Opening Night
Baby Mama, written and directed by Michael McCullers. (USA) - World Premiere. In a comedy that brings together some of today’s sharpest talent, Amy Poehler and Tina Fey team with writer/director McCullers and producers Lorne Michaels and John Goldwyn to tell the story of two women, one apartment and the nine months that will change their lives.

Closing Night
Speed Racer, directed by Andy & Larry Wachowski. (USA) - World Premiere. From the Wachowski brothers, creators of the groundbreaking Matrix trilogy, comes this live-action, high-octane film which follows the adventures of the young racecar driver in his quest for glory in his thunderous Mach 5.

World Narrative Feature Competition
A compelling cross section of bold creative visions from every corner of the globe come together in this year’s World Narrative Feature Competition. Presenting established directors and newcomers from Ireland to Mexico and Egypt to China, this international line-up introduces us to an Egyptian radio host, a Swedish vampire, a female trucker, Australian surfers, and takes us into the hearts of personal and political relationships. The twelve films in this section all from different countries will compete for Best New Narrative Film, Best New Narrative Filmmaker and Best Actor and Actress prizes.

57,000 Kilometers Between Us (57000 km entre nous), directed by Delphine Kreuter, written by Mathieu Lis, Emmanuel Finkiel and Kreuter. (France) - North American Premiere. A provocative yet charming take on digital communication, this debut follows a teenager caught between her stepdad (who records and posts the family’s supposedly perfect life online), her real father (now a transsexual), and the refuge of her own online life as she searches for meaningful connections with others. French with English subtitles.

The Aquarium (Genenet al Asmak), directed by Yousry Nasrallah, written by Nasser Abdel-Rahman and Nasrallah. (Egypt, France, Germany) - North American Premiere. An anesthetist who listens to his patients mumbling under sedation and a late night talk show host (Hend Sabri) whose callers reveal secrets are the yearning principals of this intriguing new work, an ambitious examination of repression—both sexual and political—in Cairo today. Arabic with English subtitles.

Eden, directed by Declan Recks, written by Eugene O’Brien. (Ireland) - International Premiere. Taking a frank look at the slow disintegration of a marriage during the week before a couple’s 10th anniversary, Recks catapults an intimate story from O’Brien’s award-winning play onto the big screen while only enhancing its emotional impact.

Let The Right One In (Lĺt den rätte komma in), directed by Tomas Alfredson, written by John Ajvide Lindqvist. (Sweden) - North American Premiere. Based on Lindqvist’s best-selling novel, this beautifully touching tale tells of the first romance for bullied 12-year-old Oskar and the girl next door, Eli. . . who also happens to be a vampire. Swedish with English subtitles. A Magnet Release.

Lost•Indulgence, directed and written by Zhang Yibai. (China) - International Premiere. A visually stunning meditation on loss, Lost·Indulgence centers on the complicated relationships between a teenage son, his mother, and the secretive young woman they take into their home after a tragic accident. Mandarin with English subtitles.

Love, Pain and Vice Versa (Amor, dolor y viceversa), directed by Alfonso Pineda-Ulloa, written by Alex Marino. (Mexico) - World Premiere. This stirring and moody psychological thriller finds two strangers subconsciously linked when their recurring dreams begin to topple their reality. Featuring strong performances by the sizzling Bárbara Mori (La mujer de mi hermano) and Leonardo Sbaraglia (Intacto). Spanish with English subtitles. A Panamax Films Release.

My Marlon and Brando (Gitmek), directed and written by Hüseyin Karabey. (Turkey) - North American Premiere. They fell in love on a film set—but she’s a Turk living in Istanbul and he’s a Kurd living in Iraq, which US forces have just invaded. The lovers play themselves in this captivating, heartbreaking film, based on their own true story. English, Kurdish, Turkish with English subtitles.

Newcastle, directed and written by Dan Castle. (Australia) - World Premiere. Revolving around Jesse, a 17-year-old surfer who treads the line between success and self-destruction, Newcastle saturates the senses with magnificent surfing footage and absorbs viewers in the fresh loves and personal tragedies of Jesse and his mates.

Quiet Chaos (Caos calmo), directed by Antonello Grimaldi, written by Nanni Moretti, Laura Paolucci and Francesco Piccolo. (Italy) - North American Premiere. “How to grieve” is the unexpressed question faced by Pietro, a Rome television executive (Nanni Moretti), after his wife’s sudden death. This movingly understated film traces his spiritual rebirth. Italian with English subtitles.

Ramchand Pakistani, directed by Mehreen Jabbar, written by Mohammad Ahmed. (Pakistan) - World Premiere. Gorgeous colors enhance this tense tale, based on actual events, about a young Pakistani boy who, with his father, inadvertently crosses the border into India. Both wind up in jail for years, while mother (Nandita Das) is left bewildered and alone. Urdu with English subtitles.

Somers Town, directed by Shane Meadows, written by Paul Fraser. (UK) - North American Premiere. A charming comedy by Shane Meadows (This Is England) built around the unlikely friendship between Tomo, who’s turned 16 and fled to London from a difficult life in the Midlands, and Marek, a Polish immigrant who lives with his construction worker dad. English, Polish with English subtitles.

Trucker, directed and written by James Mottern. (USA) - World Premiere. Michelle Monaghan is riveting as a tough-talking, devil-may-care truck driver who is faced with raising her estranged 11-year-old son after his father (Benjamin Bratt) is hospitalized. This eloquent and uplifting story also features Joey Lauren Adams and Nathan Fillion (Waitress).

World Documentary Feature Competition
Gripping personal tales, illuminating examinations of global events, and fresh perspectives on familiar topics make up the World Documentary Feature Competition. This international selection of captivating non-fiction films provides a rich tableau reflecting the complexity of human experience around the world. These films take the camera to places rarely visited – a high school in Baghdad; the New Jersey prison system; the analysis and detail that goes into a major theatrical production – as well as taking closer looks at major international stories such as that of the courageous women who helped bring an end to Liberia’s civil war. These twelve non-fiction films compete for Best Documentary Film and Best New Documentary Filmmaker.

Baghdad High, directed by Ivan O'Mahoney and Laura Winter. (UK) - International Premiere. Four classmates (Kurd, Christian, Shiite, and Sunni/Shiite) in Baghdad are given cameras to document their last year in high school, resulting in a rare firsthand view of what it’s like growing up where sectarian violence rages right outside the classroom window. Arabic with English subtitles.

Donkey in Lahore, directed by Faramarz K-Rahber. (Australia) - North American Premiere. An unusual love story that follows the quixotic courtship of Brian, an ex-goth puppeteer from Australia, and Amber, the traditional Muslim girl he met and fell in love with in Pakistan. Can this unlikely couple survive the challenges they are about to face? English, Urdu, Arabic, Punjabi with English subtitles.

Guest of Cindy Sherman, directed by Paul H-O and Tom Donahue. (USA) - World Premiere. Analyzing his relationship with reclusive artist Cindy Sherman leads videographer Paul H-O to confront his own ego and identity in this personal and often humorous documentary, which features unprecedented access to Sherman and a unique view of the New York art world.

Kassim the Dream, directed by Kief Davidson. (USA) - World Premiere. Kassim “The Dream” Ouma went from Ugandan child soldier to world champion boxer. In this gripping tale of survival and determination, Kassim proves that even against all odds, a man can achieve his dreams and turn tragedy into inspiration. Part of the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival.

Milosevic on Trial (Slobodan Milosevic - Prćsident under anklage), directed by Michael Christoffersen. (Denmark) - North American Premiere. Defending himself against widely credited charges of genocide before an international court in The Hague, Serbia’s former president proved frustratingly difficult to convict, as this riveting look at Milosevic and the chief prosecuting attorney attests. English, Albanian, Serbian with English subtitles.

My Life Inside (Mi vida dentro), directed by Lucía Gajá. (Mexico) - International Premiere. At 17, mild-mannered Rosa Jiménez came to the United States to provide a better life for her family back in Mexico. This riveting, heartbreaking film examines how she came to stand accused of murder in a Texas courtroom. English, Spanish with English subtitles.

Old Man Bebo, directed by Carlos Carcas. (Spain) - North American Premiere. Nearly 90, Bebo Valdes is one of the greatest living Cuban musicians. This joyful documentary celebrates the man who was a key figure in the development of mambo and whose life reflects the experiences of many Cubans since 1959. Spanish with English subtitles.

An Omar Broadway Film, directed by Omar Broadway and Douglas Tirola. (USA) - World Premiere. Using a contraband video camera inside the notorious gang unit at Newark’s Northern State Prison, incarcerated Bloods member Omar Broadway puts his life on the line to document guards’ corruption and excessive force. His groundbreaking footage exposes the violent and unseen world behind bars.

Pray the Devil Back to Hell, directed by Gini Reticker. (USA) - World Premiere. After more than a decade of civil wars leading to more than 250,000 deaths and one million refugees, a group of courageous women rose up to force peace on their shattered Liberia and propel to victory the first female head of state on the African continent.

Theater of War, directed by John Walter. (USA) - World Premiere. Art and politics converge in this provocative look at the life and ideas of Bertolt Brecht, interwoven with The Public Theater’s staging of his Mother Courage. Meryl Streep, Tony Kushner, Kevin Kline, and George C. Wolfe take audiences on an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at their creative process.

Two Mothers (Meine Mütter), directed by Rosa von Praunheim. (Germany) - North American Premiere. At age 58, award-winning filmmaker Rosa von Praunheim found out he was adopted. The search for his biological mother leads him—and the audience—on a dark and engrossing journey into a world of prison hospitals, the SS, and the Nazi occupation of Europe. English, German, Latvian with English subtitles.

War, Love, God & Madness, directed by Mohamed Al-Daradji. (UK, Iraq, Netherlands, Palestine, Sweden) - International Premiere. It’s no surprise that making a feature film in Iraq in 2003 wasn’t a picnic. But this extraordinary account of the peril-filled ordeal that the director and crew of Ahlaam went through must be seen to be believed. Arabic with English subtitles.

Encounters
Sure to spark conversation during the festival and beyond, this assortment of 11 narrative and ten documentary films offers high-profile talent and notable subject matters, featuring performances by veteran actors Frank Langella, William H. Macy, Sissy Spacek, and Danny Glover; new work from venerable New York filmmakers Melvin Van Peebles and Bill Plympton; profiles of political and spiritual figures John F. Kennedy, the Dalai Lama, and Che Guevara; and portraits of artists Celia Cruz and Diego Rivera.

Bart Got a Room, directed by Brian Heckler, written by Ed Hart. (USA) - World Premiere, Narrative. It’s ticktock ticktock for Danny as the prom approaches, and he still doesn’t have a date. With the help of his plain-Jane best friend and likable but wacky parents (Cheryl Hines and William H. Macy), his hopes for that special night may come true in this colorful and quirky comedy.

The Caller, directed by Richard Ledes, written by Alain Didier-Weill and Ledes. (USA) - World Premiere, Narrative. Frank Langella gives a tour-de-force performance as an energy executive who tries to expose his corporation’s corrupt practices in this quiet yet chilling neo-noir thriller. He hires a private investigator (Elliott Gould) to forward his efforts, but who is investigating whom? English, French with English subtitles.

Celia the Queen, directed by Joe Cardona and Mario De Varona, written by Cardona. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. Azucar! The voice of Celia Cruz, arguably the most influential woman in Cuban music, symbolized the soul of a nation and forced down barriers of racism and sexism. She radiates on screen as her legacy is revisited in this intimate and inspiring documentary. Featuring interviews with Quincy Jones, Andy Garcia, and Wyclef Jean. English, Spanish with English subtitles.

Chevolution, directed by Trisha Ziff and Luis Lopez, written by Sylvia Stevens and Ziff. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. How did the iconic image of Che Guevara end up on beer bottles and bikinis? This inquiry into the ethics and aesthetics of appropriation investigates how the enduring symbol of Cuba’s Communist Revolution skyrocketed to fame and was ultimately devoured by its own worst enemy: capitalism. English, Spanish with English subtitles.

The Chicken, The Fish and The King Crab (El pollo, el pez y el cangrejo real), directed by José Luis López-Linares. (Spain) - North American Premiere, Documentary. Famed Spanish chef Jesús Almagro permits cameras to follow his preparations for the “Bocuse d’Or” cooking contest, pitting him against 23 international contenders for the title of “World’s Best Chef.” Thrilling, captivating. . . and mouthwatering. Spanish with English subtitles.

Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha, directed and written by Melvin Van Peebles. (USA) - World Premiere, Narrative. Melvin Van Peebles, still our most playfully inventive filmmaker after nearly 50 years, returns with a boisterous adventure that ranges from Harlem to the high seas, following the exploits of an unforgettable character (MVP, natch) who’s always on the move—but keeps ending up back in New York.

The Dalai Lama: Peace and Prosperity, directed by Mark Bauman. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. An amazing experience for those unable to attend the 2007 live event, this film is a visual record of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s visit and presentation to a sold-out Radio City Music Hall. Photographic montages by Richard Gere and music by Tom Waits and Philip Glass weave their way throughout the film.

Days in Sintra (Diário de Sintra), directed and written by Paula Gaitán. (Brazil) - North American Premiere, Documentary. Deftly interspersing home movies with contemporary images, director Paula Gaitán creates a compelling voyage of discovery in her return to Sintra, Portugal, on a search for memories of her late husband (the Brazilian filmmaker Glauber Rocha). Portuguese with English subtitles.

Everywhere At Once, directed by Peter Lindbergh and Holly Fisher, written by Kimiko Hahn. (France) - World Premiere, Narrative. Renowned photographer Peter Lindbergh and experimental filmmaker Holly Fisher, with actress Jeanne Moreau, weave a tapestry of images shaping one woman’s deepest sense of selfhood.

Hotel Gramercy Park, directed by Douglas Keeve. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. Keeve explores the family drama of the longtime owners of this infamous hotel—once a drug-fueled haven for the likes of Bowie and Blondie—as they prepare to turn it over to high-end hotelier Ian Schrager. Is the transformation a redefinition of cool or the demise of a New York icon?

I Am Because We Are, directed by Nathan Rissman. (UK) - World Premiere, Documentary. Madonna uses the power of documentary film to expose the tragic stories of the millions of Malawi children orphaned by AIDS, offering both a call to action and a revelatory personal journey. Featuring interviews with Bill Clinton and Desmond Tutu, the film is a testament to survival, change, and hope. English, Chichewa with English subtitles.

Idiots and Angels, directed and written by Bill Plympton. (USA) - World Premiere, Narrative. Oscar®-nominated animator Bill Plympton sketches a Lynchian dark comedy about a morally bankrupt man scrabbling to hide the good in himself—which manifests itself in a pair of angel wings that just won’t go away.

Lake City, directed and written by Perry Moore and Hunter Hill. (USA) - World Premiere, Narrative. When her family is threatened by violent criminals, a mother and son must reconcile the past in order to save their home. Powerful performances by Sissy Spacek and Troy Garity highlight this potent drama, also featuring Dave Matthews and Rebecca Romijn.

Life in Flight, directed and written by Tracey Hecht. (USA) - World Premiere, Narrative. Patrick Wilson (Little Children) and Amy Smart (Just Friends) star in first-timer Hecht’s drama of a New York architect who begins to question the perfect life he has built for his family.

The Objective, directed by Daniel Myrick, written by Mark Patton, Wes Clark Jr., and Myrick. (USA) - World Premiere, Narrative. The director of The Blair Witch Project brings his singular brand of suspense to an exhilarating integration of war and mystery, revolving around a precarious CIA mission in Afghanistan. English, Berber with English subtitles.

A Portrait of Diego: The Revolutionary Gaze (Un retrato de Diego: La revolución de la mirada), directed by Gabriel Figueroa Flores and Diego López. (Mexico) - International Premiere, Documentary. Fifty years ago, a trio of Mexico’s greatest artists – Diego Rivera, Gabriel Figueroa and Manuel Alvarez Bravo - collaborated on a documentary film about the painter, but it was never finished until now, after Figueroa’s son and Rivera’s grandson decided to show how these three great artists shared a vision. Spanish with English subtitles

A President to Remember, directed and written by Robert Drew. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. Culled from “direct cinema” pioneer Robert Drew’s unparalleled behind-the-scenes footage of JFK at work in the Oval Office, and the events that brought him there, this remarkable film proves a timely update of the Kennedy mythos and an eerily intimate portrait of the now-legendary man himself.

Terra, directed by Aristomenis Tsirbas, written by Evan Spiliotopoulos and Tsirbas. (USA) - US Premiere, Narrative. A dazzling sci-fi animation about an alien girl on the idyllic planet Terra. When the last remaining humans exhaust Earth’s resources, she must fight against the Earthlings who want to inhabit her planet! Featuring an all-star cast of voices, including Evan Rachel Wood, Brian Cox, James Garner, Danny Glover, Amanda Peet, David Cross, and Luke Wilson.

Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon, directed by Daniel Lee, written by Lau Ho Leung and Lee. (China, South Korea) - North American Premiere, Narrative. A conscript into the faceless war among China’s ancient kingdoms, Zhao (Andy Lau, House of Flying Daggers) earns his stripes in this epic’s thrillingly stylish battle sequences. Decades later, he meets his match in Cao (Maggie Q, Mission: Impossible III). Mandarin with English subtitles.

Whatever Lola Wants, directed by Nabil Ayouch, written by Jane Hawksley, Nathalie Saugeon and Ayouch. (France, Morocco) - North American Premiere, Narrative. Perky blonde Lola is an aspiring dancer in New York, and she’s so smitten by a hunky Egyptian that when he unexpectedly heads home, she follows him. In Cairo, she discovers an even bigger passion—for belly dancing—and vows to master the art. English, Arabic with English subtitles.

The Zen of Bobby V, directed by Jonah Quickmire Pettigrew and Andrew Jenks. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. Former New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine took his baseball expertise to Japan in 2004. This film follows a season in the life of an American who has become an admired icon—and a primary reason that baseball remains Japan’s most popular sport. English, Japanese with English subtitles. Part of the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival.

Discovery
The films in the Discovery section introduce emerging voices and fresh and engaging fiction and nonfiction stories. The section features inspirational documentaries focusing on such diverse subjects as a senior citizen hip-hop dance team; a former Sudanese child soldier turned internationally renowned activist and rapper; and America’s oldest bank robber. The exciting collection of narrative films in this section include stories about a young Turkish girl’s struggle between following her heart or obeying her parents; four Spanish mathematicians who must solve a problem in order to save their lives; and small town Texans who live in fear of a mysterious creature who inhabits their woods. This section’s films are striking and provocative works appealing to a wide range of tastes from avant-garde to more commercial fare.

The 27 Club, directed and written by Erica Dunton. (USA) - World Premiere, Narrative. After the sudden loss of a bandmate, a distressed rock star hires a geeky grocery store clerk to drive him across the country. The vast American landscape—stunningly photographed—provides solace for this unlikely pair as they make their way to New York for the funeral.

Ball Don’t Lie, directed by Brin Hill, written by Matt de la Peńa and Hill. (USA) - World Premiere, Narrative. An urban coming-of-age story that follows Sticky, a talented streetballer (Grayson Boucher) who overcomes his troubled past through his passion for the game. Based on the popular novel, Ball Don’t Lie features Ludacris, Rosanna Arquette, and Nick Cannon. Part of the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival.

Bitter & Twisted, directed and written by Christopher Weekes. (Australia) - World Premiere, Narrative. This quirky, multidimensional drama of longing and loss starts with the death of a young man and flashes forward three years to assess the toll it took on his parents, brother, and ex-girlfriend. A vivid style and nuanced performances add unusual charm to this confident debut.

Charly, directed and written by Isild Le Besco. (France) - North American Premiere, Narrative. Fourteen-year-old Nicolas leaves the elderly couple he lives with and heads for the sea but crosses paths with Charly, a tough girl who takes him into her mobile home, where an unusual domestic arrangement evolves. As in her brilliant directorial debut 1/2 Price (TFF ’04), Le Besco movingly depicts a world without adults. French with English subtitles.

Faubourg Tremé: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans, directed by Dawn Logsdon, written by: Lolis Eric Elie. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. Just outside the French Quarter of New Orleans is a lively, long-established neighborhood that most tourists never see. Enlightening and informative, Faubourg Tremé documents the enduring legacy of one of the country’s oldest African American communities. Executive produced by Stanley Nelson and Wynton Marsalis.

Fermat's Room (La Habitación de Fermat), directed and written by: Luis Piedrahita and Rodrigo Sopeńa. (Spain) - North American Premiere, Narrative. The walls are closing in—literally—on four brainiac mathematicians with shadowy pasts in this muchotense debut. A sexy virtuoso, a hardheaded hottie, a doleful drunk, and a middle-aged merrymaker have all been brought together by the mysterious Fermat to solve their most profound equation yet: Why is someone trying to kill them?

Fighter, directed and written by: Natasha Arthy. (Denmark) - North American Premiere, Narrative. This high-energy martial arts drama chronicles a driven high school student caught between the expectations of her traditional Turkish family and her kung fu dreams. With slickly choreographed fight scenes, Fighter is an empowering story that culminates with an emotional punch. Danish, Turkish with English subtitles. Part of the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival.

Fire Under the Snow, directed by: Makoto Sasa. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. Tibetan monk Palden Gyatso spent 33 years being tortured and starved in Chinese prisons. He watched his nation ruined and his countrymen jailed or killed. Despite this, Gyatso remains unbroken, keeping the flame of his spirit ablaze. Tibetan with English subtitles.

Going On 13, directed and written by: Dawn Valadez and Kristy Guevara-Flanagan. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. Ariana, Isha, Rose, and Esme are young girls who were followed for four years as they navigate the precarious path to womanhood and, in Valadez’ and Guevara-Flanagan’s expert hands, breathe new life into the coming-of-age story

Gotta Dance, directed by Dori Berinstein, written by Adam Zucker and Berinstein. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. Festival vet Berinstein (ShowBusiness, TFF ’05) turns her camera on the amazing and inspirational story of the New Jersey NETSationals, the NBA’s first senior citizen hip-hop dance team. Against all odds, this energetic and dedicated group proves that even in their golden years, they’ve just Gotta Dance! Part of the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival.

Head Wind (Baad - e - Daboor), directed and written by Mohammad Rasoulof. (Iran) - North American Premiere, Documentary. The government of the Islamic Republic of Iran does its best to restrict its citizens’ access to information and media from the rest of the world. This documentary by the award-winning director of Iron Island shows how Iranians demonstrate what we’d call “Yankee resourcefulness” to stymie their censors. Farsi with English subtitles.

Marina of the Zabbaleen, directed and written by Engi Wassef. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. In the sandy villages outside Cairo, the Zabbaleen eke out a living recycling the flood of waste pouring out of the most populous area on the African continent. But one girl—six-year-old free spirit Marina—dreams of a better life. This poetic documentary tells her story. Arabic with English subtitles.

Milky Way Liberation Front, directed and written by Yoon Seongho. (South Korea) - North American Premiere, Narrative. Writer’s block may be the least of rookie filmmaker Ryu Young Jae’s problems. His girlfriend ditched him, his first feature production is falling apart, and things are looking like they’ll only get worse in this absurd adventure from one of South Korea’s edgiest young filmmakers. Korean with English subtitles.

Paraiso Travel, directed and written by Simon Brand. (USA) - International Premiere, Narrative. In this recent hit at the Colombian box office, a lovesick young man (Aldemar Correa) follows his seductive girlfriend as they illegally travel from Medellín to New York. When they are separated in Queens, he begins a desperate search to find her. Featuring John Leguizamo and Ana de la Reguera (Nacho Libre). English, Spanish with English subtitles.

Playing for Change: Peace Through Music, directed by Jonathan Walls and Mark Johnson. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. True devotees of music’s uniting power, Johnson and Walls hauled recording equipment across four continents, capturing the unsung talents of street performers from Nepal to Argentina. The result is an inspired tribute to both music and the adventurous spirit. English, Spanish, Tibetan, Zulu with English subtitles.

A Powerful Noise, directed by Tom Cappello. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. Bookended by call-to-action quotes from Margaret Mead and Mahatma Gandhi, this inspiring documentary follows three extraordinary women—in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Mali, and Vietnam—as they lead day-to-day battles against ignorance, poverty, oppression, and ethnic strife. Bambara, Bosnian, Vietnamese with English subtitles.

Run For Your Life, directed by Judd Erlich. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. Without one eccentric first-generation Jewish immigrant from Transylvania, the New York City Marathon simply wouldn’t exist. Ehrlich’s fun, loving, and inspirational tribute to the late Fred Lebow shows how one man’s imagination, determination, and love for running created one of the world’s most popular sporting events. Part of the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival.

Seven Days Sunday (Sieben Tage Sonntag), directed and written by Niels Laupert. (Germany) - North American Premiere, Narrative. Teenage dropouts Adam and Tommek pass their days hanging out and drinking in their grim housing complex, but as grinding boredom combines with Adam’s need to prove himself and Tommek’s penchant for petty crime, the two make a bet that plunges them into shocking and sudden violence. Based on actual events. German with English subtitles.

Simple Things (Prostye veshchi), directed and written by Aleksei Popogrebsky. (Russia) - North American Premiere, Narrative. This artfully nuanced, occasionally playful story of an anesthetist, whose daughter runs away just as he hits a rough patch with his mistress and his wife announces that she’s unexpectedly pregnant, has been widely regarded as one of the best Russian films of the past year. Russian with English subtitles.

Sita Sings the Blues, directed and written by Nina Paley. (USA) - North American Premiere, Narrative. Using a variety of colorful animation techniques, writer-director Nina Paley wittily interweaves the story of Sita, the leading lady of the ancient Sanskrit epic Ramayana, with the story of a modern American woman struggling to keep her marriage afloat.

A Story of the Red Hills (Lal Pahare'r Katha), directed and written by Remo. (India) - North American Premiere, Narrative. The story of a disheartened dancer and a disabled boy—both of whose lives are transformed by the magic and power of Chhou, a traditional Bengali dance of great spectacle and color—is recounted movingly, if improbably, by a renowned Bollywood choreographer. Bengali with English subtitles.

Tennessee, directed and written by Aaron Woodley. (USA) - World Premiere, Narrative. In this intimate road movie two brothers travel to the hometown they fled as teenagers to find their estranged father. When they are joined by a spirited woman (Mariah Carey) running from her abusive husband, they begin to grow closer, and the truth of their journey comes to light.

This Is Not a Robbery, directed and written by Lucas Jansen, Adam Kurland. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. One morning, J.L. “Red” Rountree woke, ate breakfast, went for a drive, and robbed a bank. He was 87. This is the unusual story of how this devoted family man and law-abiding senior citizen became one of the country’s most notorious serial bank robbers.

Under Our Skin, directed by Andy Abrahams Wilson. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary.Arguably the most overlooked and misdiagnosed ailment currently verging on epidemic throughout the United States, Lyme disease and the shocking controversies surrounding its identification and treatment are the focus of this provocative and often terrifying documentary.

Waiting For Hockney, directed by Julie Checkoway. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary.At 38-years-old, aspiring artist Billy Pappas is the ultimate dreamer. Checkoway chronicles the 10 years Pappas spent meticulously drawing his masterpiece in his parents' attic—and the success or failure he believes hinges on his ability to show his work to his idol, artist David Hockney.

War Child, directed by C. Karim Chrobog. (USA) - North American Premiere, Documentary. Emmanuel Jal spent his childhood as a soldier in the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army. Now this rising hip-hop star is using his music to raise awareness about his homeland’s ongoing humanitarian crisis. Dinka, English, Nuer with English subtitles.

The Wild Man of the Navidad, directed and written by Duane Graves and Justin Meeks. (USA) - World Premiere, Narrative. Based on real-life journals, this intelligent retelling of an old urban legend, shot in a ’70s-style B movie aesthetic, focuses on a Texas community terrified by a mysterious creature inhabiting the nearby woods.

Worlds Apart (To Verdener), directed by: Niels Arden Oplev, written by: Steen Bille and Oplev. (Denmark) - North American Premiere, Narrative. The world of a dutiful daughter who’s a Jehovah’s Witness unravels when she falls for a nonbeliever. She is torn between her conscience, faith, and passion—and forced to make a choice between a love and a family that are worlds apart. Based on a true story. Danish with English subtitles.

Yonkers Joe, directed and written by Robert Celestino. (USA) - World Premiere. A small-time con man’s search for the perfect scam is disrupted by unexpected family challenges. This heartwarming drama features memorable performances by Chazz Palminteri and Christine Lahti.

Zoned In, directed by: Daniela Zanzotto. (USA, UK) - World Premiere, Documentary. Filmed over the course of nine years, this documentary traces the remarkable journey of 16-year-old Daniel from a Bronx high school to an Ivy League university while simultaneously exploring the role of race and class in the American education system.

Midnight
Making for fun and memorable viewing day or night, the eclectic titles in the Midnight section offer everything from campy laughs to smart thrills. From Tasmanian cannibals to small-town suicide rings, a pan-sexual rock & roll party to psychopathic farmers, this collection of films may be shocking, or creepy, but they’re always fun.

The Auteur, directed and written by James Westby. (USA) - World Premiere Narrative. With a body of work that includes Five Easy Nieces and My Left Nut, Italian auteur Arturo Domingo is the foremost artist among pornographic filmmakers. In this hilarious spoof, Domingo hopes to revive his sagging career by reuniting with his former lead actor and making his greatest triumph yet.

The Cottage, directed and written by Paul Andrew Williams. (UK) - International Premiere Narrative. A kidnapping plot goes horribly awry when two brothers and their potty-mouthed hostage stumble into the wrong farmhouse in this gory horror-comedy.

Dying Breed, directed by Jody Dwyer, written by Michael Boughen, Rod Morris, and Dwyer. (Australia) - World Premiere Narrative. Inspired by the legends of a 19th-century cannibal and an extinct tiger, this brutal horror-thriller centers on four friends who find out that something—or someone—murderous lurks in the rain-slogged Australian bush.

From Within, directed by Phedon Papamichael, written by Brad Keene. (USA) - World Premiere Narrative. Evil comes from within in this smart, supernatural thriller, set in a small extremist evangelical town that is mysteriously afflicted with serial suicides. Up-and-coming cast includes Elizabeth Rice, Thomas Dekker (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), Laura Allen (Dirt), and Rumer Willis.

Killer Movie, directed and written by Jeff Fisher. (USA) - World Premiere Narrative. A reality TV director copes with a spoiled celebutante and a show gone haywire when a masked killer starts bumping off the crew in this slasher-movie satire from a director who did time working on The Simple Life.

Sick Nurses (Suay Laak Sai), directed by Thospol Sirivivat and Piraphan Laoyont, written by Chanop Sirikamolmas, Buddhiporn Boossbarati, Sirivivat, and Laoyont. (Thailand) - New York Premiere Narrative. A vengeful ghost forces a group of sexy organ-harvesting nurses to confront their own demons in this deliriously twisted and vibrantly designed Thai splatterfest. Thai with English subtitles. A Magnet Release

SqueezeBox!, directed by Zach Shaffer and Steve Saporito. (USA) - World Premiere Documentary. Like the weekly pansexual party it pays tribute to, SqueezeBox! immortalizes the no-holds-barred, anything-goes attitude that its denizens embodied. The legendary club where the Toilet Boys and Hedwig were born gets the ultimate rock-and-roll tribute where all are welcome.

Spotlight
From the basketball court of Rucker Park in Harlem to the notorious slums of Rio de Janeiro, and from a Frenchman's death-defying scheme to walk on a high-wire between the World Trade Center towers to the intense drama and family rivalries of wild African meerkats, the films in Spotlight cover a fascinating range of themes spanning everything from war to the artist's process. Presenting a combination of narratives and documentaries adding up to 17 films from eight different countries, these significant works feature high-profile directors, cast members, and timely subjects.

Baghead, directed and written by Jay Duplass and Mark Duplass. (USA) - New York Premiere, Narrative. It’s not often that a film can be both a hilariously tongue-in-cheek send-up of indie flicks and a brilliantly insightful bit of character drama, but the Duplass brothers (The Puffy Chair) pull it off in this story of four fledgling actors, a rustic cabin, and. . . something. . . in the woods. A Sony Pictures Classics Release.

Before the Rains, directed by Santosh Sivan, written by Cathy Rubin. (USA) New York Premiere, Narrative. This lush period piece, set in Kerala, South India at the twilight of the Raj, traces the fraying friendship between an English spice baron (Linus Roache), his loyal aide (Rahul Bose), and his servant—and lover (Nandita Das). An Echo Lake/Roadside Attractions Release.

Bigger, Stronger, Faster, directed by Christopher Bell. (USA) - New York Premiere, Documentary. As entertaining as it is informative, this documentary goes beyond simply examining the truth about anabolic steroids and the athletes—professional and amateur—who use them. Focusing on his own family’s personal history, Bell looks at why Americans feel the need to be the biggest, strongest, and fastest. A Magnolia Pictures Release. Part of the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival.

Boy A, directed by John Crowley, written by Mark O’Rowe. (UK) - US Premiere, Narrative. A former juvenile offender released from prison after 14 years reenters society with the help of his counselor. Newcomer Andrew Garfield gives a stunning performance as the hesitant 24-year-old who must catch up with his peers while keeping his past a secret. A Weinstein Company Release.

Elite Squad (Tropa de Elite), directed by José Padilha, and written by Braulio Montovani, Rodrigo Pimentel, and Padilha. (Brazil) - North American Premiere, Narrative. Fresh from winning the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, and one of the most controversial Brazilian films of recent times, Elite Squad is a searing and astonishing look at the corruption of the special police force in the volatile slums of Rio. As one cop desperately tries to get out, two naive recruits see if they have what it takes to get in. Portuguese with English subtitles. A Weinstein Company and Costa Films in association with The Latin American Film Company release

Finding Amanda, directed and written by Peter Tolan. (USA) - World Premiere, Narrative. In Tolan’s (co-creator, Rescue Me) hysterical feature directing debut, a successful TV writer (Matthew Broderick) comically struggles with his addiction to gambling, drugs, and alcohol, making it that much harder to travel to Las Vegas and convince his troubled niece (Brittany Snow) to go to rehab. Featuring Steve Coogan, Maura Tierney, and Peter Facinelli. A Magnolia Pictures Release.

Gunnin’ for That #1 Spot, directed by Adam Yauch. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. Rucker Park. The mecca for all street basketball players. In Beastie Boy Yauch’s super-energized and highly musical documentary, eight of the country’s top 24 high school players participate in the first “Elite 24” tournament on the same court that helped turn Dr. J, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain into legends. An Oscilloscope Pictures Release. Part of the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival.

Kicking It, directed by Susan Koch. (USA) - New York Premiere, Documentary. All athletes are invested in the games they play, but none more than those in Kicking It, a look at the 2006 Homeless World Cup. For these guys, it’s about more than national pride. Narrated by Colin Farrell. A Liberation/ESPN/Red Envelope Entertainment Release. Part of the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival.

Lou Reed’s Berlin, directed by Julian Schnabel. (USA) - New York Premiere, Documentary. In 2006, artist/filmmaker Julian Schnabel took to the stage at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn to introduce a concert 33 years in the making: Lou Reed, playing his Berlin song cycle live for the first time. It was worth the wait. A Weinstein Company Release.

Man On Wire, directed by James Marsh. (UK) - New York Premiere, Documentary. On August 7, 1974, New York gasped as French daredevil Philippe Petit walked a tightrope between the Twin Towers—without a safety net. Peppered with humor and awe, this stunning portrait of an artist of reckless daring and impish charm is sure to leave viewers spellbound. English, French with English subtitles. A Magnolia Pictures Release.

Meerkat Manor: The Story Begins, directed by Chris Barker and Mike Slee. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. Using lively footage of wild African meerkats and Whoopi Goldberg’s narration, this film ingeniously tells the story of Flower and her family. As imaginative as any cartoon, it will have kids begging for their very own baby meerkat (not recommended). A Weinstein Company Release.

Mister Lonely, directed by Harmony Korine, written by Avi Korine and Korine. (UK, France, Ireland, USA) - New York Premiere, Narrative. It takes great talent to make a sky jumping nun and her BMX bike evoke a sense of sublime euphoria. Harmony Korine (Gummo) pulls it off in this poetic rumination on identity and art. Cast includes Diego Luna, Samantha Morton, Denis Lavant, and Werner Herzog. HerzoHhEnglish, French with English subtitles. An IFC Films Release.

My Winnipeg, directed by Guy Maddin, written by George Toles and Maddin. (Canada) - US Premiere, Narrative. Guy Maddin’s (The Saddest Music in the World) self-described “docu-fantasia” on his wintry hometown blurs facts and fictions, childhood memories and outlandish hand-me-down tales in the auteur’s dreamy, hyper-stylized fashion. An IFC Films Release.

Savage Grace, directed by Tom Kalin, written by Howard A. Rodman. (Spain, USA) - New York Premiere, Narrative. A daring dramatization of the disintegrating psyche of ’60s socialite Barbara Baekeland, Savage Grace brilliantly showcases Julianne Moore at her most haunting. Insulated by wealth and abandoned by her husband, Baekeland falls into tragic dysfunction with her adoring son. Based on a true story. An IFC Films Release.

The Universe of Keith Haring, directed by Christina Clausen. (Italy, France) - US Premiere, Documentary. Featuring Madonna, Yoko Ono, Andy Warhol, Fab 5 Freddy, and Jean-Michel Basquiat, this documentary takes an affectionate look at the colorful life of Keith Haring, whose street drawings helped define the 1980s New York art scene. An Arthouse Films Release.

The Wackness, directed and written by Jonathan Levine. (USA) - New York Premiere, Narrative. Summer of ’94. The streets of New York are pulsing with hip-hop and wafting with marijuana, and Luke Shapiro (Josh Peck) is spending his last summer before college selling dope, trading it with his shrink (Ben Kingsley) for therapy, and crushing on his stepdaughter (Olivia Thirlby). Featuring Sir Ben Kingsley, Mary-Kate Olsen and Method Man. A Sony Pictures Classics Release.

War, Inc., directed by Joshua Seftel, written by John Cusack, Mark Leyner, and Jeremy Pikser (USA) - US Premiere, Narrative. A hit man is sent to a fictional war-torn Middle Eastern country where the United States is waging the first fully outsourced war. John Cusack (who co-wrote and produced), Joan Cusack, Marisa Tomei, Hilary Duff, and Sir Ben Kingsley star in this biting satire. A First Look Studios Release.

Showcase
This mix of ten acclaimed festival favorites and award winners presents a taste of some of the top films in current world cinema. From an Oscar® nominee for Best Foreign Film about an investigation into the massacre of a group of Polish officers during WWII to two experimental films gaining notoriety, this international selection portrays both gripping personal tales as well as exceptional national histories.

Algeria, Unspoken Stories (Algérie, histoires à ne pas dire), directed and written by Jean-Pierre Lledo. (Algeria) - US Premiere, Documentary. Unearthing buried memories of Algeria’s war of independence, this bold revision of official history feels like the embrace of a lost kin or a return home. Its challenge to nationalism built on ethnicity and religion has resulted in its continued failure to receive the license that would allow Algerians to see it. Arabic, French with English subtitles.

Football Under Cover, directed by Ayat Najafi and David Assmann. (Germany) - US Premiere, Documentary. When the members of a Berlin women’s football team (we call it “soccer”) learn to their surprise they have counterparts in Iran, but that those women have never been allowed to play an actual game, they set out for Tehran to make the impossible happen. English, German, Farsi with English subtitles. Part of the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival.

Hidden In Plain Sight, directed by Mark Street. (USA) – New York Premiere, Documentary. Spanning several continents, frequent Tribeca Film Festival guest Mark Street examines his own position within diverse urban landscapes in his quest for traces of modern revolutionaries—from Salvador Allende’s in Santiago to Ho Chi Minh’s in Hanoi, Dakar, and Marseille.

Katyń, directed by Andrzej Wajda, written by Andrzej Mularczyk, Wladyslaw Pasikowski, and Wajda. (Poland) - New York Premiere, Narrative. One of Europe’s master filmmakers has finally been able to depict the suffering resulting from one of the darkest episodes of 20th-century history: the 1940 slaughter of Poland’s 15,000-man officer corps, which claimed the life of Wajda’s father. Academy Award® nominee, Best Foreign Language Film. German, Polish, Russian with English subtitles.

Lioness, directed by Meg McLagan and Daria Sommers. (USA) - New York Premiere, Documentary. United States military policy supposedly bars female soldiers from engaging in ground combat, so why were the women of Lioness sent with the marines into the deadliest insurgent strongholds in Iraq?

Profit motive and the whispering wind, directed by John Gianvito. (USA) - New York Premiere, Documentary. Award-winning independent filmmaker John Gianvito traverses the United States, ferreting out the gravesites and monuments of American rebels and leftists embedded in long-forgotten landscapes. In singular fashion, he revives America’s rich history of progressive social protest.

Secrecy, directed by Robb Moss and Peter Galison. (USA) - New York Premiere, Documentary. In the years following September 11, the black redaction stripe has become a familiar sight to most Americans. Secrecy probes the roots of the United States’ culture of classification—and its consequences.

The Secret of the Grain (La graine et le mulet), directed and written by Abdellatif Kechiche. (France) - New York Premiere, Narrative. Winner of best picture and best director Césars, this remarkable depiction of a family of North African immigrants who have settled in a decaying port town in southern France introduces a large group of characters whom you’ll soon warm to as members of your own family—except they make better couscous. French with English subtitles.

Playing (Jogo de cena), directed and written by Eduardo Coutinho. (Brazil) - New York Premiere, Documentary . One of Brazil’s most respected documentary filmmakers invited two dozen women to be filmed as they told their life stories. Months later, he filmed a group of actresses as they reenacted the same stories. The result couldn’t be simpler—or more inexplicably magical! Portuguese with English subtitles.

Strangers, directed and written by Erez Tadmor and Guy Nattiv. (Israel) - New York Premiere, Narrative. This complex and riveting love story shatters standard movie clichés as an Israeli man and Palestinian woman meet at the World Cup in Germany and try to develop a relationship that will transcend the larger struggles that face their communities. Arabic, English, French, Hebrew with English subtitles.

Restored/Rediscovered
This year the Festival is proud to present the world premiere of a new score specially prepared for its screening of a classic silent comedy by France’s renowned René Clair, brand-new restorations of films by Italy’s Federico Fellini and Sergio Leone (the latter to be screened at the Museum of Modern Art – see details under Special Screenings”) and the first screening on 35mm in decades of a work by one of America’s pioneer independent filmmakers, Curtis Harrington. Finally one of the first restorations by the World Cinema Foundation, headed by Martin Scorsese, brings back to view one of the key works of African cinema by Ethiopia’s Haile Gerima.

Harvest 3000 Years (Mirt Sost Shi Amit), directed and written by Haile Gerima. (Ethiopia, 1975) - Presented by The World Cinema Foundation. Restored by Cineteca di Bologna-L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory. A masterpiece of African cinema, chosen as one of the initial projects by Martin Scorsese for his new World Cinema Foundation project. Scorsese has written that the film “has a particular kind of urgency which few pictures possess. This is the story of an entire people, and its collective longing for justice and good faith.” Amharic with English subtitles.

Night Tide, directed and written by Curtis Harrington. (USA, 1961) - World Premiere Restoration. Restored by the Academy Film Archive, with funding provided by The Film Foundation. Courtesy of Milestone Film and Video. The feature debut of the versatile Curtis Harrington (1926-2007) stars a young Dennis Hopper, and until now has not been seen on 35mm since the '60s. Set in an amusement park, Harrington’s film blends a romantic mystery story with elements of film noir and the horror genre, the film’s atmosphere enhanced by David Raksin’s (Laura) melodic score. Preceded by a Harrington experimental short film.

Toby Dammit, directed by Federico Fellini, written by Bernardino Zapponi and Fellini. (Italy, 1968) - International Premiere Restoration.. Presented by Taormina Film Fest. Restored by Giuseppe Rotunno for the Ornella Muti Network. A gorgeous new restoration—supervised by its cinematographer, Giuseppe Rotunno—of Fellini’s adaptation of a Poe short story has Terence Stamp as a British celeb struggling through a haze of booze and drugs to make sense of the paparazzi and produttore who welcome him to Rome. English, Italian with English subtitles.

Two Timid Souls (Les deux timides), directed and written by René Clair. (France, 1929) Archival Print from the Cinémathèque Française. Silent with French intertitles and live English translation. World Premiere of a new score by the NYU Chamber Orchestra, Gillian B. Anderson, conductor. The revelation of the Pordenone Silent Film Festival last fall was this charming, near-forgotten comic gem, which displays all the elegance, wit, and visual inventiveness that are hallmarks of its director, best known for An Italian Straw Hat, and A nous la liberté.

Conversations in Cinema

2001: A Space Odyssey, directed by Stanley Kubrick, written by Arthur C. Clarke and Kubrick (UK, USA, 1968) - Kubrick’s 2001 caught the imagination of a generation with its near-hallucinatory depiction of space, artificial intelligence, and the human condition. The 40th anniversary of this film finds us once again confronting profound questions about the effects these things have had on our culture and our future. To be followed by a special panel conversation with prominent filmmakers and scientists. Presented by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

90 Miles The Documentary (90 Millas El Documental), directed by Emilio Estefan, written by Jose Maldonado and Estefan. (USA) - New York Premiere, Documentary. A fascinating look at Gloria Estefan as she records her latest album, 90 Millas, which pays tribute to the history of Latin music. With appearances ranging from legendary Latin musicians such as Arturo Sandoval, Chocolate Armenteros, and Israel Lopez Cachao to contemporaries Sheila E., Carlos Santana, and Pit Bull. English, Spanish with English subtitles. Followed by a special talk with Emilio Estefan, Gloria Estefan and special guests.

Standard Operating Procedure, directed by Errol Morris. (USA) - North American Premiere, Documentary. Can a photograph change the world? Can an exposé also be a cover-up? In Standard Operating Procedure, Academy Award®-winning director Errol Morris turns the camera on the American soldiers who took the infamous Abu Ghraib photographs. Followed by a conversation with Errol Morris. A Sony Pictures Classics Release in association with Participant Productions.

Special Screenings

Empire II, directed by Amos Poe. (USA) - North American Premiere, Documentary. Although inspired by a monument of cinematic stasis—Andy Warhol’s eight-hour Empire (1964)—this new three-hour experiment is an astonishingly beautiful and unexpectedly lively tone poem paying unforgettable tribute to the sights and sounds of the mythical, magical place called Manhattan.

Once Upon a Time in the West (C'era una volta il West), directed by Sergio Leone, written by Sergio Donati and Leone, English dialogue by Mickey Knox. (Italy, USA, 1968) - New York Premiere Restoration, Narrative. What is there to say except “restored—at last.” This breathtakingly beautiful and unforgettable film, as much an opera as it is a Western, has been both adored and reviled since its initial release, but it’s been almost impossible to see the way it was intended to be seen—until now. Italian with English subtitles. Restoration made possible by support from The Film Foundation and The Rome Film Festival, in association with Sergio Leone Productions and Paramount Pictures. Screening is a collaboration with the Department of Film, The Museum of Modern Art.