The 2024 Tribeca Film Festival recently wrapped up its annual showcase and celebration of cinema. This festival was founded in 2002 by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, as a means of reigniting the economic and cultural vitality of Downtown Manhattan. With 150,000 attendees and more than 500 films each year, the Tribeca Film Festival’s mission is to “help filmmakers reach a wide audience, promote New York City as a major filmmaking center, and allow the public to experience the power of cinema.” Here are some highlights from Tribeca 2024.
Griffin in Summer, a comedy film written and directed by Nicholas Colia, was awarded Best U.S. Narrative Feature and Best Screenplay in a U.S. Narrative Feature, as well as a Special Jury Mention for Best New Narrative Director Award. Starring Everett Blunck as a 14-year-old playwright, this film also features turns from Melanie Lynskey, Owen Teague, Abby Ryder Fortson, and Kathryn Newton.
Jasmine Bearkiller Shangreaux was honored with Best Performance in a U.S. Narrative Feature for her performance in the coming-of-age drama Jazzy, directed by Morrisa Maltz. Jazzy also stars Oscar-nominee Lily Gladstone, in her second collaboration with Maltz as director. They previously worked together on The Unknown Country, in which Shangreaux also had a role.
The award for Best International Narrative Feature went to Bikechess, a journalism dramedy from Kazakhstan directed by Assel Aushakimova. Other major winners in the International Narrative Competition include actress Yu Aier, who was recognized with Best Performance in an International Narrative Feature for the film Some Rain Must Fall. Best Screenplay in an International Narrative Feature was shared between Celina Murga, Juan Villegas, and Lucía Osorio for their work on The Freshly Cut Grass.
In the Documentary Competition, Best Documentary Feature went to Hacking Hate, directed by Simon Klose. The Tribeca jury gave the following statement on the power and timeliness of this political documentary: “The documentary jury awards a film that bravely and fearlessly investigates the misuse of the internet to encourage hate and bias by allowing media giants to profit and foster the continuation of the outrage.”
Other titles to keep an eye out for from Tribeca include Sacramento, a road-trip film directed by and starring Michael Angarano (of Sky High fame). Michael Cera, Kristen Stewart, and Maya Erskine also star. Adult Best Friends is a comedy directed by and starring Delaney Buffett, which Brian Tallerico (Managing Editor of RogerEbert.com) calls “genuinely funny” with “likable performances” from Buffett and Katie Corwin. And, the incisive documentary Black Table co-directed by John James and Bill Mack is “an open time capsule whose insights resonate today as the country now grapples with the effect of the Supreme Court’s decision to abolish affirmative action,” as described by Tribeca senior programmer Faridah Gbadamosi.