The 23rd annual Tribeca Festival launches on Wednesday, June 5th with the world premiere of Trish Dalton and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge, exploring the fashion designer’s life and cultural impact. Running in venues across New York City until June 16th, the 2024 edition of the festival once again coincides with Pride Month and there is an array of LGBTQ+ themes, characters, filmmakers, and actors present across the narrative feature film, documentary, short, TV, audio storytelling, and in-person talk program strands.
Here we take a look at some of the queer highlights at Tribeca Festival 2024. To delve into the full lineup head to Tricea.com/festival. Descriptions courtesy of Tribeca Festival.
Feature Films:
1-800-ON-HER-OWN (World Premiere) Spotlight+ Directed by Dana Flor. Ani DiFranco is an unmistakable talent who shook the 90s folk music scene. Her voice, unique in its tone and power, and her songwriting, full of activism and assertiveness, became a beacon particularly to young women who saw themselves in her lyrics and style. In 1990, she started Righteous Babe Records, creating a path to independently release her own music and proving herself as an artist that would do things her way despite the traditional routes. After the Premiere Screening: special performance by Ani DiFranco.
#AMFAD: All My Friends Are Dead (World Premiere) Escape from Tribeca Directed by Marcus Dunstan. It should be the best party of the year: Karmapalooza, a massive music festival. When a group of college friends score tickets to the event, they set out on a road trip, packed into a minivan stashed with all the booze and weed they need. But a vehicular mishap forces them to spend the night inside an isolated Airbnb, which seems cool enough — after all, where better to party hard than in someone else’s house? Not so fast. Being stuck indoors together causes their internal rifts and shared past to surface. Even worse, an uninvited guest joins the party and decides they need to pay for their transgressions by murdering them in extremely gory ways tied to their specific sins.––Matt Barone
All That We Love (World Premiere) Spotlight Narrative Directed by Yen Tan. Following the death of her family dog, Emma (Margaret Cho) finds herself at a crossroads where grief and release play together: a midlife awakening is now in full throttle, and those closest to Emma feel the impact, including her best friend Stan (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and her rambunctious daughter Maggie (Alice Lee). To make matters more complicated and ripe for comedic mishaps, Emma’s estranged ex-husband Andy (Kenneth Choi) returns to the city from Singapore down on his professional luck and aiming to rekindle things with his lost love.
Bikechess (World Premiere) International Narrative Competition Directed by Assel Aushakimova. Doesn’t a government initiative encouraging mental and physical fitness sound motivating? Imagine if it included activities like cycling and playing chess simultaneously… In Assel Aushakimova’s sophomore feature, Bikechess, she reunites with her lead actress Saltanat Nauruz to portray Dina, a disenchanted Kazakh broadcast journalist who is much more capable than the propaganda she is forced to cover. Ambivalent toward her professional mandate, she is tasked with presenting these seemingly absurd programs in a positive light. Challenged by her younger sister (Assel Abdimavlenova), a lesbian activist who constantly brushes with authorities, she also navigates a relationship with her married cameraman (Shyngys Beibituly).
Crossing (North American Premiere) Spotlight Narrative Directed Levan Akin. For Lia, a world-weary former schoolteacher, the intersection of promises and real life events has put her squarely in a precarious position: she’s made a pact to fulfill her recently deceased sister’s last wish — to find her long lost daughter Tekla. Together with Tekla’s former neighbor, an out-of-luck young man called Achi, they navigate Istanbul together in search of her niece. But she soon meets Evrim, a lawyer fighting for trans rights, and becomes embraced by the local trans community. 2024 Teddy Award-winner at Berlinale.
DRIVER (World Premiere) Documentary Competition Directed by Nesa Azimi. Desiree Wood has been to hell and back. A former stripper who lost everything, she now has a second lease on life as a long-haul truck driver. By establishing the organization “Real Women In Trucking,” Desiree has amassed an irreverent coalition of women drivers to advocate for an equitable and fair quality of life on the road, and ensure the welfare of women drivers within their male-dominated profession. While this line of work brings socially-precarious circumstances and solitude, these women undertake their jobs with an air of gallows humor and steely commitment to their work. However, as the American labor landscape continues to deteriorate and industry forces continue to be stacked against drivers deemed as replaceable, Desiree (alongside the sisterhood of truckers) struggles to find a sustainable path forward at the risk of losing it all once more.
Griffin in Summer (World Premiere) US Narrative Competition Directed by Nicholas Colia. Summer vacation is usually the time for kids to let loose, but for fourteen-year-old Griffin Nafly it’s time to get down to the serious business of putting on his dramatic new play: an ambitious cross between Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf and American Beauty. However, when his tween collaborators get distracted by more trivial pursuits like boys and camp, Griffin’s attention drifts toward Brad, the zoned-out handyman working at his house. Increasingly smitten and seeking a kindred spirit in Brad due to his failed career as a New York-based performance artist, Griffin finds himself embarking on an unforgettable summer.
Group Therapy (World Premiere) Spotlight+ Directed by Neil Berkeley. We see a set being built; walls put up to construct a makeshift therapist’s office. Some people walk onto the set and get prepped in makeup chairs. A small audience gathers and sits in an intimate space with chairs lined up in a circle. Neil Patrick Harris leads a few people—a group of comedians—inside the space, and as the comedians sit down and take their places, Harris, with a smile, addresses the room, “Well…who wants to start?”
Hannah Einbinder: Everything Must Go (World Premiere) Spotlight Narrative Directed by Sandi Honig. Best known for her Emmy-nominated starring role as Ava in Hacks, Hannah Einbinder’s first love is stand-up comedy. Everything Must Go is Einbinder’s first-ever stand-up special.
I’m Your Venus (World Premiere) Spotlight Documentary Directed by Kimberly Reed. This moving and timely documentary sets the stage for the investigation of the unsolved murder of Venus Xtravaganza, one of the iconic stars of Paris Is Burning, Jennie Livingston’s 1990 documentary about New York’s ballroom scene. Venus died during that film’s shoot and now, 35 years later, the spotlight is back on Venus as her two families—biological and ballroom—stand united to discover the truth, challenge the system and honor the legacy of their sister. The road for justice is a difficult one as they revisit old wounds, examining every event and detail to find a path toward healing and positive change. After the Premiere Screening: special ballroom performance.
In the Summers (New York Premiere) Spotlight Narrative Directed by Alessandra Lacorazza. In this poignant debut film, embark on a journey with two siblings (Lío Mehiel, Sasha Calle) as they grapple with their relationship to their well-meaning but troubled father (Rene Perez Joglar) during their childhood summers.
Linda Perry: Let It Die Here (World Premiere) Spotlight+ Directed by Don Hardy. As one of the most recognizable artists of the last 30 years, Linda Perry became an icon with her signature hat, attitude and chart-topping hit “What’s Up” with her band 4 Non Blondes. Since then, she has gone on to make a name for herself as a Grammy-nominated songwriter and producer, creating hits for artists such as Adele, Christina Aguilera, Brandi Carlisle, Miley Cyrus, Celine Dion, Ariana Grande, Alicia Keys, Dolly Parton, Pink and Gwen Stefani. In his film, award-winning Tribeca alum Don Hardy takes viewers on an intimate and revealing journey, exploring the life of this pioneering and talented artist. After the Premiere Screening: special performance by Linda Perry.
Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution (World Premiere) Spotlight+ Directed by Page Hurwitz. Comic-turned-filmmaker Page Hurwitz makes her debut at Tribeca with one question: have queer comedians changed the world? This rapturous documentary dives into the dynamic realm that undoubtedly influenced a culture of social change in America. From archival materials to stand up performances and interviews with comedy titans, the film examines what nearly a century of struggle can do to marginalized performers, and its historic aftermath. Despite the battles, queer comics have risen to the top by nurturing the unshakable bonds of community, continuously challenging the status quo and never denying an audience the power of laughter. Before the Premiere Screening: a standup performance featuring stars of the film, Margaret Cho, Judy Gold, and Joel Kim Booster.
Power of the Dream (World Premiere) Spotlight Documentary Directed by Dawn Porter. The WNBA has always been underestimated, and that underestimation has always been met with a drive to rise beyond the challenge. Activism meets sports in this documentary that follows the story of the WNBA and how it forever changed the course of US politics.
Rebel Country (World Premiere) Spotlight+ Directed by Francis Whately. Country music, as Richard Nixon said in his (in)famous address at the Grand Ole Opry in 1974, is a uniquely American genre, formed here and nowhere else. So why doesn’t the face of country reflect the diversity of the nation? That question is both asked and answered in this timely and urgent film. Rebel Country exposes the diverse roots of country music, reclaiming the contributions of Black and Mexican-American musicians and uncovering the history of segregation and censorship that has made so-called “bro country” the norm in Nashville. Before the Premiere Screening: short film Dynasty and Destiny. After the Premiere Screening: a special performance by platinum selling country music artist BRELAND.
Rent Free (World Premiere) US Narrative Competition Directed by Fernando Andrés. Ben and Jordan, nomadic Gen Z best friends from Texas, are enjoying their scrappy days in New York City together and are quickly getting comfortable with the idea of permanently relocating there to pursue a life and career in the Big Apple. Those plans are quickly botched, however, when an outrageous indiscretion from Ben causes both of them to be kicked out of the friends’ apartment they were staying at. This prompts them to fly back to Austin, where Jordan’s girlfriend Anna takes them in. Unfortunately for Ben and Jordan, Anna’s generosity is short-lived. One drunken evening, both friends make a pact: to treat this meandering “couch surfing” lifestyle as a social experiment and aim to take advantage of their friends’ hospitality to live an entire year without paying rent. Their quixotic plan, however, all too soon reveals itself to be a bit untenable…
Sabbath Queen (World Premiere) Documentary Competition Directed by Sandi DuBowski. Filmed over 21 years, Sabbath Queen follows Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie’s journey as the heir of 38 generations of Orthodox rabbis who is torn between accepting his ancestral destiny or becoming a drag queen rebel. In addition to his drag persona, Lau-Lavie is a queer bio-dad and the founder of Lab/Shul: an everybody-friendly, God-optional, artist-driven, pop-up experimental congregation. With incredible access, award-winning director Sandi DuBowski (Trembling Before G_D, Sundance 2001) joins Rabbi Amichai on a life journey and cinematic quest to creatively and radically reinvent religion and ritual while challenging gender norms in a rapidly changing 21st century.––Dan Hunt
S/He Is Still Her/e – The Official Genesis P-Orridge Documentary (World Premiere) Spotlight Documentary Directed by David Charles Rodrigues. An introduction, conversation and perhaps goodbye to Genesis P-Orridge, who left an astounding and provocative legacy on the worlds of music, art, performance, religion and the occult. A larger-than-life personality that must be experienced to be grasped, Genesis opens up portals to a way of living that transforms and transcends.
Slave Play. Not A Movie. A Play. (World Premiere) Spotlight Documentary Directed by Jeremy O. Harris. A self-portrait of playwright Jeremy O. Harris at work as he deconstructs his provocative and Tony-nominated play, Slave Play. This documentary is as bold and daring as Harris himself, offering an unflinching exploration of his creative process and the motivation behind his groundbreaking work.
Tribeca TV:
Black Fruit (World Premiere) Directed by Elisha Smith-Leverock and David Uzochukwu. When Lalo is thrown off course by the sudden death of his father, he suppresses his loss with impulsive actions that disrupt his life. While he and his best friend Karla, both in their mid-twenties, queer and Black in Germany, try to shape who they want to become, they are forced to grapple with the limits of their flexibility.
I Need Your Love (World Premiere) Directed by Walker Kalan. A bittersweet comedy about pop singer Camille Trust’s struggle to make a name for herself in New York’s cutthroat music scene, from sleazy producers and vengeful Swifties, to heartbreak and self-sabotage. It’s raw. It’s messy. And most of it actually happened.
Melissa Etheridge: I’m Not Broken (World Premiere) Directed by Brian Morrow and Amy Scott. An inspiring story of healing and transcendence through the power of music, when five female residents from the Topeka Correctional Facility write letters to Etheridge, she uses their letters as inspiration to create and perform an original song for them. Having recently lost her son to opioids, Etheridge works to understand and interrupt the cycle of addiction while connecting with these women who, so often, are forgotten by society. With female incarceration rates up 700 percent since 1980, Etheridge bonds with the women through the conduit of music as an act of empathy, understanding, and hope. After the Screening: A short acoustic performance by Melissa Etheridge.
Mr. Loverman (World Premiere) Directed by Hong Khaou. Based on the novel by Booker winner Bernardine Evaristo, Mr. Loverman is the story of Barry (Lennie James), a 74-year-old Antiguan-born, exuberant Hackney personality known for his dapper taste. His wife Carmel (Sharon D. Clarke) suspects he’s been cheating. Little does she know what’s really going on: a secret, passionate affair with his best friend and soulmate, Morris (Ariyon Bakare). Now facing his final chapter, Barry has big choices to make that will force his family to question their futures. After the Screening: a conversation with executive producer and cast member Lennie James and writer and associate producer Nathaniel Price.
Juice (US Premiere) Directed by Rosco 5 (Behnam Taheri and Gideon Beresford). Juice follows Jamma (Mawaan Rizwan), who desperately wants to be the center of attention but his family are constantly stealing his thunder. And when he finally does get the validation from boyfriend Guy (Russell Tovey), he can’t handle it. Jamma’s hyperactive imagination goes into overdrive and the world transforms around him.
Short Films:
¡Beso de lengua! (World Premiere) Directed by José Luis Zorrero. Itzcóatl and Moisés are on their first date. After a couple of hours of getting to know each other, they “play” an unusual and riveting game.
The End Of The Party (World Premiere) Directed by Kate Sullivan. A coming of age film about two teenage girls who have never met.
Fire Fucking Fire (New York Premiere) Directed by Julia Eringer. When Ally, a people-pleasing lesbian, beds her rockstar crush, she thinks her dreams of love and popularity are coming true, but in the morning the rockstar won’t leave…
Five Ways to Get Rid of a Hickey (World Premiere) Directed by Colectivo Niñita Perversa. After being caught at school giving each other a hickey, fouteen year-old Manu and fifteen-year-old Toña begin a journey of desire, guilt, and goodbyes.
Happy To Help You (World Premiere) Directed by Jeremy Beiler. A self-involved therapist at a crisis phone line clashes with a depressed caller.
Is Now A Good Time? (World Premiere) Directed by Jim Cummings. For Marty.
I Want to Violently Crash into the Windshield of Love (World Premiere) Directed by Fernanda Tovar. A heartbroken Mexico City rapper seeks solace in freestyle sessions, finding support in her community. Embracing unconventional healing, she rediscovers her lyrical prowess, achieving liberation through transformation.
Kasbi (World Premiere) Directed by Farah Jabir. A middle-aged Pakistani housewife in search of herself, hires a young self-assured sex worker to keep her company for the night.
Lost Bois (World Premiere) Directed by Devyn Galindo. This is a hedonistic and gritty exploration into the lives of three rebellious trans bois in New York City. Buckle up, and embrace the chaos.
Mars (North American Premiere) Directed by Abel Rubinstein. All Charlie has ever wanted is a normal teenage existence. At least that’s what she thinks. Now one extraordinary night will make her reassess what truly matters.
My Best Friend (North American Premiere) Directed by Elina Street. Two best friends unexpectedly sleep with each other, challenging the constraints of platonic friendship and the true depths of intimacy.
original skin (New York Premiere) Directed by Mdhamiri á Nkemi. In an alternate world where having sex means swapping bodies with the other person, a young woman struggles to be herself. A deeply intimate portrait of identity in transition.
Out of the Dark: Cal Calamia (World Premiere) Directed by Sarah Klein. An intimate look at the journey of professional athlete Cal Calamia, a trans marathon runner who’s advocating for inclusion in the running world.
Ripe! (World Premiere) Directed by Tusk. Nothing says “it’s complicated” like breaking your crush’s arm.
¡salsa! (World Premiere) Directed by Antonina Kerguelen Roman. Margarita seeks freedom in a place that judges those outside the norm when her path crosses with Liana’s, a deaf tourist, between the vibrations of congas and bongos.
Some Kind of Paradise (New York Premiere) Directed by Nicholas Finegan. When a reclusive barman connects with a charismatic Hollywood actor via Grindr, the intensity of their connection pushes him to question the isolated life he has built for himself.
This Really Happened (World Premiere) Directed by Emily Cohn. Based on a true story, Kate and Zoe, two young creatives in the throes of new love, have discovered they’ve been dating the same person: “BOY.” Determined to create some kind of brilliant revenge project, they recount their experiences in filmed interviews and fantastical flashbacks full of (literal) red flags. But will this process turn out to be more cathartic or soul-crushing?
Audio Storytelling:
A Field Guide to Gay Animals explores sexuality, gender, and joy in the animal world. Animal enthusiasts Owen Ever and Laine Kaplan-Levenson take you on a quest to see beyond the natural world as we know it and into the natural world as it is: queer as fuck. Cheeky and contemplative, curious and raunchy, Field Guide shows you the natural world, more exuberant, more joyful, and more gay than you could possibly imagine.
Red For Revolution is a six-part audio drama centering intergenerational stories of Black women, queer love, and liberation starring Jordan Hull, Loretta Devine, S. Epatha Merkerson, Rutina Wesley, Renée Wilson, Jennifer Beals, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Danny Glover, Alimi Ballard, Vanessa E. Williams, adrienne maree brown, Caro Guzmán, Don Daniels, and many others. The heart of the story centers on the passionate love affair between jazz singer Lorraine Giovanni and activist Ella Ali. The narrative unfolds through the perspective of Jazmine, an 18-year-old grappling with her queer identity, first crush, and the delicate task of mending her relationship with her homophobic mother. As Jazmine seeks solace and guidance from her grandmother, listeners are transported back to 1971, where two remarkable women from vastly different backgrounds, with opposing political views and living oceans apart, embark on a romance that defies all conventions. Red for Revolution was created, written, and directed by Jana Naomi Smith, with sound design by Collin Gerald Thomas, music direction by Tammy L. Hall, executive produced by Renée Wilson, Jana Naomi Smith, & Meta Mana Media, and produced by Liz McBee.
Slow Burn: An Exclusive Live Taping with host Christina Cauterucci and special guests. Named Apple Podcasts 2022 “Show of the Year”, Slow Burn, the hit narrative history podcast from Slate, will tape an exclusive episode of this season live from Tribeca. Slow Burn season 9, “Gays Against Briggs,” explores the Briggs Initiative—a ballot initiative that threatened to ban lesbians and gays from teaching or working in public schools in 1978—and the thousands of LGBTQ people who stepped up and came out to stop it. It’s a story of fear and anger among LGBTQ people, and of cynical politicians stoking a moral panic to further a repressive agenda. But it’s also a story of unlikely coalitions, intra-community drama, joy, sex, and the queer cultural ferment of late-70s San Francisco.
Vibe Check Live with Guest Lena Waithe Join acclaimed writer Saeed Jones, podcast host Sam Sanders, and Tony Award-winning producer Zach Stafford for a special live taping of their podcast, SiriusXM’s Vibe Check, where the three culture experts and close friends dissect news, entertainment, politics, and everything in between through a Black, queer lens. Named one of the 10 Best Podcasts of 2022 by The New York Times, Vibe Check is a funny, smart, very candid group chat, come to life. For this special live event, they will be joined by a special guest, Emmy-winning writer, actress, producer and founder of Hillman Grad, Lena Waithe (The Chi, Master of None). Vibe Check is a production of SiriusXM’s Stitcher Studios in collaboration with Agenda Management & Production.
Talks:
Directors Series – Gus Vant Sant with Vito Schnabel Gus Van Sant is a filmmaker, painter, photographer, and musician. Van Sant received his BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence in 1975, and his work has been exhibited at the Musée de l’Elysée, Lausanne, Switzerland; Le Case d’Arte, Milan, Italy; the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at the University of Oregon, Eugene; and Vito Schnabel Gallery, New York and St. Moritz, Switzerland. Van Sant is known for directing films such as Good Will Hunting (1997), My Own Private Idaho (1991), Drugstore Cowboy (1989), Elephant (2003), and Milk (2008). He has been nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Director, and his film Elephant won the Palme d’Or award at the Cannes Film Festival. Recently, Van Sant directed Vito Schnabel in Ryan Murphy’s series Feud: Capote vs the Swans.The conversation is moderated by Schnabel, an art dealer, filmmaker, and actor. He wrote, produced, and stars in an upcoming feature film The Trainer, a dark comedy based on an original story by Schnabel and directed by Tony Kaye.
Storytellers – Andy Cohen in Conversation with Anderson Cooper Andy Cohen is an Emmy Award-winning host, producer, and author, best known for his 15 years on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Bravo’s late-night talk show. Cohen serves as executive producer across 11 NBCUniversal properties, hosts two SiriusXM channels, and co-hosts CNN’s New Year’s Eve Special with Anderson Cooper. He is a five-time New York Times bestselling author with his own book imprint. Cohen has been honored with GLAAD’s Vito Russo Award and has appeared on The Hollywood Reporter and Variety’s lists of Most Powerful LGBTQ Players in Hollywood. He also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Born in St. Louis, Cohen resides in New York with his children, Benjamin and Lucy.
Storytellers – Laverne Cox Laverne Cox is a four-time Emmy-nominated actress and Emmy-winning producer, celebrated for her groundbreaking role in Orange is The New Black, which made her the first openly transgender actress to receive a Primetime Emmy nomination. She is also a prominent advocate for equal rights, known for her empowering message. Cox has starred in various roles and holds two SAG Awards, among other accolades.
Storytellers – Michael Stipe in conversation with With Janeane Garafolo Michael Stipe is an artist, producer and singer-songwriter. He fronted the band R.E.M. for 31 years, selling over 100 million records and touring the world. For the past decade, his personal focus has been cross-medium work, incorporating video, soundscape, sculpture, and photographic and digital imagery. He has released four recent photography books through Damiani out of Bologna, Italy. His first institution show was at ICA Milan in December 2023. He is currently completing his first solo album to be released this year. Michael lives in New York City and Berlin.
For the latest updates on programming, follow @Tribeca and #Tribeca2024 on X, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, and to become a Tribeca Member or purchase passes and ticket packages for the 2024 Tribeca Festival, go to tribecafilm.com/festival.
Descriptions courtesy of Tribeca Festival.