April 16, 2009

Tribeca Film Fest quick look: tickets, freebies, NY picks

NewYorkology film columnist Tim McGonagle was orphaned in a revival theater in Boston, Mass. in the mid-1970s. While other kids were outside playing tag, he was busy absorbing the films of Buster Keaton, Akira Kurosawa and the inappropriate-for-his-then-age, John Cassavettes. Currently he contributes to the “Noir of the Week” film website and maintains a blog of his own. Here’s his Tribeca Film Festival early overview.

Now entering its eighth year, the Tribeca Film Festival is back with a quality over quantity philosophy reflected in the pared down number of titles compared to recent years. There are still numerous films — over 80 features and many short films — including the premiere of Woody Allen’s new comedy Whatever Works and Spike Lee’s Passing Strange. Additionally there’s plenty of special events during the festival’s run from April 22 through May 3 including a family friendly street fest, panel discussions, a Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival, and Drive-In screenings that promise something for everyone.

In the Know, When On the Go
There are quite a few ways to keep abreast and on top of the Tribeca Film Festival events while away from home and what better way to do so than by the marvels of modern technology. TFF has a Facebook fan page, and of course you can follow @TribecaFilmFest happenings, breaking news and ticket alerts on Twitter. The Tribeca Film Festival Mobile Film Guide is a very handy little tool for your web-enabled phone or PDA that has all the pertinent information to tickets, locations, film descriptions and other festival information.

What’s That One About and Where’s the Theatre?
For the detailed skinny on what you need and want to know about the festival, the festival website is the most comprehensive in terms of all the information in one place, including the 2009 Festival Films Guide.

New York-centric Features to Keep an Eye On
With over 80 features to choose from, getting the guide (as mentioned earlier) is an invaluable tool to navigate the 12-day cinematic sea that is the Tribeca Film Festival. Here are a few titles connected to New York City that look to be promising and entertaining.

Burning Down the House: The Story of CBGB
Performances by Talking Heads, Patty Smith, Television, The Ramones and Bad Brains are infused with interviews with musicians and people in the know about the history of this legendary Bowery club that served as a launching pad for some of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll ever created.

Blank City
The film explores the New York DIY independent film movement in the late ’70s that developed in parallel tandem with the emerging punk scene. Interviews with Amos Poe, Jim Jarmusch, Lydia Lunch, Eric Mitchell and Steve Buscemi round out the apparently fantastic soundtrack and clips of No Wave films.

Cropsey
Directors Joshua Zeman and Barbara Brancaccio investigate the validity of an urban legend that took place on Staten Island during their youth. Was there a real-life boogieman responsible for five missing children in the borough?

The Girlfriend Experience
Director Steven Soderbergh creates a narrative film that follows a $2,000-an-hour call girl in NYC, her devoted boyfriend and the clients she encounters.

An Englishman in New York
John Hurt reprises his role from his 1975’s television film The Naked Civil Servant, playing British homosexual icon Quentin Crisp. The film begins with the 72-year-old Crisp’s move to New York City in 1981 and the hot water he found himself in with the gay community after jokingly calling AIDS “a fad.”

Entre Nos
A devoted mother brings her two children to New York from Columbia to appease her husband’s dream of living here. He ends up abandoning his family in the city and it’s up to her and her children to survive their first summer in New York with little resources and many obstacles.

P-Star Rising
Director Gabriel Noble directs this documentary that traces the rise to success of young Priscilla Starr. Her father, once a up-and-coming rapper in the ’80s, is now a single dad living in Harlem who sees potential for hip-hop greatness in his talented young daughter. Noble tracks the lives of the two over the course of four years documenting their failures and feats in the music industry.

Free Events
Tribeca Outdoor Drive-In Screenings
Drive-In at the World Financial Center Plaza opens at 6 p.m.; activities and programming begin at 6:30 p.m. and screenings begin at dusk (approximately 8:15 p.m.)

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
The Tribeca Film festival is honoring screenwriter William Goldman (All the President’s Men, Marathon Man, The Princess Bride, Misery) and the 40th anniversary of the legendary, Oscar winning film staring Paul Newman and Robert Redford on Friday April 24.

P-Star Rising
One of the buzz titles at this year’s festival is this documentary featuring the Harlem native and teen rapper Priscilla Star and her rise to fame. This is a family friendly documentary showing at the Drive-In on Saturday April 25.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Included in the outdoor screenings is another kid friendly showing of everyone’s favorite heroes in a half shell, on Thursday April 23. The turtles are celebrating their 25 anniversary so to kick off the event there will be face painting, a giant pizza party, something called the “Party Wagon” and karate demonstrations preceding the screening of their 1990 film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. An appearance by the Turtles and sidekick April at the event is as certain as them liking pizza. Cowabunga dudes!

Tribeca Family Festival Street Fair
An all-day event (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) on Saturday, May 2, the Street Fair takes place on Greenwich Street in Tribeca between Hubert and Chambers streets. There’s going to be plenty of performers, activities, arts and crafts, merchants, food vendors, performances and interesting stuff for kids and parents alike.

Tickets
TFF tickets go on sale to downtown residents who live in a zip code south of Canal Street (with proof of your address,) on Sunday April 19. For all others in the general public, Monday April 20 is the date single tickets go on sale. There are also ticket packages available for multiple screenings of matinees, evenings and others such as the “Documentary Film Fan Package” that appear to be great bargains compared to buying tickets individually.

Tickets for the festival are available via several outlets:
Online at tribecafilm.com/festival/tickets/

By phone at (646) 502-5296 or toll free (866) 941-FEST

Tribeca Cinemas Ticket Outlet
54 Varick Street (at Laight Street)
Hours: 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. (Monday – Friday)
11 a.m.to 6 p.m. (Saturday and Sunday)

AMC Village VII Ticket Outlet
66 Third Avenue (at 11th Street)
Hours: 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. (seven days a week until April 22 only)

Note - if you are an American Express Card holder advanced tickets are available online through April 18.

Image source: Tribeca Film Festival.

April 16, 2009 9:43 AM in Cheap Stuff, Downtown, Kids, Sightsology

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