Tribeca 2020: 12 Movies We Were Excited to See at This Year’s Festival

“499”

Tribeca Section: Documentary Competition

“499” examines the brutal legacy of colonialism nearly five centuries after Cortez arrived in the Aztec Empire. The Spanish Conquistador led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of what is now mainland Mexico under the rule of the King of Castile in the early 16th century.

Directed by Rodrigo Reyes, the hybrid docu-fiction film arrives at a time when the legacy of colonial rule across Latin America, Africa, and Asia continues to inspire volumes of scholarship on the issue, and what is effectively a new form of colonialism — aka neocolonialism — takes hold in those very same regions.

Reyes’ film promises to link the past to the present, in a bold, and strikingly cinematic style, to show how past traumas continue to affect contemporary reality, while offering a challenge to overcome these cycles of violence. —TO

“Cowboys”

Tribeca Section: U.S. Narrative Competition

A father and his transgender son are on the lamb in the Montana wilderness in a premise that calls to mind Debra Granik’s “Leave No Trace.” Fleeing his conservative mother and with a detective on their tail, Anna Kerrigan’s feature film debut certainly has all the elements of a gripping and grounded drama.

The cast boasts performances from Steve Zahn, Jillian Bell, Ann Dowd, and newcomer Sasha Knight as the kid. Since her turns in “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “The Leftovers,” and “Hereditary,” Dowd has become the go-to character actress for nefarious anti-maternal types, and she rarely disappoints.

As an independent episodic storyteller, Kerrigan wrote and directed the Gotham Award-nominated web series “The Impossibilities,” which was licensed by Hulu and Canal. She also produced and directed the Super Deluxe comedy “The Chances,” a smart and refreshing comedy created by and starring two deaf best friends that played Sundance in 2017. Her debut feature will expand on themes explored in her earlier work, while allowing Kerrigan to collaborate with bigger name talent. —JD

“Fully Realized Humans”

Tribeca Section: U.S. Narrative Competition

Long-time pals and indie stalwarts Joshua Leonard and Jess Weixler teamed up to craft a lo-fi, high-emotion dramedy about the looming fears of parenthood. Weixler, who also co-wrote the film alongside director Leonard, was eight months pregnant at the time of filming, adding another layer of veracity to a film made by two talents who always shine when getting to the heart of the human condition.

The duo previously collaborated on Leonard’s feature directorial debut, “The Lie,” which similarly explored questions of stunted adulthood and life crises brought on by the arrival of little ones, but the pair seem to be working in a slightly more amusing key this time around.

As soon-to-be-parents Jackie and Elliott, the film finds Weixler and Leonard spooked by the well-meaning advice of other parents, and they set out to heal old wounds and worries before they are tasked with raising a whole other person. Along the way, the must face deep-seated issues, many of them inspired by their own parents. —KE

“The Half of It”

Tribeca Section: U.S. Narrative Competition

Back in 2004, first-time filmmaker Alice Wu stunned audiences with her “Saving Face,” a deeply personal rom-com about coming to terms with sexual identity that delighted festival audiences and was eventually released by Sony Pictures Classics. Based on Wu’s own life, the film was a boundary-pushing narrative, focusing on Chinese-Americans (the first Hollywood film to do so since “The Joy Luck Club”) as they grapple with the often taboo subject of homosexuality.

Fast-forward sixteen years later, and Wu is finally back behind the camera for her sophomore feature. A Netflix film (it’s already gearing up for a May release) based on the classic Cyrano story, it’s a smart fit for the streamer, which has embraced both rom-coms and teen-centric offerings in recent years, but this one’s bolstered by Wu’s deep empathy.

Starring the charming Leah Lewis as Ellie Chu, the film follows the quiet teen as she becomes entangled in the romantic trevails of her sweet neighbor Paul (Daniel Diemer), who enlists Ellie to write love letters to the elusive Aster (Alexxis Lemire). Just one problem: Ellie has a crush on Aster, too. What follows is a modern spin on a well-loved story, one not afraid of its character’s sexuality and, perhaps more importantly, their hearts. —KE

“Kubrick by Kubrick”

Tribeca Section: Spotlight Documentary

It’s hard to think of another filmmaker with quite the sterling track record that Stanley Kubrick amassed across the decades. One of the most appealing aspects of Kubrick’s legacy is its mystique: We know that “2001” and “A Clockwork Orange” are rich, masterful works, but there’s only so much demystifying that Kubrick himself can do from beyond the grave.

Grégory Montro’s new documentary pulls back the veil on a brilliant cinematic mind, covering three decades of Kubrick’s life and career through newly unearthed audio from interviews with the French critic Michel Ciment. Much in the way that the famed Q&A book “Hitchcock/Truffaut” blossomed into a fascinating overview of Alfred Hitcock’s genius with Kent Jones’ documentary years later, “Kubrick” promises a complex breakdown of the genre-defying auteur in his own words, and it’s a welcome new chapter in the pantheon of excuses to revisit his achievements. —EK

“Little Fish”

Tribeca Section: U.S. Narrative Competition

Chad Hartigan made a name for himself at Sundance with his 2013 NEXT winner “This Is Martin Bonner” and his 2016 narrative competition title “Morris From America,” which won him the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award and star Craig Robinson a Special Jury Prize for acting.

Four years later, Hartigan was set to make his Tribeca Film Festival competition debut with “Little Fish,” and boy is it a timely offering: The romance drama stars Olivia Cooke and Jack O’Connell as a couple living through a global pandemic (yes, really!) in which people stricken with the disease lose their memories. O’Connell’s Jude wakes up one morning infected, and Cooke’s Emma must fight to protect the memories of their love. After two features, Hartigan embraces his more melancholy side for what sounds like a rich (and topical) study of love and memory. —ZS

“Materna”

Tribeca Section: U.S. Narrative Competition

After a career editing and directing short films, David Gutnik was being eyed as a major Tribeca breakthrough with his feature film “Materna.” Featuring perennial indie face Kate Lyn Sheil opposite Jade Eshete, Lindsay Burdge, and Assol Abdullina, “Materna” centers around an incident on a New York City subway that unexpectedly binds together the lives of four women.

Tribeca billed “Materna” as a psychological character study, and most indie film lovers know that’s what Sheil excels at, given her work in titles like “Kate Plays Christine” and Amy Seimetz’s breakthrough SXSW title “She Dies Tomorrow.” Gutnik directed from an original script written by stars Eshete and Abdullina. —ZS

“Nobody Knows I’m Here”

Tribeca Section: International Narrative Competition

A joint effort by Netflix and Chilean production outfit Fabula (the company responsible for Pablo Larrain’s films), “Nobody Knows I’m Here” centers on a reclusive former Latin musician who has receded to an isolated southern part of the country after his childhood fame. When a woman shows up who changes his world, he’s forced to come out of retirement to confront his past.

That’s intriguing enough, but let’s not bury the lead here: The musician in question is played by Jorge Garcia — aka Hurley on “Lost” — in his first Spanish-language performance, and anyone who remembers the lovable goofball from that show will be eager to see him try something completely different.

Early buzz on “Nobody Knows I’m Here” suggests an appealing mixture of “Beauty and the Beast” and “Phantom of the Paradise,” and with a Netflix premiere around the corner, it may be just the ticket to put first-time filmmaker Gaspar Antillo on the map. But also: Hurley! —EK

“Socks on Fire”

Tribeca Section: Documentary Competition

Bo McGuire’s feature debut is decscribed as a transgenerational docudrama that follows his homophobic aunt and drag queen uncle as they wage war over his grandmother’s estate in Hokes Bluff, Alabama. The film is an extension of a short film titled “Socks on Fire: Uncle John and the Copper Headed Water Rattlers” that toured the film festival circuit in 2018, and picked up a few awards in the process.

With “Socks on Fire” the feature, McGuire, self-described as “the queer son of a Waffle House cook and his third-shift waitress,” promises an experimental exploration of the fluid nature of identity, and, concurrently, an upending of what documentary filmmaking boundaries. At a time when the value of home movies are being reassessed as a concept that is far more significant within broader film culture, McGuire’s film embraces them, while incorporating some cinematic reenactments, to paint a picture of a house divided. —TO

“The Stand-In”

Tribeca Section: Spotlight Narrative

Fresh off a wild run of television directing gigs (from “Russian Doll” to “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Silicon Valley” to “Girls,” something for everyone), “But I’m a Cheerleader” filmmaker Jamie Babbit is back in feature film territory. And she’s got a hell of a leading lady to help — well, make that two leading ladies, kind of.

Starring Drew Barrymore opposite Drew Barrymore, the comedy follows fallen Hollywood star Candy (Barrymore) as she attempts to stage a comeback in the most limp way possible: by checking out of her own life. Fortunately for Candy, she’s got a dedicated long-time stand-in in the form of Paula (also Barrymore), who gamely takes on the stuff Candy doesn’t want to do (rehab, mostly) and ends up loving every moment.

Babbit’s razorsharp wit (and, we’re guessing, years of Hollywood experience) is a strong fit for the material, and Barrymore has been itching for a meaty role (or two) for long enough. —KE

“Sputnik”

Tribeca Section: Midnight

The first feature from Egor Abramenko (recently picked up by IFC Films) was set to premiere in Tribeca’s Midnight section. The story revolves around a cosmonaut (Pyotr Fyodorov, “The Darkest Hour”) who seems to have brought a monstrous being home with him that only activates at night. Abramenko’s debut reportedly builds to mass destruction and gory death, which might not be in vogue right now, except when you consider the potential for escapism to make the scariest aspects of the world more palatable.

So with that in mind, bring on another promising monster movie! “Sputnik” centers on the efforts of a young doctor (Oksana Akinsha) as she works to contain the intergalactic threat, despite the military’s intent on (of course) trying to harness it for its own needs. Sounds like a spooky blast. —EK

“Sublet”

Tribeca Section: International Narrative Competition

New York-born Israeli director Eytan Fox is best known to queer audiences for his features “Yossi & Jagger” (2002) and its sequel “Yossi” (2012). The former follows a romance between two Israeli men during their military service, and the latter picks up 10 years later.

Fox worked with an American actor for his latest feature, which follows a gay travel writer’s romantic exploits in Tel Aviv. Veteran Broadway actor John Benjamin Hickey has charted a screen career with roles in films like “Hostiles” and “Tallulah,” as well as TV roles on “The Good Wife” and “The Big C.” As an out gay actor and a major talent, Hickey is very popular with queer audiences from his Tony-winning role in “The Normal Heart.” With any luck, “Sublet” will let this silver fox stretch his wings as a romantic lead. —JD