Tribeca Film Festival: Open 24 Hours

Last night, thanks to friend Becca Matt and Time Out New York, I attended the Tribeca Film Festival shorts showcase “Open 24 Hours“. Overal the films were great, and there was an interesting Q&A with the film makers afterwards.

Tribeca Film Festival

Standouts from the night included:
Joe Derosa’s “Cheat“, which was very well cast (the film makers themselves), witty, and funny. As Joe mentioned in the Q&A afterwards, they made the film they wanted to make, not one other people wanted them to make. The result was funny and interesting to watch.

Cheat is the comedic story of three friends on a mission to pull off the perfect score. When the neurotic Joe has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity fall into his lap, he realizes he lacks the experience to get the job done, so he enlists the help of his crooked yet calculating pals Bill and Bobby to make it happen.

Shawn Christensen’s “Brink“, about a couple uniting in the face of earth losing its gravity. Cool sci fi twist, simple story, and great looking cinematography.

Jeremy has been in love with his best friend, Evelyn, since before he can remember. He decides to profess his love for her through a simple, thoughtful letter… but there’s a strong chance they will never see each other again.

Trailer:

From TFF Programmer Sharon Badal:

From the city that never sleeps, these New York shorts show there’s no place like home. Twelve-year-old Rodney tries to regain the love of his wayward dad in Down This Road. Two Manhattan teenagers make an unexpected connection in Nightlife. Brothers Caleb and Aaron are at odds over their religious beliefs in Storm Up The Sky. It’s all about the gravity of the situation in Brink. Luck finally comes his way for the man in The Ignorant Bliss of Sun and Moon. A 1924 high school autograph book bridges the generation gap in Grandpa Looked Like William Powell. It’s a Brooklyn tale about Jimmy, his senile landlord, and the ice cream that brings them together in Loose Change. Three friends are on a mission to pull off the perfect score in Cheat.

Listening to: Emiliana Torrini – Jungle Drum (Icelandic people are great!) (Video, in which she appears ready to head squarely down the Isabella Rossellini pathway…)