Hello friends! Welcome to the It List Tribeca Festival guide, where I share my picks for the festival’s best films. Pick it weekly list here for the latest releases that we can’t wait to watch, stream, listen to, read and binge.
The Tribeca Festival hosts hundreds of screenings every year in New York City. It often features independent films that haven’t yet been distributed, so aren’t currently in theaters or on streaming services — but participating is a great way to get a sense of which films should be on your radar for the coming year.
I watched about 40 films this year, but I gave superlatives to seven of my favorites. I will walk you through them.
It will probably delight you: Griffin in summer
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What to know: Deeply serious 14-year-old playwright Griffin Nafly is spending his summer vacation staging his latest work when the handyman working at his parents’ house catches his eye.
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Newcomer Everett Blunck stars as Griffin. Melanie Lynskey plays his mother, Owen Teague is the handyman and Kathryn Newton is the handyman’s girlfriend.
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The film won the best US narrative feature award at the festival, also winning honors for its script and director.
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Why I liked it: It’s a coming-of-age story about theater, crushes, and processing parental drama that feels both extremely relatable and also completely bonkers. Did I mention that the handyman is also a failed performance artist?
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How to watch: Distribution plans have not yet been announced.
Most Quietly Terrifying: How I Faked My Life with AI
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What to know: Filmmaker Kyle Vorbach used cutting-edge artificial intelligence to create a digital persona that makes your wildest dreams come true while raising questions about the ethics of technology.
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It’s a documentary, not a horror film, but the way Vorbach mixes fiction and reality for his viewers and friends is existentially terrifying.
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It was fascinating to see this in the festival program along with AI-generated short films from text to video.
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Why I liked it: Just when I thought I was onto Vorbach’s tricks, he pulled the rug out from under me again.
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How to watch: Distribution plans have not yet been announced.
Less likely to allow you to breathe normally throughout the running time: The knife
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What to know: A black family pursuing the American dream has their lives destroyed by an intruder in their home.
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The story unfolds over the course of one night. Nnamdi Asomugha and Aja Naomi King star as parents of three young children, and Melissa Leo plays a detective determined to find out what really happened.
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Asomugha, a former NFL player, co-wrote and starred in the film. He also directed it, taking home the Tribeca award for best new narrative director for his work.
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Why I liked it: My jaw was clenched for 82 straight minutes, in part because of the film’s poignant social commentary. It is a work of fiction, but the themes are very real.
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When you can watch: Distribution plans have not yet been announced.
Longest title: The superficial story of a writer who decided to write about a serial killer
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What to know: Honestly, the entire premise is in the title.
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Steve Buscemi plays a convincing serial killer. You might recognize the film’s other stars – Britt Lower from Separation and John Magaro from Past lives.
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Why I liked it: I have a soft spot for absurdity and irritating characters, but I know this won’t be for everyone.
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When you can watch: Distribution plans have not yet been announced.
Most unexpectedly emotional: Validity
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What to know: The documentary explores the production and celebration of cheese around the world, drawing parallels between the aging process of food and the journey of human life.
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There are no big names involved – no bombshell revelations or appearances. Just a bunch of people, from cheesemakers to microbiologists, who are really passionate about cheese.
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Why I liked it: A documentary about cheese made me cry. Seriously. This is something special.
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When you can watch: Distribution plans have not yet been announced.
Weirdest couple: Among the Temples
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What to know: While struggling to process the pain of losing his wife, a singer (Jason Schwartzman) gains a new lease on life thanks to his elementary school music teacher and current adult bat mitzvah student (Carol Kane).
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The film confronts Jewish stereotypes with zany humor, zagging when you’d expect it to zag.
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Why I liked it: Is weird. Characters often interrupt each other and the plot goes to uncomfortable places. That’s the spirit of film festival films: chaos reigns.
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When you can watch: Among the Temples will be in theaters on August 23rd.
Most memorable: sacrament
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What to know: An expectant father (Michael Cera) takes a trip with his childhood best friend (Michael Angarano) to – you guessed it – Sacramento.
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I want to avoid spoiling the plot, but Kristen Stewart (Angarano’s real-life ex-girlfriend) and Maya Erskine (Angarano’s real-life wife) also star.
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Why I liked it: It’s a meaningful reflection on the transition to parenthood. It’s funny, but the quiet poignancy of its message is what I can’t stop thinking about.
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When you can watch: The launch is scheduled for later this year, but the date has not yet been announced.
Want more recommendations? Check out our guides to the best in summer entertainment.
Are there other things you’re excited about? Let us know in the comments below.
