she would ever expect.

• Northwest (Nordvest),
  directed by Michael Noer, written by Rasmus Heisterberg and Noer.
  (Denmark) – North American Premiere, Narrative. Territory, power and
  pride are the seismic forces in this adrenaline-fueled crime thriller.
  Living in one of the most impoverished areas of Copenhagen, Casper does
  what he must to survive. When organized crime grabs hold of the
  community, life becomes even more desperate. Casper digs in or risks
  being run over by gangsters sure to remove anyone in their way. From one
  of Denmark’s most celebrated directors comes a complex tale of criminal
  psychology and survival. In Danish with subtitles.

• Odayaka,
  directed and written by Nobuteru Uchida. (Japan) – North American
  Premiere, Narrative. The Great East Japan Earthquake has just struck,
  the waters of the ensuing tsunami finally rolling back into the sea. In
  the comparative safety of Tokyo, two wives and a child living in the
  same apartment building have nothing to do but wait for their husbands’
  return. Nobuteru Uchida finds a striking emotional core to the shock of
  March 11, 2011, crafting a tender and intelligent narrative on the
  internal effects of an unspeakable national tragedy. In Japanese with subtitles.

• The Patience Stone (Syngué Sabour),
  directed by Atiq Rahimi, written by Jean-Claude Carrère and Atiq
  Rahimi. (Afghanistan, France, Germany) – New York Premiere, 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. Weeks go by, and as her desperation grows, she
  gives voice to previously unuttered thoughts and memories without regard
  for anyone’s reaction. In a mesmerizing performance, Iranian actress
  Golshifteh Farahani portrays a woman who, under the most extreme
  circumstances, discovers the core of her identity. In Farsi with subtitles. A Sony Pictures Classics release. 

• Run and Jump,
  directed by Steph Green, written by Ailbhe Keogan. (Ireland, Germany) –
  World Premiere, Narrative. After a stroke leaves her husband disabled
  and fundamentally changed, a spirited Irish wife struggles to keep her
  family members together. All the while they are under the microscope of
  an American researcher documenting their recovery process. From Academy
  Award®-nominated director and TFF alumna Steph Green comes an emotional
  journey of family and recovery featuring Saturday Night Live star Will Forte in an impressive dramatic debut.

• Taboor,
  directed and written by Vahid Vakilifar. (Iran) – U.S. Premiere,
  Narrative. A lone motorcyclist travels the empty streets of Tehran at
  night. He wears an aluminum suit to guard against the electromagnetic
  waves that raise his body temperature. Yet he is determined to make his
  appointments to kill cockroaches and fumigate factories, the night
  placing many strange encounters along his route. Artfully shot
  cityscapes expound on the man’s solitude in this atmospheric take on
  science fiction from the heart of Iran. In Farsi with subtitles.

• Wadjda,
  directed and written by Haifaa  Al-Mansour. (Saudi Arabia, Germany) –
  U.S. Premiere, 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. The groundbreaking first feature film shot entirely in Saudi
  Arabia and the first by a female Saudi filmmaker, Wadjda offers a
  moving, rarely seen picture of everyday life in Riyadh: through the eyes
  of a girl unwilling to surrender what she wants. A Sony Pictures Classics release. 

• What Richard Did,
  directed by Lenny Abrahamson, written by Malcolm Campbell. (Ireland) –
  U.S. Premiere, 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. When jealousy leads to a senseless act,
  Richard’s perfect life unravels amid self-doubt, shame, grief and guilt.
  What Richard Did is a gripping dissection of an action and its consequences, featuring a stellar lead performance by Jack Reynor. A Tribeca Film Release.

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