The 2013 Tribeca Film Festival, presented by American Express®, is pleased to announce the twelve films that will participate in this year’s World Documentary Competition. The 2013 film selection includes feature films from 30 different countries, including 53 World Premieres, 7 International Premieres, 15 North American Premieres, 6 U.S. Premieres and 8 New York Premieres. A total of 113 directors will present feature works at the Festival, with 35 of these filmmakers marking their feature directorial debuts. Among these directors, 26 are women. The 2013 film slate was chosen from a total of 6005 submissions.

Representing an impressive spectrum of stories and styles from around the globe, each of these films deliver tremendous insight into shared economic, political and social challenges in the ever-growing global culture and highlight the ways in which individuals affect and react to change.

These twelve documentaries come from diverse filmmakers with varying styles and distinct voices, making the competition that much more engaging and thought provoking. This year, Big Men, written and directed by Rachel Boynton, will have the honor of opening the 2013 World Documentary Competition.

Aatsinki: The Story of Arctic Cowboys
Directed and written by Jessica Oreck
(Finland) – World Premiere

In the forests of Finnish Lapland, brothers Aarne and Lasse Aatsinki carry on the generations-old tradition of reindeer herding. These modern cowboys maintain an intricate bond with the environment that has allowed them to preserve their lifestyle in one of the harshest climates imaginable. Jessica Oreck’s intimate, gorgeously lensed documentary follows the brothers for a year, sharing in the hard work, daily rituals and small joys that make up life above the Arctic Circle. In Finnish with subtitles.

Alias Ruby Blade: A Story of Love and Revolution
Directed by Alex Meillier, written by Tanya Ager Meillier and Meillier
(USA) – North American Premiere

Kirsty Sword Gusmão went to Timor-Leste to document injustice in an area closed to Western journalists. Over the next decade, she became the lynchpin that sustained the nation’s harrowing struggle for independence and met the man who would redefine the cause for which she was fighting. Using astonishing footage of the years-long resistance, director Alex Meillier presents a highly personal account of the courage needed to create a new democracy in modern times.

Big Men
Directed by Rachel Boynton, written by Rachel Boynton
(USA) – World Premiere

For her latest industrial exposé, Rachel Boynton (Our Brand Is Crisis) gained unprecedented access to Africa's oil companies. The result is a gripping account of the costly personal tolls levied when American corporate interests pursue oil in places like Ghana and the Niger River Delta. Executive produced by Steven Shainberg and Brad Pitt, Big Men investigates the caustic blend of ambition, corruption and greed that threatens to exacerbate Africa’s resource curse. In English, Other, Twi with subtitles.

The Genius of Marian
Directed by Banker White and Anna Fitch
(USA) – World Premiere

Weaving past into present, filmmakers Banker White (Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars) and Anna Fitch immerse the audience in the daily life of White’s mother, Pam. Her Alzheimer’s threatens to wipe out the memory of her own mother, Marian, a celebrated artist who died of the same disease. Beautifully edited, The Genius of Marian retraces both women’s lives to paint a complex and powerful contemporary portrait of motherhood, chronic illness and legacy.

The Kill Team
Directed by Dan Krauss, written by Lawrence Lerew, Linda Davis and Dan Krauss
(USA) – World Premiere

In 2010, the media branded a platoon of U.S. Army infantry soldiers “The Kill Team” following reports of its killing for sport in Afghanistan. Now, one of the accused must fight the government he defended on the battlefield, while grappling with his own role in the alleged murders. Dan Krauss’s absorbing documentary examines the stories of four men implicated in heinous war crimes in a stark reminder that, in war, innocence may be relative to the insanity around you.

Let the Fire Burn
Directed by Jason Osder
(USA) – World Premiere

Jason Osder makes an impressive feature film debut through his unbiased and thorough account of the incidents leading up to and during the 1985 standoff between the extremist African-American organization MOVE and Philadelphia authorities. The dramatic clash claimed eleven lives and literally and figuratively devastated an entire community. Let the Fire Burn is a real-life Wild West story absent the luxury of identifying its heroes by the color of their hats.

Michael H. Profession: Director
Directed and written by Yves Montmayeur
(Austria, France) – World Premiere

Over the past twenty-five years, director Michael Haneke has established himself as a towering figure in modern cinema whose rigorous focus on the craft of filmmaking has produced works of profound artistry. This career-spanning documentary gives unprecedented access and covers the body of Haneke’s work, offering insight into his creative process through on-set footage and interviews with the man himself and collaborators including Emmanuelle Riva, Isabelle Huppert and Juliette Binoche. In French, German with subtitles.

Oxyana
Directed by Sean Dunne
(USA) – World Premiere

Oceana, West Virginia—known as “Oxyana” after its residents’ epidemic abuse of OxyContin—is a tragically real example of the insidious spread of drug dependency throughout the country. Set against an abandoned coal mining landscape to the melodies of Deer Tick’s haunting score, this unflinchingly intimate documentary probes the lives of Oceana’s afflicted and exposes the day-to-day experience of a town living in the harsh grip of addiction.

Powerless (Katiyabaaz)
Directed by Fahad Mustafa, Deepti Kakkar, written by Fahad Mustafa
(India) – North American Premiere

Would you risk your life to flip a switch? In Kanpur, India, putting oneself in harm’s way to deliver electrical power is all too common. Powerless sheds light on the opposing corners of this political ring, from an electrical Robin Hood tapping wires for neighbors to the myopic utility company whose failure to understand economics forces it deeper into financial disarray. This vibrant exposé gives a whole new meaning to the words “power struggle.” In English, Hindi with subtitles.

Raw Herring (Hollandse Nieuwe)
Directed by Leonard Retel Helmrich and Hetty Naaijkens-Retel Helmrich
(Netherlands) – World Premiere

Every year millions of people look forward to the first preparation of Hollandse Nieuwe, the popular snack of raw herring from the North Sea’s spring catch. But how do you find glory in the grueling pursuit of a once-iconic fish that even the queen no longer accepts as definitively Dutch? Raw Herring celebrates the cultural legacy maintained by Holland’s last great herring fishers even as new trends and foreign competition threaten their way of life. In Dutch with subtitles.

Red Obsession
Directed and written by David Roach and Warwick Ross
(Australia) – North American Premiere

France’s Bordeaux region has long commanded respect for its coveted wine, but shifts in the global marketplace mean that a new, voracious consumer base in China is buying up this finite product. Bordeaux both struggles with and courts the spike in demand, sending prices skyrocketing. Narrated by Russell Crowe, Red Obsession is a fascinating look at our changing international economy and how an obsession in Shanghai affects the most illustrious vineyards in France. In English, Mandarin with subtitles.

Teenage
Directed by Matt Wolf, written by Jon Savage and Matt Wolf
(USA) – World Premiere

Teenagers did not exist before the 20th century. Not until the early 1950s did the term gain widespread recognition, but with Teenage, Matt Wolf offers compelling evidence that “teenagers” had a tumultuous effect on the previous half-decade. Narrated by actors Jena Malone, Ben Whishaw, Julia Hummer and Jessie Usher, this fascinating documentary repositions the historical origin of teenagers and shows why those years are more than just a stepping-stone to adulthood. In English, German with subtitles.

Awards

These twelve documentaries will compete for Best Documentary Feature, Best New Documentary Director, presented by American Express®, and Best Editing. In addition to these 12 documentary films making their North American, International, or World Premieres, 12 narrative features will also compete for cash prizes totaling $180,000, as well as artwork from the Artists Awards program sponsored by Chanel, featuring donated work from renowned artists including Stephen Hannock, Robert Longo, William Wegman and Dustin Yellin.

Check out more of the slate:

TFF 2013: World Narrative Competition
TFF 2013: Viewpoints
TFF 2013: Spotlight
TFF 2013: Midnight
TFF 2013: Special Screening

Packages and passes are on sale now for American Express® cardmembers and will go on sale to the general public on Monday, March 11 at 11am:  Learn more about TFF 2013 Ticket Packages.

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