PROMOTIONAL ISSUE PRESENTED BY
TRIBECA
2017
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CONTENTS 4
STRANGE BUT TRUE
From singers and skaters to Syria: the documentaries reflecting our turbulent times
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TOP PICKS FOR 2017
Pete Hammond sifts through the festival's narrative strands to find this year's Tribeca treats
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PAULA WEINSTEIN
Tribeca's head of programming on the festival's legacy and the future of indie film
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ELISABETH MOSS
The star of chilling dystopian sci-fi series The Handmaid’s Tale on life after Mad Men
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ZANDER LEHMAN
Casual's creator teases new directions for Laura, Valerie and Alex in the comedy-drama series
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When facts Trump fiction A look at the some of the most anticipated and provocative documentaries screening at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival B Y Matt Grobar
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N A YEAR OF RECORD high submissions at the Tribeca Film Festival, when the festival program has been cut by 20 percent, the result is another finely curated selection of projects by fresh-faced and awardwinning filmmakers from across the globe. With over 35 non-fiction films being presented, documentary filmmakers are a forceful presence—as always—at this year’s festival. And in politically charged times, it’s little surprise that politics loom large in this year’s crop, with docs addressing everything from alt-right politics to the modern gay civil rights movement, amidst a strong presence of artist-driven biographies.
The first of many such portraits is Chris Perkel’s Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives, a look at the life and career of the legendary music producer and founder of Arista records. Kicking off the festival, the premiere will be accompanied by a starry concert gala, with performances by artists Davis has cultivated over the years, including Aretha Franklin, Jennifer Hudson and Earth, Wind & Fire. Directed by Patrick O’Dell, Dumb: The Story of Big Brother Magazine outlines the rise and fall of the irreverent skakeboarding magazine, a countercultural staple, incorporating interviews with Johnny Knoxville, Spike Jonze and others to tell the
LOVE FACTUALLY Clockwise from left: Gilbert, Whitney: Can I Be Me, Copwatch, LA 92 and Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of our Lives.
story in the Hulu documentary. Featuring foul-mouthed articles about absurd stunts, the magazine precipitated MTV’s Jackass and a generation of boundary-pushing skaters. Among other artist biographies at Tribeca ’17 are Gilbert, a portrait of comedian Gilbert Gottfried; Whitney: Can I Be Me, a Showtime release about the life and death of Whitney Houston; and Oscar-nominee Oren Jacoby’s Shadowman, about a Banksy precursor named Richard Hambleton who operated as a rogue street artist in 1980s New York City. Otherwise, Tribeca’s documentary slate this year is marked by the exploration of many prevalent and
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timely topics, including police violence, and America’s flawed criminal justice system, with a great deal of attention paid to individuals speaking out against injustice. Among historically-rooted projects in this area are two films by Academy Award honorees: celebrated investigative reporter David France’s The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson, and Dan Lindsay and T.J. Martin’s National Geographic release LA 92.
Going abroad with No Stone Unturned, Oscar winner Alex Gibney demonstrates that issues of police corruption are not unique to America. Gibney’s doc investigates the murders of six Irish men, gunned down in a pub in 1994, in yet another unsolved criminal case, with no culprit brought to justice. Among this year’s international docs, many are portraits of valor among current atrocities, including
of conservative and alt-right politics. Pacho Velez and Sierra Pettengill’s The Reagan Show feels both portentous and of the moment, examining the legacy of Ronald Reagan—arguably the first showbusiness president—using exclusively archival material; A Gray State, executive-produced by Werner Herzog, delves into the mysterious deaths of David Crowley— a well-known alt-right voice—and his family; while Get Me Roger Stone
France’s film depicts a new investigation into the mysterious death in 1992 of self-described New York “street queen” Marsha P. Johnson, an outspoken black transgender activist at the crux of the modern gay civil rights moment; LA 92 makes use of archival images and unseen footage to depict the notorious beating of Rodney King in Los Angeles, and the riots that followed, in a new light. Making her directorial debut with Copwatch, British journalist Camilla Hall tells the story of WeCopwatch, a contemporary organization that films police activity as a form of non-violent protest, in the hopes of deterring episodes of police brutality.
Hell on Earth: The Fall of Syria and the Rise of ISIS, chronicling the horrors of the ongoing war in Syria; Hondros, executive produced by Jake Gyllenhaal, about a war photographer putting himself in life-and-death situations to report the truth; and City of Ghosts, the latest from Oscarnominee Matthew Heineman (Cartel Land), about the fearless citizenjournalists of Raqqa, Syria, who set out to expose the atrocities of the Islamic State at any cost. Newly inaugurated President Donald Trump may not be the direct subject of any single documentary at Tribeca this year, but his presence is palpable, along with further studies
IN REEL LIFE Clockwise from left: Hell on Earth: The Fall of Syria and the Rise of Isis, A Gray State, Hondros, Get Me Roger Stone and No Stone Unturned.
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explores the “dirty” politics and outsider status of Roger Stone, a fixture of Republican politics for nearly five decades, and features an interview with President Trump himself. With Earth Day screenings looking into such critical topics as animal extinction— between Mark Grieco’s A River Below and Kate Brooks’ The Last Animals—Tribeca is the place to be to explore the best of documentary filmmaking today. ★
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Things are looking up.
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Dabka
Writer/director Bryan Buckley’s world premiere stars Evan Peters as real-life journalist Jay Bahadur, whose inspiring encounter with a Vietnam war veteran (screen legend Al Pacino), sets him off to Somalia in search of the story that will make his career. Taking Oscar-nominee Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips) as his guide, he attempts to embed himself with a group of local Somali pirates, but things don’t go as planned.
WITH SO MANY PREMIERES OF VARIOUS STRIPES ON DISPLAY
at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival, it is hard to narrow the most tempting titles down to just 16 films. While the event doesn’t—yet—have the cachet of longer-running festivals such as Sundance, Cannes, Telluride or Toronto, Tribeca has firmly established itself as a showcase for independent gems, a recent example being Demetri Martin’s wonderful Dean, which world-premiered here last year and was later picked up by CBS Films for release this June. Bearing that in mind, I'm searching for more films like that in choosing the movies I think just might be this year’s must-sees…
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Somali pirates, fading stars and family feuds—16 discoveries to make at the 16th Tribeca Film Festival By Pete Hammond
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Dog Years
Writer/director Adam Rifkin, always good for a quirky ride, brings Burt Reynolds his most promising role in years as Vic Edwards, a film star in his 80s and well past his glory days. Coming to terms with mortality after the death of his dog, Vic receives an invitation to accept a lifetime achievement award from a film festival in Nashville.
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The Dinner
Early word is excellent for this intense drama, written and directed by Oren Moverman (Rampart). Adapted from Herman Koch’s acclaimed 2009 book, it details the family secrets that are revealed when two brothers (Richard Gere and Steve Coogan) meet for an intimate meal with their wives (Laura Linney and Rebecca Hall). The Orchard will release it next month.
Manifesto
An offbeat hybrid documentary, this stars Cate Blanchett, who appears in a series of vignettes debating the meaning of art, using verbatim statements and manifestos made by famous artists and art movements. Writer/director Julian Rosefeldt created this showcase for the undeniable talents of Blanchett, who is given the opportunity to completely reinvent herself in each and every one of them. FilmRise has North American rights.
The Lovers
Tony-winner Tracy Letts stars alongside Debra Winger in this world premiere from writer/director Azazel Jacobs (Terri, Momma’s Man). They play a long-married couple, now involved in extra-marital affairs, who reignite their own passions just as they are about to call it a day. A24 will be releasing it next month.
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The Trip to Spain
Michael Winterbottom brings stars Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan back together for the latest edition of their wonderful road trips, this one to sunny Spain. If their past collaborations—The Trip and The Trip to Italy—are anything to go by, you can count on great conversations over gourmet meals for this IFC Films release, which will be having its world premiere at Tribeca.
The Clapper
Writer/director Dito Montiel returns to Tribeca after 2014’s Boulevard with the world premiere of this offbeat comedy. The terrific Ed Helms stars as a guy who becomes a paid audience member at talk shows following the death of his wife, then accidentally becomes a celebrity himself – threatening his blossoming relationship with a gas-station attendant (Amanda Seyfried).
Permission
Brian Crano’s Tribeca world premiere is one to see for its exceptional two lead stars alone. Rebecca Hall and Dan Stevens (above) play a long-time couple with a great life, a new home and an upcoming marriage. But things take a weird turn when Hall’s character decides she hasn't had enough experience outside of this coupling and proposes an open relationship, albeit one they must embark on together. Jason Sudeikis and Gina Gershon co-star.
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Literally, Right Before Aaron Ryan Eggold’s world premiere stars two appealing actors, Justin Long and Cobie Smulders, whose breakup takes an interesting turn when she invites him to her wedding, even though their college relationship is firmly a thing of the past. This romantic comedy centers on Long’s character’s quest to find out just why he let her get away in the first place.
Chuck
Liev Schreiber stars in this true story of Chuck Wepner, a liquor salesman from New Jersey who went 15 rounds with Muhammad Ali and inspired Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky. This U.S. premiere centers on Wepner’s own rocky life in the ring and his private descent into drugs, liquor and many female conquests. Directed by Phillippe Falardeau, this IFC Films release co-stars Elizabeth Moss, Naomi Watts and Ron Perlman.
Rock’N Roll
Real-life couple Guillaume Canet and Marion Cotillard play fictionalized versions of themselves in writer/director Canet’s offbeat comedy about a famous couple who must find a way to deal with getting older, even as they stay in the limelight of fame. This international premiere is French, of course, but is likely full of universal truths for anyone in this business.
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W H AT H E S E E S
I S W H AT Y O U G E T.
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Pilgrimage
Directed by Brendan Muldowney, this world premiere centers on a group of monks travelling from 13th Century Ireland through dangerous war-torn territory on a mission to take their most sacred relic to Rome. Tom Holland (Marvel’s new Spider-Man), Jon Bernthal, Richard Armitage and John Lynch head a promising cast in this action-adventure that also shines a light on the effect of religious zealotry and the price of war.
Aardvark
The irrepressible Jenny Slate stars in this world premiere from writer/ director Brian Shoaf as Emily, a therapist trying to keep her own life and stresses together while spending most of her time listening to other people’s problems. Life gets complicated with the arrival of new patient Josh (Zachary Quinto), who, in addition to being mentally ill and hallucinating, is also dealing with a complex relationship with his brother (Jon Hamm).
King of Peking
In the International Narrative Competition comes this world premiere from writer/director Sam Voutas, in which a pair of father-son projectionists – Big Wong and Little Wong – run a mobile cinema showing Hollywood movies to Chinese villagers. Trouble stars when a desperate Big Wong, fearing the loss of custody of his son, starts distributing illegal copies of DVDs out of the movie theater in which he works. It all sounds like a Chinese Cinema Paradiso, as it ultimately promises to be a love letter to the movies.
The Godfather & The Godfather Part II Although Tribeca is primarily a place of discovery, this is a once-in-a-lifetime cinematic event, reuniting Francis Ford Coppola with the cast of his two Oscarwinning Best Pictures–two of the greatest films ever made. This unmissable closing-night event takes place at Radio City Music Hall, where back-to-back screenings will be followed by a conversation with the director and stars Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton, James Caan, Robert Duvall and Talia Shire. ★
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TH E PR I VATE LI V ES O F A CELEBR IT Y SCA N DA L .
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D THE DIALOGUE
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PAULA WEINSTEIN
The Tribeca Film Festival head of programming discusses her pride in the festival and film selection during a politically chaotic year. By Anthony D’Alessandro UNLIKE OTHER FILM FESTIVALS, Tribeca is overseen by those who not only have an adoration and an eye for film but have also lived and breathed the industry. Tribeca Enterprises’ multi-award-winning Executive Vice President Paula Weinstein has worked through all levels of film and television: as a film editor, an ICM and William Morris talent agent, a Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox Production VP, and an independent film producer of 30-plus films, including Analyze This, The Perfect Storm and Blood Diamond. Weinstein is an Executive Producer on the Emmy-nominated Netflix series Grace and Frankie and the festival’s head of programming. She also develops and oversees Tribeca Enterprise’s content through its production arm, Tribeca Studios. When you look back at what the Tribeca Film Festival has become, what are you most proud of? The role that the festival has played in storytellers’ lives, as well as audiences’. Our feature film program has been very successful at discovering new filmmakers at the beginning of their career—who have distinctive voices—and introducing them to the community. From Damien Chazelle, when we launched Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench in 2009, to Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead’s Resolution (2012), who return with their new film in competition this year.
We’re currently in controversial political times. As you and your staff curated this year’s festival, were you attracted to films with certain themes? We are always attracted to films that explore the state of our society, and this year more than any other the stakes are very high. So whether it’s the environment that is in peril— which we are spotlighting this year with an Earth Day program—or racism or xenophobia, we are hoping to be a forum for filmmakers to express the state of the country. Equally, we were drawn to stories of activists that show the power of the individual, or illuminate and affect the world in which we live.
Music has always been an important part of the festival. Why is that? From the beginning, Jane [Rosenthal] and Bob [De Niro] completely included musicians. What we do differently is to take the movie experience beyond the screen by turning special performances into cultural moments. We celebrate musicians as storytellers. How do you see independent filmmaking evolving in the near future? This is the most optimistic moment for storytellers to have their voices heard. While it’s a moment of flux and change, it’s a fertile time, in terms of the different voices we are able to show and encourage. Technology has created a real opportunity for anyone to tell their story, and festivals are now more than ever a critical curator. I do think indie film will always have a place on the big screen—even screens at home are getting bigger. But we need to be redefining what success means for a film. I don’t believe the collective experience of seeing movies is going to die. I believe the need for human connection will survive this time of internet isolation. ★ D E A D L I N E .C O M / AWA R D S L I N E
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ELISABETH MOSS
The Handmaid's Tale star on the new significance of the show after the Presidential election. By Anthony D’Alessandro
How did The Handmaid's Tale come your way? I was in Australia shooting the second season of Top of the Lake when I received the pilot script. I was like, “Oh my God, they’re going to adapt Handmaid’s Tale—that’s not easy.” I, fortunately, had read the book, but it had been years and my memory was fuzzy on the details, so I read the pilot as a pilot and not as an adaptation. I was very impressed; I asked for the second episode, and it was even better. I was daunted and flattered to be asked. It took me a while to say yes, which in hindsight is ridiculous. I wasn’t contemplating whether or not I would do it. I wanted to make sure we made a version that was
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dark and true to the book, and not holding back. In light of Donald Trump's presidency, the show has a tone that’s likely quite different from when you first started shooting. Is that the case? The tone has changed significantly. The book was always ahead of its time, with a similar revelation that’s seen in 1984 and Brave New World. We shot from September to February, and there was this eerie, surreal feeling encroaching upon our world. Even though the book is inspired by things that happened hundreds of years ago—Margaret Atwood took from Puritanical times, like the Salem Witch trials, and the idea of a
theocracy—the book, though it’s 30 years old, feels a lot closer to home now. I spent a day with Margaret doing interviews, and she kept getting asked questions about our world now. She said very wise things, specifically that we need to keep an eye on our Constitution—that’s the turning point in the book, when they throw it all out. Did the role of Peggy on Mad Men set the bar so high for great female roles for you that it’s been challenging to find others? Or is there an embarrassment of riches out there? It’s probably somewhere in the middle. I’ve seen the industry change over the last 10 years, when I signed on to Mad Men. At the time, it was unusual to have a female role like that for someone my age; it was something that was unusual in TV. As the show went on, we’ve had great female roles in TV, indie films and even big films like Star Wars, The Hunger Games and superhero movies. It’s a fantastic time and I hope it continues. I came around at the right time. ★
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AS PEGGY OLSON on the Emmy-winning series Mad Men, Elisabeth Moss portrayed a young career woman hell-bent on breaking the glass ceiling in a male-dominated 1960s ad world. In Hulu/MGM’s ten-episode adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s 1985 dystopian future novel The Handmaid’s Tale, Moss plays an even more resolute revolutionary: Offred, a concubine to an upper class family in a totalitarian America who yearns not only to up-end society, but to find the daughter who was snatched from her.
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ZANDER LEHMANN
In the run-up to a new series of the Hulu family drama, Casual's creator explains why three is the show's lucky number. By Matt Grobar A FIRST-TIME SHOWRUNNER when Casual bowed in 2015, Zander Lehmann has become a defining voice for Hulu with his “actor-driven” family drama. Taking a break from production on Season 3 of the series, Lehmann discusses the dynamics behind the scenes—with duties split between three showrunners—and what lies ahead for Laura, Valerie and Alex. You split showrunning duties with two other Casual EPs, Liz Tigelaar and Helen Estabrook. What do you feel is the strength of such a collaborative process? Yeah, I think it’s different. Jason [Reitman, executive producer], Helen and I, none of us had done television, and Liz had, so it feels like we were marrying this sort of background in indie film. I think, given all the different pieces, this is the best version, for us, that we’ve determined works for this particular show. Hulu and Lionsgate are nice enough to let us figure out that process and do it on our terms, because I think a lot of places would have said, “No, you can’t pay four executive producers. Go have one boss, and have it all go through
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that person.” They understand that this makes the process easy for us. it keeps us on schedule, making good scripts for them. Where are you in the process with Season 3, and what can you share about the direction in which the series is heading? We’re on week eight of production. I'm on my lunch break, and I'm very, very tired, because we're trying to write the last episodes, or get them all approved. Season 3, to me, feels like it’s a lot of new worlds for all of our characters. Laura has been stuck in the world of teenagers, and at this point, we’re sort of sending her off, because she feels like she knows well enough that she can handle it, and we’re going to show
her a world of adult life that she hasn’t seen. What about the others? Valerie has a bit of a crisis early in the season, and it leads to a shift in identity, and causes her to really branch out. I think for the last two seasons, she has these moments where she tries on these different masks, but she’s always who she is. This season, we’re going to shake the core of who she is, and I think that will allow her to experiment—try to do things that are less of what she’s been doing. Alex, we wanted to break him down. He’s a guy who has sort of floated through this series, half-assing through his job, and falling into things, and out of things. I think this is the season where, for him, we want to feel like there are consequences to his actions, and that he is a real person who suffers real things, and doesn’t just have everything work out for him. He is sort of on his heels this season in a way that we haven’t seen. ★
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