The lineup has been set for the Tribeca Talks series of sessions at the 2017 Tribeca Flm Festival. The panels and discussions announced today feature noted filmmakers, artists, and entertainers, including: Noah Baumbach, Kathryn Bigelow, Kobe Bryant, Common, Lena Dunham, Jon Favreau, and Bruce Springsteen, as well as previously announced participants Alejandro González Iñárritu and Barbra Streisand. The Tribeca Talks® program will run throughout the 16th annual Tribeca Film Festival, taking place April 19-30.
Intimate one-on-one discussions are a hallmark of the Tribeca Talks: Directors Series, and Tribeca Talks: Storytellers Series. Acclaimed directors participating in the Tribeca Talks: Directors Series include Jon Favreau in conversation with Scarlett Johansson, Noah Baumbach with Dustin Hoffman, and a conversation with Alejandro González Iñárritu. Now in its second year, Tribeca Talks: Storytellers, which spotlights pioneering creators who work across mediums to tell their stories, will feature Common in conversation with Nelson George, Kobe Bryant and legendary animator Glen Keane with Michael Strahan, a conversation with Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner, Bruce Springsteen with Tom Hanks, and Barbra Streisand in conversation with Robert Rodriguez. For the first time, the Festival will feature a Virtual Reality Premiere Talk Event with Kathryn Bigelow and Imraan Ismail. The popular Tribeca Talks: Master Class conversations return with a focus on specific sectors of the filmmaking process, including cinematography with Ellen Kuras, production and costume design, and creating sound and music for film.
“It is an incredible privilege to get a glimpse into the creative process of some of the most brilliant figures in film, music, and culture – and one of my favorite parts of the festival experience,” said Tribeca’s Paula Weinstein. “The Tribeca Talks series allows audiences to join the discussions, and offers a chance to peek into the minds of their favorite entertainers to better understand their creative journeys.”
The 2017 Tribeca Talks series schedule follows:
Tribeca Talks: Directors Series
Jon Favreau with Scarlett Johansson
Filmmaker Jon Favreau will talk to actress Scarlett Johansson about his distinguished and diverse career as a director, successful across both indie and blockbuster franchises, ranging from the indie hit Swingers to the blockbuster Iron Man series. He will also discuss his initiation into virtual reality with Gnomes & Goblins and the landmark live action effort, The Jungle Book, truly embodying the spirit of a director who knows no bounds.
DATE: Friday, April 21
TIME: 5:00PM
LOCATION: SVA 1
Alejandro González Iñárritu
Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu, one of only three directors to ever win consecutive Oscars and the first to do so in 65 years, will talk about his beautifully varied work on films such as Amores Perros, 21 Grams, Biutiful, Babel, and most recently, The Revenant. Iñárritu is the first Mexican filmmaker to have been nominated for Best Director and Best Producer in the history of the Academy Awards.
DATE: Saturday, April 22
TIME: 2:30PM
LOCATION: SVA 1
Noah Baumbach with Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Hoffman will speak with director and writer Noah Baumbach about his career, which includes his Academy Award®-nominated film The Squid and the Whale and the groundbreaking Frances Ha.
DATE: Monday, April 24
TIME: 6:00PM
LOCATION: BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center
Tribeca Talks: Virtual Reality
Kathryn Bigelow and Imraan Ismail – The Protectors
At a special VR premiere, Academy Award®-winning director Kathryn Bigelow and co-creator Imraan Ismail discuss their collaboration on Virtual Reality documentary The Protectors: A Walk in the Ranger’s Shoes. The experience, from National Geographic, Here Be Dragons, Annapurna Pictures, and African Parks chronicles a day in the life of the rangers in Garamba National Park. Conversation to be followed by the VR premiere.
DATE: Saturday, April 22
TIME: 8:15PM
LOCATION: The Tribeca Festival Hub, located at Spring Studies – 50 Varick Street
Tribeca Talks: Storytellers
Some of today’s most innovative creators broke from traditional roles and pioneered their own forms of storytelling, often mastering multiple mediums. This series will celebrate the illustrious careers of those individuals who have broken from the mold.
Kobe Bryant and Glen Keane with Michael Strahan
Basketball great Kobe Bryant collaborated with visionary animator Glen Keane on an animated short film that explores what it is like to say goodbye to something you love. In an onstage conversation led by Hall of Famer, NFL analyst on Fox and co-host of Good Morning America, Michael Strahan, Bryant and Keane focus on what story means to them and what it is like to truly step out of your own lane.
After the Movie: Bryant and Keane’s conversation with Michael Strahan will follow a screening of Dear Basketball, Kobe Bryant’s inspiring poem, stunningly drawn to life by veteran animation director Glen Keane and set to the music of legendary composer John Williams.
DATE: Sunday, April 23
TIME: 4:30PM
LOCATION: BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center
Common with Nelson George
Beginning as a rapper in Chicago, Academy Award®, Golden Globe, and three time Grammy winner Common has crafted an impressive career as a renowned hip-hop artist and notable actor. Director/screenwriter Nelson George joins Common to discuss the power of the combination of film and music.
After the Movie: This conversation will begin with a screening of a never-before-seen extended version of Letter to the Free, followed by a conversation with Nelson George and a live performance by Common.
DATE: Sunday, April 23
TIME: 8:00PM
LOCATION: The Tribeca Festival Hub, located at Spring Studies – 50 Varick Street
Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner
Initially discovered for her original voice in breakout film Tiny Furniture, Lena Dunham has since gone on to win a Golden Globe for her performance in Girls, which was created by Dunham and is helmed by Jenni Konner, whose other work includes the series Help Me Help You. The duo also co-founded the media brand Lenny, home of the feminist weekly newsletter Lenny Letter (LennyLetter.com). In a can’t miss conversation, Dunham and Konner will discuss Girls, the industry, and the highs and lows of their careers.
DATE: Tuesday, April 25
TIME: 6:00PM
LOCATION: The Tribeca Festival Hub, located at Spring Studies – 50 Varick Street
Bruce Springsteen with Tom Hanks
Bruce Springsteen has had an illustrious career spanning over 40 years of unforgettable cultural achievements. The musician sits down with celebrated actor and longtime friend Tom Hanks to discuss Springsteen’s unique place in American musical history and look forward to the future.
DATE: Friday, April 28
TIME: 5:00PM
LOCATION: Beacon Theatre
Barbra Streisand with Robert Rodriguez
Widely recognized as an icon in multiple entertainment fields, Barbra Streisand has attained unprecedented achievements as a recording artist, actor, director, producer, concert performer, author and songwriter. Streisand has been awarded two Oscars®, five Emmys, ten Golden Globes, eight Grammys plus two special Grammys, a special Tony award in 1970, and two CableACE Awards – the only artist to receive honors in all of those fields of endeavor. She will converse on her unparalleled career and force field of creativity with filmmaker Robert Rodriguez.
DATE: Saturday, April 29
TIME: 6:00PM
LOCATION: BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center
Tribeca Talks: Master Class (Free events)
Tribeca Talks: Master Class are free events featuring conversations focusing on a specific sector of the filmmaking process.
Dolby: Image and Sound Master Class with Imogen Heap
The new animated short film Escape utilizes exciting new imaging and sound technologies, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, to present a euphoric vision of the future. Join composer/sound designer Imogen Heap, directors Limbert Fabian and Brandon Oldenburg, and other members of the film’s creative team as they discuss how they used audio technologies to tell this compelling story
DATE: Sunday, April 23
TIME: 12:00PM
LOCATION: Dolby Cinema at AMC Empire 25, 234 W 42 St
Production and Costume Design Master Class
Kristi Zea, the venerated production designer who has collaborated with directors such as Martin Scorsese and Jonathan Demme, sits down with a prominent costume designer for a conversation about creating the overall look and feel of film.
DATE: Saturday, April 29
TIME: 3:00PM
LOCATION: SVA 2
Cinematography Master Class
Acclaimed cinematographer Ellen Kuras, frequent collaborator with directors Michel Gondry and Spike Lee, takes you behind the camera, from choosing the right lenses to crafting a specific vision. Academy Award-nominated for her directorial debut documentary film, The Betrayal – Nerakhoon, she will offer tips and provide examples from her work on films including Blow and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
DATE: Sunday, April 30
TIME: 3:00 PM
LOCATION: SVA 2
Tribeca Talks: Podcasts
This year the Tribeca Film Festival partners with Slate to offer access to podcasts covering culture and political humor, as well as the popular Gilbert Gottfried comedy podcast.
Live from The Tribeca Film Festival: Slate’s Represent
Slate’s Represent is a space for discussion about culture created by women, people of color, and those in the LGBTQ community. Host Aisha Harris dives deep into conversations with critics about the latest pop cultural news, and filmmakers in the industry about what they do and how they do it.
DATE: Monday, April 24
TIME: 6:45 P
LOCATION: SVA2
Live from The Tribeca Film Festival: Slate’s Trumpcast
Get a dose of politics and comedy with Slate’s Trumpcast Live. Host Jacob Weisberg is joined by Slate chief political correspondent Jamelle Bouie, author Virginia Heffernan, and more for a frank conversation on the first 100 days of the Trump administration.
DATE: Sunday, April 30
TIME: 8:15 PM
LOCATION: SVA1
Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast! Live
Acclaimed comedian and actor Gilbert Gottfried and cohost Frank Santopadre are joined by special celebrity guests for a live recording of their hilarious and informative podcast. Vanity Fair called “Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast!” “gripping” and the Village Voice named it 2015’s “Best Podcast of the Year.”
DATE: Sunday, April 23
TIME: 5:30 PM
LOCATION: Regal
Tickets for the Bruce Springsteen/Tom Hanks talk taking place at the Beacon Theatre go on sale on March 21 at Ticketmaster via www.tribecafilm.com. Tickets for all other Tribeca Talks go on sale Tuesday, March 28, and can be purchased online here, by telephone (866) 941-FEST (3378), or at the ticket outlet located at Cinepolis Chelsea (260 W. 23rd Street). Also visit the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival App on iTunes and Google Play.
Rom-Com Mainstay Hugh Grant Shifts To The Dark Side and He’s Never Been Happier
After some difficulties connecting to a Zoom, Hugh Grant eventually opts to just phone instead.
"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Tech hell." Grant is no lover of technology. Smart phones, for example, he calls the "devil's tinderbox."
"I think they're killing us. I hate them," he says. "I go on long holidays from them, three or four days at at time. Marvelous."
Hell, and our proximity to it, is a not unrelated topic to Grant's new film, "Heretic." In it, two young Mormon missionaries (Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher) come knocking on a door they'll soon regret visiting. They're welcomed in by Mr. Reed (Grant), an initially charming man who tests their faith in theological debate, and then, in much worse things.
After decades in romantic comedies, Grant has spent the last few years playing narcissists, weirdos and murders, often to the greatest acclaim of his career. But in "Heretic," a horror thriller from A24, Grant's turn to the dark side reaches a new extreme. The actor who once charmingly stammered in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and who danced to the Pointer Sisters in "Love Actually" is now doing heinous things to young people in a basement.
"It was a challenge," Grant says. "I think human beings need challenges. It makes your beer taste better in the evening if you've climbed a mountain. He was just so wonderfully (expletive)-up."
"Heretic," which opens in theaters Friday, is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of "A Quiet Place." In Grant's hands, Mr. Reed is a divinely good baddie — a scholarly creep whose wry monologues pull from a wide range of references, including, fittingly, Radiohead's "Creep."
In an interview, Grant spoke about these and other facets of his character, his journey... Read More