The Tribeca Film Festival—15 years strong—is still celebrating the power of the storyteller. As they continue to push the boundaries of storytelling the interactive and virtual reality section has become a popular draw.
Under the careful eye of Nigerian born Opeyemi Olukemi, the senior director of Interactive for the Tribeca Film Institute, key events include TFI Interactive, a day-long immersion into the world of digital storytelling; TFI Interactive Playground, a showcase of immersive technologies and projects; TFI Sandbox, an interactive resource report; and Tribeca Hacks, a creative prototype-focused incubator.
“The Birth of a Nation” writer, director and star Nate Parker will be honored with the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival’s Disruptive Innovation Awards. He will receive the Theodore Parker Prize for the slave-rebellion drama during the April 22 ceremony, held at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center, Borough of Manhattan Community College, New York City.
The Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Awards aim to share insights into innovation to help solve some of the world’s most intractable problems, and celebrate those who have broken the mold to have a significant impact on industries and business models in traditional and non-traditional domains, including media, healthcare, social justice, education, politics, sports and philanthropy.
Here is our selection of the gems at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival—April 16 to 24—that are made by or feature stories that highlight the Black/African-American/African Diaspora community.
“Check It”
Directed by Dana Flor and Toby Oppenheimer
4:45 p.m., April 18
Regal Cinemas Battery Park 11-8
African-American LGBTQ youth, fed up by abuse and harassment on the inner-city streets of Washington D.C., form a gang to fight back. Intimate portrait follows four Check It members in their struggle to find a life away from the gang. (World Premiere, Documentary)
“Madly”
5:30 p.m., April 18
Directed by Gael Garcia Bernal, Sion Sono, Sabastian Silva, Mia Wisakowska, Anurag Kashyap and Natasha Kahn
Bow Tie Cinemas Chelsea 8
The international anthology of short films explores love in all its permutations, from filmmakers
representing Japan, Argentina, the U.K., the U.S., India, and Australia.
“Kicks”
Directed by Justin Tipping
6:15 p.m., April 19
Regal Cinemas Battery Park 11-6
Fifteen-year-old Brandon gets his new sneakers snatched by a ruthless local hood. Along with his two best friends they go on a mission, across the Bay Area, to retrieve the stolen kicks. Solid soundtrack packed with hip-hop classics. With Jahking Guillory, Mahershala Ali, Kofi Siriboe, Christopher Jordan Wallace and Christopher Meyer. (World Premiere, A Focus World release)
“Children of the Mountain”
Directed and written by Priscilla Anany
7:15 p.m., April 19
Regal Cinemas Battery Park 11-7
In the superstitious Ghanaian community, the birth of a deformed and sickly child forces a young mother to embark on a journey to heal her son, and herself, and create a new life for them both.
In Twi with subtitles. (World Premiere, Narrative)
“Little Boxes”
Directed by Rob Meyer
3:15 p.m. April 19
Bow Tie Cinemas Chelsea 4
It’s the summer before sixth grade, and Clark is the new-in-town biracial kid in a sea of white. Discovering that to be cool he needs to act “more Black,” he fumbles to meet expectations. (World Premiere, Narrative).
“Vincent N Roxxy”
Directed by Gary Michael Schultz
10:30 p.m., April 19
Regal Cinemas Battery Park 11-9
When Vincent saves Roxxy from a violent assailant, their lives are suddenly transformed. Their brief solace is shattered when they discover a common history and realize that violence and rage is, for them, inescapable. Emile Hirsch, Zoe Kravitz, Emory Cohen, Jason Mitchell, Keith Stanfield and Scott Mescudi, aka Kid Cudi, offer compelling performances in Schultz’s powerful and complex story about a misfit romance at the mercy of brutality. (Feature, Narrative)
“The Return”
Directed by Kelly Duane de la Vega and Katie Galloway
5:30 p.m., April 19
Bow Tie Cinemas Chelsea 8
California’s controversial and notoriously harsh three-strikes law was repealed in 2012, consequently releasing large numbers of convicts back into society. How does one reintegrate into society after making peace with a life sentence? (World Premiere, Documentary)
“Untouchable”
Directed by David Beige
6:30 p.m., April 19
Regal Cinemas Battery Park 11-1
When a powerful Florida lobbyist discovered his daughter was sexually abused, he launched a crusade to pass some of the strictest sex-offender laws in the country. Today, 800,000 people are listed in the sex-offender registry. (World Premiere, Documentary)
“Custody”
Directed by James Lapine
3 p.m., April 20
Regal Cinemas Battery Park 11-5
James Lapine’s family courtroom drama stars Viola Davis, Hayden Panettiere and Catalina Sandino Moreno as the key players in a custody case set against the backdrop of the myriad struggles at New York Family Court. (Feature, Narrative)
“Mr. Church”
Directed by Bruce Beresford
6 p.m., April 22
SVA Theater 1 Silas
A dying mother finds that she is unable to continue caring for her young daughter, Charlotte, on her own and so retains the services of one Henry Joseph Church (Eddie Murphy) to look after the girl. (Feature, Narrative)
“Strike a Pose”
Directed and written by Ester Gould and Reijer Zwaag
6:30 p.m., April 24
Bow Tie Cinemas Chelsea 6
Madonna’s beautiful backup dancers—25 years later. How have their lives been changed by her influence? What did they learn about the emotional truth behind the glamorous facade? (World Premiere, Documentary)
For the rest of the upcoming Tribeca highlights, check online at amsterdamnews.com.