If you’re sick of the summer blockbuster dreck, we’ve got the cure. Our friends at the Tribeca Film Institute are teaming up with the Nitehawk Cinema to present a carefully curated documentary program consisting of selections from the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival: Nas: Time is Illmatic, Art and Craft, An Honest Liar and Point and Shoot.

Movie lovers and Festival enthusiasts will be able to enjoy these four great feature-length docs again or for the first time! There will even be a filmmaker Q&A and informal reception in the Nitehawk’s downstairs bar following each screening.

The series kicks off on July 21 with Nas: Time is Illmatic, the fascinating documentary that follows the trajectory of Nas’ 1994 landmark debut album, Illmatic. The debut feature from multimedia artist One9 had the honor of opening this year’s Festival. Marshall Curry’s Point and Shoot (Winner, TFF 2014 Best Documentary Feature) about American traveler Matthew VanDyke during in the 2011 Libyan revolution will close out the series on July 24.

Nas: Time is Illmatic
Director: One9

20 years after its release, Nas’s debut album Illmatic is still widely recognized as a hip-hop benchmark that captured the sociopolitical viewpoint, enduring spirit and collective angst of a generation of young artists. This documentary explores the overwhelming obstacles Nas faced in creating his hip-hop opus that provided an authentic and passionate account of his personal journey from young street poet to a visionary MC.

Art and Craft
Directors: Jennifer Grausman and Sam Cullman, Co-Director Mark Becker

Mark Landis, one of the most infamous forgers that U.S art world has ever encountered, donated his “collections” to various museums and galleries. When Matthew Leininger, a Cincinnati registrar, dedicated his time to finding Landis and finding out what made him tick, but as the project progressed, things quickly begin to unravel. Art and Craft carefully balances a portrait of an outsider living with mental illness with the universal desire to be a part of a community.

An Honest Liar
Directors: Justin Weinstein and Tyler Measom

The highly lauded magician James “The Amazing” Randi has been wowing audiences with his jaw-dropping illusions and sleight of hand tricks for over 50 years. When he’s not performing himself, Randi spends his time de-bunking con artists and swindlers—from faith healers and fortune-tellers to psychics and faux gurus. Through Randi’s strange, funny, and fascinating life story, the filmmakers ultimately show us that we are all vulnerable to deception—even from Randi himself.

Point and Shoot
Director: Marshall Curry

After finishing grad school, shy Baltimore native Matthew VanDyke decided to escape the U.S. and embark on a “ crash course in manhood.” Riding his motorcycle across North Africa and the Middle East, Matthew ends up in Libya where he gets involved in the 2011 Libyan Revolution, taking up arms (and a camera) against Gaddafi. TFF alum and Oscar nominee Marshall Curry skillfully presents Matthew’s unbelievable story, including the 6 frightening months Matthew spent in solitary confinement.

Tickets for the TFI Summer Doc Series at Nitehawk Cinema are now on sale. Act now because these screenings will sell out quickly!