I’m more excited than ever to dive into what this year’s Tribeca Film Festival has to offer. I’ll be in and out of the city this weekend, as well as the following week, for what I anticipate to be some amazing films, workshops, and panels.

This past year, I’ve developed a strong attachment to coming-of-age, “mumblecore” films (The Puffy Chair, True Adolescents, Jeff Who Lives At Home), which focus a bit more on the dynamic of character relationships than an actual plot point. I’m not sure where that comes from. Maybe because it’s the closest perspective to how I view life normally, or because of how fascinating the human condition is when it’s exposed through relational tension. Below are some of the movies and short films I’m looking forward to watching the most.

Giant Mechanical Man

The characters in this film seem very relatable. I can always relate with that lost individual who feels a bit stopped in their tracks and overwhelmed with confusion over what their adult life is supposed to look like, even when I feel like I’m on a clear trajectory in my own life (which is always a roller coaster, no?). It’s that search that’s so interesting. I like movies that document that well. I hope that this one does.

Free Samples

Jesse Eisenberg’s characters have never let me down. I actually don’t feel safe banking the effectiveness of a film on one actor because the project seems so much bigger than that. But nonetheless, from the trailer alone I feel like I’m going to experience a great performance alongside everyone else. I’m intrigued by the nature of the film and it seems particularly geared towards my generation. We’ll see.

Death of a Superhero

Everything about this film should grab my attention. I grew up on graphic novels, I grew up drawing, and most importantly, I grew up odd. Some of the themes in this movie remind me of 50/50, which gets me excited because I still cry when I watch that movie. I wouldn’t dare suggest it’s in any way a derivative though. All I see is a guy who clearly went through chemo; doesn’t mean anything in particular. I think what’s keeping me from making this film a “gotta-see-right-now” is the fact that the protagonist is about 16 or 17. I just question how genuinely and thoughtfully introspective anyone at that age could be. It always struck me as odd and unrealistic when monumental coming-of-age lines are fed into the mouths of child actors for some type of ironic twist. I always say “No. You wouldn’t get that. You definitely haven’t seen enough.”

2 Days in New York

Synopsis from website: This deliriously witty follow-up to 2 Days in Paris finds Marion (writer/director Julie Delpy) living a comfortable life in New York with her latest hipster boyfriend, Mingus (Chris Rock, brilliantly playing it straight), and their two young kids from prior relationships. A riotous comedy of cultural errors ensues when Marion’s totally unhinged, gleefully unfiltered family arrives…

Chris Rock is a picky man, a control freak, and he takes his work very seriously. I want to see this. Also I think this may be the first time in history that there is a somewhat publicized movie involving marriage/relationship between a black guy and a white woman and isn’t just about the scandal of a black guy being with a white woman (Brooklyn Babylon, O, Save The Last Dance, Patch of Blue, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner).

Edit: No, I think it is about racial tension…again.

Eddie: The Sleepwalking Cannibal

Tell me that this doesn’t look fun!

Alongside this, I will be hitting up the Film Shorts: Character Flaws showcase (about 6-8 short films surrounding the topic of character flaws). Additionally I will probably be at the free SoHo Apple Store workshops for Location Scouting on a Tight Budget, Lighting Your Film, Final Cut Pro X (maybe), and Effective Storytelling!