THE 2007 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES SELECTIONS FOR DISCOVERY, SHOWCASE SECTIONS AND FAMILY FILM FESTIVAL
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33 WORLD PREMIERES IN DISCOVERY,
SHOWCASE INCLUDES FESTIVAL FAVORITES FROM AROUND THE WORLD,
 “GUMBY” BACK IN THEATERS FOR FAMILIES

New York, NY [March 15, 2007] – The 2007 Tribeca Film Festival, presented by American Express, today announced the third and final group of feature film selections in its Discovery, Showcase and Family Film Festival selections, for the sixth annual festival, taking place April 25 – May 6, 2007.  
 
For a second year, the Discovery section highlights the work of up-and-coming narrative and documentary directors. This year’s line-up includes 39 films, with 33 World Premieres.
 
The Showcase selections include a number of outstanding films that have previously earned praise at other film festivals around the globe.


The Family Film Festival presents films for all ages. This collection consists of an assortment of styles and subjects ranging from innovative animation to imaginative narratives, as well as documentaries that amaze, inspire and most of all – entertain.
 
The Festival also announced the World Premiere of the documentary, “Brando.” This Turner Movie Classics’ film, about the complex life of Marlon Brando, is a compilation of intriguing never-before-seen footage and interviews with friends including Martin Scorsese, Johnny Depp and Al Pacino.
 
“The Discovery section highlights works by new talents, many of whom are sure to become better-known a few years from now,” said TFF Executive Director Peter Scarlet. “ In Showcase you’ll find strong new works, many that have been given prizes at other film festivals this past year. We are excited to present these acclaimed films to New Yorkers. Finally, our family film festival continues to be the most exciting part of our festival for kids from all over New York, and we’re hopeful that more than a few of them will become the film buffs of tomorrow.”
  
Following are the titles included in of these three sections of the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival:
 
Discovery:
The Discovery section includes 39 feature films both narrative and documentary, which are the work of up-and-coming directors from 12 countries. Films in this section include such talent as Eva Mendes, Matthew Perry, Lucy Liu, Elijah Wood, Jeffrey Wright, Anna Paquin and the directorial debut of Fred Durst. Discovery titles cover a diverse spectrum of stories ranging from the fascination of facing childhood fears to the journey of a transgender and from the scenario of a reinstated military draft to six horses’ path to the Kentucky Derby.

• Alexis Arquette: She’s  my Brother, a  documentary directed by Matthew Barbato. (U.K.) – World  Premiere. An intriguing look at sex  and celebrity, this richly textured documentary, filled with drag queens and  Hollywood glitterati, is actually a serious movie about transgendered life. In  this unique and candid work, Alexis reveals a more private side as she  grapples with the process of sex reassignment surgery.

• Amexicano,  directed by  Matthew Bonifacio, written by Carmine Famiglietti. (U.S.A.) – World Premiere. A low-key, charming  depiction of working-class American life, this rare gem explores the  surprising bond between a hard-working illegal immigrant and a blue-collar  Italian American from Queens. Wrestling language barriers and racial  prejudices, the two grow closer as their worlds expand, while the permanent  threat of deportation looms large. In English and Spanish.

• Armin directed and written by Ognjen  Svilicic. (Croatia, Germany, Bosnia and Herzogovina) – North American  Premiere. Ibro takes his 13-year-old  son Armin from their small Bosnian village to Croatia to audition for a German  film about the Balkan conflict. A skeptical take on the promises of the "New  Europe," Armin is also the story of a growing relationship between a  father and a son. In Croatian, German, Bosnian and English.

• Autism: The Musical,  a documentary directed by Tricia Regan. (U.S.A)  – World Premiere. Although the statistic is  alarming—one in 150 children in the U.S. is now diagnosed with autism—this  documentary is steeped in a sense of optimism. Filmed over the course  of one year, it follows five autistic children in Los Angeles as they write  and rehearse their own full-length musical, tossing aside all stereotypes in  the process.

• The Ballad of Esequiel  Hernandez, a documentary directed by Kieran Fitzgerald. (U.S.A) – U.S. Premiere. Nearly ten years after the  death of an 18-year-old American at the hands of a U.S. Marine team fighting  the War on Drugs in Texas, the border continues to see increased  militarization. Juxtaposing the victim's family’s grief with the Marines'  frustration and guilt in their first on-screen interviews, this probing  documentary, narrated by Tommy Lee Jones, asks, “is history doomed to repeat  itself?” In English and Spanish. Winner, Best Human Rights Documentary, Mexico City Film  Festival.

• Blackout,  directed and  written by Jerry Lamothe. (U.S.A.) – World Premiere.   In  summer 2003, America experienced the largest blackout in its history—widely  reported as peaceful. But in Brooklyn's forgotten East Flatbush neighborhood,  mayhem unfolded when the power shut down. This is the untold story of the  blackout—a place where, as night fell, looters emerged, violence surfaced and  residents feared for their lives. With M elvin Van Peebles and Jeffrey  Wright.

• Blue State, directed and written by Marshall Lewy. (U.S.A., Canada) – World Premiere. After Bush's re-election  in 2004, John (Breckin Meyer), a distraught Democrat, decides to move to  Canada after receiving a call from "Marry-a-Canadian," established to help  disgruntled liberals "escape" from the U.S. When Chloe (Anna Paquin) answers  his ad for the road trip, he soon finds that the misadventures of the open  highway bring them closer in this lighthearted road trip tale.

• The Business of Being Born, a documentary  directed by Abby Epstein. (U.S.A.) – World Premiere. In this candid and  eye-opening documentary, director Epstein and producer Ricki Lake tackle the  controversial debate between at-home and hospital births in the US. Shocking  facts (to men and women alike) regarding the historical and current practices  of the child birthing industry interweave with footage of married couples  opting for home childbirth.

• Day Zero, directed by Bryan Gunnar Cole, written by Rob Malkani.  (U.S.A) – World Premiere.  The draft has  been reinstated. Our conflicting attitudes toward war are examined through the  eyes of Aaron (Elijah Wood), George (Chris Klein) and Dixon (Jon Bernthal), as  each prepares to report for duty and learns, individually, what it means to  "serve with honor."

• The Education of Charlie Banks, directed by Fred Durst, written by Peter Elkoff.  (U.S.A) – World Premiere.  Limp Bizkit  frontman Fred Durst makes his directorial debut with this potent coming-of-age  drama about confronting one's fears. Pensive, honorable college student  Charlie Banks (Jesse Eisenberg) must reconcile with his past when he gets an  unexpected visit from a hometown thug—who may or may not know that Charlie  once ratted him out to the police.

• Falafel, directed and written by Michel Kammoun.  (Lebanon/France.) – North American  Premiere. Everything bad that can  happen on the way to a party happens to easygoing young Tou in this chronicle  of a nighttime trip though Beirut, permeated by the smell of falafel frying at  neon-lit stands. Flipping between the playful youth and scenes of unexpected  danger, Kammoun creates a kind of Lebanese After Hours.

• Fiestapatria, directed by Luis R. Vera. (Chile, Peru) – International Premiere. As two families celebrate  the engagement of their children, one of the betrothed discovers the family's  dark secret. A provocative metaphor on the social and moral state of Chile,  from the start of the Pinochet dictatorship to today, Fiestapatria  tells its tale through a gallery of characters representative of Chilean  society.

• The First Saturday in May, a documentary directed by The Hennegan Brothers, written by The  Hennegan Brothers and Mark Krewatch. (U.S.A) – World  Premiere. Heartbreak and hope abound  in this engrossing documentary about the holy grail of horse racing—the  Kentucky Derby. Two brothers travel from Arkansas to Dubai and on to Churchill  Downs to trace the paths of six rising equine stars, including the heroic  Barbaro, and the people, passion and dreams at the core of this breakneck  competition.

• A  Guest of Life (Az Èlet Vendége),  a  documentary directed by Tibor Szemzö.  (Hungary) – North American Premiere.  In  1819, a Transylvanian traveler set out on foot for Asia, convinced that there  he would discover "the original Hungarians." What he found, at the foot of the  Himalayas, introduced Tibet's rich culture and the practice of Buddhism to the  world at large. A first film by one of Hungary's leading film composers,  narrated in English by Susannah York.

• Hard as Nails, a documentary directed by David Holbrooke. (U.S.A) – World Premiere. This fascinating  documentary follows unordained evangelical minister Justin Fatica on his quest  to save America's soul. Fatica uses his Hard As Nails Ministry to promote the  gospel to all Christian faiths and reach out to the MTV generation. His gruff  style and unusual methods bring salvation to some, but seem horrifyingly  troublesome to others.

• Hellfighters, a documentary  directed by Jon Frankel, written by Jon  Frankel and Siobhan Dunne. (U.S.A) – World  Premiere. The Hellfighters, Harlem's  only high school football team, are a long way from Friday Night  Lights. The bleachers are empty, practice space scarce and the Board of  Education ruthless, but under the perseverance of coach Duke Ferguson, the  Hellfighters are playing their way out of the ghetto, one touchdown at a  time.

• In Search of a Midnight Kiss, directed and  written by Alex Holdridge. (U.S.A.) – World Premiere. Broke and alone on New  Year's Eve, Wilson just wants to spend the rest of a very bad year in bed. But  when his best friend convinces him to post a personal ad, he meets a woman  hell-bent on finding the right guy to be with at midnight. With just hours to  go and the promise of a fresh start, it's a sweet and funny spin through the  streets of Los Angeles.

• Jerabek, a documentary  directed by Civia Tamarkin (U.S.A.) – World Premiere. A powerful and deeply  personal story of one Midwestern family confronting the death of a son in  Iraq, Jerabek chronicles the lives of those closest to the fallen  marine for nearly two years, as they try to cope with their tremendous loss  and wonder what price they will have to pay to keep another son from suffering  the same fate.

• The Last Jews of Libya, a documentary directed by Vivienne Roumani-Denn. (U.S.A.) – World Premiere. This family memoir  recounts the history of an uprooted North African community. After WWII, Libya  still had a small, but strong, Sephardic Jewish population with its own  traditions and dialect. Sixty years later, no one remains. Roumani-Denn tells  her family's history—Libyans for centuries, now scattered throughout the  Diaspora. Narrated by Isabella Rossellini. In English, Hebrew, Italian and  Arabic. Preceded by Shut-Eye Motel,  Bill Plympton, USA, 2007, 12 min

• Lillie & Leander: A Legacy of Violence,  a  documentary directed by Jeffrey Morgan.  (U.S.A) – World Premiere.  Investigating  the turn-of-the-century murder of her great-great aunt, a woman stumbles upon  an explosive secret that hints at her own family's involvement in decades of  racially charged murders. More than a crime investigation, this documentary  takes an uncensored look at a community trying desperately to bury its racist  past.

• Live! directed  and written by Bill Guttentag. (U.S.A.) – World Premiere. What if everyday people  played a game of Russian Roulette with a loaded gun on live television? Would  you watch? A network executive (Eva Mendes) certainly hopes so as she puts her  career on the line, producing such a reality show. In this dark satire, a documentary crew follows the  behind-the-scenes struggle to air this controversial show. Also starring  David  Krumholtz and Executive Producer Eva Mendes.

• The Man of Two Havanas, a documentary directed by Vivien Lesnik Weisman. (U.S.A.) – World Premiere. Growing up in Miami, the  director witnessed drive-by shootings and death threats directed toward her  father, a former friend of Fidel Castro and opponent of the embargo. Using  never-before-heard CIA audiotapes and fascinating interviews with her father,  Weisman links his past and present in an eye-opening film that's sure to be  talked about. In Spanish and English.

• Normal Adolescent Behavior, directed and written by Beth Schacter. (U.S.A) – World Premiere. A darkly comic look at  precocious teens grappling with sex, excess and alienation. Avoiding the high  school party scene and random hookups, Wendy (Amber Tamblyn) and her friends  form a clique that claims a more fluid sexuality. Schacter's directorial debut  delivers a provocative take on teen romance in this modern promiscuous age.  A New Line Cinema Release.

• Numb, directed and  written by Harris Goldberg. (Canada, U.S.A.) – World Premiere. In this dark comedy,  Matthew Perry stars as Hudson, a love-struck screenwriter suffering from acute  depersonalization disorder—which makes chronic depression seem like a walk in  the park by comparison. When Hudson falls for the girl of his dreams, he must  put himself through every therapy imaginable to win her love.

• On the Downlow, a documentary directed by Abigail Child. (U.S.A) – World  Premiere.  A revealing  portrait of four African-American men living in Cleveland, who all confront  the struggles of everyday existence and the process of coming out.  Experimental filmmaker Abigail Child uncovers their secrets as she explores  the sexual, racial, and familial dichotomies of their lives. Screens with  The Polymath, or the Life and Opinions of Samuel R. Delany,  Gentleman.

• Palo Alto, directed by Brad Leong, written by Tony Vallone.  (U.S.A) – World Premiere.  It's a  bittersweet homecoming when four college freshmen return to their quiet  northern California town for Thanksgiving. In the tradition of American  Graffiti, this first feature film by college students Brad Leong and Tony  Vallone follows the adventures of four friends on one eventful night that  changes everything.

• The Polymath, or the Life and Opinions of Samuel R.  Delany, Gentleman, a documentary directed by Fred Barney Taylor. (U.S.A) – World Premiere. A fascinating portrait of  science fiction writer and renaissance African-American artist and teacher  Samuel R. Delany includes vivid tales of his sexual escapades in this  experimental documentary. Screens in conjunction with On the  Downlow.

• Postcards from Tora Bora, a documentary directed by Wazhmah Osman and Kelly Dolak. (U.S.A)  – World Premiere. After the 1979 Soviet  invasion of Afghanistan, co-director Osman’s family fled to America with only  a handful of photos and movies as reminders of the lives they had led. Now she  returns home to search for her past and her father, who never left. Her quest  reveals the history of this war-torn country in this personal film that's full  of personality. In English and Farsi.

• The Premonition (Le Pressentiment) directed by Jean-Pierre Darroussin, written by  Jean-Pierre Darroussin and Valérie Stroh. (France) – North  American Premiere. Noted actor Darroussin's  directorial debut portrays the spiritual journey of a wealthy Parisian lawyer  (memorably played by Darroussin) who, in an attempt to shed the shackles of  social conditioning, abandons the corrupt bourgeois world of his wife and  family and moves to a working-class multi-ethnic  neighborhood.

• So, a documentary directed by Aimee Jennings. (U.S.A) – World Premiere. Inspired by Chris Marker's  Sans Soleil, this experimental road movie celebrates being single with  one woman's trip through Australia. Still photographs, pixilated moving images  and voiceover narration comprise an intimate self-portrait that becomes a  personal journey to overcome fear, search for contentedness and accept life's  experience as the accumulation of fragments of memory.

• Sons of Sakhnin United, a documentary  directed by Christopher Browne,  co-directed by Alexander H. Browne.  (U.S.A) –  World Premiere. Jews and Arabs striving  for a common goal can seem unlikely in today's world, and yet—as depicted in  this insightful documentary—the small Arab town of Sakhnin has been united by  sport. Beating the odds in a quixotic quest for Israel's State Cup, the  multi-ethnic soccer team B'Nei Sakhnin battles to maintain their premiere  league status. In English, Hebrew and Arabic.

• Take, directed and written by Charles Oliver. (U.S.A) – World Premiere. The lives of two  strangers—a struggling mother (Minnie Driver) and a gambling addict (Jeremy  Renner)—converge in unspeakable tragedy. Years later, they must come to terms  with themselves and one another. As two pivotal days, one past and one  present, unfold in a non-linear mosaic, Take offers a powerful  reflection on redemption and forgiveness.

• Takva – A Man’s Fear of God directed by Özer Kiziltan, written by Önder Çaker. (Turkey, Germany) –  U.S. Premiere. In contemporary Istanbul,  the basic goodness and simplicity of Muharrem, a 45-year old single man living  in one of the city's oldest neighborhoods, earn him new duties with the leader  of the religious sect he serves so selflessly. But soon he falls victim to the  group's hidden agenda, as faith and materialism collide. In Turkish. Winner,  Best Actor, Best Screenplay, Antalya Film Festival.

• The Third Wave, a documentary directed by Alison Thompson. (U.S.A.) –  World Premiere. After the 2004 Tsunami  ravaged coastlines across the Pacific Ocean, four independent volunteers from  around the globe arrive in the Sri Lankan town of Peraliya to help in any way  they can. What begins as two-week journey spirals into a year of unrelenting  heartbreak, but eventually emerges as a triumphant story about the rebirth of  an impoverished town. In English and Sinhalese.

• Unstrung, a documentary directed by Rob Klug. (U.S.A.) – World Premiere.  Much as Spellbound  did for spelling bees, Unstrung exposes the surprising dramas of the  amateur tennis world, hitting the road with a handful of high school  competitors as they head for the national championship. This inspiring  documentary records the tremendous pressure and the sweat, blood and tears  that can separate contenders from champions.

• Watching the Detectives, directed and written by Paul Soter. (U.S.A) – World Premiere. Neil (Cillian Murphy) is a  quirky cinephile who wishes his life were more like his favorite film noirs.  Enter Violet (Lucy Liu), a real-life femme fatale who really does turn life  into the movies. Sometimes love is stranger than fiction, and Neil is about to  discover just how strange it can be.

• Where God Left His Shoes, directed and written by Salvatore Stabile. (U.S.A)  – World Premiere. Frank Diaz (John  Leguizamo) and his family have been living in a homeless shelter for months.  But on Christmas Eve, they receive the best gift possible-the chance for an  apartment. To get it, Frank needs a job, so he and his stepson go on the hunt  for employment. This heartwarming tale shows the compassion of a family that  comes together when all else feels lost.

• Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Artist,  a  documentary directed by Andrew D. Cooke,  written by Jon B. Cooke. (U.S.A) – World  Premiere. Others may be more  renowned for their superhero creations, but Eisner was the godfather of the  American comic book. From utilizing pictures and words to stretch the  boundaries of storytelling, to innovating methods of production and publishing  including the graphic novel form, Cooke's documentary presents how Eisner  inspired other artists working in the field today.

• Zolykha’s  Secret  (Rahze Zolykha),  directed  and written by Horace Ahmad Shansab. (Afghanistan.) – World Premiere.   A deeply moving account of a  rural Afghan family struggling to eke out an existence during the brutal final  years of Taliban rule – and the beginning of the new war that still rages.  This is the first Afghan-produced feature to make it to the West since  Osama won the 2004 Golden Globe for Best Foreign  film.

Showcase
The Showcase section offers festival-goers highlights from film festivals around the world. This eclectic selection of 14 films represents 11 countries and ranges from a film shot entirely on a mobile phone portraying a traumatized soldier’s perspective, to a wildly avant-garde film depicting the kidnapping of a billionaire’s dog by a deaf-mute and two ketamine addicts, as well as young girls Double Dutching their way to victory and a Mardi Gras Indian Chief’s decision to make one last carnival costume.
 

• Avida, directed and written by  Benoît Delépine and Gustave Kervern. (France) – U.S. Premiere.  A hilarious critique of  life's cruelties, this modern surrealist comedy—by the same pair of loons  responsible for Aaltra (TFF  2005)—chronicles the kidnapping of a plump billionaire's dog by a deaf-mute  and two ketamine addicts. In a series of absurd, grotesque sequences, the  wealthy woman turns the situation around and forces them to carry out her last  wishes. The squeamish should stay at home.

• Black Butterfly (Mariposa  Negra), directed by Francisco  Lombardi, written by Giovanna Pollarolo. (Peru) – New York Premiere. Right before the fall of  Peru's President Alberto Fujimori in 2000, a demure schoolteacher conspires  with a tabloid journalist to assassinate the brutal official responsible for  her fiancé's murder. Peruvian auteur Francisco Lombardi based this dark tale  of revenge and corruption on a novel by Alonso Cueto.

• The Devil Came On  Horseback, a  documentary directed by Annie Sundberg  and Ricki Stern. (USA) – New York  Premiere.  While serving six months  as an unarmed military observer with the African Union in Darfur, Sudan,  former U.S. Marine Captain Brian Steidle had access no journalist was  afforded. Unable to intervene, he took thousands of uncompromising photographs  that documented the genocide, then resigned his post and dedicated himself to  exposing the magnitude of these atrocities.

• A Dirty Carnival  (Biyeolhan Geori),  directed  and written by Yoo Ha. (South Korea) – New York Premiere.  Low-level gangster  Byung-doo takes on a high-risk mission to pay the bills for his widowed mother  and siblings. But when he succeeds, he finds himself quickly rising through  the ranks of South Korea's organized crime world, paving the way for this  exceptional saga of greed, betrayal, violence and tragedy. The literal  translation of the Korean title is "mean streets."

• Doubletime,  a  documentary directed by Stephanie  Johnes. (U.S.A.) – New York Premiere. If seeing is believing,  watching these kids Double Dutch elicits double-takes and disbelief.  Chronicling the world of competitive jump roping, this energetic documentary  follows two teenage teams that combine dance and gymnastics to breathtaking  effect, as they prepare and contend for the world championship at the Apollo  Theater in Harlem.

• Fireworks Wednesday  (Chahar shanbeh souri), directed by Asghar  Farhadi, written by Asghar Farhadi and Mani Haghighi. (Iran) – New York Premiere.  On the last Wednesday  before the spring solstice ushers in the Persian New Year, people set off  fireworks following an ancient Zoroastrian tradition. Rouhi, spending her  first day at a new job, finds herself in the midst of a different kind of  fireworks—an acrimonious domestic dispute between her new boss and his wife.  Winner, Golden Hugo, Chicago Film Festival.

• Fraulein (Das Fräulein)  directed  and written by Andrea Štaka. (Switzerland, Germany) – New York Premiere.  A brilliant portrait of  three women from former Yugoslavia—one Croat, one Serb and one  Bosnian—searching for "home" in the cold, alienating light of contemporary  Zurich, and coming to terms with the war that lives in each of them. In  Swiss-German, German, Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian. Winner, Golden Leopard,  Locarno Film Festival.

• The King of Kong,  a  documentary directed by Seth Gordon.  (USA) – New York Premiere.  To those in the know, no  classic arcade game is more difficult than Donkey Kong. Maybe that's why the  world record holder is so protective of his celebrity. Look inside this world  of competitive gaming, as obsession and ego drive a diverse and fascinating  group of individuals to fight over who is the real king of Kong. A  Picturehouse Release.

• The Man From The Embassy  (Der Mann von der Botschaft), directed by Dito Tsintsadze, written  by Zaza Rusadze and Dito Tsintsadze. (Germany) – North American Premiere.  The empty existence of a  German official living in Tbilisi, Georgia, brightens when he forms a tenuous  friendship with a 12-year-old girl living in one of the city's refugee camps.  But corruption, violence and accusations of pedophilia taint their growing  bond, echoing post-Soviet Georgia's uneasy relationship with the West. In  Georgian and German.

• Nanking, a  documentary directed by Bill Guttentag  and Dan Sturman, written by Bill Guttentag, Dan Sturman, and Elisabeth  Bentley.  (USA) – New York Premiere.  During the 1937-1938  Japanese occupation of Nanking, an estimated 200,000 Chinese were killed and  20,000 raped. But an unlikely partnership of Nazi businessmen and American  missionaries saved 250,000 lives. Using letters, diaries and interviews with  survivors and Japanese soldiers, Nanking exposes a still-controversial  episode of WWII. In English, Japanese and Mandarin. A THINKFilm  Release.

• Shame,  a documentary directed by Mohammed  Naqvi. (Pakistan, USA) – New York  Premiere.  In 2002, Mukhtaran Mai, a  woman living in a remote Pakistani village, was publicly gang raped to atone  for a crime her brother allegedly committed. Instead of killing herself, as  she was expected to do, she raised an outcry that became an international  cause. A powerful essay in courage. In Urdu and Sariki.

• Taxidermia, directed and written by  György Pálfi. (Hungary, Austria, France) – New York Premiere. A wildly inventive and  often grotesque panoply of sordid characters and imagery, this dark comedy by  the director of the acclaimed Hukkle spans three generations of men in  a Hungarian family: a depraved orderly, his obese son and his taxidermist  grandson. From WWII through the Communist era to the present,  Taxidermia charts a history of twisted desires while pushing the  boundaries of imagination. A Tartan Films U.S.A release.

• Tootie’s Last Suit,  a  documentary directed by Lisa Katzman.  (USA) – New York Premiere.  Former Mardi Gras Indian  Chief Tootie Montana is a New Orleans icon, famed for his brilliant handmade  carnival costumes. When he decides to stage a late-life comeback, however,  bitter family rivalries erupt. Filmed pre- and post-Katrina, this colorful  portrait celebrates the resilient spirit of a man determined at all costs to  preserve a vital cultural tradition.

• Why  didn’t anybody tell me it would become this bad in Afghanistan (Waarom heeft  niemand mij verteld dat het zo erg zou worden in Afghanistan),  directed and written by Cyrus Frisch. (Netherlands) – North American Premiere.  Enfant terrible Dutch filmmaker  Frisch stars as the protagonist of a feature film shot entirely through a cell  phone. Virtually without dialogue, the long extended sequences of a war  veteran's observations of the world around him, colored by his traumatic  experiences in Afghanistan, bleed into beautiful shots of  abstraction.  

The Family Film Festival
Presented by American Express

• Brave Story  directed  by Koichi Chigira, written by Ichiro Okouchi. (Japan) – North American Premiere.When eleven-year-old Wataru is  told he can change his destiny by entering a magic gateway into another world,  he jumps at the chance. But on his quest to find the Tower of Fortune and be  granted any wish, he must conjure up all his bravery to battle a world of  demons, his own friends and ultimately himself. In English. Ages  10+

• Chasing 3000,  directed  by Greg Lanesey, written by Bill Mikita, Cris D'Annunzio, Greg Lanesey.  (U.S.A.) –  World Premiere.  It's a  long, strange trip when two homesick brothers—one of whom has muscular  dystrophy—decide to drive from Los Angeles to Pittsburgh on a learner's permit  at the end of the 1972 baseball season for the chance to see Roberto Clemente  get his 3000th hit. Based on a true story. Featuring Ray Liotta. Ages  10+

• Darius Goes West: The Roll Of His Life, a documentary directed by Logan Smalley,  co-directed by Allison Firor. (U.S.A.) – New York Premiere.  Darius, a 15-year-old with muscular dystrophy, has never been outside of Georgia, until his 11 closest friends rent an RV and take off  across the country, hoping to convince MTV's Pimp My Ride to work on his wheelchair and raise awareness about the disease. Ontheir long adventure, they learn that life, even when imperfect, is always worth the ride. Ages 14+  T4TEENS

• Eye Of The  Dolphin, directed by Michael Sellers, written  by Wendell Morris. (U.S.A.) – New York  Premiere. Sad and angry after losing her mother, 14-year-old Alyssa goes  to live in the Bahamas with the father she never knew she had—a dolphin  researcher busy keeping the island from becoming a tourist attraction. It's a  rocky start for father and daughter, but Alyssa soon embraces the sea and  finds she shares her father's talent for communicating with dolphins.  Ages 14+  T4TEENS

• Gumby: The Movie,  directed  and written by Art Clokey. (U.S.A.) The original Green Hero! This popular 1995  claymation is re-mastered and re-edited to bring Gumby back to his band, the  Clayboys, for all the action and adventure! While taking us in and out of  books, from Toyland to Camelot to outer space, Gumby's optimistic personality  and care for the environment shine brightly. Ages  4+

• The Hairy Tooth Fairy (El  Ratón Pérez), directed by Juan Pablo Buscarini,  written by Enrique Cortés. (Argentina, Spain) – U.S. Premiere. When Lucía loses a  tooth, she is consoled to know that the Hairy Tooth Fairy, Pérez, will bring  money in exchange. Pérez lives happily on a boat with hundreds of other mice,  but tonight he encounters danger, and Lucía and a friend must set out to save  him. This fascinating adventure will keep you on the edge of your seat. Ages 10+

• Impy’s  Island  directed by Holger Tappe and  Reinhard Klooss, written by Oliver Huzly, Reinhard Klooss, Sven  Severin.  (Germany) –  North American Premiere.  In this  fun-filled CGI animation, Professor Tiberton's island school of wacky  creatures includes a talking penguin, lizard, shoebill and his adopted son.  One day, an egg buried in an iceberg floats ashore and hatches something  amazing-Impy, a baby dinosaur! But when a king wants to take Impy as a trophy,  the group must protect their new friend. In English. Ages 4+

• Shredderman Rules directed  by Savage Steve Holland, written by Russell Marcus.  (U.S.A.) – New York  Premiere. The unstoppable bully Bubba  Bixby has set his sights on the dorky but lovable Nolan Byrd (Devon  Werkheiser). Fed up, Nolan takes matters into his own hands. Armed with a  computer, a digital camera and a top-secret web page, Nolan makes his own "cyber-superhero"—Shredderman. Will his new alter-ego make Nolan the kid to be  reckoned with? Ages 6+

• Taking 5, directed by Andrew Waller, written  by Shauna Cross. (U.S.A.) – World Premiere.  This upbeat story features the crazy escapades of two teen-idol  worshippers, Gabby (Daniella Monet) and Devon (Alona Tal). These best friends  are also the ultimate fans of mega-boy band 5 Leo Rise (played by real band  The Click Five).  When they botch  their high school’s chance to win a free concert, the desperate pair cooks up  a juicy plan. Ages 8+ T4TEENS

• The  Third Monday In October, a documentary directed by Vanessa  Roth. (U.S.A.) – New York Premiere.  In the tradition of Spellbound, this charmingly funny and often  moving documentary takes an intimate look at student council races in four  diverse middle schools across the country. Filmmaker Vanessa Roth deftly  reveals how family, national politics, geography and class all have an impact  on the day that's anxiety-filled for some and a blast for others. Ages  10+

Synopses, cast and crew credits and press contacts for all these feature-length films can be viewed in the media section of the Tribeca Film Festival website www.tribecafilmfestival.org

Venues and Tickets

AMC Theatres® is the official theatre partner for the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival and will help the Festival expand its reach with two new screening venues: AMC Loews Kips Bay 15 and AMC Loews 72nd Street 1.  Clearview Chelsea West is another key venue addition for 2007.   In addition to these three new venues, festival screenings will take place at the following venues: AMC Loews 34th Street 14, AMC Loews Village 7, Regal Cinemas Battery Park Cinemas 11, Tribeca Cinemas, BMCC Tribeca PAC, Pace University Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts, Drive-in at the North Cover, Tribeca Film Center and The Grand Theater @ Tribeca Grand.


Please visit www.tribecafilmfestival.org  or call 866.941.FEST (3378) to purchase Festival Passes, Packages and individual tickets. Single tickets can be purchased online, by phone, or at the Tribeca Film Festival box office, located at 15 Laight Street (between Varick and Avenue of the Americas, one block south of Canal Street) and additional satellite locations.  Single tickets will be available to downtown residents (with proof of residency) at only the Tribeca Festival Box Office beginning on Friday, April 13th.  Single tickets will be available for purchase to the general public online, by