The feature lineup for the 17th annual Tribeca Film Festival has been released, boasting a wealth of star-studded movies and New York City-based stories.
Sarah Jessica Parker, Michael Shannon, Tessa Thompson, Luke Evans, Elle Fanning and Maisie Williams are among celebs set to appear on screen during the festival, which runs April 18-29. Tickets, which start at $12 for matinee screenings and $40 for Tribeca Talks, go on sale 11 a.m. March 27 at tribecafilm.com/festival/tickets.
The festival has come a long way since it started in the shadow of the September 11 terror attacks on the World Trade Center back in 2002.
Designed to bring a boost to the shattered downtown area, the festival has grown into a major force for filmmakers, actors and a destination for cinephiles.
This year’s fest includes 96 films, kicking off with “Love, Gilda,” a documentary on the life of comedian Gilda Radner.
It closes on April 29 with the world premiere of “The Fourth Estate,” a documentary which explores how journalists at The New York Times covered President Trump’s first year in office.
The festival will also host the world premiere of “Zoe,” a futuristic science fiction film set in a world where technology can simulate true love starring Ewan McGregor and Léa Seydoux.
Organizers pointed out that of the 96 films in the festival, 46 percent were directed by woman — the highest percentage in its history.
New York City looms large in several of the films scheduled to be screened at the festival. Here is a sampling:
‘Blue Night’
A famous singer receives tragic health news in this film described as a French New Wave-inspired drama set on the streets of New York City. The cast includes Sarah Jessica Parker, Common and Renée Zellweger.
‘Blowin’ Up’
A documentary set inside a Queens courtroom, where women arrested on prostitution charges are given an offer to take counseling sessions and avoid a criminal record.
‘Mapplethorpe’
This narrative film follows the path of groundbreaking photographer Robert Mapplethrope, an art-school dropout who lived in the Chelsea Hotel and immersed himself in New York City’s downtown scene during the 1970s. Matt Smith plays the titular character.
‘Studio 54’
This infamous disco nightclub reigned over New York City nightlife during a brief time in the late 1970s until it crashed when its owners were convicted of tax evasion. This documentary chronicles the highs and lows of the nightclub known for sex, drugs and its starry clientele.
‘The Great Pretender’
New York City’s theater world is the backdrop for this narrative about a French theater director, her ex-boyfriend and actors who play them.
‘Bathtubs Over Broadway’
Steve Young, a comedy writer for “The Late Show with David Letterman,” was doing research for the show when he came across a strange find and a new obsession — old record albums of musical shows about large U.S. corporations such as General Electric, McDonald’s and B.F. Goodrich. Letterman, Martin Short and others weigh in on Young’s fun, unusual passion in this documentary.
