Festivals - Tribeca 2021 - Feature Film Selection : Viewpoints

By Mulder, 20 april 2021

Viewpoints, which includes narratives and documentaries, recognizes distinct voices in independent filmmaking by creating a home for bold directorial visions and embracing distinct characters or points of view.

7 Days (United States) (World Premiere)
directed by Roshan Sethi, written by Karan Soni, Roshan Sethi
Produced by Liz Cardenas, Mel Eslyn.
With Karan Soni, Geraldine Viswanathan, Mark Duplass, Zenobia Shroff, Aparna Nancherla, Gita Reddy,
Jeffrey Self.
Synopsis : As if their pre-arranged date, organized by their traditional Indian parents, wasn’t uncomfortable enough, Ravi and Rita are forced to shelter in place together as COVID-19’s reach intensifies. Hopefully for their sake, opposites do indeed attract.

Accepted (United States) (World Premiere)
directed by Dan Chen
Produced by Jason Y. Lee, Dan Chen, Jesse Einstein, Mark Monroe.
Synopsis : The ambitious students of the TM Landry Prep School enjoyed a remarkable 100% acceptance rate into the county’s most elite colleges until an explosive NY Times article exposed the controversial teaching methods of its dynamic founder.

As of yet (United States) (World Premiere)
directed by Chanel James, Taylor Garron, written by Taylor Garron
Produced by Ashley Edouard, Taylor Garron. (United States)
With Taylor Garron, Eva Victor, Amir Khan, Quinta Brunson, Ayo Edebiri.
Synopsis : Told entirely through video calls and digital diaries, Naomi (Taylor Garron who also wrote and co-directs) navigates a problematic roommate and a burgeoning romance all while locked down during the Coronavirus pandemic.

The Beta Test (United States) (North American Premiere)
directed and written by Jim Cummings, PJ McCabe,
written by Jim Cummings, PJ McCabe.
Produced by Vanishing Angle
With Jim Cummings, Virginia Newcomb, PJ McCabe, Jessie Barr, Keith Powell, Kevin Changaris. In English,
Mandarin, Swedish with English subtitles
Synopsis : After indulging in a mysterious, toe-curling sexual encounter, a Hollywood talent agent frantically struggles to keep his career, his relationship, and his sanity from unravelling in Jim Cummings’ satirical thriller. An IFC Films release.

Building a Bridge (United States) (World Premiere)
directed by Evan Mascagni, Shannon Post
Produced by Evan Mascagni, Shannon Post, Nick Capezzera.
Synopsis : Building a Bridge profiles Father James Martin, an outspoken New York-based priest and author who works to connect the Catholic Church with the LGBTQ+ community through compassion, inclusion, love, and acceptance.

The Conductor (United States) (World Premiere)
directed by Bernadette Wegenstein, written by Bernadette Wegenstein and Stefan Fauland
Produced by Annette Porter.
Synopsis : In this exhilarating documentary, Leonard Bernstein’s protégée Marin Alsop reveals how she smashed the glass ceiling to become an internationally renowned conductor.

The Death Of My Two Fathers (United States) (US Premiere)
directed by Sol Guy, written by Sol Guy, Matthew Cooke, Shoshana Guy.
Produced by Stine Moisen, Sol Guy.
With Sol Guy, William Guy, Travestine Guy, Freye Parkhouse, Barbara Ogletree, Leora Gesser.
Synopsis : After putting it off for twenty years, filmmaker Sol Guy finally confronts the six tapes his father recorded before dying. Using those tapes as a framework, Guy recounts his family’s story—and his own—for his two teenage kids

The Justice of Bunny King (New Zealand) (World Premiere)
directed by Gaysorn Thavat, written by Sophie Henderson
Produced by Emma Slade.
With Essie Davis, Thomasin McKenzie.
Synopsis : Bunny, a woman at the outskirts of society, fights to be reunited with her children. When her teenage niece needs help, Bunny takes her under her wing, and together, they make a stand against the cards they’ve been dealt.

The Legend of the Underground (Nigeria, United States) (World Premiere)
directed and produced by Giselle Bailey, Nneka Onuorah
With James Brown Obialor, Micheal Ighadaro, Edafe Okporo, Ayodeji Otuyelu, Olaide Kayode Timileyin.
Synopsis : A timely documentary uncovering rampant homophobia in Nigeria while exploring the lives of several gay men who must choose to live imperiled lives there or flee to the USA. An HBO Documentary Films release.

North By Current (United States) (North American Premiere)
directed and written by Angelo Madsen Minax
Produced by Felix Endara.
Synopsis : A thoughtful, provocative rumination on identity and familial responsibility, North By Current turns an unflinching eye toward a family in the process of repair.

Perfume de Gardenias (Puerto Rico, Colombia) (World Premiere)
directed by Macha Colón, written by Gisela Rosario Ramos
Produced by Arleen Cruz-Alicea, Consuelo Castillo, Adriana Ángel, Gisela Rosario Ramos.
With Luz María Rondón, Sharon Riley, Katira Álvarez, Carmen Nydia Velázquez, Carmen Milagros Ortiz, Flor Joglar, Abner Rivera. In Spanish with English subtitles.
Synopsis : After the death of her husband, a grieving elderly woman is enlisted by a coterie of gossipy elderly women in her neighborhood to plan and create custom funerals – offering seniors a chance to plan in advance how they want their funerals to be presented, and how they want their lives to be celebrated.

Sisters on Track (United States) (World Premiere)
directed by Corinne van der Borch, Tone Grøttjord
Produced by Anita Rehoff Larsen, Tone Grottjord.
Synopsis A coming of age story set in New York, Sisters on Track is about hope, belonging, and the metaphorical and literal sisterhood of young athletes Tai, Rainn, and Brooke Sheppard. A Netflix release.

Wu hai (China) (North American Premiere)
directed and written by Ziyang Zhou
Produced by Luna Wang, Yini Qian, Li Zhu
With Xuan Huang, Zishan Yang, Tumen.
Synopsis : A dinosaur theme park in the desert of Inner Mongolia is the setting for this remarkable dynamic drama in which a man’s whole world unravels over the course of three fateful days.

(Source : press release)