The 2008 Tribeca Film Festival gets rolling tomorrow with the premiere of 'Baby Mama', and from there over 100 films will be premiering and featured during the event taking place April 23 - May 4. Amongst the directors and stars featured in some of these films are Melvin Van Peebles, Nick Cannon, Ludacris, Mariah Carey and Chiwetel Ejiofor.
BALL DON'T LIE, directed by Brin Hill, written by Matt de la Peña and Hill. (USA) - World Premiere, Narrative. An urban coming-of-age story that follows Sticky, a talented streetballer (Grayson Boucher) who overcomes his troubled past through his passion for the game. Based on the popular novel, Ball Don't Lie features Ludacris, Rosanna Arquette, and Nick Cannon. Part of the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival.
CHEVOLUTION, directed by Trisha Ziff and Luis Lopez, written by Sylvia Stevens and Ziff. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. How did the iconic image of Che Guevara end up on beer bottles and bikinis? This inquiry into the ethics and aesthetics of appropriation investigates how the enduring symbol of Cuba's Communist Revolution skyrocketed to fame and was ultimately devoured by its own worst enemy: capitalism. English, Spanish with English subtitles.
CONFESSIONSOFA EX-DOOFUS-ITCHYFOOTED MUTHA, directed and written by Melvin Van Peebles. (USA) - World Premiere, Narrative. Melvin Van Peebles, still our most playfully inventive filmmaker after nearly 50 years, returns with a boisterous adventure that ranges from Harlem to the high seas, following the exploits of an unforgettable character (MVP, natch) who's always on the move-but keeps ending up back in New York.
ELITE SQUAD (Tropa de Elite), directed by José Padilha, and written by Braulio Montovani, Rodrigo Pimentel, and Padilha. (Brazil) - North American Premiere, Narrative. Fresh from winning the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, and one of the most controversial Brazilian films of recent times, Elite Squad is a searing and astonishing look at the corruption of the special police force in the volatile slums of Rio. As one cop desperately tries to get out, two naive recruits see if they have what it takes to get in. Portuguese with English subtitles. A Weinstein Company and Costa Films in association with The Latin American Film Company release.
FAUBOURG TREME: THE UNTOLD STORY OF BLACK NEW ORLEANS, directed by Dawn Logsdon and Lolis Eric Elie, written by Elie. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. Just outside the French Quarter of New Orleans is a lively, long-established neighborhood that most tourists never see. Enlightening and informative, Faubourg Tremé documents the enduring legacy of one of the country's oldest African American communities. Executive produced by Stanley Nelson and Wynton Marsalis.
GUNNIN' FOR THAT #1 SPOT, directed by Adam Yauch. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. Rucker Park. The mecca for all street basketball players. In Beastie Boy Yauch's super-energized and highly musical documentary, eight of the country's top 24 high school players participate in the first "Elite 24" tournament on the same court that helped turn Dr. J, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain into legends. An Oscilloscope Pictures Release. Part of the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival.
KASSIM THE DREAM, directed by Kief Davidson. (USA) - World Premiere. Kassim "The Dream" Ouma went from Ugandan child soldier to world champion boxer. In this gripping tale of survival and determination, Kassim proves that even against all odds, a man can achieve his dreams and turn tragedy into inspiration. Part of the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival.
PARAISO TRAVEL, directed and written by Simon Brand. (USA) - International Premiere, Narrative. In this recent hit at the Colombian box office, a lovesick young man (Aldemar Correa) follows his seductive girlfriend as they illegally travel from Medellín to New York. When they are separated in Queens, he begins a desperate search to find her. Featuring John Leguizamo and Ana de la Reguera (Nacho Libre). English, Spanish with English subtitles.
TENNESSEE, directed by Aaron Woodley (USA) - World Premiere. Two brothers, Carter (Adam Rothenberg) and Ellis (Ethan Peck), embark on a journey from New Mexico to find their estranged father in the hopes of saving Ellis, who has been diagnosed with terminal leukemia. Along the way they meet Krystal (Mariah Carey), an aspiring country singer, who becomes the brothers' guardian angel and joins them on their fateful road trip.
WAR CHILD, directed by C. Karim Chrobog. (USA) - North American Premiere, Documentary. Emmanuel Jal spent his childhood as a soldier in the Sudanese People's Liberation Army. Now this rising hip-hop star is using his music to raise awareness about his homeland's ongoing humanitarian crisis. Dinka, English, Nuer with English subtitles.
ZONED IN, directed by: Daniela Zanzotto. (USA, UK) - World Premiere, Documentary. Filmed over the course of nine years, this documentary traces the remarkable journey of 16-year-old Daniel from a Bronx high school to an Ivy League university while simultaneously exploring the role of race and class in the American education system.
For more information of the festival, go to http://www.tribecafilmfestival.org/
