The Tribeca Film Festival (TFF), presented by American Express®, is pleased to announce the selections for our  Special Screenings section. This year includes, among others, the reintroduction of the Restored/Rediscovered program with Charles Lane’s Sidewalk Stories and a special screening of Alberi by Michaelangelo Frammartino at VW Dome at MoMA PS1 Performance Dome.

Alberi
Directed by Michaelangelo Frammartino
(Italy) –World Premiere, Cinematic Installation

Wrapping the audience in waves of sound, Alberi takes us on a circular journey through the Italian countryside. The marvelous natural music at the tops of the eponymous trees makes way for the rhythmic cadence of civilization—men baring axes and the natural clatter of daily life—before their unforgettable return home from the forest. The singular artistry of director Michelangelo Frammartino (Le quatro volte) is beautifully displayed in this mesmerizing homage to nature.

Alberi will run as an installation in the VW Dome at MoMA PS1 from April 18th through the end of the month, with a special event celebrating the world premiere on the evening of Saturday, April 20th.

Sidewalk Stories
Directed and written by Charles Lane
(USA) –Narrative

The low-budget, New York-in-the-’80s movie that proves that silence is not all that golden, Charles Lane’s magnetic Sidewalk Stories is long overdue for rediscovery. Lane plays a sidewalk chalk artist whose efforts to care for an abandoned toddler are confounded by the oddball homeless characters he meets. Black-and-white and mostly silent, the film is an ingenious and whimsical effort by a black artist to give a voice to those who have none.

Herblock - The Black & The White
Directed by Michael Stevens, written by Sara Lukinson and Stevens
(USA) – World Premiere, Documentary

Herbert Block’s career at The Washington Post spanned fifty-five years and thirteen presidents, a timeframe in which he claimed three Pulitzer Prizes, the Medal of Freedom and a significant role in President Nixon’s resignation. Ben Bradlee, Tom Brokaw, Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein, Jules Feiffer, Ted Koppel and Jon Stewart are among the many commentators bearing witness to Block’s life, work and indelible contribution to American satire in this inviting documentary.

The Trials of Muhammad Ali
Directed by Bill Siegel
(USA) – World Premiere, Documentary

Brash boxer Cassius Clay burst into the American consciousness in the early 1960s, just ahead of the Civil Rights movement. His transformation into the spiritually enlightened heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali is legendary, but this religious awakening also led to a bitter legal battle with the U.S. government after he refused to serve in the Vietnam War. This film reveals the perfect storm of race, religion and politics that shaped one of the most recognizable figures in sports history.

Running From Crazy
Directed by Barbara Kopple
(USA) – New York Premiere, Documentary

Join actress Mariel Hemingway, granddaughter of legendary author Ernest Hemingway, as she examines the mental illness and suicide that colors her family’s history and tries to avert that fate for herself and her daughters. By mixing in remarkable archival footage of the three Hemingway sisters, two-time Academy Award®-winner Barbara Kopple expands one famous family’s deeply embedded truths into a broad picture of the courage it takes to face the past and change your future.

Möbius
Directed and written by Eric Rochant
(France) – International Premiere, Narrative

Set in the incomparable beauty of Monaco, Eric Rochant’s first feature in seven years follows undercover Russian FSB officer Gregory Lioubov (Jean Dujardin, The Artist) and international trader Alice Redmond (Cécile De France, Hereafter), who has her own secrets to hide. Their relationship sparks a deadly chase to snag Lioubov’s real target, business magnate Ivan Rostovsky (Tim Roth). Also starring Émilie Dequenne, Möbius is a twisting, sexy spy thriller that fittingly leaves you guessing which way is up. Featuring special guest appearances from director Eric Rochant and main actress Cécile de France.

Check out more of the slate:

TFF 2013: World Narrative Competition
TFF 2013: World Documentary Competition
TFF 2013: Viewpoints
TFF 2013: Spotlight
TFF 2013: Midnight

Packages and passes are on sale now for American Express® cardholders 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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