With the end of the year came the inevitable reflection upon that which had transpired over those twelve months. It prompted the creation of a series that has been appearing here and over on my other post as the Tucson Film Industry Examiner, looking at the Best of 2010. Next up in this retrospective journey is the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival, one of the most important of all the festivals around the world. In the piece that follows, you can learn more about the people referred to by clicking on the person's hyperlinked name or title of the film. Most of these links are to either interviews with the person or the website for their film.
Fresh off six weeks of chaos, covering multiple fests around the country, either going there or covering by proxy of sorts, I decided to take the plunge and head out to Tribeca, once again, on my own dime, but with the key elements set up to make it work. Great friends like Ryan and Scott in Brooklyn as well as Vincent in Jersey, opened their homes to me, and later on in the trip, my wife (she joined for the last part of the trip), making my ability to access everything I needed a snap. I was to see a few handpicked films that I thought could explode from Tribeca, setting up interviews with some of the key filmmakers and actors involved, and possibly lay the groundwork for a future move to NYC, which is actually going to be a reality in a couple months.
After the long freaking day on the airplane, I got into Brooklyn easily, even though it was rush hour, and with just enough time to get it together, clean up, have a couple cocktails, grab a bite, then head over to the screening of Thomas Ikimi's taut, edgy, psychological thriller, Legacy, featuring the absolutely Oscar-worthy performance by Idris Elba, one of the best in the business right now. After the easier than expected subway ride from Greenpoint into Tribeca, I was beginning to feel a bit fatigued, so I pulled out the can of Sugarfree Red Bull and hung outside the theater, having a few smokes before getting into the line that was already piling up. It was no matter, as one of the highlights of my young career, interviewing the supremely talented and personable Ikimi in a nearly two and half hour marathon phone session a week or so earlier, made waiting no big deal. I was just brimming with anticipation awaiting the film, taking slugs from my flask once in awhile to try and calm the edginess I was beginning to feel. You can read my thoughts about Legacy in the linked titled, which I found to be one of the most challenging, intense, and emotionally charged films of the festival year, entertaining and thrilling audiences around the world and currently available on Netflix, Amazon, and numerous other outlets.
After the film, I was able to have quick chat with Ikimi, but it was time to head home to get some rest for the busy next day, which featured both business and pleasure. Heading home on the subway proved to be more challenging than getting to the Village East Cinemas, as I found myself somehow in Bushwick, trying to figure out how the hell I missed my stop. Oh yeah, it never stopped there because of construction (thanks G train, appreciate it). It all worked out fine actually as I called my buddy and he told me where I needed to go after some discussion and my mounting concern over the situation. So what should have been about twenty, twenty-five minutes, turned into almost two hours, mostly waiting for the next train to come back to Bushwick, so some drinks were in order upon my arrival back in Greenpoint. My gracious hosts were game and we hung out until the wee hours, some having to get up earlier than others, but a killer time was had to be sure.
The next day brought something I had been fearing the whole trip, the growing pain in my hand and forearm that was at the point where Vicodin wasn't even helping. Instead of freaking, I just handled my business, did what I could, and made the best of a bad sitch. Turned out I had several stress fractures in my hand and wrist from overuse, but hey, nothing to do but move forward, and I did. I did a review of the Legacy premiere screening, then headed out to a screening of Gerrymandering, the brilliant exposure of the political redistricting process and its dark underbelly. Writer/Director Jeff Reichert takes the subject matter at hand, the redrawing of congressional districts to give one party or the other an unfair advantage in elections, and makes it digestible, easy to comprehend, but most of all, truly entertaining. Reichert's passion for this cause was clear in his Q and A session after the film, as well as his continuing fight against this terrifying practice, which in many ways, rigs elections. Check out the website for Gerrymandering to find out how you can see this vitally important film.
The rest of my day was going to be committed to resting my hand while reconnecting with an old friend, a writing colleague, and one of the coolest cats out there. We met after my films ended for the day and he got out of work, heading over to the East Village spot Black and White, one of the establishments I had the privilege to patron on my trip. It was just so laid back, cool, dark, and with some the best barkeeps around. It would serve as a safe place the whole trip, and I was treated as if I was one of their own thanks to my friend's frequent patronage there as well as his part hosting an Open Mic night the first Sunday of every month, which we would be coming to in a few days, more on that later. That first night, we were like speed freaks, just talking to each other with an ever increasing, fast and furious pace, putting down the Ketel One as fast as they could pour it, intermittently going outside for a smoke and a toke as well, taking in the atmosphere on the somewhat quiet street this place is on. We were going to be staying at my buddy's place in Jersey that night, and in our condition, it was beginning to seem like a truly daunting task. Somehow, we made it back without incident and continued the fiesta through the wee hours of the morning, again, but hey, make the most of things is what I say.
The next morning was a bit rough, but nothing a little Red Bull couldn't fix. I had to get over to the Village East Cinemas before the screening of my favorite flick at Tribeca last year, Pinball Films and IFC Films release brilliantlove or what it is now called here in the U.S., The Orgasm Diaries. I was fortunate enough to score an interview with the film's Director and one of its Producers, Ashley Horner, prior to the screening, and I was to meet him in front of the theater. I got to the theater and began to realize that I wasn't quite sure what Horner looked like or if he knew what I looked like. I just began scanning every credential carrying man that bared any resemblance to my remembrance of his picture I saw online. I realize where he is and I approach, finding Horner right away to be a true gentleman, charming, engaging, bursting with energy, and clearly excited for the interview.
We walk down to a nearby cafe, Cafe Centosette where he and his wife had been lunching. We approach, he introduces me to his wife, and she is delightful and charming as well, then we take a seat at a table right next to hers, one of about thirty empty tables outside. We begin talking for a few minutes when the waiter comes over, let's call him Captain Douche, and he informs us we must sit at the bar if we were not ordering food, despite the fact that Horner had just finished eating and his wife was sitting there eating. We grudgingly obliged, but what an asshat this guy was, a real sodding wanker. Thankfully, Horner and I picked up right where we left off and I was given an informative, generous, and inspiring in many ways interview that I thought would be a big turning point for me and my career. I was grateful and left he and his wife to have a few minutes before the screening was to start.
All this time, my friend was waiting in the rush line outside the theater, hoping to get a ticket for the flick. I went right in as I already was set up, taking a seat in the cozy, intimate, yet still fairly large, around 300 seat theater. I held the seat next to me with my bag, opening it up to take a drink from my special bottle, to swallow another pain pill as my hand and arm were thumping, and continue hoping my buddy got in. The flick is about to start, the lights go down, and the last person in the theater before the trailers begin, it's my guy, somehow managing to get in. He settles in, all is well, and we are ready to enjoy what would be one of the three best films I saw this year.
The bravura examination of passion and love that is brilliantlove blew us away in every conceivable manner (you can read a much more detailed review here). The performances given by stars Nancy Trotter Landry and Liam Browne were just astounding, so compelling, so familiar in many ways, and we got to see the other important element of this film in the Q and A session as well which is the true family vibe all of the filmmakers involved carried with them. Karl Liegis, Sean Conway, Browne, Horner, and the rest of the group were engaging, hilarious, and humble in answering the questions asked of them. Outside the theater, I brought my friend over to meet Horner and let him know how much we dug the film. As corny as that kind of thing sounds, it wasn't at all, we genuinely did enjoy the flick and we wanted to congratulate them on their accomplishment as well as wish them luck in the future. There wasn't much left to do at this point now but grab some drink and discuss the film, then figure out what was next, which we did.
The next couple days were spent hanging mostly with my friends and my freshly arrived wife who was joining up for that last part of the trip. We would go all over the place, taking in as much as we could, enjoying ourselves at every turn. Could it really happen I was thinking? Could we have a great enough time that she would be interested in moving here? Turns out fortune favors the bold as the trip was a huge hit in every conceivable way, laying the groundwork for the upcoming move there. Amazing meals at restaurants like Sue Torres' upscale Mexican spot in Chelsea called Sueños (the scallops with a poblano cream sauce and the cornbread spinach stuffing of sorts was one of the most sublime dishes I have ever eaten), the museum experiences at MoMA (got some great pics of Pollock's many works there) and the Liberty Science Center (my friend designed several exhibits there), the beauty and elegance of the opera at The Met, and so much more.
It was back to business on Sunday, as I had one more film left to see, with my friend and wife coming along as well. The Independent Spirit Award nominated work Monogamy, by Dana Adam Shapiro, starring the always perfect Rashida Jones, and one of the best actors in the business, Chris Messina, was the film that they chose to see with me, and an exceptional choice it turned out to be, creating a conversation piece that still feels close today. This film really captured the essence of being thirty something and trying to wade through the minefield that is love and commitment in the new century. It was one of the better film experiences I had last year, getting to share it with two people close to me, talk about it afterwards at a killer Vietnamese restaurant nearby the Chelsea Clearview Cinema that was hosting the fest, then carrying on the rest of the night at my new favorite place, Black and White back in the East Village.
There would be an Open Mic that was really more of a spoken word, poetry reading, hosted by my pal Vincent Steele. We were hanging with two of his friends as well, Cheryl (who is my friend too) and Kiersten, watching him command the stage with a true presence as he introduced the evening and those who would be reading. The first guy went up and did pretty well, I was impressed, but now I had to go up, and in a panic, I didn't read all that I had intended and really kind of sucked, but it had been a long time, and I enjoyed myself, so 'eff it. Many more quality writers go up including several members of the staff, rocking the mic and entertaining the crowd that had assembled. Then Vincent goes up and reads his stuff, just brilliant, such a writer and orator, he will be huge someday soon I promise, too much talent there.
It was the end of the most important step on my journey last year and I am truly excited to be able to fully cover the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival, living there, comfortable with the scene, and with a wealth of experience that is starting to pay off. Head over to the Tribeca website for information on the upcoming festival this April 20th through May 11th and be sure to check back here as well as the fest approaches. If you are interested in following along with the coverage of the TFF or film festivals in the future, you can receive these articles directly as they are published by clicking on the “Subscribe” button at the top of this piece. You can also follow me on Twitter by searching for ericshlapack or by clicking the link below.
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The 2011 Tribeca Film Festival
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Comments
Just brilliant stuff here mate! Hope to see more of your stuff in the future!
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