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THE TRIBECA FESTIVAL™ ANNOUNCES 2021 TRIBECA TV, TRIBECA NOW AND TRIBECA CREATORS MARKET

 

TV World Premieres Include Series From Disney+, AMC, STARZ, Peacock, A&E, OWN, FX and National Geographic; Tina Fey to Join Special Panel Event

 

Special Post Screening Performance by Multi-Platinum Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Legends, KISS

 

NEW YORK – April 29, 2021 – The 2021 Tribeca Festival, presented by AT&T, will debut a robust lineup of exciting new and returning TV series, new indie episodic storytelling, and an industry-facing Creators Market. The 20th anniversary celebration will take place city-wide June 9-20 and will be the first major film festival to host in person events.

 

After a year of couchsurfing, the Tribeca Festival will be an opportunity for people to toss their comfy sweatpants to the side and experience television programming on the big screen with their friends. The Tribeca TV lineup will include nine shows made up of six series premieres, one season premiere, two docuseries, and panel appearances including Christian Slater, Joshua Jackson, Jasmine Cephas Jones, and Helen Hunt.

 

The Tribeca Festival will feature, for the first time ever, a historic performance by rock icons, KISS. The event will open the Tribeca TV section with a special larger-than-life concert following the screening of A&E Biography: KISStory.

 

Photo Credit: Keith LeRoux

“When we launched Tribeca TV five years ago, we created space within the film festival to recognize the incredible, boundary-pushing work being done by filmmakers in the episodic format as official festival selections,” said Cara Cusumano, Festival Director and VP of Programming. “In a year defined by at-home entertainment, we are proud to continue that tradition with an exciting Tribeca TV lineup of new series from today’s top storytellers and unique new voices.”

 

"We are thrilled to be back in person and presenting a specially curated selection of indie series at this year’s Festival,” said Liza Domnitz, Senior Programmer. “Eclectic, funny and wistful, these never-before-seen stories offer a peek at life throughout the decades of adulthood—from the flush of newfound independence in your 20s, all the way to the well-earned confidence that comes with living in your 80s. We can’t wait to introduce these one of a kind characters to the world.”

 

The Tribeca TV lineup includes an exciting array of world premieres including the highly anticipated Annie Murphy-led AMC series, Kevin Can F**K Himself, Peacock’s Dr. Death, and STARZ’s Blindspotting. Tina Fey leads a conversation with longtime partners, Robert Carlock, Meredith Scardino and Jeff Richmond, digging into the intricacies of consistently creating hilarious, poignant and whip-smart storytelling. In addition, Tribeca, which was founded in the aftermath of September 11th, is proud to announce the world premiere screening of National Geographic TV’s documentary series, 9/11, executive produced by Academy Award®-winning filmmakers, Dan Lindsay and T.J. Martin, and in partnership with the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.

 

Tribeca NOW discovers and celebrates independent episodic work, including short and long form pilots and series. The NOW section will showcase four indie pilots from creators telling original, smart, and contemporary stories. Since 2014, Tribeca has led the way in the festival world in recognizing the most exciting, emerging creators working in the episodic space, premiering ground-breaking projects such as High Maintenance (Katja Blichfeld and Ben Sinclair), Hello Cupid (Lena Waithe, Ashley Blaine Featherson, Numa Perrier, Dennis Dortch), The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo (Brian Jordan Alvarez), Dinette (Shaina Feinberg) and Kiss of the Rabbit God (Andrew Thomas Huang), among many others.

 

The Tribeca Creators Market is a one-of-a-kind, private industry pitch market for select emerging creators within the feature, episodic, immersive, games and podcast space to discuss their newest projects with a diverse array of companies and influential industry leaders. The Creators Market exists as another pillar of Tribeca’s commitment to supporting filmmakers in all stages of their careers, providing a curated group of intriguing talent and projects for industry to discover. The Creators Market will take place virtually, June 15th and 16th, 2021.

 

The 2020 Tribeca Pilot Season Program and NOW selections will be screened at the 2021 Festival and include 5 pilots and 10 NOW projects.

 

 

2021 Tribeca TV Selections:

 

9/11: One Day in America (National Geographic) – World Premiere
Executive Producer: David Glover
Emmy®-winning 72 Films (Inside North Korea's Dynasty) and Academy Award®-winning executive producers Dan Lindsay and T.J. Martin (Undefeated and LA 92) came together to produce a documentary series marking 20 years since the attacks of 9/11. Made in official collaboration with the 9/11 Memorial & Museum..

 

Blindspotting (Starz) – World Premiere
Executive Producers: Rafael Casal, Daveed Diggs, Jess Wu Calder, Keith Calder, Ken Lee, Emily Gerson Saines, Tim Palen, Seith Mann
Cast: Jasmine Cephas Jones, Benjamin Turner, Candace Nicholas-Lippman, Atticus Woodward, Jaylen Barron, Helen Hunt, Rafael Casal
As Ashley (Jasmine Cephas Jones) is ready to ring in the new year with Miles (Rafael Casal), she finds him being dragged out of their apartment and into the back of a squad car.

 

Biography: KISStory (A&E Network) – World Premiere 
Executive Producers: Leslie Greif, Jenny Daly, Elaine Frontain Bryant, Brad Abramson
Cast: Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, Peter Criss, Dave Grohl, Tom Morello, Doc McGhee, Eddie Kramer, Bob Ezrin, Matt Pinfield, Tommy Thayer, Eric Singer
After 50 years, the No. 1 Gold Record-selling band of all time, KISS, is sharing their story of success in this definitive documentary. Founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons tell the wild story of the band’s iconic rise to superstardom before smashing their last guitar and extinguishing the fire-breathing demon

 

David Makes Man (Oprah Winfrey Network) – Season 2 World Premiere 
Executive Producers: Dee Harris-Lawrence, Tarell McCraney, Michael B. Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, John Strauss
Cast: Kwame Patterson, Arlen Escarpeta, Akili McDowell, Cayden Williams, Alana Arenas, Travis Coles
David (Kwame Patterson and Akili McDowell) is in his 30s, a rising businessman facing an opportunity that will change him and his community forever.

 

Dr. Death (Peacock) – World Premiere 
Executive Producer: Patrick Macmanus
Cast: Joshua Jackson, Grace Gummer, AnnaSophia Robb, Christian Slater, Alec Baldwin 
Dr. Death is based on Wondery’s hit podcast detailing the terrifying true story of Dr. Christopher Duntsch (Joshua Jackson), a rising star in the Dallas medical community. Young, charismatic and ostensibly brilliant, Dr. Duntsch was building a flourishing neurosurgery practice when everything suddenly changed. As victims piled up, two fellow physicians, neurosurgeon Robert Henderson (Alec Baldwin) and vascular surgeon Randall Kirby (Christian Slater), as well as Dallas prosecutor Michelle Shughart (AnnaSophia Robb), set out to stop him.

 

Kevin Can F**K Himself (AMC) – World Premiere 
Executive Producers: Valerie Armstrong, Craig DiGregorio, Rashida Jones, Will McCormack
Cast: Annie Murphy, Mary Hollis Inboden, Eric Petersen, Alex Bonifer, Brian Howe, Raymond Lee 
Kevin Can F**K Himself probes the secret life of the sitcom wife (Annie Murphy). Alternating between single-camera realism and multi-camera comedy, the formats inform one another as the audience imagines what happens when she escapes her confines and takes the lead in her own life.

 

Monsters At Work & The Mysterious Benedict Society (Disney +) // Family Double Feature Screening

 

Monsters At Work – World Premiere
Executive Producer: Roberts “Bobs” Gannaway
Cast: Ben Feldman, Mindy Kaling, Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Henry Winkler, Lucas Neff, Alanna Ubach
Monsters At Work tells the story of Tylor Tuskmon (Ben Feldman) and his dream to become a Jokester, as well as his misadventures with MIFT, the crew that keeps Monsters, Inc. running.

 

The Mysterious Benedict Society – World Premiere
Executive Producers: Phil Hay, Matt Manfredi, Todd Slavkin, Darren Swimmer, Jaime Tarses, Karen Kehela Sherwood, Deepak Nayar, James Bobin 
Cast: Tony Hale, Kristen Schaal, MaameYaa Boafo, Ryan Hurst , Gia Sandhu, Mystic Inscho, Seth B. Carr, Emmy DeOliveira, Marta Kessler

Placed undercover at a boarding school, a group of orphans must foil a nefarious plot with global ramifications while creating a new sort of family along the way.

 

Reservation Dogs (FX) – World Premiere 
Executive Producer: Sterlin Harjo, Taika Waititi, Garrett Basch
Cast: D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Devery Jacobs, Paulina Alexis, Lane Factor
One year after the death of their friend, four Native teens commit crimes to fund their efforts to leave their home in rural Oklahoma.

 

A Conversation with Tina Fey, Robert Carlock, Meredith Scardino and Jeff Richmond
Woven within the framework of such massively popular series like Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Mr. Mayor and the soon to debut, Girls5eva, exists a writing, composing, producing and directing collaboration that has proven itself to be consistently brilliant. Join us for a conversation with longtime collaborators Tina Fey, Robert Carlock, Meredith Scardino and Jeff Richmond as they dig into the intricacies of creating year after year of hilarious, poignant and whip-smart storytelling replete with some of the most memorable TV characters of the past 2 decades.

 

2021 NOW Showcase

 

An Uncandid Portrait, created by Rick Gomez, Steve Zahn (United States) – Episodes 1 & 2 (World Premiere)
An Uncandid Portrait is a series of fabricated documentaries that follow the lives of fictional artists.  Just because it's made up doesn't mean there isn't some truth to it. With Steve Zahn and Rosemarie Dewitt.

 

In the Cards, created by Colin Kane Healey (United States) – Episode 1 (World Premiere)
A dark comedy series that follows a notorious psychic scammer on the dirty road she takes to riches—and a spot on the FBI's Most Wanted list. With Eleanore Pienta, Sherilyn Fenn, Michael Drayer and Catherine Curtin.

 

if i'm alive next week…, created by Jennifer Morris, Robbie Sublett (United States) – Episodes 1, 2, & 3 (World Premiere)
When a foul-mouthed, 80-year-old grandma gets dumped and booted from her boyfriend's brownstone, she's forced to return to the rent-stabilized apartment housing of her broke, ungrateful kids. WIth Joyce Van Patten, Peter Friedman, Jennifer Morris and Robbie Sublett.

 

VIRAL, created by Miles Blim, Camille Casmie, Chloe Howard (United States) –Episodes 1 & 2 (World Premiere)
VIRAL is a nonlinear comedy about memory, identity, and the insidious effects of the algorithm. With Miles Blim and Chloe Howard.

 

2021 NOW Special Screening

Incarceration Nations: A Global Docuseries, created by Dr. Baz Dreisinger (World Premiere)
Mass incarceration is a global calamity. From England to El Salvador, Argentina to the USA, Brazil and Lebanon to South Africa and Sierra Leone, its harms and horrors look strikingly similar. INN-TV is the first docuseries to tell this border-crossing story. Narrated entirely by those who have lived incarceration around the world, the ten episodes expose an international crisis while also spotlighting solutions, showcasing the work of the justice partners in the Incarceration Nations Network, from one continent to another.

 

Tribeca Creators Market

 

Kendra Arimoto & Justin Michael Jeffers (Feature Narrative)

 

Sabrina Barca (Narrative Series)

 

Tessa Bartholomew & Christina Kinsleigh Licud (Fiction Podcast)

 

Heidi Burkey & Julie Hook (Documentary Feature)

 

Jordan Crafton (Fiction Podcast)

 

Anaïs Dupuis, Cécile C. Simon & Anaïs Carayon (Nonfiction Podcast)

 

Alton Glass & Donovan de Boer (Immersive Project)

 

Steye Hallema (Immersive Project)

 

Vanna James (Narrative Series)

 

Yuqi Kang, Dana Kalmey & Ina Fichman (Documentary Feature)

 

Sergio Karmy & Jaime Villarreal (Documentary Series)

 

Jalena Keane-Lee & Amber Espinosa-Jones (Documentary Feature)

 

James Kim & Brooke Iskra (Fiction Podcast)

 

Mari Kussman & Mitchell Hart (Documentary Series)

 

Alessandra Lacorazza & Daniel Tantalean (Narrative Feature)

 

Olivia Luengas & Odín Acosta Ascencio (Documentary Feature)

 

Veena Rao & Dara Kell (Documentary Series)

 

Tisha Robinson-Daly & Jonathan Mason (Narrative Feature)

 

Annie Saunders (Immersive Project)

 

Desiree Staples & Nate Trinrud (Narrative Series)

 

Michèle Stephenson, Joe Brewster & Yasmin Elayat (Immersive Project)

 

Larin Sullivan, Isabel Marden & Kim Bailey (Narrative Feature)

 

Denzel Whitaker & John Trefry (Narrative Series)

 

Also participating in the Creators Market are 2021 NOW Showcase indie episodic creators Rick Gomez & Steve Zahn, Jennifer Morris & Robbie Sublett, Miles Blim, Camille Casmie & Chloe Howard, and Colin Kane Healey. Additional participants to be announced.

 

2020 NOW & Pilot Season Selections

 

NOW SHOWCASE A: Soul Connection
A collection of sweet and surprising intimacies that culminate in an examination of faith, love, and human connection. (4 Narrative Short/Episodic Projects) 

 

The Letter Room
Created by Elvira Lind
The Letter Room is a dark prison comedy about the secret life of a correctional officer who gets transferred to a job in the letter room, where a new world suddenly opens to him.

 

Home
Created by Héctor Silva Núñez & Lu Urdaneta
Home is a drama series spoken in Spanglish, following two young Latina immigrants (Lu Urdaneta, Camila Rodríguez) in a journey of self-discovery as they try to make a new home together in Miami.

 

Backsliders
Created by Keylee Koop-Sudduth & Micah Sudduth (USA) - Episodes 1, 3 & 6
Blurring the lines between narrative and documentary, Texas filmmakers Keylee Koop-Sudduth (grew up in a megachurch) and Micah Sudduth (born into a Christian cult) deconstruct their evolving beliefs for everyone to see.  

 

Circus Person
Created by Britt Lower & Alex Knell
Using live action, circus arts, and animated body paint, Circus Person brings whimsy to the drama of building a family when you feel you have none.

 

NOW SHOWCASE B: Lost & Found

An exploration highlighting human adaptation and nostalgia beside the changing aesthetics of technology. (6 Documentary Short/Episodic Projects) 

 

Dying Business
Created by Alden Nusser & Ben Fries
Dying Business is a character-driven documentary series about people working in the death industry that sheds light on the working stiffs making a living among the dead.

 

Awkward Family Photos
Created by Mike Bender & Doug Chernack
The families behind some of the most viral photos from AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com tell their unique stories and recreate their original photos in a hilarious, odd, and heartfelt exploration of the imperfect family experience.

 

Museum of Fleeting Wonders
Created by Tomas Gomez Bustillo
The Museum of Fleeting Wonders is a curated collection of small moments of magic, from the perspective of the people who witnessed them.

 

Bobbie Blood
Created by Ava Warbrick
Bobbie Blood is a short documentary series shot on 16mm film chronicling the love life of a newlywed octogenarian couple and the story that brought them together. 

 

Allumuah
Created by Curtis Essel
Allumuah explores the way the internet enables a lineage of aesthetics passed between African diaspora artists.

 

The Seeker
Created by Lance Edmands
The Seeker explores a crisis of faith within Maine's Amish community, the pain and anguish of separating from loved ones, and ways to find solace and spirituality afterwards.

 

2020 Pilot Season

 

Unemployable
Executive Producer: Mike Ott, Gregory Dylan Harris
31-year-old Cory lives with his mom. Despite a set of serious life choices facing him, Cory’s main priority is to get a new tattoo sleeve, which he can hardly afford, so he sets out to get a job with the support of his only friend, his tattoo artist Louie.

 

Magic Hour
Executive Producer: Che Grayson
Bella is a peculiar woman labeled a monster by the man who created her. Trapped in a hotel room, she braves the outside world where she meets Eiko. Will Bella successfully break free from her creator and find her humanity? Or will she fall prey to his deadly prophecy? 

 

Becoming a Man in 127 EASY Steps: But What About The Children
Executive Producer: Scott Turner Schofield
While transgender men are rarely visible in the cultural imagination, amid tropes of transition and turmoil, the filmed interpretation of Scott Turner Schofield’s live work of the same name generated 127 pieces of short content (Steps) that deeply explore themes such as childhood, masculinity, love, sex, death, and survival.

 

Pretty People
Executive Producer: Shelby Blake Bartelstein
Best friends Rachel and Greg have undeniable chemistry, but it's been simmering and unspoken for the last three years. When Rachel's casual and unexpected hook-up sparks Greg's feelings of jealousy, they'll be forced to say what's on their minds—the whole FAT truth of it. 

 

Deceased Ones
Executive Producer: Emily Kron, Kate Hopkins
When two friends, Max and Fiona, get involved in the niche service of role playing the dead, they're forced to help heal grieving strangers through a surreal game of make believe, while confronting deeply buried emotional traumas arising within themselves.

 

# # #

Passes and Tickets for the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival
Festival passes are on sale now. Tribeca At Home tickets go on sale Monday, May 3 @ 11:00am EST.  Tickets to attend the outdoor in-person screenings / events are available starting Monday, May 10 @11:00am EST. Visit: https://www.tribecafilm.com/festival/tickets

Press Credentials
Credentialing for the 20th Festival is now open through May 12, 2021.
https://www.tribecafilm.com/press-center/festival

 

About the Tribeca Festival
The Tribeca Festival, presented by AT&T, brings artists and diverse audiences together to celebrate storytelling in all its forms, including film, TV, VR, gaming, music, and online work. With strong roots in independent film, Tribeca is a platform for creative expression and immersive entertainment. Tribeca champions emerging and established voices; discovers award-winning filmmakers and creators; curates innovative experiences; and introduces new technology and ideas through premieres, exhibitions, talks, and live performances.

The Festival was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in 2001 to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of lower Manhattan following the attacks on the World Trade Center. Tribeca will celebrate its 20th year June 9 – 20, 2021. www.tribecafilm.com/festival

In 2019, James Murdoch’s Lupa Systems, a private investment company with locations in New York and Mumbai, bought a majority stake in Tribeca Enterprises, bringing together Rosenthal, De Niro, and Murdoch to grow the enterprise.

 

About the 2021 Tribeca Festival Partners:
The 2021 Tribeca Festival is presented by AT&T and with the support of our corporate partners: Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Audible, Bloomberg Philanthropies, CHANEL, City National Bank, CNN Films, Diageo, DoorDash, FreshDirect, Hudson Yards, Indeed, Montefiore-Einstein, NYC Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, P&G, PwC, Roku, Spring Studios New York.

Press Contacts
Gloria Jones / gjones@tribecafilm.com
Alyssa Grinder / agrinder@tribecafilm.com
Sunshine Sachs / TFF@sunshinesachs.com

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