Tribeca Film Festival 2025 Preview

McEric takes a look at some of the films screening at this year's Tribeca Film Festival in NYC from June 4th - 15th.
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The Tribeca Film Festival is set to descend once again upon New York City this June 4th through 15th. Begun in 2002 by Robert DeNiro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff, the festival sought to revitalize Lower Manhattan after the 9/11 attacks and has since become one of the premiere film festivals of North America. This year, alone, the programmers narrowed down their selections from over 13,000 submissions. This year's line-up boasts 95 world premieres from filmmakers across 36 countries, collecting everything from feature films to shorts, episodic content, audio storytelling, interactive games, and more.
I'll be on site for several days of the festival to screen films and speak with attending talent, so let's take a look at some of the selections that made my shortlist of interest:
First off, the big trend this year is music documentaries - the festival has programmed at least fifteen music-based films, beginning with the opening night gala selection BILLY JOEL: AND SO IT GOES. The festivities will likely be more of a eulogy than a celebration due to recent developments, but it's still nice to kick off a definitively New York festival with one of the City's own beloved sons as the subject of its inaugural film. Other documentaries that feature prominently are METALLICA SAVED MY LIFE, BILLY IDOL SHOULD BE DEAD, BOY GEORGE 7 CULTURE CLUB, DEPECHE MODE: M, I WAS BORN THIS WAY: CARL BEAN, MOVE YA BODY: THE BIRTH OF HOUSE, and THE SIXTH BOROUGH. This final film made my shortlist as

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The Tribeca Film Festival is set to descend once again upon New York City this June 4th through 15th. Begun in 2002 by Robert DeNiro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff, the festival sought to revitalize Lower Manhattan after the 9/11 attacks and has since become one of the premiere film festivals of North America. This year, alone, the programmers narrowed down their selections from over 13,000 submissions. This year's line-up boasts 95 world premieres from filmmakers across 36 countries, collecting everything from feature films to shorts, episodic content, audio storytelling, interactive games, and more.

I'll be on site for several days of the festival to screen films and speak with attending talent, so let's take a look at some of the selections that made my shortlist of interest:

First off, the big trend this year is music documentaries - the festival has programmed at least fifteen music-based films, beginning with the opening night gala selection BILLY JOEL: AND SO IT GOES. The festivities will likely be more of a eulogy than a celebration due to recent developments, but it's still nice to kick off a definitively New York festival with one of the City's own beloved sons as the subject of its inaugural film. Other documentaries that feature prominently are METALLICA SAVED MY LIFE, BILLY IDOL SHOULD BE DEAD, BOY GEORGE 7 CULTURE CLUB, DEPECHE MODE: M, I WAS BORN THIS WAY: CARL BEAN, MOVE YA BODY: THE BIRTH OF HOUSE, and THE SIXTH BOROUGH. This final film made my shortlist as a documentary that explores the contribution of Long Island's "indelible yet often overlooked impact on hip-hop's evolution, presented through the voices of the pioneering artists who shaped the genre's expansion beyond its urban roots." The film's premiere promises a post-screening performance from De La Soul and Rakim, which should prove entertaining as well as enlightening.

[Still from THE SIXTH BOROUGH]

Another music documentary of specific interest to me is called COUNTING CROWS: HAVE YOU SEEN ME LATELY? Taking its name from one of the songs from their sophomore album, Recovering the Satellites, the film directed by Amy Scott combines archival footage with reflections from the band member's hindsight, as well as contemporaries, fans, and more. As one of the Gen Xers caught by the throat by the band's seemingly overnight success, I am a fan of the music as well as the pageantry behind and around it. August and Everything After was a transformative album that catapulted its lead singer Adam Duritz into the spotlight, shining brightly on his humility and poetry. Acclaimed writer Daphne Merkin even wrote an essay about her obsession with him, and he became a posterchild of nineties Americana. This film hopefully explores what that sort of notoriety does to a "normal" guy and offers glimpses of what he and the band have been up to lately (hence the name).

[COUNTING CROWS: HAVE YOU SEEN ME LATELY]

On the narrative side, there are several films that have piqued my interest, though from different latchpoints. Some boast flashy casts while others intrigue with story. Some offer director pedigree and some just seem unique. In no particular order, we begin with AFTER THIS DEATH. "While hiking alone in the woods, Isabel encounters the enigmatic and alluring Elliott

[Still from AFTER THIS DEATH]

Next is THE BEST YOU CAN, bringing Kevin Bacon (R.I.P.D.) and Kyra Sedgwick (CRITICAL CARE) together on screen after twenty years, from filmmaker Michael J. Weithorn. Weithorn is a seasoned Hollywood writer whose career stretches as far back as episodes of "Benson" and "Family Ties," and the film costars Judd Hirsch (INDEPENDENCE DAY). "Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon return together on screen — this time as two halves of an unlikely friendship between a security guard and a urologist whose chance encounter blooms into something deeper. As a series of text conversations over the phone lead to late-night revelations, the two navigate the ups and downs of their lives and their growing connection towards each other that feels impossible to describe." The synopsis gives me Liam Neeson (THE NAKED GUN) and Sandra Bullock (MISS CONGENIALITY) GUNSHY vibes, though I imagine with much less gunplay and, sadly, Oliver Platt (THE IMPOSTORS). However, I'm still intrigued and look forward to the opportunity to speak with the cast and crew next week.

[Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick in THE BEST YOU CAN]

The next film is a funny one to look forward to at Tribeca, as the film will be available to stream on Prime Video two days after its premiere, but it looks so damned fun that I can't be blamed. The film is called DEEP COVER, and it stars Bryce Dallas Howard ("The Walking Dead"), Orlando Bloom ("Carnival Row"), Nick Mohammed ("Ted Lasso"), Sean Bean (GOLDENEYE), Paddy Condisine (THE WORLD'S END), and Ian McShane (HELLBOY 2019). "When a down-on-her-luck improv comedy instructor (Howard) and a pair of her misguided students (Bloom and Mohammed) are recruited to go undercover and bust petty criminals, the offer seems like a unique opportunity. But when one of them decides to go off book, they suddenly find themselves trapped in an escalating London gang war where their “yes and…” skills do more harm than good. As they scramble to maintain their cover as hardened criminals, their real lives start to bleed dangerously close to their underworld personas until the trio finds unexpected allies — and even more unexpected enemies — in dark corners. The unlikely team is forced to confront their individual lives in a whole new way, asking themselves what comes next… if they make it out alive." The film makes its United States premiere at Tribeca on June 10th but if you can't make it, it starts streaming on Prime on June 12th.

[Orlando Bloom, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Nick Mohammed in DEEP COVER]

Next is EVERYTHING'S GOING TO BE GREAT, starring Bryan Cranston (TOTAL RECALL) and Allison Janney ("Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip"), written and directed by Jon S. Baird (FILTH). "The Smart family's life takes a dramatic turn when tragedy forces them to confront their oversized dreams, struggles with identity and chaotic regional theater life. As theater manager parents (Janney and Cranston) work to support their two sons — a hunky football star (Champion) and his flamboyant, theater-loving younger brother (Ainsworth) — unexpected circumstances compel them to move in with Janney's estranged brother (Cooper). What begins as a temporary arrangement soon unravels years of familial tension, prompting each member to reevaluate their place in the world and in their relationships." The film costars Jack Champion (SCREAM VI), Benjamin Evan Ainsworth (PINOCCHIO 2022), and Chris Cooper (AMERICAN BEAUTY), which alone seems worth the price of admission. The film seems to be a dramedy, a genre that holds a special sway over me, and with this cast, I feel very good about this film's prospects. The film makes its world premiere at Tribeca on Monday, June 9th.

[Bryan Cranston and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth in EVERYTHING'S GOING TO BE GREAT]

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