New York City is always a great place to see a movie, but beginning this week the Big Apple kicks it up a notch when the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival gets underway. With it come a truckload of new independent films alongside some pretty amazing conversations, parties, street fairs and even a selection of drive-in movies you can watch outdoors. This is a festival that takes full advantage of its gorgeous and complex surroundings, offering up a little something for everyone and then some.
However, large festivals like this can often seem overwhelming, and so we’re here with a guide to the biggest and most-buzzed about movies and events taking place at this year’s festival beginning April 17 through April 28.
Our Five Most Anticipated Movies
Adult World
Described as charming and nostalgic, Emma Roberts stars as a down-on-her-luck poet who reluctantly accepts a job at an adult sex shop. It’s there she meets a reclusive writer (John Cusack) who may just provide the inspiration she needs to find success and happiness.
Almost Christmas
Paul Rudd and Paul Giamattic star in this offbeat comedy about a couple of conniving French Canadians who travel to New York City with the promise of a get-rich-quick scheme selling Christmas trees. Bonus buzz: Almost Christmas is directed by Phil Morrison, who we haven’t seen since falling for his 2005 indie breakout, Junebug.
At Any Price
Director Ramin Bahrani travels to America’s heartland for this drama about an Iowa farmer (Dennis Quaid) and the complicated relationship he has with his son (Zac Efron), an aspiring racecar driver who’s not interested in following in his father’s footsteps.
Trust Me
You know him as Agent Coulson from the Marvel movies, but this year Clark Gregg travels to the Tribeca Film Festival as director and star of this black comedy about a failed actor turned Hollywood agent who strikes gold (or does he?) by signing a troubled teenager with potential to be a future star.
Frankenstein’s Army
What if during World War II the Nazis hatched a plan to resurrect fallen soldiers in an effort to form an unstoppable army of the walking dead, and what if a group of soldiers stumbled upon what was left of this plan while on a mission to find a missing team of comrades? That’s the set up for our most anticipated midnight movie, which promises a “nonstop adrenaline-fueled onslaught of utterly imaginative and terrifying creations.” Oh, we’re so in!
You can find a full list of the movies playing this year's Tribeca Film Festival over at their official website.
Our Five Most Anticipated Events
Tribeca Talks Directors Series: Clint Eastwood with Darren Aronofsky
One of the greatest aspects of the Tribeca Film Festival are its series of “Talks” featuring everyone from industry experts to Hollywood icons. This year’s most anticipated conversation has to be the one between Clint Eastwood and Darren Aronofsky following the premiere of Eastwood Directs: The Untold Story.
Tribeca Storyscapes
New to the festival this year is a selection of experimental transmedia projects and exhibitions, many of which are interactive and exploratory. We particularly have our eyes on Star Wars Uncut, which shows what happens when fans all over the world were tasked with recreating Star Wars in their own unique ways, 15 seconds at a time. See all the projects featured here.
Family Festival Street Fair
One of the things we love about the Tribeca Film Festival is the attention it pays to families, which is something no other major film festival does. Proof of that comes with the festival’s annual street fair for families on April 27, featuring all sorts of family-friendly activities, vendors and lots more.
Tribeca/ESPN Sports Day
Part of both the family festival street fair and Tribeca’s Sports Film Festival is this event which runs during the family festival and features a cornucopia of local athletes, mascots and sports personalities on hand with plenty of
Tribeca Drive-Ins
Another addictive little nostalgic treat the Tribeca Film Festival offers that others don’t are outdoor “drive-in” movies where film fans and families can sit back, relax and watch a movie under the stars. This year’s selections include Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice and Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, among others.
You can find a full list of Tribeca Film Festival events over on their official website.
Are you heading to the Tribeca Film Festival this year? Let us know what you’re most looking forward to seeing or reading about in the comments below.
