Get ready for an exciting lineup of films, TV shows, and NOW projects directed by and starring Black and Brown talent in prominent roles at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival!
The 2023 Tribeca Festival will take place from June 7-18 and will feature 107 feature films from 127 filmmakers across 36 countries. As well as 10 TV shows and 11 original Indie Episodic Series.
The festival will showcase emerging talent from around the world and established names. The feature program will include 93 world premieres, one international premiere, eight North American premieres, one U.S. premiere, and six New York premieres.
43 first-time directors and 29 directors returning to Tribeca with their latest projects will be featured. 41% (45) of all feature films are directed by women and, for the first time, more than half of the competition feature films are directed by women at 68% (19). 36% (39) of feature films are directed by BIPOC filmmakers, including two indigenous filmmakers.
Of the 109 features this year, we’re highlighting 40 projects directed or starring Black or brown talent in prominent roles. From thought-provoking documentaries to heartwarming narratives, these films and shows explore a diverse range of themes and stories, all brought to life by talented artists of color. Keep reading to discover more about these must-see films at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival.
After the festival, from June 19 through July 2, fans can enjoy the selections from the Tribeca Festival from the comfort of their homes via the “Tribeca at Home” online platform: Tribecafilm.com.
FOR MORE INFORMATION OVERALL: https://tribecafilm.com/
TV
Diarra From Detroit
Diarra From Detroit is a dark comedy that follows a divorcing school teacher who refuses to believe she’s been ghosted by her rebound Tinder date. Her search for the missing man pulls her into a decades-old mystery involving the Detroit underworld. As the case unfolds, her co-workers, friends, and lovers become unlikely allies as she falls down a dangerous rabbit hole.
After the Screening: A conversation with Diarra Kilpatrick and castmates.
Creator: Diarra Kilpatrick
Executive Producer: Kenya Barris, Diarra Kilpatrick, Miles Orion Feldsott
Producer: Erynn Sampson
Cast: Diarra Kilpatrick
Network: BET+
Full Circle
Exposing Parchman is an investigative documentary that explores the efforts to reform the Mississippi correctional system led by a team of attorneys on behalf of the inmates of Parchman Prison. The film tells the inside stories of the families, the legal team, and Roc Nation across three years of legal battles to end the deadly conditions for those incarcerated at Parchman.
After the Screening: A conversation with the subjects, legal team, and Roc Nation executives behind Exposing Parchman.
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Executive Producer: Steven Soderbergh , Ed Solomon, Casey Silver
Cast: Dennis Quaid, Claire Danes, Timothy Olyphant, Zazie Beetz, Jharrel Jerome, CCH Pounder and Phaldut Sharma
Network: MAX
Swagger (S2)
Inspired by NBA superstar Kevin Durant’s experiences, Swagger explores the world of youth basketball, and the players, their families and coaches who walk the fine line between dreams and ambition, and opportunism and corruption. Off the court, the show reveals what it’s like to grow up in America.
After the Screening: A conversation with creator and executive producer Reggie Rock Bythewood and cast.
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Executive Producer: Reggie Rock Bythewood, Kevin Durant, Francie Calfo, Brian Grazer, Rich Kleiman, Joy Kecken
Cast: O’Shea Jackson Jr., Isaiah Hill, Shinelle Azoroh, Quvenzhané Wallis, Tessa Ferrer, Caleel Harris, Christina Jackson, Solomon Irama, Jason Rivera-Torres, Ozie Nzeribe, James Bingham, Sean Baker, Tristan Mack Wilds, Shannon Merrill Brown, Orlando Jones
Network: Apple TV+
Exposing Parchman
Exposing Parchman is an investigative documentary that explores the efforts to reform the Mississippi correctional system led by a team of attorneys on behalf of the inmates of Parchman Prison. The film tells the inside stories of the families, the legal team, and Roc Nation across three years of legal battles to end the deadly conditions for those incarcerated at Parchman.
After the Screening: A conversation with the subjects, legal team, and Roc Nation executives behind Exposing Parchman.
Director: Rahman Ali Bugg
Screenwriter: Jeanmarie Condon
Executive Producer: (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER – ITV) Rahman Ali Bugg, Jordana Hochman, Jeanmarie Condon, (CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER – ITV), Alison Dammann, (ROC NATION) Desiree Perez, Lori York, (A&E) Elaine Frontain Bryant, Shelly Tatro, Brad Abramson
Producer: Jeanmarie Condon
Network:
Choir
For the Detroit Youth Choir, everything changed when they entered the spotlight on America’s Got Talent. They’d come a long way from rehearsing in a church basement with a handful of kids, but now their past achievements are old news and the new kids need to step up. With new talent and auditions underway, can the DYC stay relevant both in their hometown and on the national stage?
After the Screening: A conversation with Artistic Director of the Detroit Youth Choir Anthony White, director Rudy Valdez, executive producer Sara Bernstein, and members of the choir, plus a special performance by the Detroit Youth Choir.
Director: Rudy Valdez
Network: Disney+
Spotlight Narrative
The Blackening
Based on the viral digital skit, The Blackening tells the story of old friends who reunite in a cabin in the woods (where have we heard that before?). The fun weekend quickly becomes a fight to survive, and the only way to make it out is to figure out which friend is the Blackest of them all.
Director: Tim Story
Screenwriter: Tracy Oliver & Dewayne Perkins
Producer: Tim Story, Tracy Oliver, E. Brian Dobbins, Marcei A. Brown, Jason Clark, Sharla Sumpter Bridgett
Cast: Grace Byers, Jermaine Fowler, Melvin Gregg, X Mayo, Dewayne Perkins, Antoinette Robertson, Sinqua Walls, with Jay Pharoah, and Yvonne Orji
The Listener
An understated drama about a night in the life of a mental health helpline volunteer, The Listener is a stirring testament to the power of empathy.
Director: Steve Buscemi
Screenwriter: Alessandro Camon
Producer: Wren Arthur, Steve Buscemi, Oren Moverman, Lauren Hantz, Tessa Thompson
Cast: Tessa Thompson
Cold Copy
The kinetic drama Cold Copy follows an ambitious journalism student’s tactics to impress, and get into the good graces of, an esteemed yet cutthroat news reporter — even if it involves manipulating her latest story … and truth itself.
Director: Roxine Helberg
Screenwriter: Roxine Helberg
Producer: Justin Lothrop, Brent Stiefel, Daniel Bekerman, Roxine Helberg
Cast: Bel Powley, Tracee Ellis Ross, Jacob Tremblay, Nesta Cooper
Cinnamon
Two young lovers risk it all to chase their dreams. With great performances, including a menacing Pam Grier, Cinnamon deftly brings the Blaxploitation genre to the modern day.
Director: Bryian Keith Montgomery Jr.
Screenwriter: Bryian Keith Montgomery Jr.
Producer: Oz Scott
Executive Producer: Michael D. Jones, Kevin Garnett, Brian Bennett, Mike Marangu, Bryian Keith Montgomery Jr.
Cast: Pam Grier, Damon Wayans, David Iacono, Hailey Kilgore, Jeremie Harris
Our Son
Fed up with the state of his relationship, Gabriel files for divorce from his partner of thirteen years, Nicky. Thus begins their complex journey to find themselves and support their son along the way.
Director: Bill Oliver
Screenwriter: Peter Nickowitz, Bill Oliver
Producer: Fernando Loureiro, Eric Binns, Guilherme Coelho, Jennifer 8. Lee, Christopher Lin
Executive Producer:
Cast: Billy Porter, Luke Evans, Robin Weigert, Andrew Rannells, Isaac Powell, Phylicia Rashad
I.S.S.
Tensions flare in the near future aboard the International Space Station as nuclear war begins on Earth. Reeling from these events, astronauts and cosmonauts receive similar orders: take control of the station at any cost.
Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite
Screenwriter: Nick Shafir
Producer: Pete Shilaimon, Mickey Liddell
Cast: Ariana DeBose, Chris Messina, Pilou Asbæk, John Gallagher Jr., Maria Mashkova, Costa Ronin
The Perfect Find
Looking for a fresh start, a forty-year-old returns to the workforce, where she must navigate a challenging workplace, a demanding boss, and a lusty secret romance.
Director: Numa Perrier
Screenwriter: Leigh Davenport
Cast: Numa Perrier, Gabrielle Union, La La Anthony, Gina Torres, Keith Powers, Ts Madison, Janet Hubert, Devale Ellis
The Good Half
An emotionally distant writer returns home for his mother’s funeral in this tender family dramedy. The Good Half offers an honest and nuanced approach to grief, regret, and healing.
Director: Robert Schwartzman
Screenwriter: Brett Ryland
Producer:
Executive Producer: Russell Wayne Groves
Cast: Nick Jonas, David Arquette, Brittany Snow, Alexandra Shipp, Matt Walsh, Elisabeth Shue
Spotlight Documentary
All Up in the Biz
In All Up in the Biz, director Sacha Jenkins creates a collage of celebrity interviews, rare film, reenactments, and playful animation to share how Biz Markie left his mark on the history of hip-hop.
Director: Sacha Jenkins
Screenwriter: Sacha Jenkins, Andre Wilkins
Producer: Andre Wilkins, Djali Brown-Cepeda
Cast: Biz Markie, Tara Hall, Nick Cannon, Tracy Morgan, Big Daddy Kane, Fat Joe, Daryl McDaniels, Doug E Fresh, Dapper Dan, Prince Paul, Rakim, Marley Marl
Anthem
What would it sound like to have a national anthem that actually reflects America? Anthem follows composer Kris Bowers and producer Dahi on a road trip across the country to find out.
Director: Peter Nicks
Screenwriter:
Producer: Peter Nicks, Kris Bowers, Sean Havey, Chris L. Jenkins, Ryan Coogler (Proximity)
Executive Producer: Sev Ohanian
Cast: Kris Bowers, Dahi, Ruby Amanfu, Charity Bowden, Joy Harjo
The League
Baseball isn’t the game we know and love without the contribution of Black Americans. Director Sam Pollard explores the incredible history of the Negro Leagues, its impact on the sport of baseball, and the players that still resonate through history to this day.
Director: Sam Pollard
Producer: Dave Sirulnick, Jen Isaacson, Robin Espinola, Byron Motley, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Tariq Trotter
Milli Vanilli
Filmmaker Luke Korem looks back on the origins and eventual fallout of pop music’s greatest swindle. Milli Vanilli scrutinizes the dreams of singers Rob & Fab, who fell prey to greedy tactics, causing their downfall.
Director: Luke Korem
Producer: Luke Korem, Bradley Jackson, Jon Michael Simpson (co-producer)
Executive Producer: Hanif Abdurraqib, Kim Marlowe
Cast: Fabrice Morvan, Timbaland, Ingrid Segieth, Frank Farian, Charles Shaw, Brad Howell, Linda Rocco, Jodie Rocco, Diane Warren, Rob Pilatus, John Davis
The Space Race
Highlighting the experiences of the first Black astronauts through decades of archival footage and interviews, The Space Race is a reflective illumination on the burden of breaking barriers.
Director: Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, Lisa Cortes
Producer: Keero Birla
Executive Producer: Frank Marshall, Leland Melvin
Sunday Best
An affectionate documentary about the career of pioneering television host Ed Sullivan, Sunday Best pays particular attention to Sullivan’s platforming of Black musicians during the civil rights era.
Director: Sacha Jenkins
Producer: Rafael Marmor, Margo Precht Speciale, Christopher Leggett, Peter Bittenbender, Mark Monroe, Suzanne Kay, Natalie Goldberg (co-producers)
Executive Producer: Andrew Solt, Josh Solt, Kerry Gordy, Zoe Morrison
BS High
After a nationally televised high school football game between top-ranked IMG Academy and unknown Bishop Sycamore ended with an IMG blowout win, it’s discovered that Bishop Sycamore isn’t at all what it seems.
Director: Martin Desmond Roe, Travon Free
Producer: Jack Turner, Spencer Paysinger, Todd Schulman, Constance Schwartz-Morini, Adam McKay, Michael Strahan, Jay Peterson, Todd Lubin
Executive Producer: Todd Schulman, Adam McKay, Michael Strahan, Jack Turner
Invisible Beauty
This documentary about the life of model and activist Bethann Hardison is both a fascinating life story and an irrefutable argument for the importance of diversity and inclusion.
Director: Bethann Hardison, Frédéric Tcheng
Screenwriter: Bethann Hardison, Frédéric Tcheng
Producer: Lisa Cortes,Paul Dallas (co-producer)
Executive Producer: Hallee Adelman, John Boccardo, Derek Esplin, Ivy Herman, Rick Rosenthal, Nancy Stephens, Andrea Van Beuren, David Chan, Robina Riccitiello, Chris Stolte, Heidi Stolte
Cast: Bethann Hardison, Kadeem Hardison, Iman, Fran Lebowitz, Pat Cleveland, Robin Givhan, Tracee Ellis Ross, Tyson Beckford, Whoopi Goldberg, Zendaya
It’s Basic
A compelling look at Universal Basic Income pilot programs in U.S. cities, It’s Basic follows those spearheading the movement to combat inequality and poverty.
Director: Marc Levin
Producer: Michael Tubbs, Daphne Pinkerson, Auri Akerele, Elizabeth Sehring
Executive Producer: Michael Tubbs
Midnight
Perpetrator
Teenager Jonny gains supernatural abilities through a mystical transformation, just as girls from her new school go missing. Jonny takes the investigation into her own hands in this coming-of-age, feminist horror-noir.
Director: Jennifer Reeder
Screenwriter: Jennifer Reeder
Producer: Derek Bishé, Gregory Chambet
Executive Producer: Greg Gilreath, Trevor Groth, Adam Hendricks, Sarah Hong, Dimitri Stephanides
Cast: Kiah McKirnan, Alicia Silverstone, Melanie Liburd, Casimere Jollette, Ireon Roach, Sasha Kuznetsov, Greta Stolte
Viewpoints
Ote
Öte follows Lela, a Black woman from New York City traveling alone through Turkey. In no rush to reach her destination, Lela is happily sidetracked by the chance encounters her journey provides.
Director: Malik Isasis & Esra Saydam
Screenwriter: Malik Isasis & Esra Saydam
Executive Producer: Eda Çarıkçı, Esra Saydam & Malik Isasis
Cast: Iman Artwell-Freeman, Eren Alici, Gülsüm Ölgen, Ziya Sudançikmaz
Melody of Love
Ethiopian jazz guitarist Michael is called upon by his mother to leave Addis Ababa and join her in Brussels, stoking his deep resentment toward European entitlement in this rich, evocative meditation on the internalized weight of colonialism.
Director: Edmundo Bejarano
Screenwriter: Edmundo Bejarano
Producer: Carlos Vargas
Cast: Elijah Reid
NOW: Original Indie Episodic Series
Honeycomb
After a has-been musician (Baron Vaughn) live-streams his suicide attempt, his band’s single goes viral. For the first time in their life, they have a chance at fame and fortune — as long as the world continues to believe he’s dead.
Director: Sam Roden
Screenwriter: Joseph L. Roberts, Sam Roden
Producer: Elisha Yaffe
Cast: Baron Vaughn, Hayley Marie Norman, Joseph L. Roberts, Charlyne Yi, Elisha Yaffe, Joe Mande, Bella Shephard
Driven
Driven tells the story of Teddy Fischer (Rebecca Henderson), an Uber driver and failed novelist who is living in her brother’s laundry room. While contemplating suicide, Teddy gets a ride request from Yari Alvarez (Krissy Lemon), an overly confident, deaf yodeler, who insists that Teddy drive her to her parents’ (Liza Colón, Gary Perez) McMansion to defend her as a fellow artist.
Director: David Shane
Screenwriter: David Shane
Executive Producer: Joaquin Baca-Asay
Producer: Lalou Daimond
Cast: Rebecca Henderson Krissy Lemon Hannah Cabell David Furr Liza Colon Zayas Gary Perez
Do It To Me If You Want
After an unexpected run-in on the lawn of a Halloween frat party, Kent and Alexandra try…and try again to communicate. Do It To Me If You Want is a pitch-black dramedy series exploring the gray area of desire – all the sh*t we don’t have language for that nevertheless dictates everyone’s relationship to everybody – as experienced by a group of state college students over the course of a school year.
Director: Elise Kibler, James Udom
Screenwriter: Elise Kibler
Producer: Elise Kibler, James Udom, Gabe Wilson
Cast: Elise Kibler, Curt Morlaye, Stephanie Hinck
US Narrative Competition
Cypher
Documenting the astronomical rise of rapper Tierra Whack, director Chris Moukarbel captures the weird and sinister side of fame. This riveting and enigmatic pseudo-documentary will have viewers questioning everything they see.
Director: Chris Moukarbel
Screenwriter: Chris MoukarbelProducer: Tony Hernandez, Lilly Burns, John Hodges, Tierra Whack, Sanjay M. Sharma, Roya Rastegar, Anthony Seyler, Chris Moukarbel
Executive Producer: John Janick, Steve Berman, Natalia-Leigh Brown, Johnny Montina, Kenete Simms, Jake Fuller
Cast: Tierra Whack
Lost Soulz
Set to a lo-fi, genre-bending soundtrack, Lost Soulz follows a young rapper as he leaves behind his surrogate family and sets out on an expedition across Texas, contemplating new and old friendships.
Director: Katherine Propper
Screenwriter: Katherine Propper
Producer: Andres Figueredo Thomson, Juan Carlos Figueredo Thomson
Cast: Sauve Sidle, Siyanda Stillwell, Aaron “Seven” Melloul , Krystall Poppin, Alexander Brackney, Micro TDH, Malachi Mabson, Tauran Ambroise
Mountains
Xavier works in demolition and dreams of buying a bigger house for his family, while his adult son, caught between two cultures, struggles to find a place for himself. What results is a loving portrait of the Haitian community in Miami.
Director: Monica Sorelle
Screenwriter: Monica Sorelle, Robert Colom
Producer: Robert Colom
Executive Producer: Rhianon Jones
Cast: Atibon Nazaire, Sheila Anozier, Chris Renois
DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
Between The Rain
Between the Rains is a coming-of-age documentary following a young member of a formerly nomadic northern Kenyan tribe as it deals with the environmental and psychological effects of climate change. The result is a film woven around the concepts of tradition, culture, and home.
Director: Andrew H. Brown, Moses Thuranira
Screenwriter:
Producer: Moses Thuranira, Samuel Ekomol, Andrew H. Brown, Naomi Kambura
Executive Producer: Ngaihike Napuu, Lekha Singh, Mike Morrisroe
Cast:
Breaking the News
Breaking the News follows the determined efforts of women and nonbinary journalists launching a news “startup” to foreground voices omitted from mainstream news. Filmmakers Hernandez, Courtney, and Hairston provide a deep look into bias and inclusion in the ever-shifting media landscape.
Director: Princess A. Hairston, Chelsea Hernandez, and Heather Courtney
Producer: Diane Quon, Heather Courtney, Princess A. Hairston, Chelsea Hernandez
Executive Producer: Keith Maitland, Sarah Wilson, Jacqueline Olive, Nico Opper, Sally Jo Fifer, Lois Vossen, Bill and Ruth Ann Harnisch, and Melony and Adam Lewis
Cast: Emily Ramshaw, Amanda Zamora, Errin Haines
Style Bender
Israel Adesanya is an out-of-this-world fighter who is as complex as he is powerful. Stylebender follows the Nigerian-born, New Zealand-based MMA Champion as he grows his legend.
Director: Zoe McIntosh
Screenwriter: Zoe McIntosh, Tom Blackwell, Brendan Donovan
Producer: Fraser Brown, Leela Menon, Tom Blackwell
Cast: Israel Adesanya, Eugene Bareman
International Narrative Competition
Boca Chica
A lively coming-of-age drama, Boca Chica follows twelve-year-old Desi in her pursuit of becoming a famous singer. As Desi braces to leave her hometown, she’s met with deep-seated secrets that have long tormented her family and their coastal Dominican community.
Director: Gabriella A. Moses
Screenwriter: Marité Ugás, Mariana Rondón
Producer: Sterlyn Ramirez
Executive Producer: Robina Riccitiello, Félix M. García
Cast: Scarlet Camilo, Jean Cruz, Lia Chapman, Xiomara Rodriguez, Richardson Diaz, Cindy Lou Howards, Charles Mendoza
Spotlight+
Bad Like Brooklyn Dancehall
New York City is the Fifteenth Parish in this documentary about the city’s role in the evolution of Dancehall, with legends like Shaggy and Sean Paul on hand to help tell the story.
Director: Ben DiGiacomo, Dutty Vanier
Screenwriter: Amy DiGiacomo
Producer: Amy DiGiacomo, Jay Will, Ben DiGiacomo, Ramfis Myrthil, AJ Leon
Executive Producer: Shaggy, James Cole Jr.
Cast: Shaggy, Sean Paul, Kool Herc, Bobby Konders, Patricia Chin
Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive
After 40 years, the singer of “I Will Survive” makes her comeback with a new gospel album. This poignant documentary chronicles Gloria Gaynor’s struggles with ageism and financial ruin on the journey to have her voice heard once more.
Director: Betsy Schechter
Producer: Betsy Schechter
Cast: Gloria Gaynor
Uncharted
Filmmaker Beth Aala goes behind the scenes of Alicia Keys’ “She Is The Music” songwriting camp in this revealing look at the music business. Through the experiences of young Black and Brown women, we are shown how hard it is to succeed in a world granting very little access and opportunity for them.
Director: Beth Aala
Producer: Everywoman Studios, Abby Greensfelder, Beth Aala, and Felicia Stevens (co-producer)
Executive Producer: Alicia Keys, Ann Mincieli, Jody Gerson, Sam Kirby Yoh, Katie Couric, Brenda Robinson, Abby Rodriguez
Cast: Alicia Keys, Ann Mincieli, Alex Mali, Ambi Lyrics, Ayoni, DaVionne, Dianna Lopez, Ebonie Smith, G.L.A.M., Gloria Kaba, Jean Deaux, Jody Gerson, Lanita Smith, Maria Ayerbe, TT the Artist, Linda Perry, Nija Charles
Waitress
The hit Broadway musical about a small-town pie baker with big dreams gets the silver screen treatment.
Director: Brett Sullivan, Diane Paulus, Jessie Nelson
Screenwriter: Music and Lyrics by Sara Bareilles, Based on the Motion Picture Written by Adrienne Shelly. Book By Jessie Nelson
Producer: Michael Roiff , Barry & Fran Weissler, Sara Bareilles, Jessie Nelson, Paul Morphos
Executive Producer: Alecia Parker
Cast: Sara Bareilles, Charity Angél Dawson, Caitlin Houlahan, Drew Gehling, Dakin Matthews, Eric Anderson, with Joe Tippett, and Christopher Fitzgerald
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