Nollywood diva, Stephanie Linus joined Hollywood icon, Robert De Niro, Tiffany Chen, Brendan Fraser and other top stars as the 2023 annual Tribeca Festival started on Wednesday June 7 in New York.
"It is such an exciting festival with many voices amplified, especially women’s voices. It has given a platform for both new and seasoned filmmakers to showcase their works. I am having a great time reviewing the shortlisted films and recommending winners for the 2023 Tribeca Festival, " said Stephanie Linus, the famous Nollywood star who is a member of the Jury.
Robert De Niro is being celebrated with a three-day event later this year to honor his 80th birthday. Mayor Eric Adams presented him with a key to the city. He founded Tribeca Film Festival in 2002. Photo of Robert De Niro from the Tribeca Festival.
The stars were at the premiere of "Kiss The Future" at the Tribeca Film Festival that runs from Wednesday, June 7 through Sunday, June 18.
A stirring testament to art’s enduring ability to cast light even in the darkest of circumstances, Kiss the Future follows an underground community that worked and created throughout the nearly four-year-long Siege of Sarajevo.
Sensing that a larger voice is needed, an American aid worker makes a longshot pitch to U2 to help raise awareness about the Bosnian capital’s plight. The band immediately agrees and begins a series of live satellite interviews with local Sarajaevans during their 1993 ZOO TV Tour in an effort to highlight the direness of the situation on the ground. After those mid-concert interviews end, the band pledges to play a concert in the city once the conflict comes to a close. And when U2 arrives to perform a long-promised concert, the show becomes a monument to the strength and resilience of the people of Sarajevo, and art’s capacity to inspire and unite.––Jason Gutierrez
The 2023 features program includes 109 feature films from 127 filmmakers across 36 countries. The lineup includes 93 world premieres, one international premiere, eight North American premieres, one U.S. premiere, and six New York premieres. There are 43 first-time directors and 29 directors returning to Tribeca with their latest projects. 41% (45) of all feature films are directed by women and, for the first time, more than half of competition feature films are directed by women at 68% (19). Additionally, 36% (39) of feature films are directed by BIPOC filmmakers, including two indigenous filmmakers.
This year’s Festival also includes a notable number of films directed by actors: world premiere of First Time Female Director by Chelsea Peretti; world premiere of Maggie Moore(s) by John Slattery; world premiere of Bucky F*cking Dent by David Duchovny; world premiere of Downtown Owl by Lily Rabe and Hamish Linklater; world premiere of Eric LaRue by Michael Shannon; world premiere of Fresh Kills by Jennifer Esposito; North American premiere of The Listener by Steve Buscemi; New York premiere of Shortcomings by Randall Park; and more.
There are 53 documentary features across all categories including the world premiere of Marvel’s first original documentary Stan Lee by Tribeca alumnus David Gelb as well as world premieres from Academy Award winners and nominees including Julie Cohen, Waad al-Kateab, Morgan Neville, Sam Pollard, Rob Epstein, and Jeffrey Friedman. As an activist festival rooted in the foundational belief that art can inspire change, the 2023 Tribeca Festival showcases numerous documentary features that shine a light on the ongoing war in Ukraine as well as the silencing of artists in Iran.
For the third year, the Tribeca Festival continues its commemoration of Juneteenth through the “Expressions of Black Freedom” program, sponsored by Indeed, which includes a festival-wide celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, the world premiere of All Up in the Biz, a documentary about New York hip-hop legend Biz Markie, and the world premiere of Cinnamon, directed by Bryian Keith Montgomery Jr. and starring Damon Wayans and Pam Grier.
The 2023 “Spotlight+” category includes a series of live events that bring the film experience to life following each premiere. A performance from She Is The Music artists, curated by Alicia Keys, will follow the world premiere of Uncharted; Sara Bareilles will give a special performance following the world premiere of Waitress, the Musical - Live on Broadway!; the one and only Gloria Gaynor will perform following the world premiere of Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive; a conversation with Peabody Award-winning news anchor Dan Rather and director Frank Marshall will follow the world premiere of Rather; Gogol Bordello will perform following the world premiere of Scream of My Blood: A Gogol Bordello Story; a songwriting masterclass by Indigo Girls will follow the New York premiere of It’s Only Life After All; a musical Q&A with Marc Rebillet will follow the world premiere of Songs About Fucking; and a group of dancehall legends will perform following the world premiere of Bad Like Brooklyn Dancehall.
https://tribecafilm.com/press-center/festival/press-releases/tribeca-festival-announces-2023-feature-film-lineup