The 18th Annual Tribeca Film Festival draws near, and with its approach it draws the stars and the crowds alike. Recently announced was the Closing Night film, the world premiere of Danny Boyle’s Yesterday. This film was written by Oscar-nominated screenwriter Richard Curtis and chronicles the story of a singer-songwriter who wakes up to find that The Beatles never existed. Himesh Patel, Lily James, Kate McKinnon, and Ed Sheeran are among those who will bring this “rock-n-roll comedy” to life.
Several anniversary screenings and events will also be taking place. In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Apocalypse Now, Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now: Final Cut will have its debut screening. Restored and remastered in 4K Ultra HD, “the audience will be able to see, hear, and feel this film how I always hoped it could be…” spoke Coppola of the film. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Say Anything…, director Cameron Crowe, executive producer James L. Brooks, and the Say Anything… cast will be present for a discussion of the film after a screening. There will also be a reunion of the cast and creators of Reality Bites for its 25th Anniversary event, including director Ben Stiller, writer Helen Childress, actors Ethan Hawke, Winona Ryder, Janeane Garofalo, and Steve Zahn. Finally, the 35th anniversary event for This Is Spinal Tap is set to take place.
One highlight of the Tribeca Talks program is the Directors Series, in which Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro will reunite for a discussion of their long history of collaborations – including their upcoming film The Irishman. There will also be conversations with Guillermo del Toro, as well as Jennifer Lawrence and David O. Russell.
As part of Tribeca Talks: Storytellers, Questlove will be present for a conversation on his career, including being a member of The Roots, the house band of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Sarah Silverman and Mike Birbiglia will also join forces in conversation to discuss their creative processes throughout the variety of mediums in which they have worked. Michael J. Fox and Denis Leary will join together, and Jaron Lanier and Rashida Jones will each have a discussion of their careers and the impact of their work both in film and beyond.
There will be Tribeca Talks: Master Classes on “The Art of Cinematic Sound,” “Irwin Winkler on the Art and Craft of Producing,” and “The Journey of Digital Storytelling to TV: A Discussion with HBO Talent.” For “The Art of Cinematic Sound,” Walter Murch (The Godfather, The English Patient), Ben Burtt (Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial), and Gary Rydstrom (Jurassic Park, Titanic, Saving Private Ryan) will have a discussion moderated by Glenn Kiser. Irwin Winkler will discuss what it is like to create a movie and be a producer for “Irwin Winkler on the Art and Craft of Producing.” Finally, for “The Journey of Digital Storytelling to TV,” HBO talent will discuss finding source material for television series from web series, podcasts, and other diverse sources as opposed to the traditional method of using literature or original stories.
As part of Tribeca Games Presents, Hideo Kojima will be joined by Norman Reedus to discuss their upcoming game, Death Stranding. As very little is known of this game, this is sure to be an exciting talk. This conversation will cover how Death Stranding expands what can be done and expected of video games. Moderating the discussion will be Geoff Keighley, creator of The Game Awards.
What has been listed above is only a sampling of the incredible events taking place at the Tribeca Film Festival. Encompassing the media industry beyond just film, the festival is the intersection between the current boundaries of media and those who will continue to break them. The 18th Annual Tribeca Film Festival runs from April 24th to May 5th. Single tickets go on sale on March 26th. For more information, go to tribecafilm.com/festival.
Indira Ramgolam is a freshman in Columbia College.