Presenting Partner
Signature Partners
World Premiere
To Dust
Special Screenings
| USA | 90 MINUTES | English, Drama, Comedy, New York, NY Director(s), First Time Filmmaker
Grieving the recent death of his wife, Shmuel (Geza Rohrig), a Hasidic cantor in upstate New York, struggles to make peace with his loss. After a series of disturbing dreams, he grows increasingly obsessed with how her interred body will decay. Shmuel decides that, in order to move on, he must understand the science behind the decomposition process of his wife’s body—despite the blasphemy inherent in any scientific inquiry. To assist his sinful pursuit, he seeks out Albert (Matthew Broderick), a community-college biology professor who Shmuel enlists to teach informal science lessons. These soon grow to include homemade experiments and a road trip to a body farm, and, as their macabre misadventures and unlikely friendship grow ever more peculiar, the odd couple prove they will stop at nothing to satiate their curiosity and, ultimately, find Shmuel the peace he seeks. Director Shawn Snyder’s dark buddy comedy is a quirky look at death, biology, mourning, and tradition.
—Dan Hunt
After the Premiere Screening: Tribeca Film Institute will host a conversation with writer/director Shawn Snyder, producers Emily Mortimer, Alessandro Nivolo and Ron Perlman, cast members Géza Röhrig and Matthew Broderick, and forensic anthropologist Dr. Dawnie Steadman. Moderated by Scientific American senior features editor Jen Schwartz. Hosted by Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
Cast & Credits
Directed by
Shawn Snyder
In 2016, Shawn Snyder was named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s “25 New Faces of Independent Film.” He received a bachelor’s degree in religion from Harvard and spent his twenties as an itinerant singer-songwriter before going on to study filmmaking at New York University. To Dust, his first feature, was supported by Tribeca, Sundance, the Sloan Foundation, and the Independent Filmmaker Project.
Director
Shawn Snyder
Producer
Emily Mortimer, Alessandro Nivola, Ron Perlman, Josh Crook, Scott Lochmus
Screenwriter
Shawn Snyder, Jason Begue
Cinematographer
Xavi Gimenez
Composer
Ariel Marx
Editor
Allyson Johnson
Executive Producer
Jonathan Gray, Anjay Nagpal, Aaron Gilbert, Joseph Siprut, Laura Rosenthal, Jed Webber, Jason Dreyer, David Moscow, Todd Remis
Co-Producer
Jason Duran
Casting Director
Laura Rosenthal, Jodi Angstreich
Costume Designer
Evren Catlin
Music Supervisor
Raife Burchell, Karl Westman
Art Director
Alexandra Kaucher
Cast
Géza Röhrig, Matthew Broderick
Panelists
Shawn Snyder
After receiving a BA at Harvard and traveling as a singer/songwriter, the last six years have seen Shawn's return to filmmaking. He recently completed studies at NYU's Graduate Film Program. His last short,Lulu, premiered at the Palm Springs International ShortFest in 2015. To Dust was part of IFP's 2015 Emerging Storytellers, the recipient of the Tribeca Film Institute's 2016 Sloan Student Grand Jury Prize, and part of the NYU Production Lab's inaugural slate. Shawn is a former IFP/Marcie Bloom Fellow and current Sundance Institute Feature Film Fellow.
Dr. Dawnie Steadman
Dr. Dawnie Wolfe Steadman is the Director of the Forensic Anthropology Center at the University of Tennessee, the home of the Anthropology Research Facility or "Body Farm." The Body Farm is renowned worldwide as the first natural laboratory for human decomposition. Dr. Steadman is a Board Certified Forensic Anthropologist and works on forensic cases throughout the country. She is also active in international forensic human rights investigations and currently works in Uganda.
Jen Schwartz
Jen Schwartz is a Brooklyn-based journalist who specializes in the intersection of technology and society. Currently she is a senior features editor at Scientific American and previously worked at Outside, Popular Science, GQ, New York, Self, and The Boston Globe. Jen has written and produced award-winning stories on topics including misinformation, infectious diseases, adapting to climate change, and reproductive health.
Géza Röhrig
Géza Röhrig was born in Budapest. At fifteen he founded an underground punk band, Huck®ebelly. He studied Polish Literature at Jagiellonian University in Warsaw and has a masters in directing from the Budapest University of Drama and Film. In the early 90s he lived in Jerusalem, then spent two years studying at a Hasidic yeshiva in Brooklyn. He has lived in New York since 2000 where earned an MA from the Jewish Theological Seminary. In 2015 Rohrig starred in the Hungarian Auschwitz movie, Son of Saul, that went on to win the Grand Prix in Cannes and the Academy Award for the Best Foreign Language Film. He currently has two films in post production, The Chaperone and Undergods. Rohrig has published eight volumes of poetry and one short story collection. Two of his books were translated into Polish and German.
Alessandro Nivola
Alessandro Nivola is an award winning actor and producer. Acting career highlights include a SAG Award for American Hustle, an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Laurel Canyon, a Tony Nomination for his performance opposite Bradley Cooper on Broadway in The Elephant Man, and the best actor award at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival for Liz Garcia’s One Percent More Humid. Upcoming films include Disobedience opposite Rachel Weisz, The Art of Self Defence opposite Jesse Eisenberg, and The Red Sea Diving Resort with Chris Evans and Haley Bennett. Alessandro runs King Bee Productions with his wife Emily Mortimer.
Ron Perlman
Ron Perlman is best known for his titular role in the Hellboy movies and his long run on the TV series Sons of Anarchy. He won a Golden Globe Award for his role in Beauty and the Beast. Ron recently produced All I See is You, directed by Marc Forster, and Pottersville, starring Michael Shannon, Ian McShane, Judy Greer, Ron Perlman, Tom Lennon, and Christina Hendricks. He produced and starred in Sergio and Sergie and is currently producing and starring in Asher to be directed by Michael Caton Jones and the Crackle series Start Up.
Emily Mortimer
Emily Mortimer is an award winning actor and producer. Her collaborations with Martin Scorsese include Hugo and Shutter Island. She starred in Woody Allen’s Match Point. Emily won an Independent Spirit Award for Nicole Holofcener’s Lovely and Amazing and earned nominations for Best British Actress at the Empire Awards and Best British Actress in a Supporting Role at the London Film Critics Circle Awards for her performance in David Mackenzie’s Young Adam. Her latest films include Sally Potter’s The Party, Isabel Croixet’s 2018 Goya Award winner The Bookshop, and Rob Marshall’s upcoming Mary Poppins Returns.
Matthew Broderick
Two-time Tony award-winning actor Matthew Broderick was most recently seen starring in Netflix’s Opioid Drama Painkiller, opposite Uzo Aduba, and Sony’s Coming-of-Age Comedy No Hard Feelings opposite Jennifer Lawrence and Laura Benanti. Additionally, he starred in the hit World Premiere of Joe DiPietro’s new play, Babbitt at La Jolla Playhouse, as well as the Broadway revival of Neil Simon’s Plaza Suite alongside his wife, Sarah Jessica Parker, which they most recently performed in the West End. Additional credits include: Manchester By The Sea, directed by Kenneth Lonergan, Margaret, Election, The Producers and fan favorite Ferris Buellers Day Off, among many others.
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Rush will be offered when advanced tickets for a screening or event are no longer available at venues
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The Rush system functions as a standby line that will form at the venue approximately one hour prior to scheduled start time. Admittance is based on availability and will begin roughly 10 minutes prior to program start time. Rush Tickets are the same price as advance tickets and are payable upon entry.
The Rush system functions as a standby line that will form at the venue approximately one hour prior to scheduled start time. Admittance is based on availability and will begin roughly 10 minutes prior to program start time. Rush Tickets are the same price as advance tickets and are payable upon entry.
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