Tribeca Film Festival Shines in Stellar 23rd Year

By Christine Connallon

The 2024 Tribeca Film Festival celebrated 23 years of bringing the best programming to audiences, cultivated for their ability to inspire, engage, entertain and educate as only film can.  This year’s festival boasted an incredible slate of films, carefully selected from a record-breaking number of submissions, topping out at 13,016 in all.  The program included 103 feature films from 114 filmmakers across 48 countries.  Festival goers were treated to 86 world premieres, two international premieres, six North American premieres and eight New York premieres.  Here are some of our favorite films from this year’s stellar slate that should be on your radar:

Luther: Never Too Much

If you think you knew R&B powerhouse Luther Vandross, think again.  This amazing documentary from director Dawn Porter humanizes Luther in ways that have never hit the screen before. With empathy and fondness, we are privy to his amazing work ethic, creativity and extensive career.  This beautiful film is a must see for all music lovers.

Beacon

Director Roxy Shih gives us a taut thriller when a young sailor shipwrecks on a remote island.  Her rescuer is a mysterious light keeper and the only other person on the island.  Should they trust each other?  When survival is the name of the game and all ties to the outside world are cut, everything they know may not be what it seems.

The Shallow Tale of a Writer Who Decided to Write about a Serial Killer

There is no darker comedy than this gem from director Tolga Karacelik, featuring a stellar cast of Steve Buscemi and John Magaro.  When a writer short of inspiration but in the throes of a failing marriage crosses paths with a retired serial killer who somehow becomes his marriage therapist, the twists are many!

Hacking Hate

From director Simon Klose is a powerful look about the world we live in and the hate that surrounds us as My Vingren, esteemed Swedish journalist and rumored to be the real life “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,”  goes undercover as a white supremacist.  This fascinating and eye opening look is one that should be discussed far and wide

Bitterroot

The need for human connection is at the heart of this gem from director Vera Brunner-Sung.  Rural Montana is the backdrop for this family tale of a middle-aged man fresh out of a failed marriage and taking care of his aging mother and her root vegetable garden. 

Brats

Many avid moviegoers feel like they have grown up with the Brat Pack of Emilio Estevez, Demi Moore, Rob Lowe and Ally Sheedy.  But actor and filmmaker Andrew McCarthy gives us an inside look into how he felt when a New York magazine took a potshot at his peers by giving them this moniker and the impact it had on their careers. Interviews take us inside in a way that has never been exposed before.

Checkpoint Zoo

Director Joshua Zeman shares the plight of the Feldman Ecopark, a beloved animal refuge in Ukraine’s second largest city during the early days of the Ukraine-Russian war.  The heartbreaking look at the struggle of both animals and a brave team of volunteers and zookeepers who risked it all will stick in your head and heart long after the credits roll.

Sabbath Queen

Director Sandi DuBowski shares a 21 year span in the life of Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie, who struggles with his family’s legacy of being Orthodox rabbis or become a drag queen.  As founder of Lab/Shul: an inclusive, God-optional congregation that emphasizes creativity and expression, Lau-Lavie openly shares his life and the new way that religion could be worshipped.

Come Closer

Grief at her brother’s death in a tragic accident pushes a young woman to try to fill the void he left in her life.   Director Tom Nesher delicately portrays the haunting nuances of love, loss and family secrets.

S/He Is Still Her/e- The Official Genesis P-Orridge Documentary

From director David Charles Rodrigues comes an intimate portrait of Genesis P-Orridge, a creative who wore many hats including musician, singer-songwriter, performance artist, poet and occultist.  Through interviews with P-Orridge as well as clips, we can see the way societal norms have shifted and the way they have changed the world.

From dark comedies to insightful documentaries, Tribeca Film Festival’s programming ensures that there is something for everyone to enjoy.  We can’t wait to see what the 2025 edition will bring!

Lead photo: Christine Connallon

Film photos: Tribeca Film Festival

Additional contributions: Mike Perciaccante