At Tribeca Festival 2025, music rules on screen and on stage
Music is the star attraction at the2025 Tribeca Festival, which opens Wednesday evening in New York City. The subject of numerous documentary and narrative films, music will also be a live feature at this particularly festive festival, with some artists performing mini-concerts in conjunction with film premieres. This year's Tribeca, the 24th edition of the festival, showcases nearly 120 feature-length narrative and documentary films — many of them world or New York premieres — along with shorts, revivals, filmmaker Q&As, immersive art installations, video games, audio storytelling, and music performances. Screenings and events will be held at venues across Manhattan and at the Brooklyn Bowl. The festival's opening night feature is the documentary"Billy Joel: And So It Goes,"a portrait of the quintessentially New York piano man. Blending archival footage with new interviews, the film — which will stream later this year on HBO Max — tracks the career of the 76-year-old musician and 23-time Grammy Award-winner, who recentlysuspended his performance schedule for health reasons. The film also screens June 5, 11 & 15. Other music subjects include: "Depeche Mode: M"(June 5, 6 & 14), which uses the British electronic band's Mexico City concerts as the framework of meditations on mortality. Depeche Mode will participate in a Q&A following the premiere screening. "Counting Crows: Have You Seen Me Lately?"(June 5, 7 & 9) traces the turbulent path of the San Francisco indie rock band Counting Crows and its front man Adam Duritz. "Boy George & Culture Club"(June 5, 6, 8 & 12) explores the '80s British glam rock group. "Something Beautiful with Miley Cyrus"(June 6) is a pop opera comprised of songs from Cyrus' album "Something Beautiful." She'll chat about it afterwards). "Billy Idol Should Be Dead"(June 10, 12 & 13) is a portrait of the punk rocker, past and present. Idol will perform following the premiere. "Sun Ra: Do the Impossible"(June 10, 11, 12 & 14) is a biography of the free-form jazz pioneer, poet and activist. "Metallica Saved My Life"(June 11, 12 & 14) examines the special relationship between the heavy metal band and its fans. Director Jonas Åkerlund and members of Metallica will discuss the film after the premiere. The documentary"Matter of Time"(June 12, 13, 14 & 15) features a solo performance by Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, dedicated to raising research funds for Epidermolysis Bullosa. Vedder will play an acoustic set following the premiere. Mexican star Becky G, the focus of the documentary"Rebecca (a.k.a. Becky G)"(June 12, 13 & 14), will perform following the world premiere at the United Palace. The South Korean band The Rose is front-and-center of"The Rose: Come Back to Me,"and will make an appearance at the premiere (June 6, 7, 12 & 15). "Still Free TC"(June 13, 14 & 15) follows the divergent paths taken by rapper and producer Ty Dolla $ign, seen during the production of his new album, and his brother, Gabriel, who is serving a 67-year-sentence for murder. "The Sixth Borough"traces the Long Island roots of hip-hop (June 11, 12 & 14), while 2025 Sundance entry"Move Ya Body: The Birth of House,"about Chicago's role in the popularization of house music, will have its New York City premiere (June 13, 14 & 15). And you don't always need instruments;"Just Sing"(June 6, 7, 11 & 13) follows members of the VoCals, a University of Southern California a capella group. There are also fiction films whose stories are centered in the worlds of K-pop ("K-Pops!"), indie record labels ("Paradise Records,"directed by Logic), classical music (Isabel Hagen's"On a String"), and music therapists (Libby Ewing's"Charliebird"). And among the guests at this year's Tribeca Talks is music producerMark Ronson(June 7). A world of non-fiction On June 14 the festival's closing night attraction is the documentary"Yanuni,"in which an Indigenous woman, Juma Xipaia, leader of an Amazonia tribe in the Middle Xingu, evolved from an environmental warrior facing police tear gas to becoming a member of government. Directed by Richard Ladkani and produced by Leonardo DiCaprio. Other documentary subjects making their bows at Tribeca include the world premiere of"Surviving Ohio State"(June 9, 10 & 13). Co-produced by George Clooney and directed by Eve Orner, the long-awaited exposé examines the sexual abuse scandal involving Ohio State athletics doctor Richard Strauss and the trauma inflicted upon young athletes. It will later be streamed on HBO Max. The comedian/performance artist Andy Kaufman, whose skyrocketing career careened from indescribable standup — he claimed to never tell jokes — to impersonating bad lounge singers and wrestling women on stage, until his death from cancer in 1984, is captured in the intimate documentary"Andy Kaufman Is Me"(June 6, 7 & 12). Making fulsome use of Kaufman's personal trove of audio and video recordings, interviews and puppetry, it seeks to answer the question: Who reallywasAndy Kaufman? We may never know. "Jimmy & the Demons"(June 8, 10, 13 & 15) profiles graphic artist and sculptor James Grashow as he completes a remarkable, religious-themed commission on mortality — and then faces staging a career-spanning exhibition of his own life's work. "Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything"looks back at the life and work of the trailblazing broadcast journalist, whose stamp on television spanned more than seven decades (June 12, 13 & 15). "Dear Ms.: A Revolution in Print"(June 10, 11, 12, 14 & 15) chronicles the history and cultural impact of Ms. Magazine. "The Inquisitor"is a profile of Barbara Jordan, the first Southern Black woman in Congress (June 8, 13 & 14). "State of Firsts"(June 7, 8 & 11) tracks the rise of Delaware's U.S. RepresentativeSarah McBride, the first transgender person to be elected to Congress. The Netflix documentary"Titan: The OceanGate Disaster"profiles Stockton Rush, the OceanGate CEO whose submersible descending to the wreck of the Titanic in 2023 imploded, killing Rush and four others on board (June 6, 7, 9 & 12). "Bodyguard of Lies"(a CBS Studios/Paramount production, co-produced by Alex Gibney) is an exposé of government deception and lack of accountability over the war in Afghanistan (June 8, 10, 11 & 13). The antebellum homes of Natchez, Mississippi, are a tourist magnet, and a source of civic pride for the town. But as"Natchez"explores, they're more than just pretty buildings — they're an evocation of a racist past that some aren't ready to let go of (June 9, 10 & 14). Choreographer and performer Jenn Freeman, diagnosed later in life with autism, prepares a solo dance that confronts her life's challenges in"Room to Move"(June 11, 12 & 13). Comedian and podcaster Marc Maron is the subject of"Are We Good?"(June 14 & 15). "Just Kids"(June 7, 8 & 13) follows the challenges facing parents seeking gender-affirming care for their children in states where such treatments have been banned. "Saturday Night Live" actress Julia Sweeney's androgynous character Pat is the subject of"We Are Pat"(June 8, 9 & 10), which looks at gender identity and trans visibility. "Holding Liat"(June 9, 10, 11 & 12) follows the ordeal of the family of Israeli-American Liat Atzili, who was kidnapped from his kibbutz during Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack. "An Eye for an Eye"(June 6, 7, 8 & 9) examines sharia law and revenge as an Iranian woman, convicted of murdering her husband, faces possible execution based on the wishes of the dead man's family. Hollywood bombshell Jayne Mansfield, who died tragically at age 34, is the subject of"My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay"(June 13, 14 & 15), a personal film by the star of "Law & Order: SVU." One of the most memorable of pop culture icons, Dorothy Gale, the witch-killer from "The Wizard of Oz," is dissected in"It's Dorothy!"(June 7, 8 & 9). Alex Ross Perry's"Videoheaven"(June 10, 11 & 12) makes its case for the once-ubiquitous video store as a vital pillar of film culture — one we're sad to see gone. If you were to put the tabloid Weekly World News and notoriously incompetent filmmaker Ed Wood in a blender, you might come up with Staten Island underground filmmaker Andy Milligan, a '60s director who reveled in gore, violence and sex in exploitation films like "Gutter Trash." Well, Tribeca is not so stuffy that it wouldn't celebrate his oeuvre with the documentary"The Degenerate: The Life and Films of Andy Milligan"(June 11, 12 & 14). In many places, one may struggle to latch onto Wi-Fi or complain about cellphone reception. In the town of Green Back, West Virginia, home of the world's largest radio telescope, Wi-Fi and phone signals are not allowed."The End of Quiet"(June 7, 8 & 11) explores a life of silence in the so-called "Quiet Zone." Hungry after all that?"Nobu"is a portrait of sushi chef and restaurateur Nobu Matsuhisa (June 11, 13 & 15). He appears in conversation with Robert De Niro after the film's premiere. Fiction Many American and international narrative films are having their world or U.S. debuts prior to their announced theatrical releases or streaming runs. Among them: Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon bring their natural chemistry to"Best You Can,"about the blossoming friendship between a security guard and a urologist. With Judd Hirsch and Brittany O'Grady (June 7, 8, 9 & 15). In the comedy-drama"Everything's Going to Be Great,"Bryan Cranston and Allison Janney star as theater managers whose dire circumstances force their family into uncomfortable and messy tensions (June 9, 10, 12 & 15). Molly Gordon and Logan Lerman are a young couple on a romantic getaway in a farmhouse in the comedy"Oh, Hi!"(June 13 & 14). In the comedy"A Tree Fell in the Woods"(June 8, 9, 10 & 13), two couples on a trip to the woods actually experience said tree. Lies and psychedelic drinks ensue. With Alexandra Daddario, Daveed Diggs, Josh Gad and Ashley Park. In"Esta Isla (This Island")(June 7, 8 & 14), young lovers in Puerto Rico escape to the mountains to evade a local drug dealer. Nick Offerman ("Civil War") stars as an extremist whose son (played by Jacob Tremblay, of "Room") questions his father's allegiance to the sovereign citizen's movement, in the based-on-true-events thriller"Sovereign."Co-starring Dennis Quaid and Martha Plimpton (June 8, 9, 11 & 12). In"Rosemead,"Lucy Liu stars as a Chinese immigrant who fears her son has become dangerously fixated on mass shootings (June 6, 7, 12 & 14). Guy Pearce (an Oscar-nominee for "The Brutalist") returns as a long-term prisoner who becomes a mentor for an incarcerated young man in"Inside"(June 7, 8, 12 & 13). Oscar nominees Andrea Riseborough and Brenda Blethyn star in"Dragonfly,"about a woman takes upon herself the care of an elderly neighbor — possibly with not-entirely-altruistic intentions (June 6, 7, 11 & 13). In 1996, French filmmaker Sophie Toscan Du Plantier was murdered while on vacation in Ireland. A suspect was tried in abstentia by a French court and convicted. What if he had stood trial in Ireland? Directors Jim Sheridan ("My Left Foot") and David Merriman ("Rock Against Homelessness") present"Re-Creation,"a fictitious take on that potential trial's jury deliberation, starring Vicky Krieps and Colm Meaney (June 8, 9 & 12). "Kites"is a magical-realist view of life in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, in which a young man's guardian angel seeks to direct him from a life of crime. From first-time director Walter-Thompson Hernández (June 6, 7 & 13). The horror-comedy"Queens of the Dead"answers the question: what do you get when you mix drag queens with flesh-eating zombies? (June 7, 8, 13 & 15.) Finn Wittrock ("American Horror Story") stars as a failed filmmaker who returns to his Long Island hometown to confront the actions of his past in"Westhampton"(June 7, 8, 11 & 14). A struggling filmmaker fears losing his free-travel perk when his roommate, an airline employee, begins dating someone in"The Travel Companion"(June 5, 6, 11, 14 & 15). "Honeyjoon"explores matters of grief and a young woman re-gaining an appreciation of life during a trip the Azores (June 7, 8, 12 & 13). In the growing tradition of live-action remakes of animated films, Mason Thames plays the young Viking lad who tames and befriends Toothless, a young dragon, in"How to Train Your Dragon"(June 11, prior to its theatrical release June 13). Retrospectives and reunions Tribeca will host a 30th anniversary screening of"Casino"(June 5), followed by a talk with star Robert De Niro and director Martin Scorsese. There are also 25th anniversary screenings of the Christopher Guest mockumentary"Best in Show"(with Guest and cast members, June 12),"Requiem for a Dream"(with director Darren Aronofsky and actor Ellen Burstyn, June 10),"American Psycho"(June 12), and"Meet the Parents"(with De Niro, stars Ben Stiller and Teri Polo, director Jay Roach and producer Jane Rosenthal, June 7). Sen. Cory Booker attends a 20th anniversary screening of the Oscar-nominated documentary"Street Fight"( June 13). It took 50 years, but the 1975 body horror flick"Shivers"will play Tribeca, followed by a talk with director David Cronenberg (June 14). And in honor of the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday, Martin Scorsese's 1997 biography"Kundun"will be screened (June 6). A 20th anniversary 4K remaster of the Japanese musical comedy"Linda Linda Linda,"a cult favorite about an all-girl high school band, with music by Smashing Pumpkins' James Iha, unspools on June 8. TV Episodic television is also featured, with screenings of new seasons of the MGM+ series"Godfather of Harlem"(June 11), HBO Max's"The Gilded Age"(June 12), and Paramount+'s"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds"(June 14). Novelist Dennis Lehan is the writer-producer behind"Smoke"(Apple TV+), about an arson investor and detective tracking serial arsonists (June 12). From Britbox comes"Outrageous,"about six scandalous, aristocratic sisters (June 5). Also screening are"We Were Liars,"a Prime Video adaptation of the E. Lockhart bestseller (June 10), and the Hulu documentary"Call Her Alex"about podcaster Alex Cooper (June 8). Tribeca Talks Artist and newsmaker interviews include talks withJim Gaffigan and Michael Ian Black(June 5);Sean Penn, interviewed by Kaitlan Collins (June 8);Rep. Jasmine Crockettin conversation with Whoopi Goldberg (June 13); and actressEllen Pompeo, interviewed by Katie Couric (June 14). There are also panel discussions with creatives about the industry, from storytelling to funding. Immersive art and games The festival's immersive storytelling program, titled"In Search of Us,"features 11 projects by artists working via VR, augmented and mixed reality, and multimedia installations. Pier 57, open to the public June 11-15, will feature playable demos of this year's games selections, including the fantasy game"Absolum";"Cairn,"in which you try to survive reaching the summit of Mount Kami;"Mixtape,"a nostalgic look back on high school;"Take Us North,"with is built on the stories of real-life migrants; and the horror games"Sleep Awake,"in which the player must evade death cults, and"Possessor(s),"where you must escape a flooded city. Festival Guide The festival runs from June 4-15. For more information about films, immersive exhibits, special events and ticketing (single tickets and passes), visit theTribeca Festival website. 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At Tribeca Festival 2025, music rules on screen and on stage Music is the star attraction at the2025 Tribeca Festival, which opens Wednesday...
