This year’s Tribeca Festival is sure to spark your imagination and provide you with inspiration as well as insight into what LGBTQ+ filmmakers can achieve in spite of the challenges they face in the world today. The Tribeca Festival is taking place during PRIDE Month, and the complete list of the programming highlights and celebrates the diverse voices, stories, and perspectives across the LGBTQ+ community. For showtimes, and to purchase tickets, click here.
LGBTQ+ PROGRAMMING
1-800-ON-HER-OWN (Photo courtesy of Tribeca Festival)
FEATURE FILMS
1-800-ON-HER-OWN (World Premiere)
Spotlight+ | Feature | United States | 77 MINUTES | English | Women, Documentary, LGBTQIA+, Music, Politics, Art, Biography
Ani DiFranco is an unmistakable talent who shook the ‘90s folk music scene. Her voice, unique in its tone and power, and her songwriting, full of activism and assertiveness, became a beacon particularly to young women who saw themselves in her lyrics and style. In 1990, she started Righteous Babe Records, creating a path to independently release her own music and proving herself as an artist that would do things her way despite the traditional routes.
Director: Dana Flor | Producer: Amy Hobby, Emily Wachtel
After the Premiere Screening: Special performance by Ani DiFranco
All That We Love (World Premiere)
Spotlight Narrative | Feature | United States | 90 MINUTES | English | Women, Comedy, Drama, Narrative
Following the death of her family dog, Emma (Margaret Cho) finds herself at a crossroads where grief and release play together: a midlife awakening is now in full throttle, and those closest to Emma feel the impact, including her best friend Stan (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and her rambunctious daughter Maggie (Alice Lee). To make matters more complicated and ripe for comedic mishaps, Emma’s estranged ex-husband Andy (Kenneth Choi) returns to the city from Singapore down on his professional luck and aiming to rekindle things with his lost love.
Director: Yen Tan | Producer: Jonathan Duffy, Kelly Williams, Rebecca Green, Tim Headington, Theresa Steele Page | Cast: Margaret Cho, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Kenneth Choi, Alice Lee, Atsuko Okatsuka, Missi Pyle, Devon Bostick
Bikechess (World Premiere)
International Narrative Competition | Feature | Kazakhstan | 100 MINUTES | Russian | English subtitles | Women, Comedy, Drama, LGBTQIA+, Politics, Journalism
Doesn’t a government initiative encouraging mental and physical fitness sound motivating? Imagine if it included activities like cycling and playing chess simultaneously… In Assel Aushakimova’s second feature, Bikechess, she reunites with her lead actress Saltanat Nauruz to portray Dina, a disenchanted Kazakh broadcast journalist who is much more capable than the propaganda she is forced to cover. Ambivalent toward her professional mandate, she is tasked with presenting these seemingly absurd programs in a positive light. Challenged by her younger sister (Assel Abdimavlenova), a lesbian activist who constantly brushes with authorities, she also navigates a relationship with her married cameraman (Shyngys Beibituly).
Director: Assel Aushakimova | Producer: Antoine Simkine, Almagul Tleukhanova, Christian Fredrik Martin | Cast: Saltanat Nauruz, Assel Abdimavlenova, Shyngys Beibituly, Duisenbek Sydykbekov
Crossing (North American Premiere)
Spotlight Narrative | Feature | Sweden, Denmark, Georgia, Turkey, France | 105 MINUTES | English, Georgian, Turkish | English subtitles | Drama, LGBTQIA+
For Lia, a world-weary former schoolteacher, the intersection of promises and real life events has put her squarely in a precarious position: she’s made a pact to fulfill her recently deceased sister’s last wish — to find her long lost daughter Tekla. Together with Tekla’s former neighbor, an out-of-luck young man called Achi, they navigate Istanbul together in search of her niece. But she soon meets Evrim, a lawyer fighting for trans rights, and becomes embraced by the local trans community.
Director: Levan Akin | Producer: Mathilde Dedye | Cast: Mzia Arabuli, Lucas Kankava, Deniz Dumanli
DRIVER (World Premiere)
Documentary Competition | Feature | United States | 90 MINUTES | English | English subtitles | Women, Documentary, Drama, Politics
Desiree Wood has been to hell and back. A former stripper who lost everything, she now has a second lease on life as a long-haul truck driver. By establishing the organization “Real Women In Trucking,” Desiree has amassed an irreverent coalition of women drivers to advocate for an equitable and fair quality of life on the road, and ensure the welfare of women drivers within their male-dominated profession. While this line of work brings socially-precarious circumstances and solitude, these women undertake their jobs with an air of gallows humor and steely commitment to their work. However, as the American labor landscape continues to deteriorate and industry forces continue to be stacked against drivers deemed as replaceable, Desiree (alongside the sisterhood of truckers) struggles to find a sustainable path forward at the risk of losing it all once more.
Director: Nesa Azimi | Producer: Nesa Azimi, Ines Hofmann Kanna, Nicolas Borel
Cast: Desiree Wood, Michelle Kitchin, Idella Hansen, Debbie (Dingo) Desiderato, Jess Graham, Brita Nowak
Griffin in Summer (World Premiere)
US Narrative Competition | Feature | United States | 90 MINUTES | English | Comedy, LGBTQIA+, Narrative
Summer vacation is usually the time for kids to let loose, but for fourteen-year-old Griffin Nafly it’s time to get down to the serious business of putting on his dramatic new play: an ambitious cross between Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf and American Beauty. However, when his tween collaborators get distracted by more trivial pursuits like boys and camp, Griffin’s attention drifts toward Brad, the zoned-out handyman working at his house. Increasingly smitten and seeking a kindred spirit in Brad due to his failed career as a New York-based performance artist, Griffin finds himself embarking on an unforgettable summer.
Director: Nicholas Colia | Producer: Juliet Berman, Bobby Hoppey, Camila Mendes, Rachel Matthews, Matthew Miller | Cast: Everett Blunck, Melanie Lynskey, Owen Teague, Abby Ryder Fortson, Kathryn Newton
Group Therapy (Photo courtesy of Tribeca Festival)
Group Therapy (World Premiere)
Spotlight+ | Feature | United States | 86 MINUTES | English | Comedy, Drama
We see a set being built — walls put up to construct a makeshift therapist’s office. Some people walk onto the set and get prepped in makeup chairs. A small audience gathers and sits in an intimate space with chairs lined up in a circle. Neil Patrick Harris leads a few people — a group of comedians — inside the space, and as the comedians sit down and take their places, Harris, with a smile, addresses the room, “Well…who wants to start?”
Director: Neil Berkeley | Producer: Kevin Healey, Luke Kelly-Clyne, Kevin Hart, Bryan Smiley
Cast: Neil Patrick Harris, Mike Birbiglia, Nicole Byer, Gary Gulman, London Hughes, Tig Notaro, and Atsuko Okatsuka
Hannah Einbinder: Everything Must Go (World Premiere)
Spotlight Narrative | Feature | United States | 60 MINUTES | English | Comedy
Best known for her Emmy-nominated starring role as “Ava” in Hacks, Hannah Einbinder’s first love is stand-up comedy. Everything Must Go is Einbinder’s first-ever stand-up special.
Director: Sandi Honig | Writer: Hannah Einbinder | Cast: Hannah Einbinder
I’m Your Venus (World Premiere)
Spotlight Documentary | Feature | United States | 80 MINUTES | English | Documentary, LGBTQIA+
This moving and timely documentary sets the stage for the investigation of the unsolved murder of Venus Xtravaganza, one of the iconic stars of Paris Is Burning, the legendary 1990 documentary about drag queens in the ballroom scene of New York City. Venus died during that film’s shoot and now, 35 years later, the spotlight is back on Venus as her two families — biological and ballroom — stand united to discover the truth, challenge the system and honor the legacy of their sister. The road for justice is a difficult one as they revisit old wounds, examining every event and detail to find a path toward healing and positive change.
Director: Kimberly Reed | Producers: Jamie Schutz, Steven Cantor, Mike Stafford
After the Premiere Screening: Special ballroom performance
In the Summers (New York Premiere)
Spotlight Narrative | Feature | United States | 95 MINUTES | English, Spanish | Drama, LGBTQIA+, Latinx/Latin American
In this poignant debut film, embark on a journey with two sisters (Lío Mehiel, Sasha Calle) as they grapple with their relationship to their well-meaning but troubled father (Rene Perez Joglar) during their childhood summers.
Director: Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio | Producer: Alexander Dinelaris, Rob Quadrino, Nando Vila, Lynette Coll, Sergio Lira, Daniel Tantalean, Cynthia Fernandez De La Cruz | Cast: Rene Perez Joglar, Sasha Calle, Lio Mehiel, Leslie Grace
Linda Perry – Let It Die Here (Photo courtesy of Tribeca Festival)
Linda Perry: Let It Die Here (World Premiere)
Spotlight+ | Feature | United States | 93 MINUTES | English | Animation, Women, Documentary, LGBTQIA+, Music, Art, Biography
As one of the most recognizable artists of the last 30 years, Linda Perry became an icon with her signature hat, attitude and chart-topping hit “What’s Up” with her band 4 Non Blondes. Since then, she has gone on to make a name for herself as a Grammy-nominated songwriter and producer, creating hits for artists such as Adele, Christina Aguilera, Brandi Carlisle, Miley Cyrus, Celine Dion, Ariana Grande, Alicia Keys, Dolly Parton, Pink and Gwen Stefani. In his film, award-winning Tribeca alum Don Hardy takes viewers on an intimate and revealing journey, exploring the life of this pioneering and talented artist.
Director: Don Hardy | Producer: Don Hardy, Shawn Dailey | Cast: Linda Perry, Dolly Parton, Brandi Carlile, Christina Aguilera, Aubin Crowell, Sara Gilbert
After the Premiere Screening: Special performance by Linda Perry.
Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution (World Premiere)
Spotlight+ | Feature | United States | 100 MINUTES | English | Comedy, Documentary, LGBTQIA+, Politics
Comic-turned-filmmaker Page Hurwitz makes her debut at Tribeca with one question: have queer comedians changed the world? This rapturous documentary dives into the dynamic realm that undoubtedly influenced a culture of social change in America. From archival materials to stand up performances and interviews with comedy titans, the film examines what nearly a century of struggle can do to marginalized performers — and its historic aftermath. Despite the battles, queer comics have risen to the top by nurturing the unshakable bonds of community, continuously challenging the status quo and never denying an audience the power of laughter.
Director: Page Hurwitz | Producer: Katherine LeBlond, Page Hurwitz, Wanda Sykes | Cast: Lily Tomlin, Sandra Bernhard, Wanda Sykes, Eddie Izzard, Rosie O’Donnell, Margaret Cho, Fortune Feimster, Todd Glass, Hannah Gadsby, Scott Thompson, Judy Gold, Bob The Drag Queen, Joel Kim Booster
Before the Premiere Screening: A standup performance featuring stars of the film, Margaret Cho, Judy Gold, and Joel Kim Booster.
